|
Other common
name(s): homeopathic medicine
Scientific/medical
name(s): none
Description
Homeopathy is based on the idea that if large doses of a
substance cause a symptom, very small doses of that same substance will
cure it. Homeopathic remedies are water-based or alcohol-based
solutions containing tiny amounts of naturally occurring plants,
minerals, animal products, or chemicals. The term "homeopathy" comes
from the Greek words homoios
(meaning "similar") and pathos
(meaning "suffering").
Overview
While homeopathy appears to be safe, there is little if any
reliable clinical evidence that homeopathic remedies are effective in
treating cancer or that they can help with the side effects of cancer
or its treatment.
How is it promoted for use?
Homeopathy is most often promoted for use in treating chronic
or self-limiting problems such as arthritis, asthma, colds, flu, and
allergies. However, some supporters believe that homeopathy can be used
to treat and cure cancer.
Some practitioners claim homeopathy can help cancer patients
by reducing pain, improving vitality and well-being, stopping the
spread of cancer, and strengthening the immune system. Some claim it
can lessen certain symptoms and side effects from radiation therapy,
chemotherapy, and hormone therapy, such as infections, nausea,
vomiting, mouth sores, hot flashes, hair loss, depression, weakness,
and ascites (collection of fluid in the abdomen).
Proponents claim that homeopathic solutions, even though they
may contain only small quantities (or none) of the original ingredient,
contain a "memory" of the substance that somehow interacts with the
body to cure illness. It is also believed that shaking or diluting a
homeopathic solution releases the essence, or healing life force, of
the material.
Some practitioners compare homeopathy to the beliefs of
ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine, which claim a need to bring
the body into balance in order to restore health and wellness (see "Ayurveda"
and "Chinese
Herbal Medicine"). Many supporters of homeopathy admit that
they do not know how the treatments work, but insist that future
research will unlock the mystery.
What does it involve?
Homeopathy is based largely on the "law of similars," or the
notion that "like cures like." In other words, a substance that causes
symptoms of illness in a healthy person can relieve those same symptoms
in a sick person when given in very small amounts. For example, a
patient complaining of vomiting and diarrhea might receive a solution
containing tiny amounts of thorn apple, since larger amounts of that
herb cause those symptoms.
The second important tenet of homeopathy is the "law of
infinitesimals," which states that the more a homeopathic solution is
diluted, the more powerful it becomes.
When a patient complains of certain symptoms, the homeopath
consults a reference guide, that lists thousands of individual symptoms
and searches for an entry that matches the patient's description. The
remedy, which is determined by the person's health history and
symptoms, is called the "simillium." The practitioner then takes this
simillium – an extract of the plant, mineral, animal product,
or chemical remedy that matches the patient's symptoms – and
repeatedly dilutes it, usually in water.
In the terminology of homeopathy, adding 1 part of the extract
to 9 parts water yields a 1X solution (X is the Roman numeral for 10),
while adding 1 part of the extract to 99 parts water yields a 1C
solution (C is the Roman numeral for 100). (The 1X and 1C homeopathic
dilutions are called 1:10 and 1:100 dilutions, respectively, in
conventional chemistry.) The solution is mixed vigorously, and 1 part
of it is diluted again in 9 (or 99) parts water, yielding a 2X (or 2C)
solution, and so on. A 6X dilution, for example, would result in 1 part
extract per 1 million parts water.
Each solution may go through the dilution process as many as
30 to 50 times, to the point where it may be very unlikely that even a
single molecule of the original extract remains. Homeopaths believe
that even if this is the case, the remaining water retains some type of
"memory" of the extract. After the dilution process is complete, the
patient is given the remedy to drink or place under the tongue.
What is the history behind it?
Some of the ideas that form the basis of homeopathy go back to
the ancient Greeks, but the "modern" version is credited to the German
physician Samuel Hahnemann. He developed homeopathy early in the 1800s
as a more civilized alternative to some of the harsh medical practices
of the time, such as bloodletting and purging. Dr. Hahnemann believed a
substance that caused specific symptoms in a healthy person could cure
those same symptoms in a sick person, so he gave his patients diluted
doses of the offending substances.
To determine the specific effects of each material, Dr.
Hahnemann and his assistants conducted "provings," during which they
ingested plants, minerals, and other materials, then noted what
symptoms resulted. From these experiments, Hahnemann compiled a
reference book containing descriptions of the effects of various
materials and recommended homeopathic remedies.
In the 1800s, homeopathy may have been better for people than
mainstream medicine in some instances, if for no other reason than it
did less harm than some of the harsh and ineffective practices used at
the time. Homeopathy remained popular through the beginning of the 20th
century, when a better understanding of what caused many diseases and
how they could be treated emerged.
The 1938 Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act required that all drugs
be tested for safety before being approved by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) and sold to the public. This act also allowed any
homeopathic remedy that was included in a standard reference book to be
considered a legal drug. However, homeopathic remedies have never been
held to the same standards of manufacturing or testing for safety or
effectiveness, as standard drugs.
Along with the general growth of complementary and alternative
methods in recent years, homeopathy has become a more popular
alternative form of therapy in the United States.
What is the evidence?
