The diagnosis of cancer is devastating. The therapies that get to the Affected are hard: surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and some tumors, anti-hormone therapy. Depending on the type and Severity of the disease, several of these treatments are needed to fight the cancer.
Some patients reject this and turn to alternative medical procedures, their effects against cancer is not only not scientifically proven, but highly doubtful. In some cases, the Affected without the medically effective methods such as SURGERY or radiation. In other cases, they trust to accompany to alternative medicine – for example, in the hope to cope with side effects of cancer treatment better.
Disturbing Result
A group of US scientists has now examined how cancer patients use, in addition to medical treatment, alternative medicine, or not do.
The result is troubling: patients rely on alternative medicine, have to die at a much higher risk, in the first five years after the cancer diagnosis. This is according to the in the journal “Jama Oncology,” published the study in mind that you reject often of Physicians recommended therapies.
The Team of James Yu Yale School of Medicine was looking for in a large database, about 70 percent of the cancer cases are recorded in the United States, first to the patient,
- who had received either the diagnosis of breast, lung, prostate, or colorectal cancer,
- at least one classical treatment (SURGERY, Chemo, radiation, anti-hormone therapy) had taken
- and in addition, an alternative medical method had used, which was not by a doctor or administered as prescribed.
- In addition, they excluded those whose cancer was advanced at diagnosis, so far, that he had scattered in the body, or only palliative therapy is possible. There were, therefore, selected only Sufferers, whose cancer was still treatable.
At the end of a tiny fraction remained part of the approximately 1.9 million patients in the database. This is explained by the fact that not all Doctors ask their patients whether they use alternative medicine, and that not all Patients do this, mentioned it to the Doctors.
The criteria to be met to 258 patients. To searched for this the researchers are now as similar as possible to cases. So people who were not ill, only also on the particular cancer, but also of the same age, the same sex, were of the same ethnicity, a similar level of education, income, and similar insurance status, as well as a similar number or a few other diseases. The only difference is that The comparison group had used the data is that there is no alternative medicine.
The patients who took alternative medicine, were relatively young, well-educated, had a good income and there were more women than men. Accordingly, the matching comparison from saw group of 1032 patients with cancer.
More Deaths
17.8 percent of patients who continued on alternative medicine, died in the five years after diagnosis. In the comparison group, 13.4% died during this period. The risk, survive the disease five years, was in the use of alternative methods, considerably larger.
The reason for this can be derived from the treatment data. Who used alternative medicine, is rejected much more frequently further medical therapy, and was taken on by Physicians recommended measures. For example, only three percent of the patients in the comparison group against the chemotherapy – under the alternative medicine users were 34 percent.
If the turn to alternative medicine leads to the Decline of effective medicine, it is dangerous. The authors of the study advise Doctors to talk with patients openly about alternative medicine and about how important it is to continue on the right medicine and to use the other method really only incidental.
Already in the past year, the research group was determined on the basis of the same database, as it is cancer patients who use alternative medicine, but none of the medically-recommended measures (SURGERY, Chemo, radiation, anti-hormone therapy). Almost every second of these patients (45 percent) died in the five years after diagnosis. In the comparison group it was 22 percent.
Which method of alternative medicine used sick the cancer was not collected in Detail. Question vitamin cures, Ayurveda, homeopathy, traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture, chiropractic, Meditation, prayers, and special diets.
