Unproven cancer therapy
Encyclopedia
Alternative cancer treatments describes alternative and complementary treatments
for cancer
that have not been approved by the government agencies responsible for the regulation of therapeutic goods
. They include diet and exercise, chemicals, herbs, devices, and manual procedures. The treatments may be untested or unsupported by evidence
, either because no proper testing has been conducted, or because testing did not demonstrate statistically significant efficacy. Concerns have been raised about the safety of some of them.
Alternative cancer treatments are typically contrasted with experimental cancer treatment
s, which are treatments for which experimental testing is currently underway. All currently approved chemotherapeutic cancer treatments were considered experimental cancer treatments before their safety and efficacy testing was completed.
Such therapies can be categorized broadly into three groups: alternative treatments offered as a substitute to standard medical treatment; alternative treatments as an addition to standard treatment; and treatments proposed in the past that have been found in clinical trials to be useless and/or unsafe. Some of these obsolete or disproven treatments continue to be promoted, sold, and used.
, radiation therapy
, adjuvant therapy and the newer targeted therapies, as well as refining surgical techniques for removing cancer. Before the development of these modern, evidence-based treatments
, 90% of cancer patients died within five years. With modern mainstream treatments, only 34% of cancer patients die within five years. However, while generally prolonging life or permanently curing cancer, most effective, mainstream forms of cancer treatment have side effects ranging from unpleasant to fatal, and permanent cures are not guaranteed. These side effects and the uncertainty of success create appeal for alternative treatments for cancer, which purport to cause fewer side effects or to increase survival rates.
Alternative cancer treatments have typically not undergone properly conducted, well-designed clinical trials, or the results have not been published due to publication bias
(a refusal to publish results showing a treatment does not work). Among those that have been published, the methodology is often poor. A 2006 systematic review of 214 articles covering 198 clinical trials of alternative cancer treatments concluded that almost none conducted dose-ranging studies, which are necessary to ensure that the patients are being given a useful amount of the treatment. These kinds of treatments appear and vanish frequently, and have throughout history.
Complementary treatments are used in conjunction with proven
mainstream treatments. They tend to be pleasant for the patient, not involve substances with any pharmacological effects, inexpensive, and intended to treat side effects rather than to kill cancer cells. Medical massage
and self-hypnosis
to treat pain are examples of complementary treatments. A 2006 systematic review of the effectiveness of complementary techniques in reducing pain concluded that although several seemed promising, conclusive evidence was lacking.
Alternative treatments, by contrast, are used in place of mainstream treatments. The most popular alternative cancer therapies are various, generally strict diets, including the macrobiotic diet. Other therapies include mind-body intervention
s, bioelectromagnetics, nutritional supplements, and herbs. The popularity and prevalence of different treatments varies widely by region.
to their alternative healthcare providers.
Cancer patients who choose complementary or alternative treatments in addition to conventional treatments believe themselves less likely to die than patients who choose only conventional treatments. They feel a greater sense of control over their destinies, and report less anxiety and depression.
However, patients who use alternative treatments have a poorer survival time, even after controlling for type and stage of disease. This may be because patients who accurately perceive that they are likely to survive do not attempt unproven remedies, and patients who accurately perceive that they are unlikely to survive are attracted to unproven remedies. Among patients who believe their condition to be untreatable by evidence-based medicine, "desperation drives them into the hands of anyone with a promise and a smile." Con artists have long exploited fear, ignorance, and desperation to strip dying people of their money, comfort, and dignity.
About half the practitioners who dispense complementary or alternative treatments are physician
s, although they tend to be generalists rather than oncologists. As many as 60% of physicians have referred their patients to a complementary or alternative practitioner for some purpose.
. In the United States, FDA regulations forbid the makers of unproven products from claiming efficacy against cancer.
Diets
Electrical or physical treatments
Energy and psychological treatments
In 2008, the United States Federal Trade Commission acted against companies that made unsupported claims that their products, some of which included highly toxic chemicals, could cure cancer. Targets included Omega Supply, Native Essence Herb Company, Daniel Chapter One, Gemtronics, Inc., Herbs for Cancer, Nu-Gen Nutrition, Inc., Westberry Enterprises, Inc., Jim Clark’s All Natural Cancer Therapy, Bioque Technologies, Inc., Cleansing Time Pro, and Premium-essiac-tea-4less.
