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Cancer patients who opt for alternative medicine rather than standard cancer treatment are more likely to die, researchers reported Thursday.
People have used it alongside conventional surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, the researchers discovered. But when people chose not to resort to proven treatments to choose herbs, homeopathy or other treatments, they were twice as likely to die of their cancer.
Doctors and the Food and Drug Administration have been warning for years of legitimate therapy that can save their lives. But it's one thing to say that a treatment has not been shown to help, and it's another to show with certainty that this is not the case.
"It's shocking, the lack of comparative data is out there," Dr. James said. Yu from Yale Cancer Center
Yu and her team have sought to show if people who use complementary therapies reduce their chances of surviving cancer.
They examined the medical records of nearly 2 million cancers patients. Few of them admitted to using complementary medicine, or have pointed out in their records, but 258 did. Their cases were compared to more than 1,000 patients who did not use complementary or alternative medicine.
Those who chose alternatives such as herbs, homeopathy, naturopathy or Chinese medicine were also more likely to refuse at least the Yu team reported in the journal JAMA oncology of the day. American Medical Association
. Seven percent of patients who opted for complementary treatments refused surgery, for example, compared to only 0.1% of patients on standard treatment. More than a third refused chemotherapy or hormone therapy, and half refused radiotherapy.
"If you could cure cancer with baking soda, who would not want to do that?"
Yu said, "When a patient uses complementary medicine, make sure you really listen to that patient and his needs because patients have more education and more money. they are more likely to refuse treatment, "he told NBC News
[traduction]" About two-thirds of cancer patients believe that complementary medicine will have unrealistic effects on the complementary therapy. "I think it's a very human response – facing a potentially disfiguring treatment. or toxic with real long-term effects – to ask if there is another way, "said Yu.
" I totally understand. Unfortunately, people with cancer are very vulnerable to unscrupulous or perhaps well-intentioned but uninformed practitioners who offer non-medical treatment that has not been proven but seems very desirable at first glance.
and oncologists should listen to patients' concerns.
"If you could cure cancer with baking soda, who would not want to do that? Or if you could cure cancer with healing power crystals or positive thinking, who would not want it? I understand perfectly and I sympathize with patients, "he said.
And if a complementary treatment helps a patient feel better, next to a proven therapy, Yu said that he was totally in agreement. used by cancer patients, including herbs and plants, vitamins and minerals, traditional Chinese medicine, homeopathy and naturopathy, as well as specialized diets, "wrote his team [19659019]. Mbadage, acupuncture, yoga and meditation can improve the quality of life. Thus, it is estimated that between 48% and 88% of cancer patients reported using complementary and alternative medicine as part of their therapy. "
The research team did not examine any specific and individual alternative therapies, but said may include probiotics, Ayurvedic medicine, deep breathing, yoga, tai chi, qi gong, acupuncture, chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation, meditation, mbadage, prayer, special diets, progressive relaxation and guided imagery. best listening work for our patients ", Yu said. "The use of complementary medicine, I think, is very common and oncologists need to know that."
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health of the National Institutes of Health has an application for people who want to check out alternative research
The center says that people who use alternative therapies may be afraid to tell their doctors, and notes that some herbal products, like St. John's Wort, can interfere with cancer treatments.
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