Alternative therapies: what’s the harm?

Discussion Board Forums Complementary & Alternative Treatments – CAM Alternative therapies: what’s the harm?

Viewing 8 posts - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)
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  • #92025
    lainy
    Spectator

    Tiah, I so agree with you. Hope you are doing well and just wanted to pop in here and say Hi to you! Take care!

    #92024
    tiah
    Member

    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.

    #92023
    grsharp
    Member

    Are there snake oil salesman out there? Sure.
    However, I have discovered that the standard of care for cholangio leaves a lot to be desired. Or maybe there are some cures, or non cures, that offer long term survival with good quality of life. If so, can someone point me to them…PLEASE.

    I have t/w oncologists at both Vanderbilt and the Sarah Cannon institute and all they have to offer is the standard of care of gemcitabine/cystplatin or radiation and 5FU. Anyone here had good long term success with ether of these?

    They say maybe they can offer an immunio therapy trial after my wife has failed their standard of care treatments. By then she will likely be so sick and her immune system so damaged and weak that she will be less likely to respond.

    The way the current cancer treatment system just dosnt work well.
    Here is a link to a Harvard graduate with brain cancer that is alive 18 years after his doctors said he would be dead in 6 months.

    http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/04/09/atrocious-state-cancer-treatment.aspx?utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20160409Z1&et_cid=DM102212&et_rid=1437284531

    #92022
    gavin
    Moderator

    Glad that both liked the pieces and I so agree with what you both say on all of this.

    Here is another great piece from Cancer Research here in the UK about debunking some of the myths out there.

    http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org/2014/03/24/dont-believe-the-hype-10-persistent-cancer-myths-debunked/

    Go with the experts would be my advice as well to all and if you don’t like what one expert says or their attitude etc then seek a 2nd or 3rd or even a 4th opinion but always, always, always from an expert in the field.

    Hugs,

    #92021
    iowagirl
    Member

    Right on Tiah and Gavin…..I don’t know how many times I’ve heard friends of mine make some remark about “big pharma” or that “they” have a cure for cancer but are keeping it from people because chemo and other treatments make them big bucks. Sigh…and then there are the alternative therapy people ……and the ones who insist that y ou just need to think positively enough.

    Julie T.

    #92019
    tiah
    Member

    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.

    #92020
    gavin
    Moderator
    #12326
    gavin
    Moderator

    Excellent article.

    Alternative therapies: what’s the harm?

    http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org/2015/04/27/alternative-therapies-whats-the-harm/

Viewing 8 posts - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)
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