Alternative Treatments For Cancer - article by Good English Article Sites

The Validity of Alternative Treatments for Cancer

Patients might look to alternative treatments for cancer because they are reluctant to undergo standard treatments like chemotherapy, or they’ve already tried standard treatments that don’t seem to be working. Sometimes alternative treatments for cancer appeal to the public because of their reputation for being natural, easier and less intense methods of treating cancer. It’s uncertain whether alternative treatments are better than standard ones—for some people they won’t work, and for other patients they might. Even if alternative treatments are effective, it’s important to remember that they’re alleviating the symptoms of cancer and not necessarily curing it. Doctors recommend not replacing standard treatments for cancer with alternative treatments because they might not be strong enough. Instead, they recommend that alternative treatments for cancer be treated like supplementary treatments that are used in addition to standard treatment. If standard treatment by itself isn’t helping, then the combination of standard and alternative might.

Some alternative treatments for cancer include acupuncture, aromatherapy, meditation, biofeedback (giving patient info about their physiological condition so they can have a sense of control over it), and hypnosis, massage, and relaxation techniques. The treatment suggested can depend on what symptom of cancer is being targeted such as anxiety, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, pain, sleeping problems and stress.

Any treatment is subject to the unique biological makeup of the patient, so different patients will react differently to any of these options. Treatments are also subject to the power of thinking. These days science is more open to the role of the mind in how the body functions and responds to events. For example, stress is now viewed as a valid contributing factor to illness, and the placebo effect suggests that people can get better simply from the belief that they are being treated. Reader’s Digest once covered a couple of patients who had overcome cancer in unusual ways—one of them got rid of cancer after constant prayer, another took a huge amount of vitamin supplements. Many would doubt the efficacy of these methods and a research trial would be potentially unethical and disastrous. Still, there have been many examples, both scientific and anecdotal, in which the way a person thinks can have a big impact on their outcome, even physically. The bottom line is that every patient needs to choose the treatment that’s right for them, and one that they also believe is right for them. Motivation is part of the healing process, and it should be a supplement to whatever treatment is implemented.

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