A Nakuru-based oncologist has advised against use of herbal supplements in cancer treatment because some of them can cause adverse reactions or reduce the effectiveness of the treatment.
Interviewed by KNA today, Dr Swillis Mithe said the Regional Radiotherapy Cancer Centre, which was launched last year by the county government was well-stocked with various treatments noting that it’s the best place to seek treatment instead of wasting money on herbs, whose efficacy was unverifiable.
She said this was in line with the Universal Health Coverage policy that aims to ensure all health services are affordable to all Kenyans and reduce unnecessary pain and suffering.
Dr Mithe said according to the National Cancer Institute of Kenya the disease is the third leading cause of death after infections and cardiovascular illnesses with breast, cervical, oesophagus and prostrate being the leading types of cancer cases in both males and females across all ages.
She noted that a number of middle-aged women from informal settlements in the county have been diagnosed with cervical cancer at the regional centre and urged women to ensure they take pap smears annually because all cancers were manageable and curable when detected early.
Additionally, she said the cancer burden in the country escalated from 3,286 cases in 2012 to 5,236 new cases last year. However, she disputed the common belief that cancer cases were not common in the past, and said there’s a higher possibility that the people who died of the disease were attributed to witchcraft.
However, a number of cancer patients have started flocking an Ayurveda Awareness and Alternative Therapy Centre, a herbal treatment centre which is managed by Mrs Mona Kikani.
When KNA interviewed her at the centre, she said the roots of Ayurveda tree can be traced back to the Indian subcontinent over five million years ago adding that it’s a truly holistic system that embraces the healing of all aspects of diseases including cancers.
