Cancer – Herbs in Holistic Healthcare

Cancer – Herbs in Holistic Healthcare

Jo Walker Amberwood Publishing Ltd 15.99 ISBN 1 89930 828 8

Many people affected by cancer use herbalism and holistic healthcare approaches as an alternative or, more commonly, as an adjunct to conventional medical therapies.

The book’s author is a doctor with expertise in a number of complementary therapies and she has written this book both for people affected by cancer and their lay or professional carers.

The language is accessible and the text adopts a self-help/ problem-focused approach that makes it easy to find relevant herbal treatments. Detailed references can only be found on a medical services and education company website where the author appears to be medical director. The book only contains ten references, making it difficult for the reader without computer access to verify the rationale for the use of particular herbs.

The content covers common conditions (constipation, indigestion, impotence) prevalent among older people in the general population. This is both a strength and weakness of the book, as the title suggests it is specifically for those wishing to use medicinal herbs in the management of symptoms of cancer and its treatment. A number of conditions covered would either co-exist with cancer (for example, premenstrual syndrome, urinary tract infections, haemorrhoids) or share symptoms associated with cancer and its treatment, such as benign prostatic hypertrophy or irritable bowel syndrome.

In summary, older people affected by cancer and lay/ professional carers should exercise a healthy scepticism in reading this text and discuss the use of medical herbs with their oncologist or GP.

Isabel D White BEd (Hons), MSc, RGN, RNT, RSCN

Copyright RCN Publishing Company Ltd. Mar 2005