Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Jeweliet Tangen
Professor Thiele
English 101
1 November 2015
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argue that if there was truly another cancer fighting agent it would be
approved by the FDA. However, studies from many published medical
journals have shown these proponents are typically cancer patients with
early stage cancer, have a good chance of survival, or have not endured any
traditional treatment (Rostock et al. 4). This verifies that patients are only
utilizing homeopathy as a last resort.87 Evenresort. Even though
hommeopathic treatments have grown at 25% annually in the United States,
it has not gained the same popularity as it did in other countries (Mosche 1).
Homeopathy in Cancer Care, regarding the principle of similars, suggests
many scientists do not accept that homeopathy has any true effects, and
conclude any positive results to be from the placebo effect (Mosche 1). A
lack of systematic researching has led to these controversies about
homeopathy, however, the positive proven resultspositive results that have
been proven cannot be ignored. Another article, A Critical Overview of
Homeopathy, says Kleunen and colleagueswould be ready to accept
homeopathy as efficacious if only the method of action were more plausible
(Wayne et al. 5).Though, it is not within good reasoning to provide only
plausibility as evidence that something is inefficacious.
As a studied discussed in Classical Homeopathy in the Treatment of
Cancer Patients, patients interested in homeopathy are those who have
already spent time in the conventional medicine system (Rostock et al. 8).
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This suggests that conventional medicine isnt fulfilling all the needs of
cancer patients, henceforth, other options should be explored. It is possible
that conventionally treated patients are looking for other results in their
treatment as well. Classical Homeopathy in the Treatment of Cancer
Patients states that the effects of homeopathy on quality of life in cancer
patients has been studied very rarely (Rostock et al. 2). Included in this
research essay was the results of an observational study, which stated that
639 patients were included in the study (4), all of whom actively chose
their treatments (2). This is the first time time an extended study has been
done on cancer patients under homeopathic treatment and compared to
those under traditional care (Rostock 5). Mainly, the focus of the study was
to see whether cancer patients under homeopathic care experience a
benefit in their quality of life (5), proving that conventional medicine is
lacking in those areas. Quality of life (QoL) was portrayed by the use of a
numerical, systematic test; which resulted in an average increase of QoL in
patients receiving homeopathic care, over the course of the study (4). While
those who were under conventional care remained, for all intents and
purposes, steady in their QoL tests (4). If a numerical test can demonstrate
QoL in cancer patients, and shows improvements of a tangible result, in one
treatment plan versus another: then it stands to reason that the improving
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Works Cited
Jonas, Wayne B., Ted J. Kaptchuk, and Klaus Linde. "A Critical Overview of
Homeopathy." Annals of Internal Medicine 138.5 (2003): 393-9. ProQuest. Web. 18 Oct.
2015.
A detailed description of homeopathy, and the evolution of its productivity is the
outline of this article. It explains how homeopathy was discovered, and how it has
changed since the eighteenth century. Also included is a comparison of placebos and
homeopathy, not excluding common misconceptions surrounding both. The author does
well to provide evidence for and against the efficacy of homeopathy. Specific to this
article, homeopathy is referenced as a valid concept, but the mode of action is
implausible.
It was clear that this article was written for people based in or around the medical
field. The authors points were very clear, and formatted to find what you were looking
for easily. Since he provides data from many sources, it strengthens his research as
opposed to using a single source. I will refer to this article as I explain the status of
homeopathy treatments today versus when it was created. It will be helpful because, as it
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is common knowledge that the medical field is constantly advancing, so are methods for
homeopathy.
Amy, Dockser M. "Cancer Patients Gain Say in Drug Approvals; FDA and Drug Makers Add
Reports from Trial Participants to Traditional Measures such as Survival, Tumor
Shrinkage." Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition ed.Feb 13 2007. ProQuest.Web. 18 Oct.
2015 .
The synopsis of this article is based around the importance of feedback from
patients about drugs that target cancer. It is said that typically a patients mental, and
physical well-being are secondary to the drugs target purpose, such as eliminating cancer
cells or symptoms. The article proposed that patient PROs may be relevant to drug
companies that often invest in drugs that fail because they cant be proven to extend life.
Therefore, providing, a better quality of life can be thought to lead to drug approval, and
henceforth more consumption from cancer patients. Though it stated that patients PROs
can be considered subjective, the article presented that it is the consumers (cancer
patients), that determine a drugs success or failure.
Written for the Wall street Journal, this article was easy to comprehend, and to
evaluate its points. Many of which, such as the FDA acknowledging that a higher quality
of life can lead to drug approval, will provide my essay with a plethora of support in
establishing key points in cancer treatments. Another example I can extrapolate from this
selection is a test done in 2005 where short term radiation was tested for alleviating pain,
against tradition radiation treatment plans. Since it was reported that the short term lower
dosage treatment was just as effective as its long-term counterpart, it led to important
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clinical changes, and prevented patients from enduring more radiation treatments, and
eliminated pain faster.
Rostock, Matthias, et al. "Classical Homeopathy in the Treatment of Cancer Patients - a
Prospective Observational Study of Two Independent Cohorts." BMC Cancer 11 (2011):
19. ProQuest. Web. 18 Oct. 2015.
This article provided a background, method, results, and conclusion section to
easily portray the facts from the analysis of homeopathy and traditional medicine. In this
experiment they paired similar cases, under two cohorts of treatment, to test the efficacy
of both. In one year they assessed the differences of treatments between the homeopathic
treatments and the traditional ones. In addition, observations were made about the quality
of life and patient satisfaction in both sects. Finally, they wanted to relate the two
comparable patients as a feasible study of quality of life. Specifically, the essay answers
the second question and briefly summarizes the first and third.
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having spent some time in the conventional medical system This shows the articles
concern more than one aspect of homeopathic medicine.
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homeopathic medicines, may be irrelevant due the explosive growth in the industry.
Once, the FDA did not issue any regulations on homeopathic medicines as they did not
approve them for public use. However, because the community and its participants are
growing, issuing new regulations regarding homeopathy is thought to necessary.
In this article, there was an apparent bias that homeopathy needed to be highly
regulated by the FDA. The first sentence states that, US regulators assessing
homeopathic treatments' safety and efficacy could overhaul rules of the multi-billiondollar industry. This statement makes it clear that it is in popular opinion that
homeopathy needs to be reassessed for public use. In the conclusion of the article, the
author includes three quotes from a doctor in pharmacology, which demonstrates the
unease regarding homeopathic medicines. This supports the articles bias, and strengthens
its argument. Also included in the article, was an estimate from the CDPD on money
spent on homeopathic products, which I will include in my essay to demonstrate the
relevance of homeopathy in the medical community today.