LAUSR

Physicians should be prepared to educate and manage patients who are interested in or who are already using alternative therapies to treat skin cancer. It is important to remind patients that they should discuss any health care products, FDA-approved or otherwise, with a professional to be fully informed of the associated risks and benefits. Inquiring about a patient’s hesitation toward conventional interventions may help identify potential misinformation or misunderstanding, and thus allow dermatologists to fill these knowledge gaps. Although the internet is replete with reported success stories of skin cancers cured with “natural” products, it is the duty of the physician to inform patients of the potential risks, using case reports such as this to demonstrate that “natural” is not always best.