Alternative medicine
Alternative medicine is any healing practice, "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine." It is based on historical or cultural traditions, rather than on scientific evidence....
for cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
that have not been approved by the government agencies responsible for the regulation of therapeutic goods
Regulation of therapeutic goods
The regulation of therapeutic goods, that is drugs and therapeutic devices, varies by jurisdiction. In some countries, such as the United States, they are regulated at the national level by a single agency...
. They include diet and exercise, chemicals, herbs, devices, and manual procedures. The treatments may be untested or unsupported by evidence
Evidence-based medicine
Evidence-based medicine or evidence-based practice aims to apply the best available evidence gained from the scientific method to clinical decision making. It seeks to assess the strength of evidence of the risks and benefits of treatments and diagnostic tests...
, either because no proper testing has been conducted, or because testing did not demonstrate statistically significant efficacy. Concerns have been raised about the safety of some of them.
Alternative cancer treatments are typically contrasted with experimental cancer treatment
Experimental cancer treatment
Experimental cancer treatments are medical therapies intended or claimed to treat cancer by improving on, supplementing or replacing conventional methods ....
s, which are treatments for which experimental testing is currently underway. All currently approved chemotherapeutic cancer treatments were considered experimental cancer treatments before their safety and efficacy testing was completed.
Such therapies can be categorized broadly into three groups: alternative treatments offered as a substitute to standard medical treatment; alternative treatments as an addition to standard treatment; and treatments proposed in the past that have been found in clinical trials to be useless and/or unsafe. Some of these obsolete or disproven treatments continue to be promoted, sold, and used.
Background
Since the 1940s, medical science has developed chemotherapyHistory of cancer chemotherapy
The era of cancer chemotherapy began in the 1940s with the first use of nitrogen mustards and folic acid antagonist drugs. Cancer drug development has exploded since then into a multi-billion dollar industry...
, radiation therapy
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy , radiation oncology, or radiotherapy , sometimes abbreviated to XRT or DXT, is the medical use of ionizing radiation, generally as part of cancer treatment to control malignant cells.Radiation therapy is commonly applied to the cancerous tumor because of its ability to control...
, adjuvant therapy and the newer targeted therapies, as well as refining surgical techniques for removing cancer. Before the development of these modern, evidence-based treatments
Evidence-based medicine
Evidence-based medicine or evidence-based practice aims to apply the best available evidence gained from the scientific method to clinical decision making. It seeks to assess the strength of evidence of the risks and benefits of treatments and diagnostic tests...
, 90% of cancer patients died within five years. With modern mainstream treatments, only 34% of cancer patients die within five years. However, while generally prolonging life or permanently curing cancer, most effective, mainstream forms of cancer treatment have side effects ranging from unpleasant to fatal, and permanent cures are not guaranteed. These side effects and the uncertainty of success create appeal for alternative treatments for cancer, which purport to cause fewer side effects or to increase survival rates.
Alternative cancer treatments have typically not undergone properly conducted, well-designed clinical trials, or the results have not been published due to publication bias
Publication bias
Publication bias is the tendency of researchers, editors, and pharmaceutical companies to handle the reporting of experimental results that are positive differently from results that are negative or inconclusive, leading to bias in the overall published literature...
(a refusal to publish results showing a treatment does not work). Among those that have been published, the methodology is often poor. A 2006 systematic review of 214 articles covering 198 clinical trials of alternative cancer treatments concluded that almost none conducted dose-ranging studies, which are necessary to ensure that the patients are being given a useful amount of the treatment. These kinds of treatments appear and vanish frequently, and have throughout history.
