Alternative Medicine
There is no such thing as “Alternative Medicine”. There are simply things that work, things that don’t, and things that await proper testing.
Many well-meaning friends and relatives will have favourite remedies and cancer theories to share with you. Many of these are simply untrue. Some are dangerous. Most are driven by those whose sole interest is to make money from people who are desperate. If there was a simple solution for cancer the world would beat a path to the proponents. Oncologists do not have a vested interest in keeping valuable treatment information away from our patients.
A very useful website for finding out if one of these proposed treatments is genuine or not is this: QUACKWATCH. It is highly informative, and very accurate. I strongly recommend it to you.
Should your answer not be there, please ask me at your next consultation and I will research it for you.
Click on the heading below for more specific advice on certain "alternative therapies"
Herbal Preparations
Complementary Therapies
Please note there is a MAJOR difference between alternative medicine/therapies and complementary medicines/therapies. Alternative medicines are used in place of conventional "scientifically proven" treatments, whereas complementary medicine/treatments are used alongside conventional therapies. Examples of complementary therapies include hypnotherapy, massage, reflexology, meditation, acupuncture and aromatherapy. They are often used to help manage the side effects caused by conventional medicine such as nausea. I am not averse to complementary therapies, in fact there have been several studies which have proven some complementary therapies to be very beneficial to cancer sufferers. I just ask you that you please let myself or my nurse know if you are receiving any of these treatments. For a link to the cancer council booklet on complementary therapies, click here.
Many well-meaning friends and relatives will have favourite remedies and cancer theories to share with you. Many of these are simply untrue. Some are dangerous. Most are driven by those whose sole interest is to make money from people who are desperate. If there was a simple solution for cancer the world would beat a path to the proponents. Oncologists do not have a vested interest in keeping valuable treatment information away from our patients.
A very useful website for finding out if one of these proposed treatments is genuine or not is this: QUACKWATCH. It is highly informative, and very accurate. I strongly recommend it to you.
Should your answer not be there, please ask me at your next consultation and I will research it for you.
Click on the heading below for more specific advice on certain "alternative therapies"
Herbal Preparations
Complementary Therapies
Please note there is a MAJOR difference between alternative medicine/therapies and complementary medicines/therapies. Alternative medicines are used in place of conventional "scientifically proven" treatments, whereas complementary medicine/treatments are used alongside conventional therapies. Examples of complementary therapies include hypnotherapy, massage, reflexology, meditation, acupuncture and aromatherapy. They are often used to help manage the side effects caused by conventional medicine such as nausea. I am not averse to complementary therapies, in fact there have been several studies which have proven some complementary therapies to be very beneficial to cancer sufferers. I just ask you that you please let myself or my nurse know if you are receiving any of these treatments. For a link to the cancer council booklet on complementary therapies, click here.