Alternative Medicine Worsens Breast Cancer Outcomes

0:00It's March 25th. You're listening to Hartford News today, AI-powered local news. I'm Cory with the Story. A new study from Yale School of Medicine shows that breast cancer patients who rely solely on alternative medicine face much worse outcomes than those. Sticking to standard treatments. Researchers looked at data from over 2 million patients in the National Cancer Database, which covers about 70% of new cancer cases in the United States. Even using only complementary approaches, like supplements or acupuncture, had a 3.7 times higher risk of death within 5 years, nearly. Four times more likely to die compared to traditional care alone. Meanwhile, even combining alternative methods with standard therapies like surgery, chemo, or radiation led to poorer results. Those patients saw a 1.4 times higher mortality rate, meaning a 40% greater chance of dying in 5 years. 98% of women in the study chose traditional treatments, highlighting how rare, full alternative

1:01paths are. Doctors behind the research, including resident Othewasean, Iowade, and surgeon Daniel Bafa, were surprised by the combo group's struggles. They suspect many skipped key parts of standard care, such as radiation or hormone therapy, which likely drove the higher risks. The findings stressed that proven treatments have sharply cut breast cancer deaths and recurrences over time. Digging deeper, the team noted few patients told their doctors about using alternatives alongside standard care. This lack of open talk might hide ways some managed side effects better and finish full treatment courses successfully. Talking openly with your care team about all options, including alternatives, ensures the best personalized plan for beating breast cancer.