Alternative therapies: what’s the harm?

I appreciate that cancer treatment leaves a lot to be desired, especially when it comes to cholangiocarcinoma. At the moment we are working with a rare, aggressive cancer which is very difficult to gather enough data to gain clear clinical guidelines on the best method of treatment. We also need to remember that an overwhelmingly large amount of cholangiocarcinoma patients are diagnosed very late in their disease, where treatment may have little or no effect. Early detection is vital for treatment and survival outcomes. As for the newer immunotherapy treatments emergening, the more common cancers are going to be the first to use these just because of the sheer population which allows for greater trials.

As for mercola, he is a conspiracy theorist and makes an insanely large amount of money scaring people about the health system. If you look out how many advertisements are on his page, and consider that every link we click on we are essentially feeding him more money into his massive fortune. He also has a store selling his own ‘health products’ (alternative medicine) of course, so there is a conflict of interest in providing advice telling people to stay away from conventional medicine and buy his products instead.

Like I have said above, in cancer there can be a place for alternative medicine, but it is VITAL to listen to those with more experience. At the moment the doctors are working with what we’ve got, but it is an awful lot more than ANY natural therapist or the likes.

Excellent articles Gavin. As a health professional myself (a pharmacist), nothing makes me angrier than non-health professionals peddling for the use of ineffective alternative treatments. Unfortunately these days it doesn’t take long with a quick google and some popular facebook pages to find misinformation, including how conventional treatments are unsafe and natural is better. I often hear about the awful conspiracy of “big pharma is hiding the cure for cancer”.

I was very fortunate when my father-in-law was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer that he decided to go with the advice and treatment from an oncologist, as he had seen naturopaths and other alternative medicine providers who had recommended he not use chemotherapy but instead use untrialled, unproven therapies with no evidence behind them. He is fortunately in remission with a fantastic job done by an oncologist, radiologist and surgeon.

To anyone out there, please trust the experts. If you are unhappy with the advice from your oncologist, radiologist or surgeon, please get second opinions from other medical-professionals who specialise in your type of cancer.