| Many oncologists are doctors who treat cancer | | | | fact it should be discussed and incorporated into a |
| believing that patients should be evaluated for fatigue | | | | regime to manage your levels of fatigue as you |
| when undergoing cancer treatment. Fatigue often | | | | undergo treatment. This is because the exact cause |
| means that patients have to give up many activities | | | | of fatigue in cancer patients has not been isolated. |
| that could be considered normal, because they are too | | | | A research study in Pakistan studied one hundred and |
| tired to function. There is an argument that you should | | | | ninety-one patients (1994) who each had a twenty five |
| be discussing your levels of fatigue with your | | | | minute interview to assess how many of them used |
| oncologists. They should be providing the initial | | | | alternative therapies. Pakistan is a developing country, |
| screening, because they can provide the basic | | | | 54.5% of all patients used alternative therapies as part |
| education that those levels of fatigue lead to pain, loss | | | | of their treatment. Traditional herbal medicines |
| of sleep, emotional disturbances, hypothyroidism and | | | | accounted for 70.2% and homeopathy was used by |
| anemia. | | | | 64.4%. What was interesting is the fact that 36% or |
| If any of those five primary symptoms of fatigue are | | | | just over a third of the people studies used these |
| present they need to be treated within the guidelines | | | | treatments before conventional treatment was sought. |
| of the practise of each patient. Further assessment | | | | Only 15% used alternative methods after conventional |
| can include a review of the system of treatment and | | | | therapeutic treatment options had been exhausted. |
| a total review of all medications, metabolic evaluations | | | | Patients perceived that these treatments were less |
| and an accurate assessment of current physical | | | | expensive and toxic. They have the opposite problem. |
| activity levels. | | | | The belief in Western therapies is not sufficient, that |
| There are certain symptoms of fatigue such as | | | | cancer patients will not use alternative therapies first, |
| electrolyte imbalances, infection and cardiac | | | | thus wasting a great deal of time before employing |
| dysfunction that needs specific treatments but when | | | | proven methods of treatment. However a recent |
| these are not present then there are | | | | American Cancer Society survey revealed that mind |
| non-pharmacological options of treatment. These can | | | | therapy which included mental imagery, hypnosis was |
| include hypnosis to manage the pain, and improve the | | | | employed by 49% of the users. |
| mood, and aid sleep. This can be in conjunction with a | | | | Obviously in Pakistan, dangerous consequences of |
| moderate gentle exercise program designed to make | | | | using unconventional therapies instead of proven |
| activity more tolerable. | | | | medical care mean direct physiological harm and |
| Many cancer patients use hypnosis to alleviate their | | | | needless deaths, but there has to be a happy medium |
| symptoms, but it is estimated that few of them discuss | | | | of using alternative therapies with the full knowledge of |
| the results of alternative treatment with their | | | | your oncologist who is supposed to be coordinating |
| oncologists. Many discuss it as a primary option, but | | | | your treatment. |
| once hypnosis is underway it is not discussed again. In | | | | |