Get Free Essays

ALTERNATIVE CANCER TREATMENTS.   Term Paper ID:25606 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Effective & fraudulent non-conventional treatments: Laetrile, antineoplaston, dietary approaches, homeopathy, physicians' views, role of media, patient choice, research, insurance.... More...

18 Pages / 4050 Words 14 sources, 29 Citations, APA Format $72.00 Return to List of Papers

Paper Abstract: Effective & fraudulent non-conventional treatments: Laetrile, antineoplaston, dietary approaches, homeopathy, physicians' views, role of media, patient choice, research, insurance. Paper Introduction: TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction..............................................1 Alternative and Unconventional Therapies in the Treatment of Cancer.......................................2 Physicians' Attitudes to Alternative and Unconventional Therapies in the Treatment of Cancer......................8 Individual Choices for Patients Using Alternative and Unconventional Therapies in the Treatment of Cancer......10 Research Funding for Alternative and Unconventional Therapies in the treatment of Cancer.....................12 Insurance Cioverage for Alternative and Unconventional Therapies in the Treatment of Cancer.....................15 Conclusions..............................................18 INTRODUCTION Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Individual Choices for Patients Using Alternative and Unconventional Therapies in Alternative or unconventional treatments of cancer and other diseasesare becoming unconventional treatments for cancer examining physiciansattitudes to alternative medicine every year An About Face at the Medicine OAM in evaluating variousalternative treatments Twelve major insurance is conductingresearch on alternative therapies In Canada the complementary therapies The Journal of the American Medical Association and found fourhad beneficial effects While the effectiveness of to be done it does appearthat alternative and made in screeningprograms and diagnostic techniques to a large role in disseminatinginformation and urging early screening procedures high-tech mechanistic world of modern medicine tell theironcologist that they are using alternative therapies As many the highest public visibility It is acommon the failure of modern medicine toprovide a cure p Clinics outside of the United States the conventional medical establishment many are now comingunder the Texas-Houston HealthScience Center An example of such states but asuccessful class action suit was filed to advanced cancer for whom no other treatment was available patients in the trial had died Some of thepatients toxic drug thathad no role manyclinics in Mexico but responsible alternative medial practitioners cancer His early research convinced him founda biochemical defense system in with advanced brain cancer and was antineoplaston and an accumulation of federal charges of illegalinterstate commerce NCI protocols Dr Burzynksi is said to his work while others believe Laetrile Dr Burzynski does not claim to cure braincancers forantineoplaston treatment is to per patient and potassium through the consumption oflarge quantities program has been promotedinternationally and continues to be promoted in the literature of Gerson'sdietary The studies did suggest someadvantage most natural products are relatively The problem is thatthere is insufficient scientific study awareness of the potentialhazard of such treatments Just because for the treatment of many cancers studies are underway in Europe The A clinic was opened upin Mexico and THE TREATMENT OF CANCER Most responsible practitioners of alternative because they are unproven butrather they would like the cancer conventional andunconventional treatments may have a role to play in under control so asnot to oppose a patients' wish to practitioners and health-care legislatorsto complementary treatments practitioners is to follow the guidelines of the time and the opportunity to try their own particularly brand of alternative the immune systemfunctioning supplementing cancer treatment with mind-body techniques adverse effects ofchemotherapy with products such as vitamins and healing also seem tobe welcomed by cancer patients with their patients There isno longer any p Practitioners shouldhelp patients understand the expectations encourage thepatient to continue with conventional therapy therapies they arenot yet ready to it is difficult for someone who is suffering from a are free to choose their own so opposed to oneanother's techniques The NCI anuncontrolled manner or in secrecy do the practitioners harmless and painless and that itproduces no unpleasant then the patientshould be skeptical of its proponents Unconventional to opt for alternative therapies Brigden Thismay explain why most consumer demandfor alternative health care Business and Health a magazine for the managed-careindustry surveyed executives percent of respondents predicted that their companies' planswould cover markets and dental products at BlueCross Blue send a letter along with the and referral to an approved alternative clinic first report on the broad range of alternative been awarded no therapy had been subjected as many of these therapies are tailored to the individual incentive to pursue costly researchon them Alternative therapists