Alternative cancer cures: "Unproven" or "disproven"? Journal Article
| Author: | Vickers, A. |
| Article Title: | Alternative cancer cures: "Unproven" or "disproven"? |
| Abstract: | Oncology has always coexisted with therapies offered outside of conventional cancer treatment centers and based on theories not found in biomedicine. These alternative cancer cures have often been described as "unproven," suggesting that appropdate clinical trials have not been conducted and that the therapeutic value of the treatment is unknown. Contrary to much popular and scientific writing, many alternative cancer treatments have been investigated in good quality clinical trials, and they have been shown to be ineffective. In this article, clinical trial data on a number of alternative cancer cures including Livingston-Wheeler, Di Bella Multitherapy, antineoplastons, vitamin C, hydrazine sulfate, Laetrile, and psychotherapy are reviewed. The label "unproven" is inappropriate for such therapies; it is time to assert that many alternative cancer therapies have been " disproven." © American Cancer Society, 2004. |
| Keywords: | treatment outcome; leukemia; cancer surgery; unclassified drug; clinical trial; review; cisplatin; placebo; drug potentiation; drug safety; nonhuman; side effect; solid tumor; cancer radiotherapy; pancreas cancer; rituximab; drug megadose; glioma; antineoplastic agent; evidence based medicine; neoplasms; colorectal cancer; quality control; mouse; interleukin 2; melanoma; immune system; breast cancer; etoposide; lung non small cell cancer; cyclophosphamide; antineoplastic activity; bacterial strain; cancer therapy; vinblastine; clinical study; lymphoma; psychosocial care; immunomodulation; octreotide; alternative medicine; complementary therapies; pancreas enzyme; detoxification; diet therapy; music therapy; laetrile; ascorbic acid; lycopene; acupuncture; trastuzumab; beta glucan; hypnosis; massage; relaxation training; clinical trials; psychotherapy; drug formulation; vitamin; medicinal plant; glycerol; bromocriptine; biomedicine; krestin; viscum album extract; melatonin; hydrazine sulfate; retinoid derivative; ae 941; butanol; vegetable oil; humans; human; priority journal; antineoplaston derivative; chaparral extract; chaparral; progenitor cryptocides |
| Journal Title: | CA - A Cancer Journal for Clinicians |
| Volume: | 54 |
| Issue: | 2 |
| ISSN: | 0007-9235 |
| Publisher: | Wiley Blackwell |
| Date Published: | 2004-03-01 |
| Start Page: | 110 |
| End Page: | 118 |
| Language: | English |
| PROVIDER: | scopus |
| DOI: | 10.3322/canjclin.54.2.110 |
| DOI/URL: | |
| Notes: | Erratum issued, see DOI: 10.3322/canjclin.54.6.369 -- Ca Cancer J. Clin. -- Cited By (since 1996):29 -- Export Date: 16 June 2014 -- CODEN: CAMCA C2 - 15061600 -- Source: Scopus |
