The side effects of drugs and radiotherapy given for cancer can be helped by homeopathy, according to preliminary results from a new study.

Patients commonly suffer nausea and vomiting, mouth sores, dermatitis and menopausal symptoms from their cancer treatment and about one in three use complementary and alternative therapies, including homeopathy, to help the symptoms.

The researchers looked at eight studies of homeopathic treatment involving 664 patients.

Patients with mouth sores from chemotherapy who took Traumeel S a combination of 14 homeopathic remedies - had more relief than those taking a placebo in one trial.

In another 256 patients got relief from skin irritation caused by radiotherapy by using calendula ointment compared to those using the topical agent trolamine.

None of the homeopathic medicines studied reported serious side effects or interactions with conventional treatments.

"We found preliminary data suggest there may be benefit associated with two homeopathic medicines in specific circumstances, although these results need to be replicated in further studies" says Dr Sosie Kassab, Director or the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital's Complementary Cancer Service and lead author of the review.

"The effects of calendula may also depend on the formulation, as it can be prepared using a range of different methods" said Dr Kassab.