Complementary versus alternative treatments
Complementary and alternative cancer treatments are often grouped together, but this grouping is controversial. Definitions vary, but generally speaking, the same methods that are called "complementary" when given alongside mainstream treatments are "alternative" when they are not. Thus it is not the specific treatment, per se, that is actually "complementary" or "alternative", but the context in which it is used. Complementary therapies receive more support within the mainstream medical community than alternative treatments.Complementary treatments are used in conjunction with proven
Evidence-based medicine
Evidence-based medicine or evidence-based practice aims to apply the best available evidence gained from the scientific method to clinical decision making. It seeks to assess the strength of evidence of the risks and benefits of treatments and diagnostic tests...
mainstream treatments. They tend to be pleasant for the patient, not involve substances with any pharmacological effects, inexpensive, and intended to treat side effects rather than to kill cancer cells. Medical massage
Medical massage
Medical massage is outcome-based massage, primarily the application of specific treatment protocols targeted to the specific problem the patient presents with physician's diagnosis and administered after a thorough assessment/evaluation by the medical massage therapist with specific outcomes being...
and self-hypnosis
Self-hypnosis
Self-hypnosis is a form of hypnosis which is self-induced, and normally makes use of self-suggestion . Listening to pre-recorded audio or other media is often mistaken for self-hypnosis, but is just another form of hypnosis....
to treat pain are examples of complementary treatments. A 2006 systematic review of the effectiveness of complementary techniques in reducing pain concluded that although several seemed promising, conclusive evidence was lacking.
Alternative treatments, by contrast, are used in place of mainstream treatments. The most popular alternative cancer therapies are various, generally strict diets, including the macrobiotic diet. Other therapies include mind-body intervention
Mind-Body Intervention
Mind–body interventions is the name of a U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine classification that covers a variety of techniques designed to enhance the mind's capacity to affect bodily function and symptoms....
s, bioelectromagnetics, nutritional supplements, and herbs. The popularity and prevalence of different treatments varies widely by region.
People who choose alternative treatments
People who choose alternative treatments tend to believe that evidence-based medicine is ineffective, while still believing that their own health could be improved. They are impressed by physiological and other scientific-sounding information, prefer a healthcare model that treats the patient as an integrated, whole person, and are loyalLoyalty
Loyalty is faithfulness or a devotion to a person, country, group, or cause There are many aspects to...
to their alternative healthcare providers.
Cancer patients who choose complementary or alternative treatments in addition to conventional treatments believe themselves less likely to die than patients who choose only conventional treatments. They feel a greater sense of control over their destinies, and report less anxiety and depression.
However, patients who use alternative treatments have a poorer survival time, even after controlling for type and stage of disease. This may be because patients who accurately perceive that they are likely to survive do not attempt unproven remedies, and patients who accurately perceive that they are unlikely to survive are attracted to unproven remedies. Among patients who believe their condition to be untreatable by evidence-based medicine, "desperation drives them into the hands of anyone with a promise and a smile." Con artists have long exploited fear, ignorance, and desperation to strip dying people of their money, comfort, and dignity.
About half the practitioners who dispense complementary or alternative treatments are physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
s, although they tend to be generalists rather than oncologists. As many as 60% of physicians have referred their patients to a complementary or alternative practitioner for some purpose.
Examples of alternative treatment
None of the cancer treatments on this list have substantial evidence for their effectiveness in treating cancer. Some have shown some benefits as complementary therapy, to reduce pain. Very few suppliers of alternative medicines have undertaken scientifically controlled clinical trials for their products, although occasional preliminary testing, or testing as adjuvant therapy, has been performed. For this reason, alternative therapies generally rely on testimonial or anecdotal evidenceAnecdotal evidence
The expression anecdotal evidence refers to evidence from anecdotes. Because of the small sample, there is a larger chance that it may be true but unreliable due to cherry-picked or otherwise unrepresentative of typical cases....
. In the United States, FDA regulations forbid the makers of unproven products from claiming efficacy against cancer.
Under investigation
- QuercetinQuercetinQuercetin , a flavonol, is a plant-derived flavonoid found in fruits, vegetables, leaves and grains. It also may be used as an ingredient in supplements, beverages or foods.-Occurrence:...
- Vitamin C megadosage by intravenous infusion Oral vitamin C, regardless of dose, is disproven. This is a type of redox therapyRedox therapyRedox therapy is an unproven alternative cancer treatment that aims to treat cancer with redox chemical agents, usually given through the diet...
. - Medicinal mushroomsMedicinal mushroomsMedicinal mushrooms are mushrooms, or mushroom extracts, that are used or studied as possible treatments for diseases. Lentinula edodes , Grifola frondosa , Ganoderma lucidum , and Cordyceps, have a history of medicinal use spanning millennia in parts of Asia...
