- After a thorough assessment for quality and consistency, I am proud to announce that CAM Cancer now has been externally accredited by Cebam, says professor Miek Jong.
She chairs the international CAM Cancer collaboration as well as Norway’s National Research Centre in Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NAFKAM). Prof. Jong continues that Cebam and CAM Cancer plan to collaborate in the further production of high-quality information about dietary approaches to cancer, aimed at healthcare professionals and patients.
-During and after cancer treatment, a good diet is important for cancer patients, says Jong. -In many cases, cancer patients also consider using a variety of dietary supplements, often on the basis of poor evidence for efficacy and safety. For example, unsupported claims and myths about the benefits are being increasingly spread by influencers in social media.
Jong continues to say that although naturally based, some dietary supplements may negatively interact with anticancer medication. -Healthcare professionals should be aware of this and actively ask their patients what they use. Both CAM Cancer and Cebam strive to offer clear, unbiased facts to strengthen patient dialogue, and to contribute to knowledge-based, safe health choices.
-The quality label we have received from Cebam can reassure health care professional and patients across Europe and beyond that the information they are reading is research-based and trustworthy, says Barbara Wider, Senior Editor of CAM Cancer. -From the early beginnings of developing CAM Cancer, we have put great emphasis on rigorous and transparent methods. It is an evidence-based approach that has attracted several collaborating partners to using CAM Cancer as their official information resource such as onkopedia.com, the information portal for oncologists/cancer care providers in German-speaking Europe, or the Cancer Societies in Norway and Sweden.
Main points
- The Belgian Center for Evidence-Based Medicine (Cebam) is responsible for the validation of clinical practice guidelines and other evidence-based practice (EBP) information used by Belgian health care professionals.
- A Cebam accreditation stands for a high standard quality label for EBP information.
- For assessing trustworthiness of EBP-information, Cebam has designed and validated the CAPOCI tool (Critical Appraisal of Point-Of-Care Information) which consists of 10 criteria which must be fulfilled.
- A Cebam–accreditation is valid for a period of 5 years, where after the website and methodology is reviewed again to check whether it is still in line with the CAPOCI criteria.
- Read Cebam’s accreditation report for CAM Cancer here.
- Cam-cancer.org is the website for the CAM Cancer Collaboration – a worldwide network of experts in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and/or cancer care; producing and disseminating evidence-based information on CAM in the supportive/palliative care, treatment or prevention of cancer. The aim is to provide health care professionals with high-quality, reliable information; meant to support patient dialogue and knowledge-based, safe health choices. CAM Cancer is managed by NAFKAM.
