ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Complementary therapy in oncology aims to help patients better cope with the illness and side effects (SEs) of cancer treatments that affect their quality of life (QOL). This study aimed to assess the benefits of homeopathic treatment on the health-related QOL (HRQOL) of patients with non-metastatic breast cancer (BC) prescribed in postsurgical complementary therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: An extraction from the French nationwide healthcare database targeted all patients who underwent mastectomy for newly diagnosed BC between 2012 and 2013. HRQOL was proxied by the quantity of medication used to palliate the SEs of cancer treatments. RESULTS: A total of 98,009 patients were included (mean age: 61 ± 13 years). Homeopathy was used in 11%, 26%, and 22% of patients respectively during the 7 to 12 months before surgery, the 6 months before, and 6 months after. Thereafter, the use remained stable at 15% for 4 years. Six months after surgery, there was a significant overall decrease (RR = 0.88, confidence interval (CI)95 = 0.87-0.89) in the dispensing of medication associated with SEs in patients treated with ≥ 3 dispensing of homeopathy compared to none. The decrease appeared to be greater for immunostimulants (RR = 0.79, (CI)95 = 0.74-0.84), corticosteroids (RR = 0.82, (CI)95 = 0.79-0.85), and antidiarrheals (RR = 0.83, (CI)95 = 0.77-0.88). CONCLUSION: The study showed an increasing use of homeopathy in patients with BC following diagnosis. This use was maintained after surgery and seemed to play a role in helping patients to better tolerate the SEs of cancer treatments.
Subject(s)
Breast Neoplasms , Homeopathy , Humans , Middle Aged , Aged , Female , Homeopathy/adverse effects , Breast Neoplasms/therapy , Breast Neoplasms/etiology , Quality of Life , Retrospective Studies , Mastectomy/adverse effects , Delivery of Health CareABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This study was done to determine characteristics and management of patients in France visiting allopathic general practitioners (AGPs) and homeopathic general practitioners (HGPs) for influenza-like illness (ILI). DESIGN: This was a prospective observational study. SETTINGS/LOCATION: It was conducted in metropolitan France during the 2009-2010 influenza season. SUBJECTS: Sixty-five HGPs and 124 AGPs recruited a total of 461 patients with ILI. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were treated for ILI by their GPs. GPs and patients completed questionnaires recording demographic characteristics and patient symptoms when patients were included in the study. Patients reported satisfaction with treatment on day 4. Prescriptions were recorded by the GPs. OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcome measures were patient characteristics, demographics, and symptoms at baseline; medications prescribed by type of physician; and satisfaction with treatment by type of physician and medication. RESULTS: Most AGPs (86%), and most patients visiting them (58%) were men; whereas most HGPs (57%; p<0.0001), and most patients visiting them (56%; p=0.006) were women. Patients visiting AGPs were seen sooner after the appearance of symptoms, and they self-treated more frequently with cough suppressants or expectorants (p=0.0018). Patients visiting HGPs were seen later after the appearance of symptoms and they self-treated with homeopathic medications more frequently (p<0.0001). At enrollment, headaches (p=0.025), cough (p=0.01), muscle/joint pain (p=0.049), chills/shivering (p<0.001), and nasal discharge/congestion (p=0.002) were more common in patients visiting AGPs. Of these patients, 37.1% visiting AGPs were prescribed at least one homeopathic medication, and 59.6% of patients visiting HGPs were prescribed at least one allopathic medication. Patient satisfaction with treatment did not differ between AGPs and HGPs but was highest for patients treated with homeopathic medications only. CONCLUSIONS: In France, homeopathy is widely accepted for the treatment of ILI and does not preclude the use of allopathic medications. However, patients treated with homeopathic medications only are more satisfied with their treatment than other patients.
