The Fear of Medicine
It's natural to fear what we don't understand.
Especially when it comes to taking drugs to fight a life-threatening disease such as cancer.
Do we want toxins circulating in our system to counter the terrifying specter of a deadly disorder? Which is worse: chemo or cancerous cells? Many people opt for alternative medicine in lieu of Western drugs based on their fear of the side effects and unnatural ingredients of the latter.
Much can be said for taking drugs that come from natural sources.
But isn't Taxol itself an extract from the bark and needles of the Pacific yew tree, something as natural as can be? When I was diagnosed with breast cancer I was terrified of what chemo such as Taxotere and Cytoxan might do as it spread throughout my bloodstream.
Would it permanently destroy tissue important for my well-being? By design it attacks fast-growing cells: not only cancerous cells but also cells that allow us to keep our hair and not get nauseous.
This indiscriminate treatment of cells causes chemo to wreak havoc on our bodies.
Fortunately, scientific research has led to drugs to help us manage side effects and drugs targeted to cancer cells only, such as Herceptin.
While Herceptin is effective only in 20-30% of breast cancer patients, other designer drugs are being tested for their effectiveness in treating patients with a different disease profile.
Even alternative medicines can have side effects, some of which may not be immediately apparent.
Personally I would rather take a medicine that has gone through rigorous randomized double-blinded clinical trials and been approved by a government agency for a particular disease type than forgo it because it might cause some side effects.
And I would discuss with my doctor the consequences of combining alternative drugs with conventional medicine.
Some supplements such as the anti-oxidants grape-seed and pine-bark extracts may interfere with the effectiveness of chemotherapy medications.
Common side effects of chemo include: low white blood cell count, low red blood cell count, low platelet count, nausea, vomiting, hair loss, and fatigue.
Of these, one of the most potentially serious is a low level of white blood cells.
This condition may prevent continued treatment with chemo or interrupt chemo because it increases the risk of infection.
We are blessed in our times to have therapies that counteract the side effects of chemo: drugs like Neulasta to increase white blood cell count and a plethora of anti-nausea medications.
But while most side effects (such as the above-listed ones) are temporary and wear off once the drug is stopped, some effects may be permanent, such as irreversible damage to the heart muscle that may occur with Adriamycin treatment.
With such a serious possible side effect, Adriamycin has a lifetime dosage limit.
And some hormonal treatments such as Arimidex cause a weakening of the bones, which can be counteracted with drugs such as Fosamax and Boniva.
Because I have a heart valve disorder and have taken both Herceptin and Adriamycin, my primary care physician recommends I have an echocardiogram at least every two years to determine if my heart is functioning normally.
Is undergoing this expensive procedure biannually an acceptable trade-off for remission from cancer? Is it a guarantee that my cancer won't come back? These are hard questions.
My cancer may still come back and my heart-and bones--may be damaged to my detriment later in life.
But I do not regret taking these cancer-fighting drugs.
They may have added years to my life--and life to my years-as I watch my once-young children graduate from high school and college.
Without these Western medical wonders I might have missed vitally important life milestones.
So I advise people to listen to the recommendations of their medical oncologist regarding a drug protocol for cancer treatment.
After taking notes they should visit proven and trusted websites like those of the National Cancer Institute and Mayo Clinic to see if these sources agree with the doctor's proposal.
If they can afford it, they can seek a second opinion.
And cancer patients can take an active role to manage side effects by learning about them from their doctor and these same trusted web sites as well as hospital brochures.
Many patients have undergone fear-inducing treatments for cancer and live to tell the tale.
I am one.
And I don't fear medicine.
Especially when it comes to taking drugs to fight a life-threatening disease such as cancer.
Do we want toxins circulating in our system to counter the terrifying specter of a deadly disorder? Which is worse: chemo or cancerous cells? Many people opt for alternative medicine in lieu of Western drugs based on their fear of the side effects and unnatural ingredients of the latter.
Much can be said for taking drugs that come from natural sources.
But isn't Taxol itself an extract from the bark and needles of the Pacific yew tree, something as natural as can be? When I was diagnosed with breast cancer I was terrified of what chemo such as Taxotere and Cytoxan might do as it spread throughout my bloodstream.
Would it permanently destroy tissue important for my well-being? By design it attacks fast-growing cells: not only cancerous cells but also cells that allow us to keep our hair and not get nauseous.
This indiscriminate treatment of cells causes chemo to wreak havoc on our bodies.
Fortunately, scientific research has led to drugs to help us manage side effects and drugs targeted to cancer cells only, such as Herceptin.
While Herceptin is effective only in 20-30% of breast cancer patients, other designer drugs are being tested for their effectiveness in treating patients with a different disease profile.
Even alternative medicines can have side effects, some of which may not be immediately apparent.
Personally I would rather take a medicine that has gone through rigorous randomized double-blinded clinical trials and been approved by a government agency for a particular disease type than forgo it because it might cause some side effects.
And I would discuss with my doctor the consequences of combining alternative drugs with conventional medicine.
Some supplements such as the anti-oxidants grape-seed and pine-bark extracts may interfere with the effectiveness of chemotherapy medications.
Common side effects of chemo include: low white blood cell count, low red blood cell count, low platelet count, nausea, vomiting, hair loss, and fatigue.
Of these, one of the most potentially serious is a low level of white blood cells.
This condition may prevent continued treatment with chemo or interrupt chemo because it increases the risk of infection.
We are blessed in our times to have therapies that counteract the side effects of chemo: drugs like Neulasta to increase white blood cell count and a plethora of anti-nausea medications.
But while most side effects (such as the above-listed ones) are temporary and wear off once the drug is stopped, some effects may be permanent, such as irreversible damage to the heart muscle that may occur with Adriamycin treatment.
With such a serious possible side effect, Adriamycin has a lifetime dosage limit.
And some hormonal treatments such as Arimidex cause a weakening of the bones, which can be counteracted with drugs such as Fosamax and Boniva.
Because I have a heart valve disorder and have taken both Herceptin and Adriamycin, my primary care physician recommends I have an echocardiogram at least every two years to determine if my heart is functioning normally.
Is undergoing this expensive procedure biannually an acceptable trade-off for remission from cancer? Is it a guarantee that my cancer won't come back? These are hard questions.
My cancer may still come back and my heart-and bones--may be damaged to my detriment later in life.
But I do not regret taking these cancer-fighting drugs.
They may have added years to my life--and life to my years-as I watch my once-young children graduate from high school and college.
Without these Western medical wonders I might have missed vitally important life milestones.
So I advise people to listen to the recommendations of their medical oncologist regarding a drug protocol for cancer treatment.
After taking notes they should visit proven and trusted websites like those of the National Cancer Institute and Mayo Clinic to see if these sources agree with the doctor's proposal.
If they can afford it, they can seek a second opinion.
And cancer patients can take an active role to manage side effects by learning about them from their doctor and these same trusted web sites as well as hospital brochures.
Many patients have undergone fear-inducing treatments for cancer and live to tell the tale.
I am one.
And I don't fear medicine.
Source...