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A study from the University of Texas revealed that cancer patients were not only using complementary and alternative medicines. Almost 30% of them do so without informing their doctor, which raises concerns about safety and effectiveness. Some of the popular CAM treatments are herbal supplements, acupuncture and chiropractic. ( Antonika Chanel | Unsplash )
Cancer patients do not just try complementary and alternative medicines. Many of them use it without the knowledge of their doctor, reveals a new study.
Americans are spending more money on CAMs. In 2012 alone, they spent more than $ 30 billion in overhead costs because insurance does not usually cover much of the treatment.
These options represent either the latest effort to manage conditions without approved drugs, or a way to improve both prognosis and survival, as in the case of cancer.
However, reliance on CAMs can potentially do more harm than good for these cancer patients, especially if they do not inform their doctors.
Favorite CAM Treatments
In the study, Dr. Nina Sanford, badistant professor of radiation oncology at the UT Southwestern Medical Center, and her colleagues interviewed more than 3,000 cancer patients, past and present, about their use of CAMs.
About 1,000 of them reported having tried them in the past 12 months.
Of the different therapies, herbal supplements were the most common. More than 35% of FAO users have taken it. About 25%, meanwhile, have considered chiropractic or osteopathic spinal or articular manipulation.
Fourteen percent tried mbadage, while 7.6 percent practiced yoga. The rest was in homeopathy, acupuncture and special diets.
The study also found that women were more likely than men to use CAMs, while younger cancer patients tended to use them than older people.
What surprised the researchers, however, is the fact that 29% used CAMs without informing their doctor.
Keeping doctors in the dark
When asked why, the patients stated that they felt that their doctors did not have to know it or that the doctors did not know about them. Other, however, can do it as a form of control of their treatment plan.
The results of the investigation were of concern to researchers, especially with herbal supplements.
"Some of these supplements are a kind of hodgepodge of different things. Unless we know what they contain, I would recommend that patients not use them during radiation therapy, as there is probably no data on some supplements, which could be detrimental to treatment, "said Dr. Sanford. .
Higher levels of some compounds may also increase toxicity. They can also make other conventional cancer treatments less effective.
Previous studies have also revealed that CAMs are no better than traditional medicine for cancer patients. In fact, it could increase their risk of premature death within five years.
Do not close doors
This does not mean that doctors close their doors on CAM. Acupuncture, for example, can help relieve pain, a common symptom of the disease. Yoga can also help patients manage the fatigue, stress and side effects of treatments.
They strongly encourage patients not to keep their doctors in the dark to improve the success of the treatment plan.
The study is published in JAMA Oncology.
Ⓒ 2018 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
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