The effect of the homoeopathic similimum on side effects of chemotherapy in breast cancer patients

Breast cancer in South Africa has become one of the most prominent cancers affecting women. Worldwide, breast cancer results in more deaths amongst women than any other cancer (Vorobiof, 2001). Chemotherapy has become one of the most effective and commonly used adjuvant forms of treatment in breast cancer. However, despite its effectiveness, it has a variety of side effects ranging from nausea, fatigue, vomiting, alopecia to many others. Due to the significant levels of discomfort and disability associated with chemotherapy, patients often seek additional treatment to assist with these side effects. Many individuals combine complementary and alternative therapies with conventional treatment of their cancer (Breasthealth, 2005). Homoeopathy is often used to alleviate the side-effects resulting from the chemotherapy treatments (Diamond and Crowden, 1997). This research involved the individualized treatment of patients experiencing side effects from chemotherapy, employing homeopathic medicine. The study involved ten participants who had been diagnosed with breast cancer and who were scheduled for at least four chemotherapy treatments. The participants did not receive any homoeopathic remedies to assist with the side effects following the first chemotherapy treatment. The results from the first chemotherapy treatment were utilized to establish each individual’s control results against which, future results would be compared. Participants received their homoeopathic similimum remedies to assist with their second, third and fourth chemotherapies. The appropriate homoeopathic remedy was determined using each patient’s distinguishing, mental, emotional and physical symptoms following each chemotherapy treatment. Each participant completed the Researcher’s Questionnaires (Appendix B) following their chemotherapy treatments and recorded the severity of their nausea, fatigue, vomiting and general symptoms experienced after each of the four chemotherapies. These were handed to the researcher at each follow-up consultation. These results, together with the holistic progress as noted by the researcher at every consultation, were used to determine the efficacy of homoeopathy on the side effects of chemotherapy treatment. This study aimed to reduce the severity and duration of side effects resulting from chemotherapy treatment using individual homoeopathic remedies prescribed. The severity of side effects was graded and monitored for each patient following each chemotherapy session. Of the ten participants involved in this study, eight participants completed all their scheduled chemotherapy sessions. Two of the participants completed only three chemotherapies as their conditions had improved drastically and were not compelled to complete their remaining chemotherapies. Compliance with the homoeopathic treatments was thus effectively 100%. The results of this study indicated that all of the participants reported a statistically significant decrease in side effects after taking the similimum homoeopathic remedies and they also experienced a shorter duration of side effects. All patients in this study were better able to cope with the side effects of chemotherapy whilst taking the similimum Homoeopathic remedies.Dr. N. Wolf Dr. C.A. Benn Dr. K. Pec