Benefits of Homeopathic Complementary Treatment in Patients With Breast Cancer: A Retrospective Cohort Study Based on the French Nationwide Healthcare Database

• Published in: Clinical breast cancer Vol. 23; no. 1; pp. 60 - 70
• Main Authors: Medioni, Jacques, Scimeca, Daniel, Marquez, Yecenia Lopez, Leray, Emmanuelle, Dalichampt, Marie, Hoertel, Nicolas, Bennani, Mohammed, Trempat, Pascal, Boujedaini, Naoual
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-01-2023; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aged; Breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - etiology; Breast Neoplasms - therapy; Complementary therapy; Delivery of Health Care; Female; Homeopathy; Homeopathy - adverse effects; HRQOL; Humans; Life Sciences; Mastectomy - adverse effects; Middle Aged; Quality of Life; Retrospective Studies; Santé publique et épidémiologie; Complementary therapy; HRQOL; Breast cancer; Homeopathy; Quality of life; Homeopathy breast cancer complementary therapy HRQOL Quality Of Life
• ISSN: 1526-8209; 1938-0666
• DOI: 10.1016/j.clbc.2022.10.001

•Use of homeopathy as a complementary therapy has been increasing for the treatment of cancer.•Patients with cancer who use homeopathy report better quality of life.•Homeopathy is associated with a decrease in medications that palliate the side effects of cancer drugs.
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.
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.
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).
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.
This study evaluated the benefits of homeopathy on the quality of life (QOL) of patients with nonmetastatic breast cancer (BC). There is an increasing use of homeopathy in patients with BC after diagnosis, leading to an overall decrease in medications that palliate the side effects of cancer treatment. This may indicate that QOL is improved in patients with BC who use homeopathy.