No miracle cure

Star: Be wary of traditional medicines that claim to cure serious ailments.
By PATSY KAM

THE country got a wake up call to take a closer look at traditional and complementary medicine (TCM) in 2002 when Singapore actress Andrea De Cruz suffered liver failure after taking some slimming pills. The pills were subsequently banned in Malaysia and Singapore. We were reminded that we should be wary of advertisers’ promises about the efficacy and safety of such products.
However, most of us have short memories and soon enough, unscrupulous advertisers were back in action again. Some recent advertising claims have caught the attention of the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA), which is concerned over uncontrolled use of TCM which claims to “cure” serious ailments like cancer and chronic diseases like hypertension and diabetes.
Malaysian Oncological Society president Dr Gurcharan Singh says 80% of cancer patients only come forward when they are already in the late stages of the disease. He stresses the need for greater public awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer, and that patients should get evidenced-based treatment.
“It is very unfortunate that some patients have been misled into believing that treatment for cancer, such as chemotherapy and radiation, are so terrible that it would be better to die than to go through treatment.
“The fact is, medical science has made many advances and cancer treatment has come a long way. Just because you’ve been diagnosed with cancer doesn’t mean it’s a life sentence. Many have responded well to conventional Western treatment and have gone on to lead full lives,” Dr Gurcharan adds.
While the MMA is not against TCM, it strongly believes that there should be adequate control to ensure it is practised honestly and ethically. Due to advertising gimmicks and publicity, people are misled about the value of herbal treatment for serious ailments and chronic medical conditions that require early treatment and regular follow up.
Those diagnosed with cancer feel they have been pushed to the edge of the cliff and so understandably, grab hold of whatever gives them hope, be it TCM or some other “miracle cure”. Many are willing to fork out large sums of money for products, in the desperate hope of getting better.
“Many patients could have been treated and saved if they had done the right thing by coming forward to have their cancer treated early,” said Datuk Dr Lee Yan San, the MMA representative on the Health Ministry’s Standing Committee on TCM.
Statistics show that those with high blood pressure and diabetes are able to live longer if their conditions are carefully monitored and under control, with medication.
“Any form of exercise such as wai tang kong, tai chi or chi kong is encouraged. However, these should be not be promoted as something with miracle benefits,” Dr Lee adds.
Dr Lee, whose father was a Chinese sinseh, readily admits that some TCM treatments, for example certain herbal products, have been found to be useful for certain ailments through clinical usage over a long period of time. However, some advertisements overstate and make claims which can’t be substantiated and this amounts to misinforming the public.
Currently, only Western medicine is governed by strict laws against such publicity. The Health Ministry approves traditional medicine on safety and quality but not on efficacy. TCM does not undergo full procedures of clinical trials to prove their efficacy.
In Malaysia, the government bans advertisement of TCM for 20 diseases including cancer, hypertension, diabetes, AIDS and kidney failure. Yet, advertisements claiming to cure such diseases still appear.
“Some years ago, there was a three-day full page advertisement in a Chinese press claiming a certain diet and herbs from the United States can help cancer patients. We feel it is wrong to offer false hope to terminally ill patients who are desperately seeking for cures,” Dr Lee says.
“Consumer confidence is further boosted by erroneous assumptions that ‘natural’ means ‘safe’. The public fails to realise that herbs contain active substances and some may be potentially harmful.”
The message is clear: While patients may want to try alternative therapies, they must come forward to seek evidence-based conventional Western therapy first.