New Health Warning on Alternative Medicines

EXPERTS warned today that cancer patients are risking their health by placing their hope in complementary medicines.

Concerns were raised after new research published today revealed that a third of all cancer patients use complementary and alternative medicines to ease their conditions.

But doctors have warned that some people are dying from curable conditions because they have shunned conventional medicine in favour of “quack” treatments.

In the first Europe-wide study, scientists found widespread use of herbs, homeopathy, teas, vitamins and spiritual therapies among cancer patients.

The research, published in the Annals of Oncology journal, said doctors should be aware that cancer patients may be using the therapies and integrating them with conventional treatments.

Retired pharmacist Michael Allan – secretary-of HealthWatch, which promotes evidencebased medicine – said the real danger came when patients shunned conventional treatment altogether in favour of complementary medicine.

Mr Allan, who successfully beat cancer with conventional drugs, said: “Something like acupuncture will not do anything adverse but some herbal preparations could interfere and interact with conventional drugs.”

The Department of Health has announced tighter controls on the complementary medicine industry, with a Pounds 900,000 grant to The Prince of Wales’s Foundation for Integrated Health.

A new Herbal Medicines Advisory Committee is to be set up by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to provide expert advice to ministers on the safety of herbal medicines.