Mayo Clinic Health Manager
Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.
Get StartedAlternative medicine
By Mayo Clinic staffComplementary and alternative therapies may help you cope with the side effects of cancer and cancer treatment. For instance, people with esophageal cancer may experience pain caused by cancer treatment or by a growing tumor. Your doctor can work to control your pain by treating the cause or with medications. Still, pain may persist, and complementary and alternative therapies may help you cope.
Options include:
- Acupuncture
- Guided imagery
- Hypnosis
- Massage
- Relaxation techniques
Ask your doctor whether these options are safe for you.
- Kleinberg LR, et al. Cancer of the esophagus. In: Abeloff MD, et al. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone; 2008:1399.
- Esophageal cancer. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/PDF/esophageal.pdf. Accessed March 9, 2009.
- Esophageal cancer treatment (PDQ) health professional version. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/esophageal/healthprofessional/allpages. Accessed March 9, 2009.
- Esophageal cancer screening (PDQ) health professional version. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/screening/esophageal/healthprofessional/allpages. Accessed March 9, 2009.
- Questions to ask the doctor. Cancer.Net. http://www.cancer.net/patient/Cancer+Types/Esophageal+Cancer. Accessed March 10, 2009.
- Eating hints for cancer patients: Before, during and after treatment. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/eatinghints/allpages/print. Accessed March 12, 2009.
- Adult cancer pain. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/PDF/pain.pdf. Accessed March 12, 2009.
- Esophageal cancer prevention (PDQ) health professional version. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/prevention/esophageal/healthprofessional/allpages. Accessed March 9, 2009.