One-third of cancer patients use complementary and alternative medicine
A stunning one-third of people with a cancer diagnosis use complementary and alternative medicines such as meditation, yoga, acupuncture, herbal medicine, and supplements. UT Southwestern Medical Center's Dr. Nina Sanford made the discovery that's now drawing renewed attention to habits she said cancer patients must disclose during treatment. Dr. Sanford is an Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology who specializes in and treats cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. Herbal supplements were the most common alternative medicine and chiropractic, or osteopathic manipulation, was the second most common, according to Dr. Sanford's analysis of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Health Interview Survey. Her findings were published in the journal JAMA Oncology. "Younger patients are more likely to use complementary and alternative medicines and women were more likely to, but I would have thought more people would tell their doct...