- SeleniumSeleniumSelenium is a chemical element with atomic number 34, chemical symbol Se, and an atomic mass of 78.96. It is a nonmetal, whose properties are intermediate between those of adjacent chalcogen elements sulfur and tellurium...
(Selenomethionine and Se-methylselenocysteine) - MistletoeMistletoeMistletoe is the common name for obligate hemi-parasitic plants in several families in the order Santalales. The plants in question grow attached to and within the branches of a tree or shrub.-Mistletoe in the genus Viscum:...
extracts such as Iscador (may improve patient's quality of life) - Nanobees
- Deoxycholic acidDeoxycholic acidDeoxycholic acid, also known as deoxycholate, cholanoic acid, and 3α,12α-dihydroxy-5β-cholanate, is a bile acid. Deoxycholic acid is one of the secondary bile acids, which are metabolic byproducts of intestinal bacteria. The two primary bile acids secreted by the liver are cholic acid and...
- Dichloroacetic acidDichloroacetic acidDichloroacetic acid, often abbreviated DCA, is the chemical compound with formula . It is an acid, an analogue of acetic acid, in which two of the three hydrogen atoms of the methyl group have been replaced by chlorine atoms. The salts and esters of dichloroacetic acid are called dichloroacetates...
- Proton therapyProton therapyProton therapy is a type of particle therapy which uses a beam of protons to irradiate diseased tissue, most often in the treatment of cancer. The chief advantage of proton therapy is the ability to more precisely localize the radiation dosage when compared with other types of external beam...
Unknown
- Budwig dietJohanna BudwigJohanna Budwig was a German biochemist and author. She developed the Budwig protocol, a supposed anti-cancer diet.- Budwig protocol :...
, a diet emphasizing flaxseed oil, milk, fruits, vegetables, and fiber. More likely to be useful for preventing cancer rather than treating it. - Sodium BicarbonateSodium bicarbonateSodium bicarbonate or sodium hydrogen carbonate is the chemical compound with the formula Na HCO3. Sodium bicarbonate is a white solid that is crystalline but often appears as a fine powder. It has a slightly salty, alkaline taste resembling that of washing soda . The natural mineral form is...
Disproven or scientifically implausible
Chemical substances- GonzalezNicholas Gonzalez (doctor)Dr. Nicholas James Gonzalez, M.D., is a New York-based physician. Dr. Gonzalez has received significant attention for his controversial therapies that target cancer. His practice is currently based in New York City. He developed the Gonzalez protocol, a treatment of cancer based on the belief that...
regimen - HomeopathyHomeopathyHomeopathy is a form of alternative medicine in which practitioners claim to treat patients using highly diluted preparations that are believed to cause healthy people to exhibit symptoms that are similar to those exhibited by the patient...
(disproven), tiny amounts of substances, ritually diluted according to 18th century standards - Laetrile (disproven), also known as B-17, is a cyanideCyanideA cyanide is a chemical compound that contains the cyano group, -C≡N, which consists of a carbon atom triple-bonded to a nitrogen atom. Cyanides most commonly refer to salts of the anion CN−. Most cyanides are highly toxic....
-containing extract of crushed apricotApricotThe apricot, Prunus armeniaca, is a species of Prunus, classified with the plum in the subgenus Prunus. The native range is somewhat uncertain due to its extensive prehistoric cultivation.- Description :...
pits - Di Bella MultitherapyLuigi di BellaLuigi di Bella was an Italian medical doctor and physiology professor. In the late 1990s, he created a purported treatment for cancer that precipitated an international controversy. Di Bella was born in Linguaglossa, Sicily. He studied medicine at Bari University, and worked as an army doctor in...
(disproven), a mixture of vitamins, melatoninMelatoninMelatonin , also known chemically as N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine, is a naturally occurring compound found in animals, plants, and microbes...
