BBI2409_Alternative Medication for Breast Cancer Patient Survivor

7/28/2019 BBI2409_Alternative Medication for Breast Cancer Patient Survivor

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BBI 2409 (Video) Presentation

English for Academic Purposes /1


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THE MAJORITY OF MALAY BREAST CANCER PATIENTS

USE ALTERNATIVE MEDICATION

Derived from the original written source in Malay:

By Abdul Ghani Nasir (2012) @ Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia: UKM News Portal:

Majoriti Pesakit Barah Payudara Melayu yang Terselamat Gunakan Perubatan Alternatif

Extracted on 17th

March 2013 fromhttp://www.ukm.my/news/index.php/ms/berita-

penyelidikan/1170-majority-of-malay-breast-cancer-survivors-use-complementary-and-

alternative-medicine-.html

Translated from Malay to English with Graphic Inferences made

by Pn. Sabariah @ Sabariah Binti Shafiee

Matrix No. J44884 (UPM)

This is a video presentation for

BBI 2409: ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES (PPG-PJJ) Sem.2 - 2012/13

This presentation is made for: Miss Azima binti Abdul Aziz
http://www.ukm.my/news/index.php/ms/berita-penyelidikan/1170-majority-of-malay-breast-cancer-survivors-use-complementary-and-alternative-medicine-.htmlhttp://www.ukm.my/news/index.php/ms/berita-penyelidikan/1170-majority-of-malay-breast-cancer-survivors-use-complementary-and-alternative-medicine-.htmlhttp://www.ukm.my/news/index.php/ms/berita-penyelidikan/1170-majority-of-malay-breast-cancer-survivors-use-complementary-and-alternative-medicine-.htmlhttp://www.ukm.my/news/index.php/ms/berita-penyelidikan/1170-majority-of-malay-breast-cancer-survivors-use-complementary-and-alternative-medicine-.htmlhttp://www.ukm.my/news/index.php/ms/berita-penyelidikan/1170-majority-of-malay-breast-cancer-survivors-use-complementary-and-alternative-medicine-.htmlhttp://www.ukm.my/news/index.php/ms/berita-penyelidikan/1170-majority-of-malay-breast-cancer-survivors-use-complementary-and-alternative-medicine-.htmlhttp://www.ukm.my/news/index.php/ms/berita-penyelidikan/1170-majority-of-malay-breast-cancer-survivors-use-complementary-and-alternative-medicine-.htmlhttp://www.ukm.my/news/index.php/ms/berita-penyelidikan/1170-majority-of-malay-breast-cancer-survivors-use-complementary-and-alternative-medicine-.html


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The Majority of Malay Breast Cancer Patients Use Alternative Medication

(Original report and title is written in Malay on 27th

August 2012 by Abdul Ghani Nasir)

Majoriti Pesakit Barah Payudara Melayu yang Terselamat Gunakan Perubatan Alternatif

UKM BANGI (2012) research study on various aspects of the use of supplements and alternative

medicine (CAM - Complementary and Alternative Medicine) among breast cancerpatients

survivors showed that the majority of them take nutritional supplements cum prayer and

consume traditional Malay medicine.

Dr. Jeffrey D. White (2013) at theNational Cancer Instituteexplained that complementary and

alternative medicine (CAM) is the term for medical products and practices that are not part of


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standard medical care. Complementary medicine refers to treatments that are used with

standard treatment. Alternative medicine refers to treatments that are used instead of standard

treatment.

The research involving 116 Malay women patients who have survived breast cancer aged 21 to

67 years old were two years past the diagnosis stage and are now undergoing follow-up clinical

treatment for breast cancer at Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) and Universiti Kebangsaan

Malaysia Medical Centre (PPUKM).

Additional medicine and alternative methods used by patients who have survived breast cancer is

a mechanism made to strengthen identity in order to combat the disease. Among the additional

medication, multivitamins are most often used, followed by spirulina, vitamin C, evening

primrose oil and herbal products.

The findings obtained from a research conducted by Dr Soraya Hanie Shaharudin and Dr

Mohd Razif Shahril, two master graduate students and Dr. Suhaina Sulaiman, PhD, a senior

lecturer and nutritionist, all from the Department of Nutrition and Food, PPUKM, Dr. Nor Aina

Emran, a senior surgeon in breast and endocrine unit HKL and a Professor, Dr Sharifah Noor

Syed Akmal Hussain, Department of Pathology PPUKM, a cytopathologys experts.

Dr Suhaina told that the research was conducted to find out the extent of the use of additional

drugs or medicines among breast cancerpatients survivors in the Klang Valley as the number of

patients using CAM increased.

It was also to find out the difference between patients who use CAM with those who do not.

