Brain tumour patients 'seek alternative therapies'RSS Feed

Many brain tumour patients seek alternative therapies in addition to conventional medicine, according to a new study.

Researchers in Germany surveyed 621 patients with an incurable form of the brain injury about their use of alternative treatments such as homeopathy, vitamin supplements and psychological therapies.

It was found that almost 40 per cent of those with incurable brain tumours use alternative therapies, with younger patients, women and those with higher levels of education most likely to seek them out.

In addition, the researchers discovered that of those who turn to alternative remedies, 39 per cent choose homeopathy, 31 per cent take vitamin supplements and 29 per cent turned to psychological treatments.

"The majority of people are turning to alternative treatments not because they are dissatisfied with their conventional care, but because they wish to add something beneficial to their care," said study author Dr. Oliver Heese, from the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf.

Meanwhile, researchers at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center have found that aggressive brain tumours can produce their own blood vessels, explaining why a treatment involving choking blood vessels surrounding the tumour had not proved as effective as hoped.

News brought to you by Serious Law specialists in traumatic brain injury

Posted by Matthew Heap

New drug 'prevents PTSD'

13 December 2010

A new drug can halt symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), scientists claim.Researchers from Northwestern University say they have found the molecular cause of the brain injury and a way to...

Read More...

PTSD 'complicates brain injury'

10 December 2010

Patients with traumatic brain injury who develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are at a higher risk of developing complications, according to new research.The study, published in the Archives of...

Read More...

Could cooling curb brain injury?

10 December 2010

Cooling the brain could be a way for doctors to reduce brain injury following stroke.Hypothermia has long been considered as a way of reducing neurological damage, but a new study by scientists at the...

Read More...