The Dangers in Alternative Medicine

Do you believe in science? Do you believe in modern medicine? Or do you believe in magical potions, concocted by medicine men and shamans? If you are really, really ill, should you try the nostrums offered by alternative medicine or should you put your life in the hands of modern medical practitioners?

It’s a real world dilemma for many people, especially for people who suffer from cancer. Do they believe in the medical science produced by Western civilization or do they believe in pagan idols? If the latter, they will be wagering their lives on the proposition that Western civilization should return to nature, to the natural world, and especially to the world of multiple cults to pagan idols.

When it comes to cancer, many Westerners have chosen not to undergo the pain and suffering that comes from surgery and from chemotherapy and radiation treatments. They have put their faith in alternative medicine, because these are more natural, less painful, and more in harmony with the natural order. You recall that Western science, technology and industry have defied the natural order… and thus, that we should do everything in our power to return to nature.

This is similar to the notion that environmental activists are saving the pristine natural beauty of nature from human defilement. When it comes to cancer treatment, the issue is: what kind of treatment should you choose? One that derives from Western science or one that involves magical potions? Or should you choose both?

Fortunately, scientists have studied the question. Their conclusion: if a patient chooses to forego Western medical treatments in favor of alternative medicine, he is more likely to die sooner.

Maggie Fox has the story at NBC News (via Instapundit):

Cancer patients who choose alternative medicine over standard, proven cancer treatments are more likely to die, researchers reported Thursday.

Complementary medicine did no apparent harm if people used it alongside conventional surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, the researchers found. But when people opted out of proven treatments to choose herbs, homeopathy or other alternative treatments, they were twice as likely to die of their cancer.

Doctors and the Food and Drug Administration have warned for years that unproven treatments may lure patients away from legitimate therapy that can save their lives. But it’s one thing to say that a treatment has not been shown to help, and it’s another to show for sure that it doesn’t.

“It’s shocking, the lack of comparative data that’s out there,” said Dr. James Yu of the Yale Cancer Center.

To be clear, in many cases supplementing medical treatment with herbs and the like does not do any harm. It might even produce some psychological benefits. And yet, in some cases,  unfortunately, the chemistry of the alternative medicines prevents the chemo from working effectively. 

You might find it ironic, but female patients who are younger and wealthier and better educated are more likely to reject modern medicine in favor of pagan panaceas. The reason might have to do with the fact that they probably attended great universities where they learned about the evils of Western civilization and the virtue of the noble savage:

Those who chose alternatives such as herbs, homeopathy, naturopathy or Chinese medicine were also more likely to refuse at least some standard cancer treatment, Yu’s team reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association’s JAMA Oncology.

Seven percent of those who chose complementary treatments refused surgery, for instance, they found — compared with just 0.1 percent of patients who just went with standard treatment. More than a third declined chemotherapy or hormone therapy, and half refused radiation therapy.

Those who chose alternatives tended to be younger women with more education and more money, the researchers found.