Homeopathy For Cancer, Endorsed by ASCO?? Not Really

When searching for a non-toxic cancer treatment without any side effects, for many people homeopathy seems an attractive option. And sure enough, there are people out there who try to convince cancer patients that homeopathy is a real option. A strong sales argument would be that conventional science proves it to be effective – and precisely this claim has been made for a homeopathic remedy called Psorinum.

Our Problem with Alternative Cancer Treatments

The purpose of this blog is to warn against alternative medicine, alternative medicine for cancer in particular. With alternative medicine we mean medical treatments which are used instead of standard therapy and for which there is no reliable indication of any efficacy.

9 Questions that Stump Every Pro-Vaccine Advocate and Their Claims – Plus 9 Answers and Some Counter Questions

Although the article referred to in this post is about vaccines and not cancer, we still think it is very relevant, as it clearly shows the methods applied by many altmeds to discredit science and scientists.

On his website, David Mihalovic, who describes himself as a naturopathic medical doctor specializing in vaccine research, asks 9 questions about vaccines which he claims no vaccine-expert can answer.

Well, Mark Crislip on Science-Based Medicine does answer them – and at the same time presents some counter questions to be answered by David Mihalovic.

Alternative Healer Dr Thomas Lodi of ‘Oasis of Healing’ Threatens to Sue Blogging Cancer Patient

Seanty, cancer patient and blogger at MyMalignantMelanoma (which is on our blog roll), was recently threatened with legal action for defamation by Lodi’s marketing director Shayla McCallum. The threat was made because Seanty linked to an article in which some some critical remarks were made about Dr Lodi’s ideas on how to treat cancer. How despicable is that?

Well, so much for alties and an honest discussion.

See also:
Holford Watch
Respectful Insolence

Cancer Metastasis According to the Gospel of Tony Isaacs on Curezone

Doll made of liver cancer cells

Many proponents of alternative medicine claim that surgical removal of cancer is very dangerous because it will cause the cancer to spread. Therefore, they strongly advise against any kind of surgery in case of cancer.

On Tony Isaacs’s Curezone, a forum member is asking advice on how to treat advanced liver cancer. The patient in question – the forum member’s mother – has previously undergone surgery. But according to Tony Isaacs it is precisely surgery that causes cancer to metastasize:

Statutory Regulation Of Alternative Medicine: What Good Will It Do?

In the UK, statutory regulation of practitioners of herbal medicine and acupuncture has been advocated by a House of Lords’ Select Committee and by three subsequent Dartment of Health (DH) working groups as well as the vast majority of respondents to a previous DH consultation on this subject (the Pittilo consultation and report). The NIMH is strongly in support of statutory regulation of this sector. They feel that only statutory regulation of this sector can enable the public to identify qualified practitioners and maintain the availability of a full range of herbal medicines in herbal practice. The same discussion is going on in other countries, the Netherlands for example. For our Dutch readers: click here.

Is it true that statutory regulation will protect the public against the risks of alternative medicine?  Many people think not and we agree with them. The pitfalls and downsides of the suggested regulations have been aptly described in a submission that was sent to the Pittilo consultation. You can read it here. There is a summary on DC’s Improbable Science, as well as extensive information on the Pittilo consultation.

Stephen Serenelli’s Scientology Cancer Diet Experience: Read It And Weep

On October 26, 2004, Stephen Serenelli died of bowel cancer.

Initially he was treated conventionally, but under the strong influence of his wife Eileen and Ian Shillington, a naturopathic doctor and Scientologist, he decided to follow alternative treatments only.

The alternative treatments made him feel weak and miserable and resulted in his tumour becoming inoperable. This almost certainly shortened his life considerably and seriously compromised his quality of life. The fact that the alternative treatments wore him out so much may have decreased his survival time even more.

Shortly before his death, Serenelli wrote a letter to his ND Ian Shillington. Serenelli also kept a diary during his illness.

Simon Singh and Edzard Ernst causing Trouble in Paradise for the British Chiropractic Association?

In Belgium you can call a quack for what he is: a quack.

In the United Kingdom however, you cannot.

British physicist and science writer Simon Singh wrote in The Guardian that there is not a jot of evidence for the claim of the chiropractics that their treatments are effective for  certain children’s ailments, but that this doesn’t stop them from ‘happily’ selling their ‘bogus’ treatments. Well, perhaps Singh had better not done this.

Faith Healer Jomanda Not Guilty; Public Prosecutor to Appeal

Although her behaviour was deemed highly reprehensible by the judge, on 12 June 2009 faith healer Jomanda has been found not guilty of involvement in the death of Dutch actress Sylvia Millecam of breast cancer in 2001.

(On 25 June 2009 the Public Prosecutor’s Office decided to appeal this verdict)

What you should know about chiropractic

This article was originally published in The New Scientist

For many people, chiropractic appears almost mainstream. Some chiropractors even call themselves “doctor”. In the UK, chiropractors are regulated by statute, and in the US they like to be seen as primary care physicians. It is therefore understandable if people hardly ever question the evidential basis on which this profession rests.