Researchers from Yale, including first author Oluwaseun Ayoade and senior author Daniel Boffa, analyzed treatment choices and survival in breast cancer using the National Cancer Database. The dataset covers roughly 70% of newly diagnosed cancer patients in the United States; the study evaluated more than two million patients and was published in JAMA Network Open.
The investigators found that 98% of women in the dataset received traditional therapies—surgery, chemotherapy, endocrine therapy, or radiation. Patients who received only complementary and alternative medicine experienced a 3.7-fold higher mortality, or nearly four times the risk of dying within five years, compared with patients who received only traditional treatments. Their outcomes were similar to those of patients who received no treatment.
Combining CAM with traditional care was also associated with worse outcomes: the combination group had 1.4 times higher mortality (a 40% greater chance of dying within five years) than patients treated only with traditional therapies. The researchers noted the combination group often omitted radiation and endocrine therapies, factors likely to have contributed to lower survival, and that many patients did not disclose CAM use to their treatment teams. The authors recommend that patients and clinicians discuss all treatment options so risks and benefits can be weighed.
- Dataset: National Cancer Database, >2 million patients
- Main finding: CAM-only linked to much lower survival
- Advice: discuss all treatments with medical teams
Difficult words
- mortality — number of deaths in a group
- survival — continuing to live after diagnosis
- dataset — collection of related data for analysis
- associate — link one thing with anotherassociated
- omit — leave out or fail to includeomitted
- disclose — tell others about information or actions
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Why might some patients choose complementary and alternative medicine instead of traditional cancer treatments? Give two possible reasons based on the article or your experience.
- How can clinicians encourage patients to disclose their use of CAM to treatment teams? Suggest specific actions or communication approaches.
- If a patient is considering combining CAM with traditional care, what questions should they discuss with their medical team before deciding?
Related articles
New inhaled nanoparticle treatment for tuberculosis
Researchers at the University at Buffalo developed inhalable nanoparticles that carry rifampin to lung immune cells. In mice the treatment kept drug levels in the lung much longer and may allow weekly dosing with fewer side effects.
Forest loss in tropics raises local heat and deaths
A study using satellite data found that tropical deforestation from 2001–2020 exposed 345 million people to local warming and likely caused about 28,000 heat-related deaths per year, mainly in Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America.
Low-cost cooling could help Bangladesh garment workers
A University of Sydney study, published in The Lancet Planetary Health on Monday (20 October), tested simple low-cost cooling in a chamber that mimicked extreme factory heat. Fans and water partly restored productivity; a reflective roof cut indoor temperature by 2.5°C.