Complementary Medicine, Cancer and statistics (not CLL specific)

[shoshanaz]

Not CLL specific, but something of an eye-opener. jamanetwork.com/journals/ja...

[AussieNeil Partner Administrator]

Myrddin posted about the BBC coverage of this research here: healthunlocked.com/cllsuppo...

Rather disconcerting to read: "Comparing people who received alternative therapies with those who did not, the report found:

34% refused chemotherapy compared to 3.2%

53% refused radiotherapy compared to 2.3%

7% refused surgery compared to 0.1%"

That's from 10 to 70 times the refusal rate for potentially curative treatment for those receiving alternative treatment!

It's a huge pity that we can't use the best of both complementary and conventional therapies: dukeintegrativemedicine.org...

nccih.nih.gov/health/integr...

We know that conventional therapies work with CLL, both from clinical trial evidence and most importantly, by the personal witness of many in this community.

Sadly, alternative medicine is designated alternative, because there isn't evidence that it works, or it would just be (conventional) medicine.

Your referenced article is specifically a study of nearly 2 million people with curable cancers and tends to use complementary and alternative medicine terms interchangeably. I would prefer to see the term complementary medicine limited in use to supportive processes and distinguished from treatments given as an alternative to conventional medicine. With the current poor definitions, we end up with CAM and the general assumption by patients that personal choice of treatment type doesn't come with the big difference in outcome that is the case.

Thanks,

Neil

[MsLockYourPosts Passed Volunteer in reply to AussieNeil]

I think that there is also a difference in results between many of those who chose to use complementary or integrative medicine under the direction of either one's primary oncologist or someone trained in the field working with the primary oncologist while getting conventional treatment, and those who choose their own path, based on their research, advice from friends, etc. while undergoing conventional treatment.

[livinglifewell]

There are some good points in the other comments, I'll just add that I like to blend allopathic and complementary treatments together. I have eschewed many "golden standard" regimens recommended to me but have found a good response with my present regimen of daily ibrutinib/Bactrim, monthly IVIG, and aflibercept, coupled with weekly acupuncture and Reiki, daily meditation, and a very healthy diet.