cancer society of finland matti rautalahti alternative medicine - sound and safe? matti rautalahti...

Cancer Society of FinlandMatti Rautalahti

Alternative medicine- sound and safe?

Matti RautalahtiChief Medical Officer

Cancer Society of Finland


Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)

Diverse medical and health care systems,

practices, and products that

are not presently considered to be part of

conventional medicine.


CAM’s

• Use with conventional therapy for cancer

• Use instead of conventional therapy for cancer

• Use with conventional cancer therapy for other purposes


Complementary medicine

• used together with conventional medicine

• e.g. aromatherapy to help lessen a patient's discomfort following surgery.


Alternative medicine

• used instead of conventional medicine

• E.g. special diet to treat cancer instead of surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy


Additional therapy

• Use with conventional cancer therapy for other purposes

• E.g. herbal remedies for sleep disorders


"Alternative"• Genuine

– comparable methods that have met the criteria for safety and effectiveness.

• Experimental alternatives – unproven but have a plausible rationale and are

undergoing responsible investigation.

• Questionable "alternatives" – unproven and lack a scientifically plausible

rationale


Alternative medicine?

• ”medicine”: the scientific study of the prevention and cure of diseases and disorders of the body

• ”alternative medicine” = misnomer?• ”medicine man”: a witch doctor• ”take one’s medicine”: to submit to

punishment for one’s wrongdoing • ”belief treatment”


”Sound”?

• plausible rationale (scientific theory)

• undergone or undergoing responsible investigation (experimental studies, clinical trials)

• National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NIH/NCCAM)


NCCAM

• Massage Therapy for Breast Cancer Treatment-Related Swelling of the Arms and Legs

• Healing Touch and Immunity in Advanced Cervical Cancer Patients

• Efficacy of Distant Healing in Glioblastoma Treatment


”Sound”?• Swiss Study Group for Complementary and

Alternative Methods in Cancer, Swiss Cancer League

• Complementary and Alternative Cancer Medicine in Europe: Search and Evaluation through a Network (CAM –CANCER)

• internet? – 1800000 entries

– www.quackwatch.org, www.pitt.edu


Safe?

• ”Free from risk or danger”


Harm?

• Economic Harm

– individuals and families – trap of "leaving no stone unturned" for a

remedy in hopeless cases.


Harm?

• Direct Harm– death– serious injury– unnecessary suffering– disfigurement


Harm?

• Indirect Harm– delay or failure to act– overreliance upon dietary treatment


Harm?

• Psychological Harm– Misplaced trust - undermining trust in the

research and therapeutic establishment– Stealing time


Harm?

• Harm to Society– Limited resources wasted, if funds are used to

follow leads based on wishful thinking

Cancer Society of FinlandMatti RautalahtiTrue or false

- short guide to quackery• Incomplete or missing labelling

• Manufacture’s address missing or incomplete

• Costs a fortune

• Marketing uses superlatives and difficult terminology

• Marketed as ”almostmedicine”

• Ads refer to scientific experiments, books, experts, and research by official institutions

• Proof of effectiveness based on testimonials

• It is marketed as a remedy to a disease and it works on many problems

• It sounds too good to be true!

cancer society of finland matti rautalahti alternative medicine - sound and safe? matti rautalahti...

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