It was conducted for six months from January to June 2007 as part of the Breast Cancer Research

Genetics, Molecular and Proteomics in Malaysia.


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Two outpatient breast clinic referrals from hospital - Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) and

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (PPUKM) were selected for patients who

qualify for the study. HKL now is a hospital under the Ministry of Health Malaysia, is

considered one of the largest in Asia while PPUKM is an academic medical center is established

with the merger of the Faculty of Medicine UKM and its hospital education.

Dr Suhaina said they found CAM users were usually older in age, most with secondary education

and consists of middle-income households.

"However, studies have not found that there is a big difference between CAM users and those

who do not use it. Family members are also found to play an important role as a source of

information other than the doctor or health care supervisors, friends and printed materials or

mass media."

Reasons being given for using CAM were to help build up the inner strength of oneself, to heal

the cancer and to reduce stress. Only half of the participants discussed with their doctor about the

safe use of CAM.

"They have started using CAM while undergoing clinical treatment. Most participants who used

CAM for over a year spend between RM100 to RM149 a month on CAM treatment and products

(by 32 percent of participants).

"The use of CAM was found effective and beneficial to fight disease and they were satisfied with

CAM therapies. Various forms of analysis revealed that the decision to use or not to use CAM

did not depend on the socio-demographic background or history of clinical treatment of cancer,"

said Dr. Suhaina in their report entitled "Use of Medications Among Supplement and Alternative

Breast Cancer Patients who Survived" published in Alternative Therapies (2011).


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In Malaysia, the frequency of CAM usage is about 60 percent among the various cancer patients.

The research also found that nearly 80 percent of CAM users who take medicine always in forms

of multivitamin supplements (DuPree, 2012), spirulina (Veracity, 2005) and vitamin C (Ever,

2012) while the religious worship is the most common additional remedy practiced by the

participants.

A qualitative research also found that many patients who have survived breast cancer used

medicines orally, applied on skin and performed prayer.

According to this study many patients use CAM because they are worried to undergo for the

operation and also some of them have been going through ordeal in the hospital. Further

influenced by friends, they are confident that alternative therapy can produce effective results.

Because breast cancer is so traumatic to the patient, they tend to use CAM to gain the utmost

strength in order to recover.

Dr Suhaina explained that of the 125 patients participating in the research, 114 were voluntary.

Most of them are married (76.3%), with secondary level (54.4%), unemployed (51.8%) and have

a family income between RM1001 and RM3000 (44%).

Most of them had already undergone three modalities of clinical treatments and those were

surgery (97.4%), radiation therapy (89.5%) and chemotherapy (88.6%). Half of the participants

are currently using hormone therapy (53.5%).


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Graph 1: CONVENTIONAL METHOD USED

Hormone therapy is given to the participants according to their acceptance status of estrogen and

they should take hormone therapy for a period of five years. The majority of the participants had

been diagnosed with breast cancer at stage II (49.1%) with 25.4% at stage I, stage III (22.8%)

and stage IV (2.6%).

Graph 2: PATIENTS STAGE


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A total of 64 percent of the participants was identified as CAM users. Of the 17 types of CAM

which were listed, 12 most common medications used by the participants were nutritional

supplements (86.3%).

Among the most were multivitamins (53%), spirulina (32%), vitamin C (27%), evening primrose

oil (18%) and herbal products (11%).

Graph 3: ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE USED

Because all of the participants were Malays and Muslims, they usually pray and 27.4 percent

used traditional Malay medicines. More than half of CAM users did not discuss the use of

additional medication with their doctor.

The research found that nearly half of CAM users started using it while undergoing further

clinical treatment. A total of 36 of them had used at least one type of CAM for over 12 months.

The cost most widely spent by CAM users ranged from RM100 to RM149 per month (31.5%).


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Varieties of medical dietary supplements are multivitamins, spirulina, Vitamin C, evening

primrose oil, herbal products, calcium, seaweed jelly, Vitamin B complex, Vitamin E, Vitamin

A, Fish Oil, Vitamin D, Gingko biloba, iron mineral, Garlic , Ginseng Extract (Pharmaton),

Green Tea and Aloe vera.

BLACK YEAST OHHIRA M/FRUIT TEGREEN & REISHIMAX BLACK SEED

LEMON HIBISCUS TEA ALOE VERA SPIRULINA FISH OIL DHA/EPA

BELALAI GAJAH DURIAN BELANDA APRIKOT B17 BROMILIN/NENAS

ALKALINE WATER KIWI EXTRACT SNE PRODUCTS RUMPUT JARUM EMAS


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"The reason they are using CAM depending on the types of CAM used, which by main reason is

to help restore inner strength (57.6%), to cure and to prevent cancer from spreading (41.1%) and

to reduce stress (16.4%). Other causes identified were encouraged by family members (27.4%)

and the recommendations of their doctors (15.1%).

