“I presume, Curmudge, that we are just going to play
copy-cat and pass along what we have learned in our reading.”
“Right as usual, Julie. Despite having read good stuff, what might sound like advice
is really our perceptions. So
let’s begin. For most people, a
diagnosis of cancer hits like a whack with a wet towel in a locker room. Their immediate emotion is, ‘Do
something! I want it out!’ “
“Whoa-up there, Partner. If our patient’s diagnosis is based on a biopsy, she’ll want
a second
opinion from another pathologist.
Cancer is serious business, and nobody wants an incorrect
diagnosis. She should also read
our Evidence-Based Medicine postings back in September and October of 2010.”
“Here are some of the things that I have learned that
pertain to many cancers. If they
don’t require immediate action, there is time for the patient to learn about
the various modes of treatment and to select among them. When one consults oncologists, the
surgeons will want to cut, the clinical oncologists will favor chemotherapy,
and the radiation oncologists will propose radiation therapy. By their very nature, specialists in
many fields are parochial in their diagnosis and plan of care. And irrespective of the initial
approach, the cancer may return, its further growth need to be arrested, and it
might become something the patient must learn to live with.”
“Hey, that’s more scary than I realized. To most people, ‘removed’ or ‘in
remission’ means ‘goodbye.’ “
“Lots of people don’t realize that, Julie, and they also
aren’t aware that alternative medicine might play an important role in their
plan of care. So before plunging
ahead with surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation, our patient should—if
possible—consult with someone who practices integrative or alternate
medicine. Our readings have told
us about complementary medicine techniques that can strengthen the patient
prior to conventional procedures, mitigate the procedures’ side effects, and
hasten the patient’s recovery.
Furthermore, there may be opportunities to skip the conventional
procedures altogether.”
“Wow, Curmudge!
I’ll bet those ‘opportunities’ enliven
the debate between the allopathic and alternative docs. Fortunately, if the cancer is growing
slowly enough, there might be time to test the alternative meds to see if they
shrink the tumor or arrest its growth.”
“Nevertheless, Julie, an alternative med zealot should not
bet all of her chips on some herbal concoction without carefully evaluating the
oncologist’s proposed conventional plan of care.”
“That’s for sure, Old Guy, but from my search of the Web,
it’s not going to be very easy for our cancer patient to find an alternative
medicine doc with the training she needs for consultation. A person with cancer or malfunctioning
innards such as liver, lungs, intestines, or whatever needs an herbalist with
experience with her particular ailment.”
“That seems to be the case. Recall the two main categories of alternative medicine
mentioned in our first
posting on this topic, ‘Alternative medicine includes use of natural
products (herbs, vitamins, minerals, and probiotics) as well as mind and body
practices (acupuncture, meditation, relaxation techniques, and movement
therapies).’ If one specializes in
just one or a few of the mind and body practices, less training is needed than
for treatment with natural products.”
“I’ve even seen some of the mind and body practice clinics
advertising their ‘antiaging’ services, whatever that is.”
“I’m puzzled too, Julie. To me, antiaging is opposition to growing old, i.e. dying
young. I think we’ll just skip
that aspect of alternative medicine.”
“So, Curmudge, back to our patient’s search for a natural
products practitioner who can provide the help that she needs.”
“That may require reading the publications of Yance and
Blaylock that we mentioned in our posting
on nutrition. The Blaylock Report Archives is a collection
of his monthly newsletters on a variety of illnesses. Another book that discusses a host of conditions has the
intimidating title, Miracles from the
Vault: Anthology of Underground Cures by Jenny Thompson of the Institute of
Health Sciences (see Quackwatch).
She is an excellent writer, but some of her ‘cures’ sound too good to be
true (and they may be).”
“Hey, Professor, let’s not forget Suzanne Somers, an actress
also cited in Quackwatch. She has
been criticized mostly for promoting bioidentical hormones. However, she has also written Knockout (1), a book comprised of
interviews with ‘doctors who are curing cancer,’ including one
whose treatments include coffee enemas (!). Our cancer patient might wish to follow up with
some of her more conventional interviewees, which might require long-distance
travel. But as you and I have said
many times, we don’t make recommendations. Recall also our suggesting that cancer patients may be
willing to take somewhat greater—but hopefully intelligent—risks.”
“And that, Curmudge, is about as risky as this posting is
going to get. In future postings,
do you intend to discuss any of the so-called mind and body aspects of
alternative medicine?”
“I’ll try, Julie, and if we’re lucky we may get some help
from a guest author.”
Kaizen Curmudgeon
(1) Somers, Suzanne
Knockout (2009, Random House)
Link to posting from blog archives: Patient Safety—Your Lifestyle 2/26/09
http://kaizencurmudgeon.blogspot.com/2009/02/patient-safety-your-lifestyle.html
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