Suzanne Somers’ Legacy Marred By Celebrity Medical Misinformation

Three Company’s star, Suzanne Somers, died on October 15 at 76 years after a two-decade battle with cancer. In 2001, Somers’s life took a turn around when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and during her struggle with the disease, Somers decided to take a non-traditional approach to her treatment.

Her decision to opt for alternative therapies and hormone replacement therapy instead of chemotherapy and radiation was met with controversy and debate in the medical community. On top of that, the actress also became a health advocate for alternative therapy options for cancer treatment. Following her death recently, medical professionals are raising concerns as regards the misinformation the actress might have passed to her devoted fans.

Dr. Otis Brawley expresses concerns over Suzanne Somers’ misleading information on chemotherapy

Somers consistently dissuaded breast cancer patients from considering chemotherapy as a treatment option. She did so out of concern for the challenging side effects associated with this treatment, including symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and hair loss.

RELATED: Insider Claims Friends And Family Tried To Convince Suzanne Somers To Ditch Holistic Cancer Treatments

However, her advocacy for alternative approaches drew criticism from medical professionals, including Dr. Otis Brawley, an oncologist and professor at Johns Hopkins Medicine. “I personally know of several women who have died [after rejecting breast cancer treatment] that had a high likelihood of curing them,” he said of Somers’s advocacy.

Dr. Jen Gunter says alternative medicine does not deliver what it promises

Obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Jen Gunter, renowned for her authorship of the book The Menopause Manifesto, detailed in a blog article that the online landscape has become inundated with lots of non-conventional approaches to treating diseases.

She, however, stated that many of these alternative treatments fall significantly short of their lofty claims. While they may promise miraculous results, they often fail to meet the expectations. “If alternative medicine worked, everyone would be using it,” Gunter wrote. “So there has to be an excuse for not using it, like a conspiracy.”

Despite the late actress’s criticism while alive, she held on to what she believed and diligently preached her truth to those who cared to listen to her. However, now that she can no longer defend her actions, her belief is being construed as medical misinformation, which might taint her legacy.