, and other chemicals. - Emanuel Revici's catabolic/anabolic approach (disproven)
- Hoxsey method (disproven), a caustic, escharotic paste of herbs and arsenicArsenicArsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As, atomic number 33 and relative atomic mass 74.92. Arsenic occurs in many minerals, usually in conjunction with sulfur and metals, and also as a pure elemental crystal. It was first documented by Albertus Magnus in 1250.Arsenic is a metalloid...
that is banned in the US as "worthless", "discredited" and "quackeryQuackeryQuackery is a derogatory term used to describe the promotion of unproven or fraudulent medical practices. Random House Dictionary describes a "quack" as a "fraudulent or ignorant pretender to medical skill" or "a person who pretends, professionally or publicly, to have skill, knowledge, or...
". - 714X, a water-based solution purported to kill "somatids", which the inventor claims cause disease
- Protocel and CancellCancellCancell, also called Protocel, Sheridan's Formula, Jim's Juice, Crocinic Acid, JS–114, JS–101, 126–F, and Entelev, is a formula that has been promoted as a treatment for a wide range of diseases, including cancer. Cancell is available in tablet and liquid form. Originally called Entelev, the...
(disproven) - KrebiozenKrebiozenKrebiozen is an alternative cancer treatment. While the substance has been marketed as a cure for cancer, Krebiozen is not known to possess any therapeutic value...
(disproven), purportedly diluted blood from horses - Hydrazine sulfateHydrazine sulfateHydrazine sulfate is the salt of hydrazine and sulfuric acid. Known by the trade name Sehydrin, it is a chemical compound that has been used as an alternative medical treatment for the loss of appetite and weight loss which is often associated with cancer...
, a toxic, synthetic drug - Proteolytic enzyme therapy
- William Koch's "glyoxide antitoxin" (fraud), also called "recrystallized synthetic toxin", which proved to be distilled water
- Radio-Sulfo Brew, a poulticePoulticeA poultice, also called cataplasm, is a soft moist mass, often heated and medicated, that is spread on cloth over the skin to treat an aching, inflamed, or painful part of the body. It can be used on wounds such as cuts...
made of Limburger cheeseLimburger cheeseLimburger is a cheese that originated during the 19th century in the historical Duchy of Limburg, which is now divided among modern-day Belgium, Germany, and Netherlands. The cheese is especially known for its pungent odor commonly compared to body odor....
(fraud) - Livingston-Wheeler, or Virginia LivingstonVirginia LivingstonVirginia Livingston was an American physician and cancer researcher who advocated the unsupported theory that a specific species of bacteria she named Progenitor cryptocides was the primary cause of cancer in humans...
's Progenitor cryptocides treatments, made from the patient's urine, to kill a non-existent bacteria claimed to be the cause of cancer - Lawrence Burton's Immuno-Augmentative Therapy, claimed to energize the immune system
- AntineoplastonAntineoplastonAntineoplaston , a word derived from neoplasm, is a name coined by Stanislaw Burzynski for a group of peptides, derivatives, and mixtures that he uses as an alternative cancer treatment...
s (disproven) - ChaparralChaparralChaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
- Shark cartilageShark cartilageShark cartilage is a dietary supplement made from the dried and powdered cartilage of a shark; that is, from the tough material that composes a shark's skeleton. Shark cartilage is claimed to combat and/or prevent a variety of illnesses, most notably cancer. It is often marketed under the names...
- Escharotics such as CansemaCansemaCansema is a brand name of a popular alternative cancer treatment. The product is commonly classified as an escharotic—that is, a topical paste which burns and destroys skin tissue and leaves behind a thick, black scar called an eschar...
or "black salve", usually a paste that kills any skin or tissue it is applied to - Essiac tea (disproven)
- AmygdalinAmygdalinAmygdalin , C20H27NO11, is a glycoside initially isolated from the seeds of the tree Prunus dulcis, also known as bitter almonds, by Pierre-Jean Robiquet...
Diets
- Gerson therapy (dangerous and disproven), a combination of diet and enemas
- Johanna BrandtJohanna BrandtJohanna Brandt was a South African propagandist of Afrikaner nationalism, spy during the Boer War, prophet and writer on controversial health subjects.- Biography :...
's "Grape Cure" (scientifically implausible), a diet of water and grapes - Beverly Hills dietBeverly Hills DietThe Beverly Hills Diet is a weight loss regimen developed by author Judy Mazel in her 1981 bestseller, The Beverly Hills Diet...
