In countries like China, alternate/ herbal products have been used solely or in combination with conventional processes – surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy – in treatment of liver and gastric cancers. Research indicates various responses such as reduced recurrence, minimal side effects and lowered mortality were obtained by incorporating well-researched traditional herbal medication into standard care. In other parts of the world i.e., the UK, US and Canada, the use of herbal medicine among cancer patients has been evaluated and reported on.

A general belief is that herbal medication is natural and thus less harmful than conventional treatment. However, this idea is not entirely true as herbal products can carry notable risks. These risks are further compounded when users who are also benefiting from conventional therapies do not inform their doctors. Such use can result in adverse effects such as bleeding and liver failure, affect efficacy of prescribed drugs and interfere with radiation therapy leading to undesirable effects.

So are there herbal remedies that can treat cancer? The answer is No. An article from the science-based medicine magazine details studies that have looked into alternative medicine and the findings suggest that rather than protect, alternative medicine kills more cancer patients. In fact, many patients return to the hospital once they find out that the alternative/herbal remedies are not working; at which point it might be too late.

To conclude, although there are numerous health benefits of alternative medication, there aren’t enough clinical trials to inform their efficacy in treating cancer. Thus, resorting to herbal supplements alone to treat cancer will result in treatment failure and ultimately death. It is important for health workers to know what alternative treatment options their patients are considering, its possible interaction with conventional procedures and safety for use in order to advise appropriately. On the bright side, with certain plant drugs gaining FDA approval for managing conditions like warts, diarrhoea and fever, we are hopeful there will be development of various herbal remedies for the treatment of cancer in the future.