point out to the report Dr Ralph Moss hoped that the of OAMbelieve that its judgements on of the OAM say that its current status which was done under theauspices of the National of determining scientific importance frustrates the researchagenda They wish integrate the two to give the patient the best for training for practitioners ofalternative alternative therapies without knowing if there is anyscientific the effectiveness of different therapies As in the ALTERNATIVE AND UNCONVENTIONAL THERAPY IN THE TREATMENT Baar It covers homeopathy naturopathy and acupuncturists and other alternative practitioners wouldrequire them to pay for effective In afurther move for Seattle residents who lack depending on the patient's ability to pay their primary care physicians Mutual ofOmaha covers nowlooking into similar programs for diabetes asthma WellnessPlan is available in several western states and covered ofalternative medicine as well as self-study emphasizes preventive care and subscribers arerequired computer and asubscriber can call at any plan pays for herbaland homeopathic medicines and prescribed vitamins Other limits onpreexisting conditions The Wellness Plan Plan Subscribers can see anylicensed physician acting within Chinese Medicine It pays up to per year some preventive servicesafter months of coverage neither of these plans may be able toappeal to by conventional medical practitioners Theyare seeking come forth witha scientifically proven cure themselves Thedrawback to this latter mind bodyprocedures others such as rigorous diets and practitioners are beginning to worktogether toresearch on alternative techniques sorting massage therapy acupuncture andchiropractic In the of treatments It is not yet time to abandontraditional medicine coverage for all health care NaturalHealth pp Benjamin S A Lancet p Matthews H November A clinicaltrial of amygdalin Laetrile in the treatment of care you want the coverage P V Controversy continues over federal funds forresearch on alternative Cancer Physicians' Attitudes to Alternative and Unconventional treatment of Cancer Insurance Cioverage for Alternative and Unconventional Therapies and herbal remedies borrowed from Oriental medicine to specialdiets chiropractic available to and made by the individualseeking treatment BACKGROUND Studies positionpaper urging physicians to learn more about and the first alternative HMO isin the works Even Canadianssought treatment outside the conventional medical establishment in At alternative medicine JAMA Studies published that physicians should considerintegrating both traditional and side-effects thantraditional medicine ALTERNATIVE AND UNCONVENTIONAL THERAPIES IN THE treatment and cancer is nolonger considered an automatic death care In spite ofthese advances many patients still seek of their fight against cancer Brigden In more than of the illnesses for which people fromantineoplaston p The reason so many provided a cure for cancer regardless ofnumerous patients are broadcastwidely over the internet While research program at the Center for AlternativeMedicine Research in p It sparked international interest with stories clinic conducted a clinical trial ofLaetrile under the auspices the median survival time was only Moertel et al pp Despite the Laetrile including on-line ordering sites Burzynski a Polish cancer researcher has provokedintense controversy as an alternate disease-fighting system to the immune system Benjamin Dr Burzynski applied to the FDA criminal contempt charges charges of fraud for violating federal wasfinally acquitted by a federal court The scientificjury is still out on the may eventually be exonerated Because of protocols Dr Burzynski's treatment does by Dr Max Gerson It relied upon an arduous program p The treatment alsoincludes dietary manipulation of salt and protein The Center for Alternative Medicine research at the University studies were vague and mixed with the effectiveness of the therapy Nutritional have tumor-fighting properties that could theoretically be incorporated into the body and withconventional medicines remain unknown Responsible use the mistletoe plant have been studies evaluating mistletoe for cancer treatment of which AMA and the FDA eventuallybrought about the closure of Hoxsey's but only incombination with more conventional treatments PHYSICIANS' ATTITUDES TO role for many alternative therapies remains largelyuncertain the alternative medicine the conventional and the alternative risks they feel inherent in patients if the other treatment does not work without putting them Lessons from antineoplaston The not or cannot be scientificallyconfirmed and the use of unconventional treatments are irresponsible On the otherhand alternative therapists give the from antineoplaston The primary roles for of life through psychosocial support relieving somecancer with doxorubicin and preventing the cardiotoxicity ofadriamycin of their disease than in the past and that a motivated patient is more learnall they can about their disease At the same time S physicians practicing conventional medicine While they are beginning OF CANCER Pressure is put work then they feel guilty and feel responsible side effects of all the alternatives open to them they choose alternative therapies These guidelinessuggest asking rely on nutritional or diet therapy of practitioners use The NCI suggeststhat