One common question I hear from most cancer patients at some point is “What do you think about alternative or natural therapies?” When I ask how their oncologist answered that question the response is overwhelmingly non-supportive, instilling a fear that natural therapies contradict the effectiveness of chemotherapy and show little interest in collaborating with naturopathic practitioners. Increasing evidence shows how taking an integrative approach to cancer care can benefit patients with increased survival rates and enhanced quality of life. More and more oncologists in the United States are beginning to work with naturopathic doctors, offering patients the “best of both worlds” combining traditional chemotherapy with evidence based alternative therapies to manage treatment side effects and patients’ wellbeing. Unfortunately, this synergistic approach to cancer treatment is slow to catch traction in Canada with many oncologists still skeptical on the benefits naturopathy can provide. As more research is done in integrative oncology, let’s hope more oncologists north of the border become more open to this approach as it could be the approach to cancer care of the future.
Dr. Adam McLeod, ND discusses more in this interesting article.
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