Tell your doctor about any substances that you are taking including:

• medicines prescribed by another physician
• over-the-counter (OTC) conventional medicines
• herbal or other nonconventional medicines
• vitamin-mineral substances

Even therapies that sound "natural" can interact with other drugs, increase the risks of surgery, or cause unwanted side effects, so it is crucial for your doctor to know about everything you are taking. If you are taking an herb or other supplement that you have chosen to buy on your own, ask your doctor if there are any potential interactions with your current medications. You may also want to ask for a referral to a dietitian who can help you evaluate the contribution of these supplements to your usual diet.

Also let your doctor know about:

• dietary changes
• exercise or massage
• mind/body therapies
• acupuncture therapies
• energy therapies (therapeutic touch, Reiki, or healing touch)
• other CAM therapies that you add to your care

Just as you would inform your primary care doctor that you are seeing a specialist, you should also inform your oncologist and other doctors if you are seeing a complementary medicine practitioner. Anytime you are seeing more than one healthcare professional, it is best to make them aware of additional treatment plans you may be participating in or considering.

Although many patients do not discuss CAM use with their doctor for fear that the doctor will scoff at the idea and try to talk them out of it, one study found that the No. 1 reason patients don't discuss CAM with their doctor is because the doctor never asked about it. If you are using complementary treatments, it is your responsibility to bring this to the attention of your physician.

Before you talk to your doctor, print information from reputable sites about the treatment you are considering. Give the information to your doctor, give him the chance to review it, and ask for his opinion on whether it will be helpful or harmful. He may not be sure or may recommend not trying the treatment. If the doctor's response is dismissive, tell him you would like to make an informed decision and ask if he would investigate the possibilities further. Or you could refer him to a program in integrative medicine where a physician could guide him in using complementary treatment along with conventional treatment.