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Alternative Therapies for Cancer Patients Reduce Survival Rates

posted by martyb on Sunday July 22 2018, @10:16AM   
from the best-to-use-what-works dept.

takyon writes:

Alternative cancer therapies linked to reduced survival

Cancer patients who use alternative therapies may be more likely to shun conventional treatments and risk their chances of survival, research suggests.

A study of 1,290 patients in the US found people who received such therapies often refused life-saving care such as chemotherapy or surgery.

Fewer of them survived five years after starting treatment compared to those on standard care, researchers found.

Experts urged patients not to ditch proven cancer medicines.

Tell that to Steve Jobs.

Complementary Medicine, Refusal of Conventional Cancer Therapy, and Survival Among Patients With Curable Cancers (open, DOI: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2018.2487) (DX)

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Original Submission

• Inaccurate title (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 22 2018, @07:51PM

  by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 22 2018, @07:51PM (#710857)

  Patients with metastatic disease at diagnosis, stage IV disease based on the American Joint Commission on Cancer in the relevant years of diagnosis (6th edition prior to 2009 and 7th edition after 2009),16 who received upfront treatment with palliative intent, or with unknown treatment status, clinical, or demographic characteristics were excluded. All patients had to have undergone at least 1 CCT [conventional cancer therapy], defined as those who received chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, and/or hormone therapy. Patients were defined as undergoing CM if they received “Other-Unproven: Cancer treatments administered by nonmedical personnel” in addition to any CCT as noted in the patient record.
  [...]
  After adjusting for delays and refusal of CCT, CM was not associated with an increased risk of death.

  So patients with certain types of cancer who are getting no hope from their "conventional therapy" (ie poison we hope kills the cancer before your organs shut down) results seek out other options. The ones that tell their hospital about it die sooner than those who get encouraging results early on from the conventional therapy. They dont mention this possibility from what I can see in the paper.