The use of alternative therapies has become increasingly popular over the past decade. Herbal remedies, dietary supplements, massage and acupuncture are just a few alleged alternatives to conventional medicine.
Patients often neglect to inform their doctors about their use of such treatments.
In a recent study of women with breast cancer, researchers found that only half of the many patients using alternative therapies shared this important information with their doctors. The study, published in the Jan. 5 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, examined the prevalence and types of alternative therapy used by women with breast cancer and the possible factors associated with its use. Researchers surveyed 379 women of varying ethnic backgrounds who had been diagnosed with breast cancer between 1990 and 1992. While the use of alternative therapies has dramatically increased during the 1990s, the effectiveness and safety of such therapies remains largely unproven. Of this large percentage of breast cancer patients who turned to alternative medicine, most used these therapies for less than six months.