Doctors are against non-traditional orientation
Dr. Nina Sanford of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center believes that yoga is practically the only non-traditional treatment that can help people living with cancer.
In 2018, the National Cancer Institute estimated that 1,735,350 people in the United States would receive a cancer diagnosis by the end of that year and that 609,640 people would die from the disease. Many people suffering from cancer resort to alternative methods of treatment. Medical professionals express concern about the safety of these methods, suggesting that they may interfere with traditional treatment.
Herbal supplements are the most common method of alternative medicine, in second place are chiropractic and osteopathy.
According to Dr. Sanford, young patients and women are more likely to use additional and alternative drugs and treatments. 29% of people who use alternative medicine methods do not report this to their doctors. Many respondents said they didn't say anything because their doctors didn't ask, or they didn't think their doctors needed to know about it.
But doctors should definitely be aware of what methods of treatment their patients resort to; this is especially true of herbal supplements. Many of them have an uncertain composition, while some components may interfere with effective treatment. For example, a high concentration of antioxidants reduces the level of irradiation efficiency.
In addition to supplements, many people practice meditation and yoga. Although doctors are very cautious about using supplements during treatment, they are much more loyal to meditation and yoga, as these practices can help patients cope with the shock of diagnosis, stress from chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. Doctors strongly recommend staying active and exercising during treatment. Fatigue is a frequent side effect of radiation therapy, and those patients who remain physically active have a much larger energy reserve than those who lead a sedentary lifestyle.
Many people use only alternative medicine – and no traditional methods of treatment. This is a dangerous approach that can lead to a quick death. Apple founder Steve Jobs, after receiving a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, used special diets, acupuncture and other alternative treatments. He turned to traditional medicine at the end of his battle with cancer and died suddenly in 2011.
Article by Stanford et al. The Prevalence and Nondisclosure of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in Patients With Cancer and Cancer Survivors in the United States is published in the journal Jama Oncology.
Elena Panasyuk, portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru / based on the materials of UT Southwestern Medical Center: One-third of cancer patients use complementary and alternative medicine.