Graph 4: PATIENTS REASONS FOR USING CAM

"For consumers who used nutritional supplements as medications, the reason given is to cure

cancer and help heal the internal strength of the body. Their desire to stay healthy were reflected

by taking products that contained high nutritional value and proven in improving health.

This is due to the fact that nutrition or diet is one of the quickest means to change ones

biochemistry or molecular system (Block, 2009).

"On the other hand, the use of spiritual means such as prayer and spiritual healing were also

believed to help strengthen the inner strength and reduce stress," says Dr. Suhaina.


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The reason that was rarely given to the use of CAM was to reduce pain (9.6%) and helps to

repair wounds (2.7%). The majority of CAM users (82.2%) claimed the effective use of

additional medicines and they were satisfied with its use (85.0%), said Dr. Suhaina.

Participants were asked how they knew about their CAM use or had ever used. Participants

stated that they were influenced mainly by family members (50.7%) and friends (31.5%). Two of

these groups are the main source of information, which shows that family members influence the

participants to use CAM. Other sources are doctors or health care professionals (37.0%) and of

the mass media or printed materials (13.7%).

Graph 5: HOW PATIENTS KNEW ABOUT C.A.M.

Dr Suhaina concluded that the use of CAM has increased in the general population and

especially among breast cancer patients who are survivors. In the American population

alternative medicine usage increased substantially from 1990 to 1997 (Eisenberg et.al., 1998).

"The teaching of religion and spirituality are important in cancer care, especially in dealing with

this chronic disease. Because all study participants were Malays and Muslims, prayer and


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spiritual healing is commonly used as a means of CAM in addition to conventional cancer

treatment.

"Prayer can effect with the daily routine of a Muslim. One study found that 62 percent of cancer

patients who survived had prayed for their health appeal. According to the study, the prayer was

performed to request for a restoration of health against this hardship and suffered death following

the disease increased.

"On the contrary, the spiritual aspects play an important role in helping women deal with their

notions of death amidst their health conditions," said Dr. Suhaina.

A study in Iran found that spiritual healing was used almost 80% for cancer patients. This

method is widely used because it does not involve much cost (Rezaei et.al., 2008).

Dr Suhaina said the study found that after breast cancer prognosis, participants usually perform

prayers for Repentance and Wish.

"Participants also pray after prayer time, asking that God will cure them of the disease. Some of

the participants also read the Quran where certain verses are believed to be beneficial in

overcoming cancer."

According to participants, the practice of reading the verses of the Quran are taught by their

family members and friends. Confidence and belief in the greatness of God was a moving cure

for them to perform Umrah and even Hajj for the other.

Despite the rehabilitation effort of mixing disease with spirituality, the combined effort is still

questionable. Though, a researcher Weiger WA thinks that prayer and spiritual healing has a

positive impact on the emotional state of the patient and their physical symptoms.


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Dr Suhaina however said that the impact of religious beliefs and spirituality to maintain humans

inner strength throughout their lives as well as to improve the quality of life, still require

extensive research.

What is interesting is that many of CAM users are dissatisfied with their health doctor and are

truly feared by the recurrence of the disease.

Dr Suhaina explained that family member is indeed demanded to be very supportive as the

surrounding community will also provide assistance to the afflicted person. Thus the influence of

family is very strong in terms of gaining health to recovery.

This cultural feature which is supported by a strong spirit of brotherhood in Islam is emphasized

as a family. Islam also stipulates that members of the family and fellow Muslims have a

recurrence

desease on

left breast

cancer epidemic 1

recurrence

desease at

under arm

cancer epidemic 2

multiple bone

metastasis

is reported

diagnosis NCS M'sia


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responsibility to care for other family members in particular who are stricken, to pray for them

and to help them financially.

From all of the above facts and findings, we can conclude that alternative medication and

medicines by far has been the concurrent pathway most sought by the breast cancer patients in

Malaysia nowadays because there is no one single cure method for cancer afflicted patients. Yet,

this extreme anxiety case has always been a trial and error living formula where spiritual means

of worship is also found to be potentially effective for those who cannot finance the cancerous

cost of conventional treatment saga. Thus, increasing the physical aspect through correct diet

intake, healthy nutrition and supplements as an alternative complement to standard medication

can directly affect the humans molecular structure and indirectly up heal the emotional, spiritual

and intellectual state of the patients. Though its efficacy against cancer is still professionally

limited and not yet conclusive, the evidence has been so tantalizing and is of a scientific

paramount effect (Block, 2009). As other means to fight any diseases, laughter and positive

thinking will also be helpful to cheer the looming patients to a full and complete recovery other

than alternative medication.