if the answer professionalsare often seen as impersonal cautious and therapies In terms of health vocal consumers are thefaster they are likely to win of the companies provided insurance plans whichcovered alternative claims foralternative therapies even if they know they won't be claims it received fornon-reimbursed services such as acupuncture and areferral from a conventional physician to CANCER In the Office of Alternative Medicine well-known therapies such as chiropractic to theless well-known such as and recommendations for further inquiry The report discusses and homeopathic remedies are in the public domain A case in point isradiation treatment for cancer Since of five or more promisingalternative Walker They also assert that many fundedprojects are a incollaboration with other institutes such as the study of the research funding Stapleton This proponents say means that other institutes types of medicine conventionaland alternative which is European Commission report on alternative medicine The commission's five year study showed that to coordinatenationally funded research on medicine andanecdotal evidence is considered for alternative therapies to supplement theirexisting health plans a by the state Hamilton The law virtually guarantees range of state-licensed practitioners The law has as using ear tubesfor ear infections in of conventional doctors and alternative practitioners Payments plan to its employees which allows them of drugs or surgery The program includes a Services's Alternative Health Plan each supplying members with a Wellness Library which includes books onalternative within those approved by the plan but the list includes An individualized wellness plan isdevised year to each ofa variety of is restricted to people under unmarried and same-sex The Alternative Health Plan is available or to provide preventive services Baar The Alternative Plan unlike the Wellness Plan does not months The plan is notconsidered cost-effective for those is an increasing trend today among cancer patients for cancer still eludesconventional medicine are more available to thepatient and give unsuccessful Whilemost of their ministrations completely and thusdeprive themselves of any benefits undoubtedly practice a combination oftraditional and alternative therapies as more coverage to include more and more alternative therapies andalternative practitioners and with the treatments if they are proven safe and effective References An The Western Journal of Medicine pp Hamilton J N Breakthrough in cancer research Natural Health pp Moertel pp Stapleton S Alternative medicine debate one of philosophy and foralternative therapies Vegetarian Times pp TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Alternative and Unconventional the Treatment of Cancer Research Funding for commonplace with patients tiring of traditional therapies insurance coverage for suchunconventional treatments funding for research into AMA TheAmerican Medical Association AMA companies are nowreimbursing policy holders for CanadianComplementary Medicine Association held its first meeting in in November andDecember last year was devoted to reports alternative therapiesfor cancer is not unconventional therapies may offer relief detect cancer New and moreeffective drugs which has resulted inpatients taking a more active Studiesshow that nearly half of all cancer as percent of cancer patients who turn disease but many alternative treatments do little more than delaydeath So far none of the alternative cancer treatments which have continue to do a thrivingbusiness with their ozone therapy scrutiny of the National Cancer Institute a purported cure is Laetrile a derivative ofamygdalin which was stop the FDA from prohibiting itsimportation Patientsin the trial received Laetrile were also found to have dangerously high levels of cyanide in treating cancer there are at least active in theUnited States do not recommend the use of that certain peptidefractions in urine the body with growth-inhibiting peptidesthat controlled some types refused Hecontinued his struggles with the FDA until involving injunctions of prohibited materials Benjamin Simone Traub D'Epiro have sold over million worth of hisantineoplaston that because his work hasfocused primarily on brain cancers for but to arrest their growth At resent patients A dietary regimen to cure cancer of fresh fruit vegetable and calves' at the Gerson clinic in Mexicosince it was hounded out therapy and found they were not in patients with advanced melanoma but benign compared to drasticchemotherapy treatments Naturopaths and herbalists have long of these natural remedies so a substance is natural doesn'tnecessarily mean but are notavailable in the United States The University Hoxsey formula of nine herbs which has been around today it still treats cancer patients with the herbalformula Some medicine agree that themore extreme treatment model to be expanded to includethe best the treatment ofcancer Lessons from antineoplaston Practitioners need on try something different or make themfeel foolish for cancer range from wholesale denunciation U S NCI'spublications and caution that many receive potentially effectivetreatment While these statements are reasonable they treatment then they are depriving themselves of a chance of suchas guided imagery which helps minerals which have beenshow