Alternative therapies

 

General information about alternative therapies Back To Top

Alternative therapies try to treat cancer with unconventional methods instead of the usual medical treatment. Although practitioners of these therapies may make claims that they can cure cancer or that they are effective in controlling symptoms, they cannot. Some alternative therapists use their therapies for people having conventional medical| or complementary therapies.

Some alternative therapists advise that patients should give up conventional therapy to use alternative therapies. This can mean that patients with early cancer may miss out on treatments that could offer them a cure, and people with advanced cancer| may miss out on conventional medicines that could control or reduce their symptoms.

Some therapies can be harmful and cause severe side effects. If you are thinking of trying an alternative therapy it is essential to talk to your cancer doctor or specialist nurse beforehand.

There are numerous alternative therapies – they include:

• dietary therapies such as Gerson therapy (see Diet)
• alternative medicines
• megavitamin therapy
• ‘immuno-augmentative' therapy
• cleansing therapies – such as intravenous hydrogen peroxide.

Essiac Back To Top

Essiac® is a herbal remedy originating from the Canadian native tribe, the Ojibwa. Essiac is a mixture of roots, bark and leaves, including burdock, sheep's sorrel and slippery elm. The mixture is boiled to form a brown liquid, which is taken as a drink. Essiac is usually sold as a nutritional supplement.

Essiac has been reported to help improve well being, reduce pain|, strengthen the immune system, increase appetite, and reduce tumour size. Essiac has also been claimed to be a cure for cancer. There have been reports over the years of cancers completely disappearing, but these claims have never been proven in clinical trials|.

If you are interested in trying Essiac, talk to your doctor, as it can sometimes be used alongside your conventional cancer treatment. Some people who have taken it have reported side effects like diarrhoea, constipation, feeling sick and vomiting, and low blood sugar levels.

Cow or shark cartilage Back To Top

There have been claims that cow or shark cartilage (tissue found between bones and joints) can slow down or stop cancer from growing.

In theory, cow or shark cartilage is supposed to work by blocking the development of new blood vessels and starving the cancer. So far, scientific studies and trials have shown no evidence that it prevents or slows down the growth of cancer, or that it cures it.

Cartilage usually comes in the form of capsules, or as a powder. Occasionally it is given as an injection just under the skin or as an enema (liquid passed into the back passage).

Most doctors and researchers recommend that cartilage should only be taken as a cancer treatment as part of research trials. Cartilage therapy can cause side effects such as nausea and vomiting in some people.

Metabolic therapy Back To Top

Metabolic therapy claims to boost the immune system. Metabolic therapists say that they diagnose abnormalities at the cellular level and correct them by normalising the patient's metabolism. They regard cancer, and other 'degenerative' diseases as the result of metabolic imbalance caused by a build up of 'toxic substances' in the body. They claim that they can treat the cause of the disease by removing 'toxins' and strengthening the immune system so the body can heal itself.

Metabolic treatments vary from one practitioner to another and may include a 'natural food' diet, coffee enemas, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, or chemicals. These are said to flush toxins out of the body, allowing it to heal. But, there is no evidence to support claims that these help in the treatment of cancer.

The most commonly used metabolic therapy in the UK is lætrile (amygdalin or vitamin B17), a derivative of bitter almonds. There are many websites which promote lætrile as a substance that can cure cancer. However, studies giving lætrile to people with cancer have not shown that it can help to control or cure cancer. Some websites promoting lætrile advise that people taking it should not use any other type of cancer therapy. This is worrying as for many people with early cancer, conventional treatment may cure it. If you are thinking of taking lætrile therapy, it is best to discuss this with your cancer specialist.

Immuno-augmentative therapy Back To Top

There are several different types of immuno-augmentive therapy. They are aimed at training the patient's own immune system to recognise and destroy cancer cells. However, none have been shown to have any effect on cancer and they can be very expensive.

One type of therapy used in Europe to boost the immune system in people with cancer is Iscador: an extract of mistletoe. It has been used by homeopathic doctors for patients with cancer (although it is actually a herbal medicine). It can be taken by mouth in the form of oral drops, or given as a course of injections. However, no reliable studies have shown that it has the potential to treat cancer.