(scientifically implausible), a largely fruitarian diet - Macrobiotic dietMacrobiotic dietA macrobiotic diet , from "macro" and "bios" , a dietary regimen which involves eating grains as a staple food supplemented with other foodstuffs such as local vegetables avoiding the use of highly processed or refined foods and most animal products...
(scientifically implausible), a primarily vegetarian diet with no refined or processed foods (may be useful for cancer prevention, but not treatment) - Edgar CayceEdgar CayceEdgar Cayce was an American psychic who allegedly had the ability to give answers to questions on subjects such as healing or Atlantis while in a hypnotic trance...
's diet (scientifically implausible), which prefers alkaline foods to acidic ones - Juice fastingJuice fastingJuice fasting is a type of fasting and "detox diet" in which a person consumes only fruit and vegetable juices. Being available only in digestible carbohydrates, these foods are digested rapidly...
(scientifically implausible)
Electrical or physical treatments
- Orgone accumulators (fraud), a metal and cardboard box that the client sat in
- Magnet therapyMagnet therapyMagnet therapy, magnetic therapy, or magnotherapy is an alternative medicine practice involving the use of static magnetic fields. Practitioners claim that subjecting certain parts of the body to magnetostatic fields produced by permanent magnets has beneficial health effects...
(disproven), applying magnets to the body - The Rife MachineRoyal RifeRoyal Raymond Rife was an American inventor and early exponent of high-magnification time-lapse cine-micrography. In the 1930s, he claimed that by using a specially designed optical microscope, he could observe a number of microbes which were too small to visualize with previously existing...
(scientifically implausible, fraudulent), a radio frequency energy 'beam ray' tube machine
Energy and psychological treatments
- Anti-cancer psychotherapy (disproven), claiming that a "cancer personality" caused cancer, which could be cured through talk therapy, e.g., that of the Simonton Cancer Center, Bernie SiegelBernie SiegelDr. Bernie Siegel MD was born in Brooklyn, New York, and attended Colgate University and graduated with honors from Cornell University Medical College. He practiced general medicine and pediatric surgery until his retirement in 1989. He is the author of several books on the relationship between the...
's "Exceptional Cancer Patients" (ECaP) or Deepak ChopraDeepak ChopraDeepak Chopra is an Indian medical doctor, public speaker, and writer on subjects such as spirituality, Ayurveda and mind-body medicine. Chopra began his career as an endocrinologist and later shifted his focus to alternative medicine. Chopra now runs his own medical center, with a focus on... - Therapeutic touchTherapeutic touchTherapeutic touch , also known as Non-Contact Therapeutic Touch , is an energy therapy which practitioners claim promotes healing and reduces pain and anxiety. Practitioners of therapeutic touch state that by placing their hands on, or near, a patient, they are able to detect and manipulate the...
(scientifically implausible), a type of energy therapy - ImaginingVisualization (cam)The technique of visualization consists of creating a mental image of a desired outcome, and repeatedly playing that image in the mind....
successful outcomes (scientifically implausible), such as visualizing cancer cells dying, in cancer guided imageryCancer guided imageryCancer guided imagery is an alternative cancer treatment in which the patient imagines cancer cells dying, tumors shrinking, or themselves being healthy. It is a type of mind–body intervention.... - Psychic surgeryPsychic surgeryPsychic surgery is a procedure typically involving the supposed creation of an incision using only the bare hands, the supposed removal of pathological matter, and the seemingly spontaneous healing of the incision....
, a sleight-of-hand confidence trickConfidence trickA confidence trick is an attempt to defraud a person or group by gaining their confidence. A confidence artist is an individual working alone or in concert with others who exploits characteristics of the human psyche such as dishonesty and honesty, vanity, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility,...
in which the practitioner pretends to remove a lump of tissue (typically raw animal entrails bought from a butcher) from a person
Examples of complementary therapy
- AcupunctureAcupunctureAcupuncture is a type of alternative medicine that treats patients by insertion and manipulation of solid, generally thin needles in the body....