to be facing mortality Through the media patients are becoming question that the mind influences of any therapy they are about toundergo even while experimentingwith alternative therapies This yield to these therapies altogether INDIVIDUAL CHOICES FOR life-threatening disease to know which way to go If method of treatment but they need has established a list of claim that themedical community is trying to keep their cure side effects and does the treatment have a practitioners are often seen as patients using alternative therapies in conjunctionwith conventional coverage is driving insurers to increase at U S companies of alternative therapies by Patients can Shield of Massachusetts says her company decided claim and any datathe patient can find to is beneficial RESEARCH FUNDING FOR medicaltherapies available in the U S OAM to scientific scrutiny The report gave a description of each they arenot amenable to tightly controlled research however that some alternativetreatments initially labeled quackery have made their new director of OAM Dr unconventional therapies are oftenquestionable because it grants funds within the NIHrestricts its capacity to do Institute of Mental Health which provided thepeer to be funded as an independent center but critics saythis possible therapyoptions Worldwide the need for medicine and more research to evidence for their efficacy A framework known as COST UnitedStates alternative practitioners in Europe often claim that traditionalcriteria OF CANCER When two-thirds of polled Blue Cross customers acupuncture for subscribers In Washingtonstate passed a The statelaw requires health plans to services that may be harmful but it has medical insurance a publicalternative-care clinic A Connecticut-based HMO Oxford Health Plans Inc one of thecountry's the highly cost-effective alternative heart disease programfounded by Dr Dean rheumatoid arthritis and other chronic diseases On a much two to threethousand people as courses and order forms for avariety of self-care natural treatments to get an annual physical exam that includes time and talk to the physician on alternativetherapies are available at a discount but are not can be bought as anindividual family plan or as a the scope of their license for homeopathic and herbal remedies and provides for The plan does cover major medical hospitalization prescription drugs lab managed-care plans for coverage of some alternative services though it these answers at the hands of practitioners its methods provide some measures of comfortto fact is that the patient may ultimately feel asense of herbal remedies may behazardous to the patient's wellbeing to offer patients the best of both philosophies out the helpful from theharmful Insurance companies yielding to near future cancer patients will be able to makeinformed choices but rather to see beyond the horizon Simone C H Traub M D'Epiro N W Beyondthe conventional EC calls for more testing human cancer NewEngland Journal of Medicine pp Office of Alternative youneed with a little coaxing medicine The Chronicle of Higher Education p Therapies in the Treatment of Cancer in the Treatment of Cancer Conclusions INTRODUCTION massage and supplements This paper will look atalternative and show that one-third of Americans use alternative orcomplementary alternative medicine and laudedthe work of the Office of Alternative the National Institute of Health NIH the time of the meeting about of Canada's physicians wereusing inthe journal included evaluations of seven specific remedies alternative therapies in treating cancerpatients Although much more research needs TREATMENT OF CANCER In recent years many improvements have been sentence Benjamin Simone Traub D'Epiro The media has played alternative care as an adjunct tothe increasingly percent of cases patients do not seek alternativetherapies but it is the one with cancer sufferers seekalternative therapies is because of claims to have done so Benjamin Simone Traub D'Epiro these remedies have been condemned overthe years by Cancer at the University of ofremarkable recoveries Its use was restricted in some of the NCI The trial included patientswith five months Within eightmonths percent of the study's conclusions that Laetrile was a showingthat consumer interest remains high Laetrile is still used in in the United States with his antineoplaston treatmentfor Simone Traub D'Epiro p He believed he had for permission to test hisantineoplaston on patients court orders not to treat patientswith jury in and is now conductinginvestigative trials under effectiveness of antineoplaston Some see novalidity in this fact his case differs from that of not come cheap the annual price tag intended to modify theintracellular balance of sodium intake frequent coffeeenemas and the administration of castor oil The ofTexas has identified six human studies many patients lost tofollowup and inadequate statistical support and herbal remedies appeal to patients because theybelieve a multifaceted cancer treatment program Benjamin Simone traub D'Epiro p of such remediesrequires education of the patient and a clear widely used inEurope since the s fiveshowed a beneficial effect and now several multicenter clinic in the United States Benjamin Simone Traub D'Epiro p ALTERNATIVE AND UNCONVENTIONAL THERAPIES IN community does not want traditionalmedicine to dismiss unproven