Alternative therapy vs chemotherapy
HISTORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Expert challenges actress’ arguments against conventional medical therapy
- The effectiveness of new treatments must be scientifically proven, he says
- A few patient testimonials about the treatment do not constitute sufficient proof of its benefit
- Alternative therapies can be helpful in mitigating the side effects of medical treatment
Editor’s note: Dr. Otis Brawley is chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society and a practicing oncologist. He is CNNhealth.com’s conditions expert and answers viewer questions each week on CNN.com Live.
(CNN) — This week, comedic actress Suzanne Somers promotes her new book, which espouses the virtues of alternative medicine and, more importantly, explains why we should avoid conventional medicine.
She’s a wonderful actress and I wish she would stick to her first job. I know some people will hear his message, follow his advice because of his celebrity status, and be harmed. His medical advice can even lead to death.
She joins the list of celebrities who have advocated alternative and complementary treatments for diseases and unproven conventional medicine. I have spent much of my professional career documenting disparities in outcomes, higher mortality, and more suffering among minorities, poor people, and even the uninsured middle class who have limited or no access to medicine conventional, the therapies criticized by Somers.
Please note, I am not criticizing the concept of alternative and complementary medicine. Used wisely, it can be useful. Indeed, being open-minded to other ideas is how we advance conventional medicine. Today, conventional medicine has the tree bark extract called aspirin or the root of a plant called vincristine due to the observations of those who practiced unconventional medicine.
My problem concerns some, but not all, advocates of alternative and complementary medicine. My problem is those who reject the scientific method. Some do not reject the scientific method. They don’t even seem to realize that there is such a thing to reject.
Some well-meaning advocates of complementary and alternative therapies oppose any rigorous evaluation of these therapies. This allows for charlatanism. Sophisticated 21st century snake oil salesmen can make huge profits selling their fake “cures” when there is no adequate review by their medical peers.
It is true that there have been some abuses and misdeeds in conventional medicine, and some conventional practitioners offer conventional therapy in unproven ways. I have been very harsh on those who abuse conventional medicine. When practiced properly, conventional medicine evaluates itself and corrects itself when it is wrong.
In the 1980s and early 1990s, many oncology specialists advocated high-dose chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation in locally advanced cases. breast cancer. Ultimately, rigorous scientific evaluation showed this approach to be flawed. Time and time again in conventional medicine, through a process of continuous review, we stopped doing something that wasn’t working or changed a treatment to make it work better.
Peer review is a central tenet of conventional medicine. In conventional medicine, experts in their field must be allowed to review their data independently. The fact that a few patients testify to a treatment does not constitute sufficient proof of its benefit. Because malignant diseases can vary greatly between individuals, phase 3 randomized controlled trials comparing two treatments are often necessary to demonstrate the effectiveness of a treatment.
Watch a clip of Somers and Brawley on ‘Larry King Live’ 
Alternative therapies intended to complement conventional medicine may be helpful when used to alleviate a medication side effect or discomfort caused by the disease. Such therapies are obviously effective if the patient feels better. These therapies should be discussed with the conventional physician, as they can be devastating if not disclosed to the physician.
Some seemingly harmless alternative treatments can be harmful. The anti-HIV drug DDI is inactivated when taken with high doses of vitamin C. Some HIV patients who secretly took high doses of vitamin C as a complementary therapy with DDI have harmed themselves.
Although conventional medicine is by no means perfect and those who practice it are often imperfect, the judicious use of proven conventional therapy is responsible for a considerable decrease in the mortality rate (risk of death) over the course of of the last century.
I encourage all patients who choose to use alternative and complementary medicine to discuss it with their conventional doctor. Remember that some alternative and complementary therapies may be reasonable and helpful. Some can be harmful.
