Abstract
The use of naturopathic and other alternative forms of cancer treatment are pervasive, and many patients may firmly believe in their effectiveness. This can present headwinds for physicians who have been trained to incorporate evidence-based practices into their care. This underscores the need for health care providers to be cognizant of the impact of these alternative therapies; it is imperative to understand patient perspectives regarding their use and find middle ground where it exists. We had the opportunity to speak with Dr. David Palma, who is a radiation oncologist and clinician-scientist at the London Health Sciences Centre who has had a vested interest in improving patient access to quality cancer treatment. In this article, Dr. Palma discusses his thoughts about the rising trend of alternative cancer treatments, and how we as future physicians can reconcile with their growing influence.
Highlights
When cancer patients initially receive their diagnosis, they may feel overwhelmed with uncertainty – along with the sea of information they will have to navigate regarding treatment options
We had the opportunity to discuss his thoughts about the rising trend of alternative cancer treatments, and how we as future physicians can reconcile with their growing influence
Are there really treatments out there that cost as much as $30,000? If the IV vitamin C is a thousand dollars a dose, and you’re getting two doses a month, it wouldn’t take too long.People go to Mexico. There was this big outrage online because The Guardian, which is a UK newspaper, wrote a story about a mother from the UK who had a type of lung cancer that was incurable. She went to Mexico for alternative treatments, which cost tens of thousands of dollars for her to do
Summary
When cancer patients initially receive their diagnosis, they may feel overwhelmed with uncertainty – along with the sea of information they will have to navigate regarding treatment options. University of Western Ontario Medical Journal the Best Treatment and founded the patient information website www.qualitycancertreatment.com. These kinds of things would add on to that, whereas the “alternative treatments” usually mean that you have decided to not have regular cancer treatment, and instead you are switching over to something that is unproven.
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