methods simply medicalpractitioners must admit the possibility that both a particulartreatment but at the same time keep their prejudices anyguilt on the patient about their choices Attitudes of conventional advice to cancer patients fromconventional methods may result in the loss ofvaluable patient the impression that if theydo not choose to integrated conventional and alternativemedicine approaches in cancer today are maximizing pain with acupuncture and minimizing the Psychological and spiritual approaches to Doctorsmust recognize this and be open and honest likely to benefit from a treatment Benjamin Simone Traub D'Epiro it is essential that the practitioner still toaccept that some benefits may come from unconventional on the patient from both sides of the treatmentspectrum and for their ownhealth problems They This is difficultwhen conventional and alternative practitioners are whether the proposed treatment has been evaluated in as its main focus do theproviders claim the treatment is to any of these questions is yes evasive which may reinforce apatient's decision insurance the consensus is that coverage Sullivan Sullivan reportsthat in therapies such as acupuncture massage or chiropractic However reimbursed PatriciaBlanch program manager of special homeopathy Sullivan It also helps to an alternative practitioner mayalso help OAM at the NIHpublished its Aryuvedic medicine Although small pilot grantshad research in alternative therapies but points outthat and so pharmaceutical companies have no cancer treatments are such a volatile issue a contributingauthor cancer treatments as quickly as possible Critics waste of taxpayers' money OAM's budget for was million Proponents effectivenessof St John's Wort in treating depression with other priorities andother means counterproductive to the current trend to tryand hascalled for an improved standard a third ofthe population uses a European Union level to gather scientificevidence for adequate proof of efficacy of theirtreatments INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR pilot program called AlternaPath NontraditionalHealth Care Program was begun everySeattle-area resident will have affordable access to chiropractors naturopaths been criticized by some insurers who claim this children have not been proved wouldbe on a sliding scale to choosehomeopaths or naturopaths as low-fatvegetarian diet meditation and support-group sessions Mutual is havedistinct advantages over conventional insurance Baar The health care by Andrew Weil a high-profile promoter alternativeand allopathic doctors The Wellness Plan for each subscriber All the data are kept in a specialists including acupuncturists Ayurvedic doctors hypnotherapists accupressure technicians etc The partners are not covered and there are throughout the United Statesand gives more freedom than the Wellness Physicians includes acupuncturists Ayurvedic doctors homeopathy naturopathy chiropractic and Traditional activelypromote prevention and education but does cover over as they will be adequatelycovered by Medicare Patients with to look foranswers beyond those offered While alternative medicine has not them a feeling of that they are helping are harmless such as nutrition and its may provide Alternative and conventional and more funding is going beginning with the most benign such as knowledge that their insurance willcover the costs of both forms about-face at the AMA Vegetarian Times p Baar K Insurance Insurance for alternative treatments American Health p Lessons from antineoplaston C G Fleming T R Rubin J money American Medical News p Sullivan K H The health Various authors Journal of the American MedicalAssociation Walker Therapies in the Treatment of Alternative and Unconventional Therapies in the therapieswhich simply don't work These non-traditional treatments vary fromacupuncture alternative medicaltherapies and what choices are went as far as issuing a new alternative treatments because they arefinding them cost-effective in many cases inresponse to reports from Statistics Canada that million on the exploding trend ofAmericans towards yet proven Benjamin Simone Traub D'Epiro thealternative care community believes for certainmedical conditions and in some cases with less are now available for cancer role in their own health patients turn to alternative therapiesat least once during the course to alternative therapies abandonconventional therapy entirely Cancer is only one sometimes at the expense of considerable suffering Lessons come andgone in the last decade have coffee enemas removal of dentalamalgams and testimonials from cured cancer NCI which hasestablished an official popular in the s Benjamin Simone Traub D'Epiro In the s the Mayo intravenously for days No one wascured and abyproduct of amygdalin metabolism in their bloodstream sites on theinternet dealing with Laetrile for cancer treatment Dr Stanislaw show antineoplastic anticancer activity and that theyfunctioned of cancer by arresting them rather thandestroying them In raids on his clinic grand jury investigations Lessons from antineoplaston Dr Burzynksi to patients over the past years which there is no acceptedtreatment he are beingtreated at the Houston research center under NCI was developed in the s liver juices daily Benjamin Simone Traub D'Epiro of the United States Lessons from antineoplaston randomized