I will discuss with my mum a lot further.
- I am going to look at my diet (I am a fish eating veggie).
- I want an exercise regime that is safe, and will help me rebuild my muscle
Alternative
therapies and cancer
Alternative therapies are treatments that are
used in place of conventional treatments. They may claim to treat or even cure
cancer. There’s no scientific proof to back this up, and no alternative
therapies have been proven to cure cancer or slow its growth.
On this page
- Reasons people may choose alternative therapies
- Amygdalin (Laetrile®, Vitamin B17)
- Essiac® (Vitaltea®, Flor-essence®)
- Metabolic therapy
- Diets that claim to treat cancer
- Megavitamin or orthomolecular therapy
There have been cases in which false claims made
about alternative therapies have led some patients to turn away from
conventional treatments that could have helped them.
No reputable alternative therapist will claim to
be able to cure cancer.
Alternative therapies are sometimes very
cleverly marketed so that when you read about them or are told about them, they
sound very effective. Therapists may use scientific language to make their
claims more convincing. But, many are based on unproven or disproven theories
of how cancer begins or is sustained in the body.
Claims may be based on the therapy’s results
when tested on cancer cells in a laboratory setting. But a therapy’s activity
against cancer cells in a laboratory can differ greatly from how the therapy
will affect someone with cancer. So claims that an alternative therapy has an
anti-cancer action in the laboratory don’t necessarily mean it will be
effective if taken by someone with cancer.
Very few suppliers of alternative medicines have
carried out scientifically controlled clinical trials for their products. Many alternative
therapies rely on individuals' stories or testimonials as evidence that they
work. This is called anecdotal evidence. It is the least reliable type of
evidence because it’s usually not possible to check whether the effect
described is due to the treatment or something else. It’s also not possible to
check that the person’s story is true or that the person even existed or had
cancer.
There are various reasons people may look to
alternative therapies. Sometimes, it’s because they feel that conventional
treatment can’t help them or could be harmful. The idea of having cancer
treatments, which may cause unpleasant side effects, can be frightening for
some people. However, many people with early cancer can be cured by
conventional treatments.
If you’ve been told by your doctors that the
cancer can’t be cured, this can be very hard to accept and you may look to an
alternative therapy. However, if a cancer can’t be cured by conventional
medical treatment, it’s equally true that it won’t be cured with alternative
treatment. In this situation, some alternative therapies may do no harm, but
some could be very harmful.
If you’re finding it hard to accept that further
treatment won’t help to control the cancer, it can sometimes help to have a second opinion. The second cancer specialist may
see things differently and offer you another type of conventional treatment.
Alternatively, if they confirm what you’ve already been told, this may help you
to accept that everything that may help has been tried. If you feel very
strongly that you want to continue having treatment to try to combat the
cancer, you could also ask if there are any cancer research trials that might be appropriate for
you.
If you've been told that your cancer can't be
cured, you might find it helpful to see our section about coping with
advanced cancer.
If you’re considering using complementary or
alternative therapies, talk to your doctor for advice and support. Doctors are
generally supportive of people using any complementary therapies that may help
them cope better with their illness, but may advise against using alternative
therapies.
Only you can decide whether or not to use
alternative cancer therapies. If you do decide to use an alternative therapy,
it’s important to check it’s safe and to check the credentials of the therapist
offering the treatment. Alternative therapies can be expensive and some can
cause serious side effects, make people feel unwell and be harmful to health.
There are many types of alternative therapy and
we can’t cover them all in this section. If you want to find out more about an
alternative therapy not mentioned here, you may be able to get more information
by calling the Macmillan Support Line, who will be able to talk
through any aspect of alternative therapy.
Amygdalin is a compound found in bitter almonds,
and in peach and apricot stones. A synthetic form of it is marketed as
Laetrile®. It is also sometimes called vitamin B17, although it isn’t actually
a vitamin.
Laetrile has been marketed since the 1970s. Many
websites that sell it claim it can slow or stop the growth of cancer. They
sometimes also claim that Laetrile is able to selectively poison cancer cells
without damaging normal cells and tissues. But there’s no evidence to support
the theory this is based on. A review of studies looking at the outcomes for
people with cancer taking Laetrile found no evidence that it can control or
cure cancer.
Possible problems and
side effects
Laetrile can have serious side effects. Some
people have had cyanide poisoning while taking it, and a few people have died
as a result. The sale of Laetrile has been banned by the European Commission
and by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) in the USA. Unlike conventional
medicines, the manufacture of Laetrile isn’t controlled. So if you buy Laetrile
there isn’t any way of knowing what it contains or if it’s contaminated with
other substances.
If you’re thinking of taking Laetrile, it is
best to discuss this with your cancer specialist.
Essiac contains burdock root, sheep sorrel,
slippery elm and rhubarb and is taken as a drink. It was developed and named by
Rene Caisse, a Canadian nurse, (Essiac is Caisse spelled backwards). Essiac is
usually sold as a nutritional supplement.
Some websites claim that Essiac can slow down
the growth of cancer, or even cure it. However, there’s no scientific evidence
that taking Essiac can help to treat cancer or improve quality of life.
