¹Kenneth Yongabi Anchang, ²Emanuel Catumbela

¹Imo State University, Owerri, Nigeria.

²Editor Associado da Revista Cientifica da CSE

Abstract

We received 25 patients with breast cancer at the Phytobiotechnology Research Foundation (PRF) clinic between 2015 and 2018 for Clinical management with alternative and complementary medicine. Out of this, ten cases were selected for costs benefit qualitative analysis. These cases were diagnosed with breast cancer starting with lumps in one or both breasts. They all consulted previously with an oncologist and with a radiologist who did a mammogram / x ray of the breast which cost 8000 FRS and a biopsy which cost 10,000 FRS cfa, It was noted that all cases had traveled 6 hours to Yaounde General Hospital, capital of Cameroon, and stayed two weeks spending 6000frs x 2 weeks, with transport 0f 15000x 2While at General Hospital, a mamomectomy (breast surgical operation) was carried out costing 650,000 FRS and radiotherapy was done at least 25 times costing 180,000 FRS cfa. All ten cases spent atleast a week in Yaounde and had traveled with two guardians at 150000 frs and spent a week at a hotel costing 15000 x7 days with 15000frs x 2 for transport. These cases had no relation to put up with while in Yaounde and this served as exclusion criteria for recruitment in this study. Upon return, these cases spent two months and with no specific significant benefit, so they reported at the a Baptist mission hospital, Mbingo , Kom, for another operation suggested due to regrowth of the tumor, this cost 50,000 frs cfa the cum the cost of travel to mbingo was 1000 frs x 3 persons. After the surgery, these cases were placed on Chemotherapy (5bouts) at (98000 FRS x 5) for 21 days. They were also placed on Tamoxifen costing 9050 frs every month for a period of 7 month. After 7 months, the response was not significant and with a major Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYS), so they were referred to General hospital In Douala, While in Douala they were placed on Chemotherapy costing 130,000 FRS for the entre regime and 31,800 frs for the person administering the therapy. They spent per person 1500 0x 2 transport and 5000 frs daily for food and in patients cost for two weeks. Upon return to Bamenda, all seems well for a while; but after a while, with a swollen hand, and so was placed on antibiotics at the Bamenda general hospital following a culture and sensitivity test due to sepsis on the wound at the point of Mamomectomy. Floxacilln was recommended which cost totally 135,000 including admission at the Bali District hospital. She was also placed on liquid morphine and Rufenac.Apparently the left breast also developed swellings and lymph nodes swollen. The ten cases that opted to be placed on an alternative and complementary therapy made from culinary mushrooms Pleurotus ostreatus sporophore and mycelia preparations mixed with vinegar extracts of egg plant solanum incanum. The pulverized powders were administered in as a tisane twice daily administered in an exit poll clinical trial with a control placebo of two patients. The cost for the entire dose of a month therapy was 25000 FRS, after administration, the patients recovered drastically, with no swellings on the hand, weight gain, hair loss due to the effect of radiotherapy was regained in 4 weeks, increased appetite was observed. A follow up mammography suggested slow growth of the tumor in 5 weeks of administration, for both patients on both chemotherapy and complementary phytotherapy and those only on phyto therapy. The conclusion is drawn that alternative and complementary clinical management of breast cancer generates improved health outcomes, improved DALYS and reduced costs. The implications of the findings are discussed in the light of new paradigm shift in the management of breast cancers in Africa.

Keywords: Cancer, Breast, Alternative, Complementary, Medicine, Tamoxifen, management, Cost, Discrete.

Note: This work is partly presented at the Event on International Conference on Gynecology and Obstetrics, August 12-13, 2020 held at Paris, France