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Introduction: Many cancer patients use unconventional treatments (UT), often as a supplement to conventional cancer treatment. In this article we describe how a group of patients using UT experienced their communication with hospital doctors and general practitioners concerning UT. Materials and methods: The data were derived from an explorative five-year follow-up study of 441 cancer patients. In this article we use data from two questionnaires distributed to the patients when they started UT. Results: 82 patients (21%) had spoken to neither hospital doctors nor their general practitioners about UT. 162 patients (41%) had not spoken to hospital doctors, and 164 patients (41%) had not spoken to their general practitioners. 49 patients (30%) had not taken up the issue with hospital doctors because they expected resistance or problems with cooperation. The lack of communication between patients and general practitioners was often due to the fact that the patients had no contact with their general practitioners (48%). 236 patients (59%) had spoken to hospital doctors. Of these, 34% were met only with a neutral reaction, 18% only with a negative reaction and 6% only with a positive reaction. 235 (59%) had spoken to their general practitioners. Of these, 34% were met only with a neutral reaction, 10% only with a negative reaction and 24% only with a positive reaction. Discussion: As many cancer patients have no contact with general practitioners, their communication with hospital doctors is of importance to their experience of their treatment and illness. Despite a lack of scientific evidence concerning the effects of UT, an open dialog between patients and doctors is important, and the patients' decision to use UT must be taken seriously and met with respect.

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