Potential problems and
side effects
Essiac interferes with an enzyme (cytochrome
p450) in the body that’s responsible for regulating hormones, vitamin D and
dealing with toxins. This may mean taking Essiac with other treatments could
make them less effective or increase side effects.
It’s important not to take Essiac during cancer
treatment or with any other medicines without first checking with your doctor.
Metabolic therapists think of cancer as the
result of a metabolic imbalance caused by a build-up of ‘toxic substances’ in
the body. They claim 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’s no evidence to support claims that these help
in the treatment of cancer.
A recent study compared the results of using a
metabolic therapy (Gonzalez therapy) designed for patients with advanced
pancreatic cancer with conventional cancer treatment (chemotherapy with
gemcitabine). The metabolic therapy included pancreatic enzymes, nutritional
supplements, detoxification and organic foods. The study found that the
patients who had the chemotherapy survived three times longer and had better
quality of life than those who chose metabolic therapy.
Gerson therapy
Gerson therapy is one of the most well-known
metabolic therapies. The diet is based on organic fruit and vegetables, taken
mainly as a juice prepared with a juice extractor. In addition, a number of
nutritional supplements are given, and coffee enemas are used to ‘flush out
toxins’.
This diet needs a lot of time and commitment and
may be expensive to follow. Some alternative therapists claim that the Gerson
diet is effective in treating cancer, but evidence from research studies does
not support this claim.
Possible problems and
side effects
Possible side effects of Gerson therapy include
nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, a high temperature and headaches. The high
levels of hormones and extracts used can sometimes make people feel unwell and
may disrupt the body’s metabolism. Other possible side effects of the therapy
relate to the use of enemas and include perforation or rupture of the large
bowel (colon), infections, and fluid and electrolyte imbalances.
If you have any queries about alternative diets
or are thinking of following one, get further advice from your doctor,
specialist nurse or dietitian.
There are a number of diets, in addition to the
Gerson and Gonzalez diets, that claim to treat cancer. Some claim to rid the
body of toxins. Many of these diets are vegetarian or vegan. They involve
eating food that is raw, sugar-free and low in salt. Sometimes vegetable or
fruit juices and high doses of vitamins, minerals or enzymes may be used. Other
diets are based on claims that certain foods ‘feed’ cancer or affect the pH
(acidity) of the body.
Advocates of these diets may make dramatic
claims that they can cure people with advanced cancer. It’s completely
understandable that people with cancer should be attracted to diets that seem
to offer the hope of a cure. However, there’s no scientific evidence that these
diets can cure cancer or help people with advanced cancer live for longer.
Some people get pleasure and satisfaction from
preparing special diets. It can be rewarding to feel that you’re doing
something positive for your health and to have something that you are in
control of. But, following diets is not right for everyone. Some people find
them boring, too expensive, time-consuming to prepare or even unpleasant to
eat. There’s also a danger that people can feel guilty if they don’t follow the
diet ‘properly’. People can also feel very angry and let down if they are led
to believe that a particular diet will cure or control their cancer and this
does not happen.
Diets that are high in fibre and low in calories
and protein are not appropriate for people who have problems maintaining their
weight because of cancer or its treatment. Instead, people who are underweight
need protein and calories from any source.
If you choose to follow a diet that cuts out
particular types of food, it’s important to make sure you aren’t missing out on
important nutrients in your diet. For example, if you follow a dairy-free diet,
it’s important to replace the calcium that you would otherwise get from dairy
products with other calcium-rich foods.
This type of alternative therapy advocates
taking very large doses of vitamins (megavitamin therapy) as a way of
preventing and treating cancer. However, there’s no evidence that taking large
doses of vitamins is helpful in treating cancer, and in high doses some
vitamins can be harmful.
High-dose vitamin C is one of the most widely
used forms of megavitamin therapy. Scientific studies have found no benefit for
people with cancer taking high-dose vitamin C by mouth (orally). More recently,
there has been interest in whether high-dose vitamin C would work better if
given directly into the bloodstream (intravenously). A number of clinical
trials (mainly in the USA) are investigating this. Some studies are also
testing the effects of high-dose intravenous vitamin C when it’s given
alongside conventional cancer treatments. However, at present there isn’t
reliable evidence that intravenous high-dose vitamin C can help to treat
cancer.
Possible problems and side
effects
High-dose vitamin C can make many cancer
treatment drugs, such as cisplatin, doxorubicin, imatinib and vincristine, less
effective. It may also interfere with how radiotherapy works. So it’s important
to tell your cancer specialist before having high doses of vitamin C, particularly
if you’re planning on using it during, or within a few weeks of, cancer
treatment.
High-dose vitamin C may also interact with some
complementary and alternative therapies. There have been cases of severe
cyanide poisoning in people taking amygdalin (Laetrile) at the same time as
high-dose vitamin C.
People who have kidney problems, a condition
that causes iron overload (haemachromatosis) or who have G6PDH deficiency
should always consult their doctor before taking high-dose vitamin C
supplements.
From: http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Cancertreatment/Complementarytherapies/Typesoftherapies/Alternativetherapies.aspx
I'm happy to support you, Sarah, with Alternative Therapies - give me a shout if you need a chat. xx
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