Steve Jobs and thousands of lives are sacrificed to alternative cancer treatments!

Alternative medicine methods in cancer treatment do not confuse only our patients; they can affect lives worldwide, even those of educated and famous people diagnosed with cancer in developed countries. In this article, we will share the brief story of someone you all know, which we believe will greatly surprise you, and a study showing that patients using alternative medicine have worse survival than those who do not.

One of Apple's founders, Steve Jobs on 31 July 2004 underwent surgery for endocrine cancer of the pancreas when a full 9 months had passed since his initial diagnosis. He had personally pushed aside the opportunity for early diagnosis and early treatment, which save lives in cancer or are the most important determinants of long survival. Yet when Steve Jobs was diagnosed in October 2003, his cancer had not spread and could easily have been operated on. What happened next? Why did Steve Jobs refuse surgery?

A cancer diagnosis is still one of the world's most frightening realities today. It is a disease capable of paralyzing almost anyone who faces it, rich or poor, educated or uneducated, in other words, producing a shock effect. Cancer treatmenthas been my field as a professor for years, and I try to inform society about cancer and, moreover, prevent people from having incorrect and distorted information.

It is human nature to believe in mysticism, to believe that one's inner power can be brought out and all diseases overcome. In fact, what all of us, rich and poor, want to pursue is complete healing , in other words, immortality. When people face an utterly helpless situation such as a cancer diagnosis, they are promised immortality in a veiled way, and sometimes openly. Statements frequently used by alternative medicine practitioners, such as "cancer is not actually a disease, but a metabolic condition", "healing exists in nature itself", and "there is no disease your inner energy cannot overcome; we will teach you how to release that energy" , sweep people off their feet.

Surprising but equally true, even Steve Jobs, someone with the greatest ability to access all kinds of information worldwide, was mistaken. After Jobs learned of his cancer diagnosis, his physician recommended immediate surgery, but Jobs thought he could overcome the problem through alternative medicine. He became caught up in its magical and unreal world, seeking healing through mystical treatments almost worldwide, from America to India. He expected healing from unscientific people offering homeopathy, acupuncture, energy treatments and many other methods, claiming supposedly to treat cancer. Understanding the truth and returning to modern medicine took him 9 months, losing what we can call the golden period, which is extremely important in cancer treatment. Although he then began treatment at a late stage, modern medical treatments kept him alive until October 2011, that is, for 8 years, during which he brought important contributions and innovations to our world through his vision.

Choosing alternative methods for cancer treatment shortens survival

The number of cancer patients and families pursuing alternative treatments instead of modern medicine continues to rise. According to United States data, over the past 10 years the number refusing standard treatment and turning to alternatives despite having a completely treatable cancer increased 2.5-fold. This trend creates difficult situations for patients and their relatives. Although modern cancer treatments are widely believed to offer the greatest benefit, there is limited research evaluating the effectiveness of alternative treatments in cancer care.

While many cancer patients use alternative treatment in addition to modern cancer treatment, very little is known about patients who use alternative treatments alone. To examine alternative treatments compared with modern medicine and investigate their effects on survival, data from a total of 840 patients with breast, prostate, lung and colorectal cancer were examined from the American National Cancer Database, part of a project of the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer and the American Cancer Society. These data represent approximately %70 of cancers identified nationwide. Researchers compared 560 cancer patients who chose modern treatments with 280 who chose alternative treatments.

Journal of the National Cancer Institute published the study, which examined patients diagnosed between 2004 and 2013. The results showed significantly shorter survival in patients choosing alternative treatments instead of modern medical treatments such as chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy; 5-year survival was % 54 among alternative treatment users versus % 78 among those receiving standard chemotherapy.

Because cancer patients choosing alternative treatment had significantly shorter survival, the need for further investigation of these practices is strongly emphasized.

Very little is known about alternative cancer treatments, yet decisions favoring them are made despite their lack of evidence. Remedies claimed to strengthen the immune system, high-dose vitamins or phytotherapy and all other alternative treatment methods require a better understanding of which treatments are effective; only then can patients make informed decisions.