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?
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