Few laboratory studies of homeopathic remedies have been
published, and results are sometimes conflicting. In two 2006 studies
researchers found that homeopathic solutions had no effect on breast or
prostate cancer cells growing in laboratory cultures, but that similar
solutions slowed the growth of prostate cancer in rats.
There is no reliable clinical evidence showing that
homeopathic remedies can treat cancer. The basic premises of
homeopathy, developed more than 200 years ago, are not in agreement
with modern scientific principles. Some researchers suggest, however,
that homeopathy may result in helpful effects for patients who believe
the treatment is working--a phenomenon known as the placebo or
expectation effect. One study on the increased use of complementary
therapies by people with cancer showed that while certain complementary
therapies had no actual anti-tumor effect, patients reported
psychological improvement including increased hope and optimism. The
complementary therapies studied included homeopathy.
Some small clinical studies have hinted that homeopathic
solutions may have some benefit in reducing certain side effects of
cancer or its treatment, but other studies have found them to be no
better than a placebo. The number of patients in these studies has
usually been small, and few of them have been done. A 2006 review of
published studies concluded that, "… analysis of published
literature on homeopathy found insufficient evidence to support
clinical efficacy of homeopathic therapy in cancer care." Further
research would be needed before homeopathy could be considered likely
to be useful for any aspect of cancer care.
Are there any possible problems or
complications?
This product is sold as a
dietary supplement in the United States. Unlike companies that produce
drugs (which must provide the FDA with results of detailed testing
showing their product is safe and effective before the drug is approved
for sale), the companies that make supplements do not have to show
evidence of safety or health benefits to the FDA before selling their
products. Supplement products without any reliable scientific evidence
of health benefits may still be sold as long as the companies selling
them do not claim the supplements can prevent, treat, or cure any
specific disease. Some such products may not contain the amount of the
herb or substance that is written on the label, and some may include
other substances (contaminants).
Although the FDA has
written new rules to improve the quality of manufacturing processes for
dietary supplements and the accurate listing of supplement ingredients,
these rules do not take full effect until 2010. And, the new rules do
not address the safety of supplement ingredients or their effects on
health when proper manufacturing techniques are used.
Most such
supplements have not been tested to find out if they interact with
medicines, foods, or other herbs and supplements. Even though some
reports of interactions and harmful effects may be published, full
studies of interactions and effects are not often available. Because of
these limitations, any information on ill effects and interactions
below should be considered incomplete.
Although some homeopathic solutions contain toxic chemicals,
they are typically present in amounts too small to present any danger.
Relying on this type of treatment alone, and avoiding or
delaying conventional medical care for cancer, may have serious health
consequences.
Additional Resources
More information from your American Cancer
Society
The following information on complementary and alternative
therapies may also be helpful to you. These materials may be found on
our Web site (www.cancer.org)
or ordered from our toll-free number (1-800-ACS-2345).
References
Cassileth B. The
Alternative Medicine Handbook. New York, NY: W. W. Norton
& Co; 1998.
Downer SM, Cody MM, McCluskey P, et al. Pursuit and practice
of complementary therapies by cancer patients receiving conventional
treatment. BMJ.
1994;309:86-89.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Homeopathy: Real medicine
or empty promises? FDA Consumer Magazine; 1996. Accessed at:
www.fda.gov/fdac/features/096_home.html on June 11, 2008.
Holmes OW. Homeopathy and its kindred delusions. 1842.
Accessed at: www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/holmes.html on
June 11, 2008.
Jonas WB, Gaddipati J, Rajeshkumar N, et al. Can homeopathic
treatment slow prostate cancer growth? Integr Cancer Ther.
2006;5(4):343-349.
MD Anderson Cancer Center. Homeopathy. Accessed at:
www.mdanderson.org/departments/cimer/display.cfm?id=86407E5A-13EE-11D5-811000508B603A14&method=displayFull&pn=6EB86A59-EBD9-11D4-810100508B603A14
on June 11, 2008.
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. About Herbs:
Homeopathy. 2006. Accessed at:
http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/69254.cfm on June 11, 2008.
Milazzo S. Russell N. Ernst E. Efficacy of homeopathic therapy
in cancer treatment.
European Journal of Cancer. 42(3):282-289, 2006 .
Oberbaum, M., Yaniv, I., Ben-Gal, Y., Stein, J., Ben-Zvi, N.,
Freedman, L. S., and Branski, D. "A Randomized, Controlled Clinical
Trial of the Homeopathic Medication Traumeel S in the Treatment of
Chemotherapy-Induced Stomatitis in Children Undergoing Stem Cell
Transplantation." Cancer.
2001. 92(3):684-690.
Sampson W. Inconsistencies and errors in alternative medicine
research. Skeptical
Inquirer. September/October 1997;21:35-38.
Shang A, Huwiler-Müntener K, Nartey L, et al. Are the
clinical effects of homoeopathy placebo effects? Comparative study of
placebo-controlled trials of homoeopathy and allopathy. Lancet 2005; 366:
726-732
Thangapazham RL, Gaddipati JP, Rajeshkumar NV, Sharma A, Singh
AK, Ives JA, Maheshwari • RK, Jonas WB. Homeopathic medicines
do not alter growth and gene expression in prostate and breast cancer
cells in vitro. Integr
Cancer Ther. 2006;5(4):356-361.
Last Medical Review: 11/01/2008
Last Revised: 11/01/2008
|
