Why do women opt for alternative cancer care?
Choosing between traditional and alternative medicine after a cancer diagnosis is a deeply personal and often difficult decision. While medical data can provide guidance, ultimately, the path each person takes depends on their values, experiences, and beliefs. According to The American Cancer Society, the five-year relative survival rate for breast cancer detected at its earliest stage is an encouraging 99%. Still, many patients hesitate to begin traditional treatments right away due to concerns about the intense and sometimes harmful side effects.
Chemotherapy, for example, is a widely used cancer treatment that works by killing or slowing the growth of cancer cells—but it can also have a significant impact on quality of life, Web MD notes. Common side effects include extreme fatigue, nausea, vomiting, hair loss, changes in appetite, mouth sores, diarrhea or constipation, and peripheral neuropathy, a form of nerve damage that can cause pain, tingling, or weakness, especially in the hands and feet.
Radiation therapy, another standard treatment, uses high-energy rays to destroy cancer cells but can also harm nearby healthy tissue, leading to skin issues, fatigue, and other complications.
For Lewis, fear of traditional treatments was a major factor in her decision. She had long been wary of mammograms and was particularly concerned about radiation exposure, according to a report by ABC News.
“For a really long time, I have refused mammograms, and that was a mistake,” Lewis shared on Instagram when she went public with her diagnosis in October 2020. “If I had done the mammograms from the time they were recommended when I turned 40, they would have caught the tumor in my breast years before I caught it through my own self-exam.”
