Alternative therapies and control for health in cancer and AIDS.

People who are coping with AIDS and many forms of cancer have a sense of being out of control in dealing with their diseases. This stems, to a great degree, from the uncertainty that they feel relative to the accepted medical treatment for their disease. Informants in this naturalistic research study were adamant in their belief that alternative therapies helped them to regain a sense of control over their care and, thus, enhanced their health. It is important that clinical nurse specialists, who often serve as consultants to other nurses, understand and support their patients' choices of therapy. In addition, with evidence to support the benefit of stress reduction on length of survival, advanced practice nurses can play a key role in helping patients reduce stress and, hopefully, effect longevity and quality of life.