Alternative therapies for cancer treatment double the chance of death

People who use homeopathy, herbal remedies and other alternative therapies as part of their cancer treatment are reportedly twice as likely to die from the disease as those who only use standard medical treatments, a study has found.

This happens because patients who use modern (alternative) therapies often refuse some or all of the recommended medical treatments, which leads to a much worse condition, researchers from Yale University found, writes "Independent".

Unwanted effects of medical treatments to fight cancer can be tremors, nausea, joint pain, fatigue and infertility, and many patients are looking for a way to bring their lives into balance and increase their chances of survival, which is why they often opt for alternative medicine.

Alternative (modern) medicine covers a wide range of trends and traditions to fight cancer that have not been scientifically proven. Some of the most popular are Chinese herbal medicine and homeopathy, nutritional supplements, clean eating, yoga and massage.

And while studies have shown that some alternative therapies, including massage and acupuncture, can increase quality of life, many patients face side effects from these treatments, and according to the study, they also believe they can help them beat the disease and survive. Between 48 and 88 percent of patients decide to use modern therapy as part of their treatment.

"Unfortunately, there is a lot of confusion about the role of modern therapies," says Dr. Skyler Johnson, lead author of the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Oncology.

While modern, i.e. alternative therapies, can be used as an additional tool and support for patients to help them fight with cancer symptoms, as well as the body's reactions after chemical treatment, it seems that they are marked as a sufficiently effective treatment against cancer, Nedeljnik reports.