After a diagnosis of cancer, it is not recommended to stop conventional treatment

Despite advances in recent decades, the word ‘cancer‘ still causes concern. According to him Global Cancer Observatorymore than 69,000 new cases are diagnosed and almost 35,000 deaths are registered each year in Peru.

Although these are alarming figures, it is also clear that society’s approach to this disease has changed over time. For example, today we know that not all cancer diagnoses are a fatal sentence. Similarly, medical specialists are moving away from using the euphemism “disease remission” to refer to the time in which the signs and symptoms of cancer lessen or disappear, and are beginning to talk about “cure”.

We know that the quintessential tool against cancer is prevention, just as we also know that if the disease is detected in its initial stages, the possibility of cure is higher.

The latter is possible due to the development of different treatments, the usefulness of which is confirmed by a large number of scientific studies carried out – and which continue to be carried out – for decades.

Surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy –widely known by the population– have been joined by immunotherapy, laser therapy, targeted therapies, hormonal therapies and even stem cell transplantation.

“The recommendation of specialists is not to abandon conventional treatment.”

“People with financial means can have access to novel therapies, but the rest continue to have as bad a time as when my dad attended, in the seventies and eighties. There are more treatments available, but there is no real culture of prevention”Dr. Mauricio León, a surgical oncologist, told me when we spoke for the podcast “Peruvian Minds” from Trade.

Historically there is fear of conventional therapies, because it is believed that they are still very aggressive. But the specialists with whom I have spoken in recent years agree that absolutely all have evolved and seek the greatest benefit, trying to cause less harm to the patient.

“We must understand that cancer is not a single disease, but many; that two people with the same type of cancer they must have personalized treatments, depending on the case; and that today combined treatments are used for better results”Dr. Henry Gómez, an oncologist and researcher, explained to me in a talk a while ago.

Do not stop treatment

Still, there are patients who discontinue treatment cancer due to lack of family support, side effects, economic issues and even the little information about it.

They change it for another that, despite not having sufficient scientific evidence, promises themespecially to patients with the disease in very advanced stages, healing and less suffering.

In these cases, the recommendation of specialists is not to abandon conventional treatment. Do you want to try an alternative therapy? Perfect, but don’t abandon conventional therapy. The danger is great when one seeks to recover one’s health and we are at the mercy of charlatans who are only interested in profit.