Study: Ginger can help reduce nausea after chemotherapyBy Liz Szabo, USA TODAYGinger capsules can relieve the nausea caused by chemotherapy, a new study shows.Up to 70% of patients become nauseated after chemo, according to a study of 644 people released Thursday, in advance of the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, which begins in two weeks in Orlando.Although drugs such as Kytril can prevent vomiting, they don't always relieve nausea, says author Julie Ryan, assistant professor of dermatology and radiation oncology at the University of Rochester Medical Center.Ginger, however, reduced patients' nausea levels by half, according to the study, funded by the National Cancer Institute. On a scale of one to seven — in which seven represents the worst nausea — chemo patients given placebos rated their nausea as a 5 or 6, or very nauseous.Those given ginger, however, rated their nausea level as only 2 or 3, Ryan says.Patients took ginger three days before and three days after getting chemo, Ryan says. Patients took three capsules, twice a day. The most effective doses were 1 gram and 0.5 gram a day, which are equal to half a teaspoon or one-quarter of a teaspoon of ground ginger.All patients also got standard drugs to prevent vomiting, Ryan says.Significantly, ginger caused no side effects.Doctors were careful to monitor patients' platelet levels, because some earlier research suggested that ginger might act like a blood thinner, Ryan says."That's why we're so excited. This is something that people have access to, that won't harm them," says Ryan, who notes that ginger capsules are commonly sold in health food stores.Although ginger has been used as a folk remedy for nausea for centuries, this is the first time that it has been so rigorously tested for chemo patients, says Richard Schilsky, oncology society president, who wasn't involved in the study. He describes the trial's results as "conclusive."Several studies have shown that ginger can relieve morning sickness during pregnancy, says Linda Lee, director of the Johns Hopkins Integrative Medicine & Digestive Center. Doctors don't yet understand exactly why it works.Lee notes that the Food and Drug Administration doesn't regulate supplements such as ginger the same way as it regulates drugs."One of the challenges about recommending a ginger supplement is that not all brands are created equal," Lee says. "One study looked at several ginger supplements on the market, only to find a few of them did not contain gingerol, one of the active compounds in ginger."And Schilsky notes that, because researchers didn't test powdered or fresh ginger, they don't know if these types of ginger are as effective as capsules."How do you translate ginger in a capsule to the ginger in your spice rack?" Schilsky asks. "Can you drink a six pack of ginger ale?"Douglas Blayney, incoming president of the oncology society, says cancer patients should resist the temptation to indulge in too much ginger soda or cookies, however. Some studies show that cancer patients who gain weight are more likely to relapse.Studies show up to two-thirds of cancer patients try herbal remedies or other alternative therapies.Cancer researchers are increasingly interested in testing these approaches.In 2007, researchers at the cancer society meeting showed that ginseng could help relieve cancer patients' fatigue.After eight weeks of treatment in that study, roughly 27% of those who took the two highest ginseng doses rated their fatigue as "moderately" or "very much" better, she says. Only 10% of those who took placebos or the lowest ginseng dose improved that much.And while alternative therapies can relieve some treatment-related symptoms, researchers haven't shown the these folk remedies actually treat cancer. At the 2007 meeting, researchers found that shark cartilage had no effect on lung cancer.
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Judge to decide if family can refuse chemo for boyBy Patrick Condon, Associated Press WriterMINNEAPOLIS — A Minnesota judge is expected to decide whether a family can refuse chemotherapy for a 13-year-boy's cancer and treat him with natural medicine, even though doctors say it's effectively a death sentence.With chemotherapy, Daniel Hauser has a 90 percent chance of surviving his Hodgkin's lymphoma, according to his cancer doctor. And without it?"It is almost certain that he will die," said Dr. Bruce Bostrom, a pediatric oncologist at Children's Hospital and Clinics of Minnesota. Bostrom, who diagnosed the disease, is an ally of the legal effort in southwestern Minnesota's Brown County to make Hauser submit to chemotherapy even though he and his parents believe it's potentially more harmful than the cancer itself.District Judge John Rodenberg was expected to rule Friday on Brown County's motion.Bostrom said Daniel's chance of survival without chemotherapy is about 5 percent. Nevertheless, parents Colleen and Anthony Hauser are supporting what they say is their son's decision to instead treat the disease with nutritional supplements and other alternative treatments favored by the Nemenhah Band. The Missouri-based religious group believes in natural healing methods advocated by some American Indians."This is about the right of a 13-year-old young man to be free from acts of assault on his body," said the family's attorney, Calvin Johnson. The Hausers did not return several phone messages left at their home Thursday.Bostrom diagnosed Daniel Hauser with Hodgkin's lymphoma in January, and recommended he undergo chemotherapy treatments once a month for six months, followed by radiation. Daniel became gravely ill about a week later and was taken to an emergency room, Bostrom said, and the family consented to the first chemotherapy treatment.After that, Bostrom said, the family said they wanted a second opinion. They later informed him that Daniel would not undergo any more chemotherapy. Bostrom said Daniel's tumor shrunk after the first chemotherapy session.Two other doctors who examined Daniel backed up Bostrom's assessment at a court hearing last Friday. At that hearing, Colleen Hauser testified her son became sick and depressed after the first treatment, and said the family only would consent to traditional treatments in the case of a