The current standard treatment for
cancer is a multidisciplinary
therapy whereby various types of treatment are properly combined.
Chemotherapy with multiple anticancer drugs is now common, and traditional, complementary, and
alternative therapies are adopted as supportive measures. Medical care in Japan is distinguished by the ability for patients to access both Western and
Kampo medical cares at the same time. There is a high degree of trust in the safety of
Kampo therapies because they are practiced by medical doctors who are educated with fundamental diagnosis of Western medicine. Highly reliable clinical studies are being published, demonstrating that palliative or supportive care for
cancer patients using
Kampo preparations alleviates adverse effects of
chemotherapy or
radiotherapy. This paper reports the circumstances around
cancer care in Japan where traditional therapeutic
Kampo formulas are used for patients undergoing
cancer treatment with cutting-edge
chemotherapy, specifically to alleviate adverse effects of anticancer drugs.