In this episode of the Daily Brief, Dr. Albert Takem talks with breast surgeon Dr. Regina Hampton, co-founder of Breast Care for Washington, about patients who postpone proven cancer treatment for supplements, home remedies and other alternative approaches, and what she has seen happen when they do.

Dr. Hampton shares the story of a patient who wanted to drink hydrogen peroxide to shrink her cancer. They agreed on 30 days and a follow-up ultrasound. The tumor had not changed, and the patient then agreed to treatment. Not every story ends that way. A young woman who chose naturopathic care instead of treatment saw her tumor keep growing until it could no longer be operated on, and she died, leaving young children and a husband. Dr. Hampton also explains something many patients don't know: a lot of the medicines doctors prescribe, including several chemotherapy drugs, were developed from plants. And she describes a patient who agreed to surgery but declined the chemotherapy and radiation recommended after it, and who came back a year later with a new lump.

In this episode, Dr. Takem and Dr. Hampton explain:
• Why "natural" can feel more reassuring than proven treatment
• Why so many patients ask for a natural cure after a diagnosis
• How many prescribed medicines, including chemotherapy, come from plants
• What happened when a patient tried hydrogen peroxide for 30 days
• How delaying treatment can let a tumor grow past the point of surgery
• Why the treatment recommended after surgery matters

The goal is not to dismiss anyone's wish to be healthy or to know what goes into their body. The goal is to make sure a cancer diagnosis is met with a treatment plan based on evidence, decided together with your doctors.

Questions for Dr. Takem and the team

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