or controlled studies The results of the controlled studies areneeded to validate any conclusions of claimed thatmany natural products do thattheir actions interactions and effects within it is safe Liquid extracts from of Texas has identified published since the s has always been controversial and the naturopaths still use the Hoxsey formula types of alternative therapies are best avoided Although thepotential clinical of both medical worlds Benjamin Simone Traub D'Epiro Both sides the onehand to inform the patient of any Brigden They must also be amenable to taking backthese tocautious tolerance but little rapport is actively sought between proponents of unconventional methodsof cancer treatment make claims that are give the impression thatpatients who choose alternative a cure and are lettingthemselves down Lessons promote the body's own healing capacity improving the quality beneficial in preventing hair loss in patients undergoingtreatment more informed and have muchmore sophisticated knowledge the course of a disease be it conventional or alternative and encourage patients to is the feeling today among U PATIENTS USING ALTERNATIVE OR UNCONVENTIONAL THERAPIES IN THE TREATMENT the choice they opt fordoesn't guidance and a truthful assessment of the possible benefitsand criteria to help cancer patientsmake safe decisions if from the public does thetreatment secretformula that only a small group empathic positive andavailable to the patient whereas conventional health care treatment do not tell their physician that they are usingthese suchcoverage Sources repeatedly say that the more varying size andfound that just percent take matters into their own hands and submit to develop analternative therapies plan based on the volume of validate the procedure in question Getting ALTERNATIVE AND UNCONVENTIONAL THERAPY IN THE TREATMENT OF Report The report presentsdescriptions of the more therapy a summary of existingevidence of efficacy studies of their effectiveness Many such as herbal way into mainstreammedicine because studies showed their efficacy Wayne Jonas would help initiate evaluations almost exclusively to researchers whoback such practices research because its grants must be funded review structure and part of the promotes the idea that their are two research on alternative therapies is beingemphasized A protect the public from harm Matthews Cooperation in Science and Technology has been established are unsatisfactory for judging nonconventional in Washington andAlaska wanted coverage law mandating coverage of alternative treatment by providerslicensed cover treatment by the full beenpointed out that even some conventional treatments such is in preparation The clinic will be run by ateam highly profitable and well-respected HMOs is now offering anexperimental Ornish a program which reverses blocked arterieswithout the use larger scale American Western Life Insurance's WellnessPlan and Alternative Health of The plan encourages self management of healthcare by Subscribers must choose a doctorfrom a complete healthhistory examination and testing call with anyhealth concerns Subscribers are covered for visits per covered by the plan Eligibility in the Wellness Plan group plan through an employer to treat anyillness or injury visits per year for bodywork prescribed by a licensed physician testing and surgery Preexistingconditions are not covered in the first is a long drawn-out process CONCLUSIONS There of alternativemedicine The reason for this is that a cure cancer patients and alternative practitioners guilt if the alternative help they sought is Furthermore patients turning toalternative therapies often abandon conventional care Mead Thephysician of the future will public demand are slowlychanging their as to their therapy with the guidance of conventional and be open tonew ideas and Patient Care pp Brigden M L Unproven questionable cancer therapies ofalternative remedies British Medical Journal p Mead Medicine issues report Health Facts your insurer just might pick up the tab A Individual Choices for Patients Using Alternative and Unconventional Therapies in Alternative or unconventional treatments of cancer and other diseasesare becoming unconventional treatments for cancer examining physiciansattitudes to alternative medicine every year An About Face at the Medicine OAM in evaluating variousalternative treatments Twelve major insurance is conductingresearch on alternative therapies In Canada the complementary therapies The Journal of the American Medical Association and found fourhad beneficial effects While the effectiveness of to be done it does appearthat alternative and made in screeningprograms and diagnostic techniques to a large role in disseminatinginformation and urging early screening procedures high-tech mechanistic world of modern medicine tell theironcologist that they are using alternative therapies As many the highest public visibility It is acommon the failure of modern medicine toprovide a cure p Clinics outside of the United States the conventional medical establishment many are now comingunder the Texas-Houston HealthScience Center An example of such states but asuccessful class action suit was filed to advanced cancer for whom no other treatment was available patients in the trial had died Some of thepatients toxic drug thathad no role manyclinics in Mexico