Subject(s)
General Practice , Homeopathy , Influenza, Human/drug therapy , Patient Satisfaction , Practice Patterns, Physicians' , Adult , Cough/drug therapy , Expectorants/therapeutic use , Female , France , History, 21st Century , Humans , Influenza, Human/complications , Male , Middle Aged , Observation , Outcome Assessment, Health Care , Prospective Studies , Seasons , Self Care , Sex Factors , Young AdultABSTRACT
La sphere cardio-vasculaire et l'homeopathie ne se rencontrent pas souvent, sauf dans les pathologies veineuses et benignes. (AU)
Subject(s)
Cardiovascular Diseases/therapy , Constitutional Diagnosis , Homeopathic TherapeuticsABSTRACT
La notion de drainage est toujours presente dans le discours des praticiens homeopathes, sans que cela recouvre toujours la meme notion. Drainage de basses dilutions de remedes vegetaux... (AU)
Subject(s)
Drainage , Constitutional Diagnosis , Homeopathic TherapeuticsABSTRACT
La sophorologie, créée en 1960 par Alphonso Caycedo, est une méthode thérapeutique à l´épistémologie un peu particulière. Aussi, lorsque notre président m´a confié la tâche de parler d´elle dans ce numéro des Cahiers de Biothérapie consacré aux troubles du sommeil, je me suis tout de suite aperçu que la difficulté principale résiderait dans la coexistence de deux épistémologies, de deux méthodes de réflexion que sont l´homéopathie (colonne vertébrale de notre revue) et la sophrologie. Ces deux méthodes thérapeutiques ne font pas que différer. Elles possèdent sans calembour hasardeux plusieurs similitudes.(AU)
Subject(s)
Sleep Wake Disorders/therapy , Serology/trends , Complementary Therapies/trendsABSTRACT
Les biothérapies se sont développées depuis bien longtemps dans le sillon de la médecine (et de la pharmacopée) homéopathiques. Elles sont un appoint fondamental à l´homéopathie.(AU)
Subject(s)
Biotherapics , Organotherapy , Holistic HealthABSTRACT
De la viande pour votre enfant. De la viande rouge si possible car elle est plus nourrissante et riche en fer. Donnez lui aussi du lait; du bon lait de vache riche en calcium. Evitez lui le pain qui gonfle l'estomac et les legumes qui... (AU)
Subject(s)
Feeding Behavior , Feeding BehaviorABSTRACT
Nous ne pouvions terminer ce numero des Cahiers de biotherapie sur les fondements de l'homeopathie sans parler de l'avenir. Toute base, aussi importante et solide soit-elle, ne sert que si elle tend vers un but, qui lui donne son sens. ET... (AU)
Subject(s)
Homeopathy/trendsABSTRACT
Parler de psychiatrie dans la pratique homeopathique est a la fois aise et ardu. La sphere mentale et, par corollaire ou voisinage, la sphere psychosomatique, n'ont jamais ete contestees quant a leur accessibilite a nos therapeutiques infinitesimales puisque celles-ci sont precisement releguees...(AU)
Subject(s)
Emergencies , Mental Disorders , Homeopathic TherapeuticsABSTRACT
Sandra se tait. C'est ma premiere patient du matin. Elle deprime a toute allure selon son expression et rien ne va plus dans sa vie. Mais elle n'en dit pas plus. Elle si volubile d'habitude... (AU)
Subject(s)
Emblems and Insignia/history , HomeopathyABSTRACT
L'approche homeopathique de ces mycoses gynecologiques n'est pas chose aisee. Elle necessite une vraie connaissance des possibilites therapeutiques et de la matiere medicale, mais elle... (AU)
Subject(s)
Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal , Homeopathic TherapeuticsABSTRACT
C'est le peche delicieux! presque pas un peche, presque une vertu. En tout cas pardonne d'avance. La gourmandise a en effet dans notre culture occidentale une place bien a part. Dans les trois religions... (AU)
Subject(s)
Behavior, Addictive/therapy , Feeding Behavior , Materia Medica, ComparativeABSTRACT
Les pathologies dorsales ne sont pas neutres.C'est un lieu commun de dire desormais que la dorsalgie temoigne d'un "plein le dos" qui deborde et se desequilibre. Mais si ces notions, iconoplastes... (AU)
Subject(s)
Rheumatic Diseases , Back , Symbolism , Materia Medica, ComparativeABSTRACT
Il existe de multiples voies pour trouver le Similimum. Cette quete noble et eperdue du bon homeopathe consciencieux peut prendre de multiples formes. De la repertorisation uniciste... (AU)
Subject(s)
Sense Organs/physiopathology , Materia Medica , Kinesthesis/physiologyABSTRACT
Commenter un paragraphe de l'Organon! Quele tache! Quelle pretension, quelle aventure! Lorsque nous nous sommes mis d'accord pour le sommaire de ce numero des Cahiers de biotherapie, j'etais de ceux forts enthousiastes qui... (AU)
Subject(s)
Psoric MiasmABSTRACT
Nees d'une premiere approche militaire dans les annees soixante, avec le reseau Arpanet, en pleine guerre froide, les bases d'un systeme de communicationen reseau et non plus en... (AU)
Subject(s)
Medical Informatics/trends , HomeopathyABSTRACT
Infectiologie et homéopathie ont une longue histoire en commun. À la fois antinomiques et fondamentalement mêlés, ces deux disciplines ont valsé et valsent encore au son des différentes épistémologies médicales. (AU)
Subject(s)
Communicable Diseases/therapy , Homeopathy , Homeopathic Therapeutics , Infections/therapyABSTRACT
Dire de la sophrologie qu'elle est une méthode thérapeutique particuliere dans l'approche de la souffrance et de la maladie est aussi reducteur que si l'on tenait de tels propos sur l'homeopathie. (AU)
