מה קורה לחולות סרטן השד שבוחרות בטיפול אלטרנטיבי

Am J Surg. 2006 Oct;192(4):471-3. Outcomes of breast cancer in patients who use alternative therapies as primary treatment. BACKGROUND: Some breast cancer patients opt for alternative treatments in place of conventional treatments. The lack of published data on the outcome of this strategy may contribute to this trend. METHODS: A chart review was performed of breast cancer patients who refused OR delayed standard surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation therapy. Prognosis was calculated for recommended AND actual therapy. RESULTS: Thirty-three patients were included in the analysis. Of 11 patients who initially refused surgery, 10 developed disease progression. Of 3 patients who refused adequate nodal sampling, 1 developed nodal recurrence. Of 10 patients who refused local control procedures, 2 developed local recurrences AND 2 died of metastatic disease. By refusing chemotherapy, 9 patients increased their estimated ten-year mortality rate from 17% to 25%. CONCLUSIONS: Alternative therapies used as primary treatment for breast cancer are associated with increased recurrence AND death. Homeopathy instead of surgery resulted in disease progression in most patients. These data may aid patients who are considering alternative therapies.

Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2006 Feb;95(3):199-209. Links Complementary AND alternative therapeutic approaches in patients with early breast cancer: a systematic review. Complementary AND alternative medicine (CAM) is becoming increasingly popular, particularly among patients with breast cancer. We have done a systematic review of studies published between 1995 AND February 2005, identified through a comprehensive search. CAM encompasses a wide range of treatment modalities, including dietary AND vitamin supplements, mind-body approaches, acupuncture, AND herbal medicines. The objectives of CAM treatments are diverse: reduction of therapy-associated toxicity, improvement of cancer-related symptoms, fostering of the immune system AND even direct anticancer effects. Clinical trials have generated few OR no data on the efficacy of CAM, whether regarding disease recurrence, survival, overall quality of life OR safety. Some CAM methods may even have adverse effects OR reduce the efficacy of conventional treatment. The primary justification for CAM is based on empirical evidence, case studies, AND hypothetical physiological effects. We conclude that available data on CAM modalities in the treatment of early-stage breast cancer does not support their application.

Cancer. 2005 Jul 1;104(1):176-82. Evaluation of shark cartilage in patients with advanced cancer: a North Central Cancer Treatment Group trial. Department of Oncology, Mayo Clinic AND Mayo Foundation, Rochester, BACKGROUND: Shark cartilage has been a popular complementary OR alternative medicine intervention. The basis for this popularity is the claim that sharks rarely get cancer because of the high proportion of cartilage in the shark's body. However, early studies were equivocal. Therefore, a clinical trial was conducted to look at the impact of shark cartilage in patients with advanced cancer. The primary goal of this trial was to determine whether a shark cartilage product improved overall survival for patients with advanced cancer who were getting standard care. Secondary research goals were to evaluate toxicities, tolerability, AND quality of life associated with this shark cartilage product. METHODS: The study was a two-arm, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, clinical trial. Patients with incurable breast OR colorectal carcinoma had to have good performance status AND organ function. Patients could be receiving chemotherapy. Patients were all to receive standard care AND then to be randomly selected to receive either a shark cartilage product OR an identical-appearing AND smelling placebo 3 to 4 times each day. RESULTS: Data on a total of 83 evaluable patients were analyzed. There was no difference in overall survival between patients receiving standard care plus a shark cartilage product versus standard care plus placebo. Likewise, there was no suggestion of improvement in quality of life for patients receiving the shark cartilage, compared with those receiving placebo. CONCLUSION: This trial was unable to demonstrate any suggestion of efficacy for this shark cartilage product in patients with advanced cancer.

A meta-analysis of chemotherapy for postmenopausal, estrogen receptor-positive women (the largest group of women with breast cancer) pooled the six largest studies to get the most accurate data on survival AND complications. Here is what researchers concluded about the group treated with standard chemotherapy: “No significant survival benefit was observed. Hartman AR, Fleming GF, Dillon JJ. Metaanalysis of adjuvant cyclophosphamide/methotrexate/ 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy in postmenopausal women with estrogen receptor-positive, node-positive breast cancer. Clin Breast Cancer 2001;2(2):138-143

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