Unconventional methods of treating many diseases, including cancer, are known throughout the world. Many of them are harmless to the body, hence the widespread interest and often very large amounts of money spent on preparations to cure cancer.[1]
Alternative medicine is very often used by people suffering from cancer. Such therapy, many times referred to as 'adjuvant therapy', is used readily for several reasons. Conventional treatments cure about 50% of cancer sufferers.
The remainder of patients are therefore potentially interested in seeking treatment methods other than conventional ones. Another reason is the side-effects of conventional treatments (such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy), which are harmful to the body and can lead to various types of damage and thus to temporary or permanent disability. It is therefore not surprising that patients have concerns about treatment and seek less invasive methods.
It is also worth noting that cases of miraculous healings have a major impact on the human psyche, giving hope for a quick cure, while detracting from the effectiveness of conventional methods.
In the fight against cancer, non-conventional medicine uses such measures as:
- bioenergotherapy,
- acupressure,
- hyperthermia,
- biological products (such as antineoplastons, "vaccines"),
- herbal preparations of various kinds (Indian tea, Chinese herbs, shark cartilage, peat preparations),
- micronutrients,
- many types of diets,
- psychological techniques used in working with the patient.
photo: pantherstock
Unfortunately, very often the cure attributed to an alternative method has its origin elsewhere. It can be a deferred effect of conventional treatment, spontaneous regression, misjudged progression of the disease interpreted as a cure as well as sometimes it turns out that the person undergoing treatment did not actually have cancer.