life-threatening illness."My son is not in any medical danger at this point," Colleen Hauser testified. She also testified that Daniel was a medicine man and elder in the Nemenhah Band.The mother said her son made the decision himself to refuse chemotherapy: "I think he understands he has the right to choose healthier forms of dealing with this cancer."Brown County disagrees, and pressed the case after Bostrom notified child protection authorities.Daniel Hauser "does not have a complete understanding of what it means to be a medicine man or an elder," Brown County Attorney James Olson wrote in a legal filing.The Hausers, who are Roman Catholic, have eight children. Colleen Hauser told the New Ulm Journal newspaper that the family's Catholicism and adherence to the Nemenhah Band are not in conflict, and said she has treated illness with natural remedies her entire life.Nemenhah was founded in the 1990s by Philip Cloudpiler Landis, who said Thursday that he was one-fourth American Indian. Nemenhah adherents are asked to pay $250 to be members. "We're non-dogmatic, a very universal faith," Landis said.Landis said he founded the faith after facing his diagnosis of a cancer similar to Daniel Hauser. He said he treated it with diet choices, visits to a sweat lodge and other natural remedies. Landis also once served four months in prison in Idaho for fraud related to advocating natural remedies."The issue is Danny's right to decide how he wants to live his life," Landis said. "What if they make him take chemotherapy and he dies from that? The band will mourn with the family if that's the case, but we'll rejoice that Danny had the opportunity to test the law of the land."UPDATEJudge rules family can't refuse chemo for boyBy Amy Forliti, Associated Press WriterMINNEAPOLIS — A Minnesota judge ruled Friday that a 13-year-old cancer patient must be evaluated by a doctor to determine if the boy would benefit from restarting chemotherapy over his parents' objections.In a 58-page ruling, Brown County District Judge John Rodenberg found that Daniel Hauser has been "medically neglected" by his parents, Colleen and Anthony Hauser, and was in need of child protection services.While he allowed Daniel to stay with his parents, the judge gave the Hausers until Tuesday to get an updated chest X-ray for their son and select an oncologist.If the evaluation shows the cancer had advanced to a point where chemotherapy and radiation would no longer help, the judge said, he would not order the boy to undergo treatment.However, he said, if chemotherapy is ordered and the family still refuses, Daniel will be placed in temporary custody.The judge wrote that Daniel has only a "rudimentary understanding at best of the risks and benefits of chemotherapy. ... he does not believe he is ill currently. The fact is that he is very ill currently."It was unclear how the medicine would be administered if the boy fights it. Dr. Bruce Bostrom, a pediatric oncologist at Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, said last week he would have a hard time forcing Daniel to take the medicine. Bostrom said Friday his hospital has psychologists, child life specialists and other resources to help ease Daniel's fears. He also said an ethics committee would meet next week to talk about all the scenarios doctors may encounter.Daniel's court-appointed attorney, Philip Elbert, called the decision unfortunate."I feel it's a blow to families," he said. "It marginalizes the decisions that parents face every day in regard to their children's medical care. It really affirms the role that big government is better at making our decisions for us."Elbert said he hadn't spoken to his client yet. The phone line at the Hauser home in Sleepy Eye in southwestern Minnesota had a busy signal Friday. The parents' attorney had no immediate comment but planned to issue a statement.Daniel was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma and stopped chemotherapy in February after a single treatment. He and his parents opted instead for "alternative medicines" based on their religious beliefs.Child protection workers accused Daniel's parents of medical neglect; but in court, his mother insisted the boy wouldn't submit to chemotherapy for religious reasons and she said she wouldn't comply if the court orders it.Doctors have said Daniel's cancer had up to a 90 percent chance of being cured with chemotherapy and radiation. Without those treatments, doctors said his chances of survival are 5 percent.Daniel's parents have been supporting what they say is their son's decision to treat the disease with nutritional supplements and other alternative treatments favored by the Nemenhah Band.The Missouri-based religious group believes in natural healing methods advocated by some American Indians.After the first chemotherapy treatment, the family said they wanted a second opinion, said Bostrom, a pediatric oncologist who recommended Daniel undergo chemotherapy and radiation.They later informed him that Daniel would not undergo any more chemotherapy. Bostrom said Daniel's tumor shrunk after the first chemotherapy session, but X-rays show it has grown since he stopped the chemotherapy."My son is not in any medical danger at this point," Colleen Hauser testified at a court hearing last week. She also testified that Daniel is a medicine man and elder in the Nemenhah Band.The family's attorney, Calvin Johnson, said Daniel made the decision himself to refuse chemotherapy, but Brown County said he did not have an understanding of what it meant to be a medicine man or an elder.Court filings also indicated Daniel has a learning disability and can't read.The Hausers have eight children. Colleen Hauser told the New Ulm Journal newspaper that the family's Catholicism and adherence to the Nemenhah Band are not in conflict, and that she has used natural remedies to treat illness.Nemenhah was founded in the 1990s by Philip Cloudpiler Landis, who said Thursday he once served four months in prison in Idaho for fraud related to advocating natural remedies.Landis said he founded the faith after facing his diagnosis of a cancer similar to Daniel Hauser. He said he treated it with diet choices, visits to a sweat lodge and other natural remedies.
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