<http://purl.org/dc/terms/description>
"Increasing consumer demands for holistic health care and dietary advice\r\nparallel conflicting and incomplete messages in the scientific and lay literature regarding\r\nthe role of nutrition in breast cancer. Oncologists and naturopaths are important sources\r\nof advice to help women sort out such conflicting information. In this qualitative study,\r\n10 oncologists and 11 naturopaths were interviewed to explore their beliefs and\r\ncounseling practices regarding the relationship between diet and breast cancer. Interviews\r\nwere transcribed verbatim and analysed using qualitative methods. The oncologists\r\nbelieved age, genetics and reproductive factors are important risk factors, and while\r\ndietary factors such as fat and alcohol consumption may play a role, such relationships\r\nhave not been proven scientifically. The oncologists suggested increasing fruit, vegetable\r\nand fibre intakes could improve overall health; however because available research\r\nevidence does not meet the criteria of evidence-based medicine, they did not make\r\nspecific dietary recommendations for breast cancer prevention or treatment.\r\nAlternatively, the naturopaths implicated exogenous hormones, environmental pollutants\r\nand lifestyle factors like diet and stress as important contributors to breast cancer\r\netiology. They recommended that patients increase consumption of organic whole foods,\r\nantioxidant supplements, fruits and vegetables, and avoid processed or refined foods,\r\nanimal fats, dairy products and sugar to decrease breast cancer risk. These\r\nrecommendations were based on a combination of published scientific evidence, clinical\r\nexperience and single case studies. The naturopaths' lack of exclusive reliance on science\r\nto justify clinical recommendations was described by oncologists as their primary reason for not working directly with naturopaths. Alternatively, the naturopaths believed they\r\nwere excluded from conventional breast cancer care for political reasons. Differences in\r\npractitioners' beliefs and perceptions of each others' profession reflect variations in their\r\ntraining in the scientific method and their educational and professional socialization. The\r\nvariation in these health professionals' beliefs, use of evidence, and resulting clinical\r\npractices and misperceptions of each other fuel mutual misunderstanding. An open and\r\nrespectful dialogue between oncologists and naturopaths is important to bridge gaps\r\nbetween these professionals, and to facilitate patients' ability to make informed choices\r\nabout their health care and dietary practices."@en
<https://open.library.ubc.ca/cIRcle/collections/ubctheses/831/items/1.0099314>