I've always heard the use of herbs and supplements and alternative therapies can be a potentially dangerous pursuit when combined with cancer treatment. But this may not be entirely true.Think about this:
Using Chinese herbs alone or in conjunction with chemotherapy may help protect a breast cancer patient's bone marrow and immune system. It may also improve the overall quality of life for women, say researchers at the Chinese Cochrane Centre in Chengdu, China.
It is well known that women receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer experience significant short term side effects such as nausea, vomiting, fatigue, inflammation of the gut lining, decreased numbers of red and white blood cells, and decreased numbers of blood platelets. Those is search of some relief may wish to give Chinese medicinal herbs a try.
Researchers say there is conventional evidence indicating that these medicines are safe and effective. Still, "further trials are needed before the effects of traditional Chinese medicines for people with breast cancer can be evaluated with any real confidence," says one professor involved in this area of study.
1. “The policy at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center is to advise patients against using any herbs or other supplement -- even vitamins -- during, and for a few weeks before chemotherapy or radiotherapy."
"Only two of the studies included important information on how patients were randomized, and NONE included information on patient follow-up or withdrawals.
“These studies failed to provide crucial details on every single important methodological criterion."
http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/20070418/herbs-may-cut-cancer-treatment-effects
Posted at 11:12PM on Apr 27th 2007 by hchcec