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Table 3 CAM described by participants and sorted into seven CAM categories.

From: Mapping patterns of complementary and alternative medicine use in cancer: An explorative cross-sectional study of individuals with reported positive "exceptional" experiences

NCCAM CATEGORIES

Total number of therapies reported

Number of individuals reporting therapies

ALTERNATIVE MEDICAL SYSTEMS

antroposophic medicine (6), homeopathy (3), traditional Chinese medicine

10

10

MIND-BODY INTERVENTIONS

painting (6), music, dance, sculpturing, counselling (6), support groups, mental practice (6), relaxation techniques (2), eurythmy (3), gestalt therapy, bonitology (2), kinesiology, prayer (3), meditation-various types (9), family constellations, visualization (3), rehabilitation program, rosen method body work

50

23

BIOLOGICALLY-BASED THERAPIES

aloe vera (2), angelica, antioxidants (5), apis, ayurvedic preparations, birch ash (2), blutsaft, cayenne pepper, cetraria, chalk, charchole, chinese herbal medicine, cypress, coffee enema, dendrite cell treatment (2), ecomer, edta, enzymes (2), field horsetail, fish oil, garlic (2), geranium, ginger, ginseng, helixor (2), iceland lichen, inhalation mixture-chamomile, peppermint and lemon balm, iscador (14), juniperberry, kan yang, lactase enzyme, lavender, lemon concentrate (2) lemon grass, lemon balm, linseed bandage, lycine, magnesium (2), marjoram, micro-algae, mung bean sprouts (2), new castle virus (2), nouni (2), olibanum, ozone therapy (2) quercetin, pankreon, probion, proline, proteas, radish, raw food diet, rosemary, sage (2), sandal wood, saw palmetto, selen (2), shark liver oil, silica, silymarin, silver, sodium ascorbate, sodiumselen respond selen, sulfur, supergreens, THX, valerian root, vegan diet, vitamin A, vitamin b, vitamin C (3), vitamin D, vitamin e (5), walnut supplements, wheat grass juice, yarrow, zinc (2)

115

27

MANIPULATIVE AND BODY BASED THERAPIES

acupuncture (3), chiropractic care, feldenkreis, fever baths, herbal baths, local and whole body hyperthermia (2), stretching, lymph massage (2), alternative surgical procedure, soft tissue massage

14

12

ENERGY THERAPIES

Biofield therapies: healing (10), qi gong (4), tai chi (2), yoga (3), reflexology, color therapy, homeopathic remedies (gold, arsenic, barium-iodate, viscum/mesenchym comp, conium maculatorn)

Bioelectromagnetic-based therapies: ECT-laser (3), frequency medicine (2), magnetic field therapy (3), plasma lamp therapy

35

21

EMPIRICALLY DERIVED CATEGORIES

SPIRITUAL/HEALTH LITERATURE

A Course in Miracles-author unspecified, Bays Brandon – The Journey (2), Chopra Deepak – Perfect Health, Ehdin, Sanna – The Self-Healing Human (4), Gawler Ian – You can conquer cancer, Hamer Gerhard – The New Medicine (3), Pollak Kay – Att välja glädje [only in Swedish], Hayes Louise – no specific book, Alexander Marcus – Kvantmänniskan [in Swedish], Preben Maria – no specific book, Moss Ralph-Cancer & CAM information, Shine Betty – Mind to Mind, Siegel Bernie – Love, Medicine and Miracles (6), Sai Baba – no specific book, Simonton, Carl – Getting Well Again, Stern Bengt – Feeling bad is a good start (3), Walsch Donald – Conversations with God

31

15

TREATMENT CENTERS

Centro Antroposophico – Antroposophic center, Spain; Furusjön – Health retreat, Sweden (2); Humlegården – Alternative Clinic for cancer patients, Denmark (2); Lustgården – Rehabilitation unit for cancer patients, Sweden, Mösseberg-rehabilitation for cancer patients, Sweden (2), Vidarkliniken – Antroposophic hospital, Sweden (10), TCM hospital combining TCM and BHC, Germany

19

15

  1. Number of participants reporting a certain CAM is indicated in parentheses (if more than one).