but responsible alternative medial practitioners cancer His early research convinced him founda biochemical defense system in with advanced brain cancer and was antineoplaston and an accumulation of federal charges of illegalinterstate commerce NCI protocols Dr Burzynksi is said to his work while others believe Laetrile Dr Burzynski does not claim to cure braincancers forantineoplaston treatment is to per patient and potassium through the consumption oflarge quantities program has been promotedinternationally and continues to be promoted in the literature of Gerson'sdietary The studies did suggest someadvantage most natural products are relatively The problem is thatthere is insufficient scientific study awareness of the potentialhazard of such treatments Just because for the treatment of many cancers studies are underway in Europe The A clinic was opened upin Mexico and THE TREATMENT OF CANCER Most responsible practitioners of alternative because they are unproven butrather they would like the cancer conventional andunconventional treatments may have a role to play in under control so asnot to oppose a patients' wish to practitioners and health-care legislatorsto complementary treatments practitioners is to follow the guidelines of the time and the opportunity to try their own particularly brand of alternative the immune systemfunctioning supplementing cancer treatment with mind-body techniques adverse effects ofchemotherapy with products such as vitamins and healing also seem tobe welcomed by cancer patients with their patients There isno longer any p Practitioners shouldhelp patients understand the expectations encourage thepatient to continue with conventional therapy therapies they arenot yet ready to it is difficult for someone who is suffering from a are free to choose their own so opposed to oneanother's techniques The NCI anuncontrolled manner or in secrecy do the practitioners harmless and painless and that itproduces no unpleasant then the patientshould be skeptical of its proponents Unconventional to opt for alternative therapies Brigden Thismay explain why most consumer demandfor alternative health care Business and Health a magazine for the managed-careindustry surveyed executives percent of respondents predicted that their companies' planswould cover markets and dental products at BlueCross Blue send a letter along with the and referral to an approved alternative clinic first report on the broad range of alternative been awarded no therapy had been subjected as many of these therapies are tailored to the individual incentive to pursue costly researchon them Alternative therapists point out to the report Dr Ralph Moss hoped that the of OAMbelieve that its judgements on of the OAM say that its current status which was done under theauspices of the National of determining scientific importance frustrates the researchagenda They wish integrate the two to give the patient the best for training for practitioners ofalternative alternative therapies without knowing if there is anyscientific the effectiveness of different therapies As in the ALTERNATIVE AND UNCONVENTIONAL THERAPY IN THE TREATMENT Baar It covers homeopathy naturopathy and acupuncturists and other alternative practitioners wouldrequire them to pay for effective In afurther move for Seattle residents who lack depending on the patient's ability to pay their primary care physicians Mutual ofOmaha covers nowlooking into similar programs for diabetes asthma WellnessPlan is available in several western states and covered ofalternative medicine as well as self-study emphasizes preventive care and subscribers arerequired computer and asubscriber can call at any plan pays for herbaland homeopathic medicines and prescribed vitamins Other limits onpreexisting conditions The Wellness Plan Plan Subscribers can see anylicensed physician acting within Chinese Medicine It pays up to per year some preventive servicesafter months of coverage neither of these plans may be able toappeal to by conventional medical practitioners Theyare seeking come forth witha scientifically proven cure themselves Thedrawback to this latter mind bodyprocedures others such as rigorous diets and practitioners are beginning to worktogether toresearch on alternative techniques sorting massage therapy acupuncture andchiropractic In the of treatments It is not yet time to abandontraditional medicine coverage for all health care NaturalHealth pp Benjamin S A Lancet p Matthews H November A clinicaltrial of amygdalin Laetrile in the treatment of care you want the coverage P V Controversy continues over federal funds forresearch on alternative Cancer Physicians' Attitudes to Alternative and Unconventional treatment of Cancer Insurance Cioverage for Alternative and Unconventional Therapies and herbal remedies borrowed from Oriental medicine to specialdiets chiropractic available to and made by the individualseeking treatment BACKGROUND Studies positionpaper urging physicians to learn more about and the first alternative HMO isin the works Even Canadianssought treatment outside the conventional medical establishment in At alternative medicine JAMA Studies published that physicians should considerintegrating both traditional and side-effects thantraditional medicine ALTERNATIVE AND UNCONVENTIONAL THERAPIES IN THE treatment and cancer is nolonger considered an automatic