Useful to control certain symptomSymptomA symptom is a departure from normal function or feeling which is noticed by a patient, indicating the presence of disease or abnormality...
s, but does not kill cancer cells. - PsychotherapyPsychotherapyPsychotherapy is a general term referring to any form of therapeutic interaction or treatment contracted between a trained professional and a client or patient; family, couple or group...
may reduce anxiety and improve quality of life - Massage therapy may reduce pain
Alternative theories of cancer
Some alternative cancer treatments are based on unproven or disproven theories of how cancer begins or is sustained in the body. Some common concepts are:- Mind-body connection: This idea says that cancer forms because of, or can be controlled through, the person's mental and emotional state. Treatments based on this idea are mind–body interventions. Proponents say that cancer forms because the person is unhappy or stressed, or that a positive attitude can cure cancer after it has formed. A typical claim is that stress, anger, fear, or sadness depresses the immune system, whereas that love, forgiveness, confidence, and happiness cause the immune system to improve, and that this improved immune system will destroy the cancer. This belief is not supported by any scientific research: people with weak immune systems have about the same rate of cancer as people with healthy immune systems. In fact, many cancers require the support of an active immune system to establish the tumor microenvironment necessary for a tumor to grow.
- Toxin theory of cancer: In this idea, the body's metabolic processes are overwhelmed by normal, everyday byproducts. These byproducts, called "toxins", are said to build up in the cells and cause cancer and other diseases through a process sometimes called autointoxication or autotoxemia. Treatments following this approach are usually aimed at detoxification or body cleansingBody cleansingDetoxification is an alternative medicine approach that proponents claim rids the body of "toxins", accumulated harmful substances that are alleged to exert undesirable effects on individual health...
, such as enemaEnemaAn enema is the procedure of introducing liquids into the rectum and colon via the anus. The increasing volume of the liquid causes rapid expansion of the lower intestinal tract, often resulting in very uncomfortable bloating, cramping, powerful peristalsis, a feeling of extreme urgency and...
s. - Low activity by the immune system: This claim asserts that if only the immune system were strong enough, it would kill the "invading" or "foreign" cancer. Unfortunately, most cancer cells retain normal cell characteristics, making them appear to the immune system to be a normal part of the body. These treatments often focus on substance said to increase the immune system's activity.
- Supposed situations within the body: In this idea, the body is incapable of coping with transient or local differences. For example, proponents will say that a transient lack of oxygen in a small area of the body causes cancer, or that clothing prevents normal circulation and thereby causes cancer.
- Hypothetical microorganisms: While infections are a significant cause of certain kinds of cancer (e.g., Hepatitis B can cause liver cancerLiver cancerLiver tumors or hepatic tumors are tumors or growths on or in the liver . Several distinct types of tumors can develop in the liver because the liver is made up of various cell types. These growths can be benign or malignant...
, and some human papillomavirusHuman papillomavirusHuman papillomavirus is a member of the papillomavirus family of viruses that is capable of infecting humans. Like all papillomaviruses, HPVs establish productive infections only in keratinocytes of the skin or mucous membranes...
es cause cervical cancerCervical cancerCervical cancer is malignant neoplasm of the cervix uteri or cervical area. One of the most common symptoms is abnormal vaginal bleeding, but in some cases there may be no obvious symptoms until the cancer is in its advanced stages...
), these stories usually assert that the harmless bacteria and fungi normally present in or on the body cause cancer, or that organisms only detectable by the proponent cause cancer.
Regulatory action
Government agencies around the world routinely investigate purported alternative cancer treatments in an effort to protect their citizens from fraud and abuse.In 2008, the United States Federal Trade Commission acted against companies that made unsupported claims that their products, some of which included highly toxic chemicals, could cure cancer. Targets included Omega Supply, Native Essence Herb Company, Daniel Chapter One, Gemtronics, Inc., Herbs for Cancer, Nu-Gen Nutrition, Inc., Westberry Enterprises, Inc., Jim Clark’s All Natural Cancer Therapy, Bioque Technologies, Inc., Cleansing Time Pro, and Premium-essiac-tea-4less.
External links
- US Federal Trade Commission- Cure-ious? Ask. If you or someone you care about has cancer, the last thing you need is a scam.
- US Food and Drug Administration 187 Cancer Cure Frauds
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Herbs, Botanicals & Other Products