Role of Homeopathy in Integrative Cancer Care

Cancer has proven to be a relentless foe in exploiting alternate pathways to resistance to conventional therapies. Cancer patients and survivors often seek alternative approaches while receiving conventional treatments, in the hope of achieving better outcomes in fighting the primary disease, preventing recurrence and improving end of life palliation. Homeopathy is one of such approaches, which was started by physicians in the 19th century based on the theory that any substance that can produce symptoms of disease or illness in a healthy person can cure those symptoms in a sick person using a highly diluted succussed solution (>Avogadro’s number or 6.023 × 1023). In the US, homeopathy is part of the complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) accounting for a $9 billion market each year [1], with over five million adults and one million children using homeopathy annually [2]. Among the 236 European centers that provide integrative oncology services in the public health system, homeopathy is one of the leading CAM therapies [3]. However, most patients would not discuss their CAM needs or use with their conventional health professionals due to concerns about health professionals’ lack of knowledge or interest or fear of negatively impacting their relationship with their health professionals [4]. There is a need for further investigating and possibly integrating feasible and effective alternatives including homeopathic medicines into conventional approaches. Notably, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Best Case Series Program which invited CAM practitioners treating cancer patients to present data concluded after rigorous evaluations that there was sufficient evidence of a possible efficacy of homeopathic medicine in cancer and that homeopathy warrants further research [5-7].