In order to end this presentation and in support to the conclusion, NCBI (2011) orNational

Cancer for Biotechnology Information has also made a statement that alternative medication

such as CAM was commonly used by the breast cancer survivors as a coping mechanism to

battle this disease.


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REFERENCES:

Abdul Ghani Nasir (2012). Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia: UKM News Portal: Majoriti

Pesakit Barah Payudara Melayu yang Terselamat Gunakan Perubatan Alternatif.Extracted on

17th

March 2013 from http://www.ukm.my/news/index.php/ms/berita-penyelidikan/1170-

majority-of-malay-breast-cancer-survivors-use-complementary-and-alternative-medicine-.html

Block, Keith I. (2009). Life Over Cancer: The Block Center Program for Integrative Cancer

Treatment. Bantam Books: New York

DuPree, Beth Baughman, (2012). Breast Cancer.Org website:July 2007: Vitamins and Herbal

Supplements: Ask-the-Expert Online Conference. Extracted on 1st

April 2013 from

http://www.breastcancer.org/tips/nutrition/ask_expert/2007_07

Eisenberg DM, Davis RB, Ettner SL, Appel S, Wilkey S, Van Rompay M, and Kessler RC

(1998). National Cancer for Biotechnology Information: Trends in alternative medicine use in

the United States, 1990-1997: results of a follow-up national survey. Extracted on 22nd

March

2013 fromhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9820257

Ever, Ethan (2012). Natural News.com website:Treat cancer with IV vitamin C - Recent clinical success.Extracted on 1

stApril 2013 from

http://www.naturalnews.com/034663_IV_vitamin_c_cancer_treatment.html

NCBI (2011). National Cancer for Biotechnology Information:The use of complementary and

alternative medicine among Malay breast cancer survivors. Extracted on 18th March 2013 from

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21614944
http://www.ukm.my/news/index.php/ms/berita-penyelidikan/1170-majority-of-malay-breast-cancer-survivors-use-complementary-and-alternative-medicine-.htmlhttp://www.ukm.my/news/index.php/ms/berita-penyelidikan/1170-majority-of-malay-breast-cancer-survivors-use-complementary-and-alternative-medicine-.htmlhttp://www.ukm.my/news/index.php/ms/berita-penyelidikan/1170-majority-of-malay-breast-cancer-survivors-use-complementary-and-alternative-medicine-.htmlhttp://www.breastcancer.org/tips/nutrition/ask_expert/2007_07http://www.breastcancer.org/tips/nutrition/ask_expert/2007_07http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9820257http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9820257http://www.naturalnews.com/034663_IV_vitamin_c_cancer_treatment.htmlhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21614944http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21614944http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21614944http://www.naturalnews.com/034663_IV_vitamin_c_cancer_treatment.htmlhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9820257http://www.breastcancer.org/tips/nutrition/ask_expert/2007_07http://www.ukm.my/news/index.php/ms/berita-penyelidikan/1170-majority-of-malay-breast-cancer-survivors-use-complementary-and-alternative-medicine-.htmlhttp://www.ukm.my/news/index.php/ms/berita-penyelidikan/1170-majority-of-malay-breast-cancer-survivors-use-complementary-and-alternative-medicine-.html


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Rezaei M, Adib-Hajbaghery M, Seyedfatemi N, and Hoseini F (2008). National Cancer for

Biotechnology Information: Prayer in Iranian cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Extracted on 22nd

March 2013 fromhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18396252

Soraya Hanie Shaharudin, Suhaina Sulaiman, Nor Aina Emran, Mohd Razif Shahril and

Sharifah Noor Akmal Syed Hussain, (2011). CAM Use Among Malay Breast Cancer Survivor.

Alternative Therapies (Jan/Feb 2011 Issue, Vol.17, No.1, p.50). Extracted from

http://www.academia.edu/695161/The_use_of_complementary_and_alternative_medicine_amon

g_Malay_breast_cancer_survivors

Veracity, Dani (2005). Natural News.com website: Spirulina shown to prevent and treat cancers while

boosting immune system function. Extracted on 1st

April 2013 from

http://www.naturalnews.com/008421_spirulina_cancer.html

White, Dr. Jeffrey D. (2013). National Cancer Institute @ National Institute of Health:

Complimentary and Alternative Medicine. Extracted on 18th

March 2013 from

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/cam

* * *

There is no disease that Allah has created, except that He has also created its cure. (Narrated by Al -Bukhari)
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BBI2409_Alternative Medication for Breast Cancer Patient Survivor