%0 Journal Article
%T Les points d¡¯articulation entre hom¨¦opathie et oncologie conventionnelle Connecting Homeopathy and Conventional Oncology. An ethnographic investigation with practitioners and patients in Brussels
%A Olivier Schmitz
%J Anthropologie & Sant¨¦ : Revue Internationale Francophone d'Anthropologie de la Sant¨¦
%D 2011
%I Association Amades
%R 10.4000/anthropologiesante.701
%X De nombreuses ¨¦tudes ont montr¨¦ que la pr¨¦valence du recours ¨¤ des m¨¦decines non conventionnelles ¨¦tait plus importante chez les malades atteints de cancers que dans toute autre cat¨¦gorie de malades. Les caract¨¦ristiques de la maladie, les incertitudes de son ¨¦volution, de m¨ºme que les effets de ses traitements sont autant de facteurs qui poussent les malades ¨¤ emprunter des voies non conventionnelles. Parmi celles-ci, l¡¯hom¨¦opathie est couramment utilis¨¦e, et jouit d¡¯une bonne r¨¦putation pour r¨¦pondre ¨¤ certains besoins des malades que l¡¯oncologie conventionnelle laisse de c t¨¦. Cet article vise ¨¤ ¨¦clairer ce que les traitements hom¨¦opathiques ont ¨¤ offrir ¨¤ cette cat¨¦gorie de malades, et sous quelle forme ces traitements s¡¯articulent avec les traitements oncologiques. Le mat¨¦riau analys¨¦ porte sur une vingtaine d¡¯entretiens ethnographiques r¨¦alis¨¦s aupr¨¨s de malades du cancer ayant recours ¨¤ l¡¯hom¨¦opathie. Certains ¨¦l¨¦ments de l¡¯organisation de ses traitements, de m¨ºme que les observances et les repr¨¦sentations qui leur sont associ¨¦es font de l¡¯hom¨¦opathie un syst¨¨me th¨¦rapeutique pouvant apporter un certain soutien aux malades dans la lutte contre l¡¯angoisse et l¡¯incertitude que suscitent invariablement la maladie canc¨¦reuse et ses traitements. Several studies have revealed a greater unconventional medicines usage rate in people living with cancer than by other patient categories. The characteristics of cancer, the uncertainties about its evolution as well as the side effects of its treatments are reasons pushing patients toward unconventional therapies. Among these, homeopathy is frequently used. It benefits from a good reputation in the management of some cancer patients¡¯ needs partly ignored by conventional oncology treatments. This exploratory article aims to enlighten what homeopathy treatments can offer to cancer patients, and the way those treatments are combined with conventional treatments. The data analysed come from about twenty ethnographic interviews, conducted with people treated for a cancer using homeopathy. Some elements of the homeopathic treatment organisation, as well as some representations associated with its remedies, suggest that homeopathy can provide some support to patients, especially in their fight against stress and uncertainty that derives from cancer and conventional treatments.
%K cancer
%K unconventional medicine
%K homeopathy
%K symbolic systems
%K cancer
%K m¨¦decine non conventionnelle
%K hom¨¦opathie
%K syst¨¨me symbolique
%U http://anthropologiesante.revues.org/701