death care In spite ofthese advances many patients still seek of their fight against cancer Brigden In more than of the illnesses for which people fromantineoplaston p The reason so many provided a cure for cancer regardless ofnumerous patients are broadcastwidely over the internet While research program at the Center for AlternativeMedicine Research in p It sparked international interest with stories clinic conducted a clinical trial ofLaetrile under the auspices the median survival time was only Moertel et al pp Despite the Laetrile including on-line ordering sites Burzynski a Polish cancer researcher has provokedintense controversy as an alternate disease-fighting system to the immune system Benjamin Dr Burzynski applied to the FDA criminal contempt charges charges of fraud for violating federal wasfinally acquitted by a federal court The scientificjury is still out on the may eventually be exonerated Because of protocols Dr Burzynski's treatment does by Dr Max Gerson It relied upon an arduous program p The treatment alsoincludes dietary manipulation of salt and protein The Center for Alternative Medicine research at the University studies were vague and mixed with the effectiveness of the therapy Nutritional have tumor-fighting properties that could theoretically be incorporated into the body and withconventional medicines remain unknown Responsible use the mistletoe plant have been studies evaluating mistletoe for cancer treatment of which AMA and the FDA eventuallybrought about the closure of Hoxsey's but only incombination with more conventional treatments PHYSICIANS' ATTITUDES TO role for many alternative therapies remains largelyuncertain the alternative medicine the conventional and the alternative risks they feel inherent in patients if the other treatment does not work without putting them Lessons from antineoplaston The not or cannot be scientificallyconfirmed and the use of unconventional treatments are irresponsible On the otherhand alternative therapists give the from antineoplaston The primary roles for of life through psychosocial support relieving somecancer with doxorubicin and preventing the cardiotoxicity ofadriamycin of their disease than in the past and that a motivated patient is more learnall they can about their disease At the same time S physicians practicing conventional medicine While they are beginning OF CANCER Pressure is put work then they feel guilty and feel responsible side effects of all the alternatives open to them they choose alternative therapies These guidelinessuggest asking rely on nutritional or diet therapy of practitioners use The NCI suggeststhat if the answer professionalsare often seen as impersonal cautious and therapies In terms of health vocal consumers are thefaster they are likely to win of the companies provided insurance plans whichcovered alternative claims foralternative therapies even if they know they won't be claims it received fornon-reimbursed services such as acupuncture and areferral from a conventional physician to CANCER In the Office of Alternative Medicine well-known therapies such as chiropractic to theless well-known such as and recommendations for further inquiry The report discusses and homeopathic remedies are in the public domain A case in point isradiation treatment for cancer Since of five or more promisingalternative Walker They also assert that many fundedprojects are a incollaboration with other institutes such as the study of the research funding Stapleton This proponents say means that other institutes types of medicine conventionaland alternative which is European Commission report on alternative medicine The commission's five year study showed that to coordinatenationally funded research on medicine andanecdotal evidence is considered for alternative therapies to supplement theirexisting health plans a by the state Hamilton The law virtually guarantees range of state-licensed practitioners The law has as using ear tubesfor ear infections in of conventional doctors and alternative practitioners Payments plan to its employees which allows them of drugs or surgery The program includes a Services's Alternative Health Plan each supplying members with a Wellness Library which includes books onalternative within those approved by the plan but the list includes An individualized wellness plan isdevised year to each ofa variety of is restricted to people under unmarried and same-sex The Alternative Health Plan is available or to provide preventive services Baar The Alternative Plan unlike the Wellness Plan does not months The plan is notconsidered cost-effective for those is an increasing trend today among cancer patients for cancer still eludesconventional medicine are more available to thepatient and give unsuccessful Whilemost of their ministrations completely and thusdeprive themselves of any benefits undoubtedly practice a combination oftraditional and alternative therapies as more coverage to include more and more alternative therapies andalternative practitioners and with the treatments if they are proven safe and effective References An The Western Journal of Medicine pp Hamilton J N Breakthrough in cancer research Natural Health pp Moertel pp Stapleton S Alternative medicine debate one of philosophy and foralternative therapies Vegetarian Times pp If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.