| Caring for someone | Cancer that has advanced | First reactions |
| Dealing with changes | Palliative care | Common symptoms |
| Unproven remedies | Death and dying |
The person with advanced cancer may feel cheated or let down by regular, medical treatment and decide to try unproven remedies. Unproven remedies are treatments that are said by the practitioners of the remedies to be effective in curing disease but are not scientifically tested or scientifically proven to be effective.
The doctors said they couldn't cure my wife but we weren't giving up. We wanted to cover every avenue available.
Seeking out different forms of treatment can give you and the person with advanced cancer a sense of control. You are both taking an active role in treating the cancer and not leaving any stone unturned. He or she may even find a greater sense of wellbeing.
Unfortunately, some unproven remedies can be harmful, for example taking high-dose vitamins while having some chemotherapy or eating an unusual diet. Unproven remedies:
Sometimes practitioners of unproven remedies can make you feel guilty if their treatment does not work. This is unjustified and unhelpful and a clear sign that you should not continue with that practitioner.
Information on unproven remedies is available from many sources such as bookstores and the Internet. Friends and family members may tell you about 'cancer cures'. Some of this information may be confusing or wrong.
Be critical of all information you receive about cancer 'cures'. Whether advised by a medical practitioner or a practitioner of unproven remedies, ask questions, verify claims, seek supporting information and be sure that the practitioner is qualified and trustworthy.
If you use the Internet to find information about cancer and its treatments, be aware that some sites contain misleading information. Be especially wary of sites that advertise unorthodox cancer 'cures' or treatments that they say the medical establishment wants to suppress.
Updated August 2008
