Alternative Medicine
Some people turn to alternative medicine, including certain medicinal herbs (see Section 2, Chapter 19), to treat their cancer, instead of or in addition to standard treatment. However, most types of alternative medicine have not been subjected to careful scientific studies. Thus, very little is known about the effectiveness of alternative medicine in treating cancer.
Although benefits of alternative medicine for cancer have not been scientifically proven, there is significant potential for harm because:
- The use of alternative medicine may be toxic
- The use of alternative medicine may interact with standard treatment, thus reducing the effectiveness of chemotherapy
- The use of alternative medicine may be costly, reducing the person's ability to afford standard treatment
- If alternative medicine is used instead of standard treatment, the person will not obtain the proven benefits of standard treatment
A person using alternative medicine should inform his doctor. Hiding the use of alternative medicine could be harmful.
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