Energy therapies focus either on energy fields originating within the body (biofields) or those from other sources (electromagnetic fields). Some cancer patients report an improved sense of well-being with these therapies.

Biofield therapies are based on the unproven existence of energy fields that surround and penetrate the human body. Some forms of energy therapy manipulate biofields by touching the body or by placing the hands in or through these fields. Examples include Qigong, Reiki, and therapeutic touch.

Qigong is a component of traditional Chinese medicine that combines movement, meditation, and regulation of breathing to enhance the flow of vital energy (qi) in the body, to improve blood circulation, and to enhance immune function. Qigong is closely related to Tai Chi. Both involve slow, flowing movements coupled with careful breathing.

Reiki is a practice developed in Japan around 1900. The word means "universal life energy," and the practice is based on the belief that the practitioner can channel spiritual energy through his or her own body into the patient's body to heal the spirit, which in turn heals the physical body.

Therapeutic touch is derived from the ancient technique of "laying-on of hands" and is based on the premise that the therapist's healing force affects the patient's recovery; practitioners believe that healing is promoted when the body's energies are in balance. By passing their hands over the patient, these healers say they can identify energy imbalances.

Bioelectromagnetic-based therapies involve the unconventional use of electromagnetic fields, such as low voltage pulsed fields, magnetic fields, or alternating current or direct currents to, for example, treat asthma or cancer, or manage pain and migraine headaches.

Although some patients with cancer are known to have used these therapies to treat their disease, no evidence of their effectiveness has been reported in the scientific literature.