Why I Don’t Recommend Products or Services for Breast Cancer Patients

Over the years I have received inquiries requesting my endorsements of products and services and programs for breast cancer patients. Whether it be the latest in a clothing item that someone has designed to be more comfortable for someone going through chemotherapy or the latest skin cream to combat the effects of radiation, everyone is looking for someone to help them sell their goods. Even less tangible sales of the most recent diet programs or exercise routines to prevent breast cancer are offered up on a regular basis. But while many of the items and programs sound fantastic, to promote anything to others dealing with breast cancer would be irresponsible and potentially damaging.

“Since we, as breast cancer survivors, are not scientists and have no way of knowing whether the press a product is accurate or not, we need to be as careful with purchasing goods and services for our care and recovery as we would be for anything else that we would do or give to our own family members.”Barbara Jacoby

I don’t think that there is so much as a single one of us who wouldn’t want to do whatever we can in order to help another survivor. There is so much with which one has to deal that it may become enticing to grab on to anything that may help with any pain and suffering. If your medication is causing you to gain weight or lose weight, you start searching for any answers that you can find in order to turn things around. If you find that you can’t keep food down because of your chemotherapy and someone indicates that a certain combination of natural supplements for the problem, you may decide to give it a try. But, what happens if those supplements adversely interact with the prescribe medications you are taking? Perhaps your skin has become irritated from your chemo or radiation and  you are willing to spend an excessive amount on a product that is “guaranteed” to help you. But you my find that it not only doesn’t help but it makes things worse and you can’t get your money back?

While I know that there are all sorts of things that have been designed to help with just about any situation that a person may encounter, that doesn’t mean that every product or program is good for every individual. Just as your doctors tailor your medication to your specific cancer type, so should every other treatment program that you embrace be as carefully selected. While there are many people who do everything they can to find answers for better recovery and quality of life for breast cancer survivors, that doesn’t mean that everything that is being offered is a viable alternative for you and perhaps may not be a complete scam. I have seen more than one offering of wonder products that make huge claims about how they can help to heal someone but the claims are completely unfounded. But, by the time these fraudulent claims are fully investigated and the companies are banned from further such claims, the owners are nowhere to be found and the companies have been shut down but the marketers don’t care because they have made a large enough fortune for themselves to last a lifetime.

Since we, as breast cancer survivors, are not scientists and have no way of knowing whether the press a product is accurate or not, we need to be as careful with purchasing goods and services for our care and recovery as we would be for anything else that we would do or give to our own family members. Therefore, before agreeing to incorporate any treatment of any kind into your recovery, even if it is said to be all natural or holistic, etc., be sure to clear it with your own doctors. You never know how something may interact with what you are taking or with your own personal allergies. And, of course, it is always better to be safe than sorry.