Questionable cancer therapies

This is the title of a lengthy feature written by Dr. Stephen Barrett and Dr. Victor Herbert. Full copy can be seen in www.quackwatch.com. Admittedly, natural and non-traditional means to prevent and fight lifestyle diseases such as heart ailments and cancer have intrigued me so much that I want to study them in depth and would not mind taking on the therapies I find sound when the time comes that I myself am afflicted with any of these diseases.

Truly in the end, it is one’s personal choice. General belief is that one’s will power and faith spell the success or failure of a treatment. This is why you do not just get one opinion but at least a second and a third one from reputable specialists. You should also try and find out what others did (particularly those who survived) and get in touch with cancer support groups.

There is also a wealth of information in books and the Internet. If you do not know how or where to start, but would like to find out other means to complement or supplement the treatment of your choice, here are some of the most popular and common ones identified by the two doctor-authors. It is very difficult for the medical community to accept a non-traditional method especially if the cure claims lack a scientific backing. Most of the evidence is experience-based.

Three Questions

"The American Cancer Society (ACS) has defined questionable methods as lifestyle practices, clinical tests, or therapeutic modalities that are promoted for general use for the prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of cancer and which are, on the basis of careful review by scientists and/or clinicians, deemed to have no real evidence of value. Under the rules of science (and federal law), proponents who make health claims bear the burden of proof. It is their responsibility to conduct suitable studies and report them in sufficient detail to permit evaluation and confirmation by others," clarified the two doctors.

The cancer treatments were evaluated using three general questions as guidelines:

• Has the method been objectively demonstrated in the peer-reviewed scientific literature to be effective?

• Has the method shown potential for benefit that clearly exceeds the potential for harm?

• Have objective studies been correctly conducted under appropriate peer review to answer these questions?

Different alternative cancer remedies emerge as a favorite every decade. Popular following swells and makes it a national issue. "It was Koch Antitoxins in the 1940s, Hoxsey treatment in the 1950s, Krebiozen in the 1960s [3], laetrile in the 1970s, and immuno-augmentative therapy in the 1980s. Today’s questionable methods include corrosive agents, plant products, special diets and dietary supplements," enumerated FDA historian Wallace Janssen.

"The dangers of using questionable treatments include delay in getting appropriate treatment, decreased quality of life, direct physical harm, interference with proven treatment, waste of valuable time, financial harm, and psychological damage," warned Barrett and Herbert.