perception of women using herbal medicine as a cure of breast cancer

Generally, cancer remains a low priority for 75% of the world population from the developing world that will have to grapple with infectious diseases, the HIV/AIDS epidemic, poverty and malnutrition . However, according to the International Association of Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization, recent global cancer statistics indicate a rising global incidence of breast cancer and the increase is occurring at a faster rate in populations of the developing countries that previously enjoyed a low incidence of the disease In addition to the fact that the incidence of the disease appears to be on the increase, late presentation with poor outcomes of treatment is the hallmark of breast cancer in most developing countries including Ghana. The 5-year survival of breast cancer in Ghana is less than 25%, compared with over 70% in Western Europe and North America . It also disturbing that the average age at diagnosis for breast cancer in Ghana is 46.29 years with a range of 26 to 80 years as compared to an average age of over 65 years in Europe and America.Cancer treatment is limited to surgery in the United States Territory of American Samoa. Patients who can afford mainstream treatment are referred off-island to Hawai‘i for chemotherapy or radiation. Those who cannot afford off-island care remain in American Samoa. In both cases, patients may visit a traditional Samoan healer, a Fofo or Taulasea, for complementary or alternative therapy. The use of Samoan healers is believed to be motivated by lack of affordable treatment or a distrust or dissatisfaction with hospital care. This results in a competition between the two medical systems with some cancer patients foregoing mainstream medical treatment and utilizing only traditional methods.Cancer patients take a wide range of complementary and alternative medicines (CAM). These include ingested therapies such as herbs, and vitamins, homeopathic remedies and traditional Chinese medicines as well as psychological, physical and spiritual techniques . Currently between 20% and 84% of cancer patients are using CAM therapies . Predisposing characteristics for CAM use have been shown to include a high level of education, high-income bracket, ethnicity, marital status, adjuvant therapy and presence of anxiety or depression .

While no data reports improved survival or disease free interval with the use of CAM , many cancer patients attribute CAM therapy with providing them a feeling of control over their disease. CAM therapies are also believed to have properties such as, 'boosting' the immune system and preventing/treating cancer . Studies comparing CAM use in women with advanced stage cancer to those with early stage cancer find goals of therapy to be similar, therapeutic and psychological : i.e. to relieve symptoms , to exude greater control over their life and express hopefulness over there disease and life Despite remarkable advances achieved by conventional medicine, there has been an exponential growth in interest in and use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), especially in developed western countries. The literature shows that non-conventional medicine is a significant element of treatment in poor and developing countries as well.

The integration of CAM into the national health systems has been the subject of constant debates and relevant reference can be found in documents from the World Health Organization (WHO) as Estrategía de la OMS sobre medicina tradicional 2002-2005, which recommends the need to investigate the following:

• national integration policies of complementary and alternative therapies in the national health systems;
• safety, efficacy, and quality of these therapies;
• access to these therapies;
• rational use by professionals and CAM users.

By; my environment