Alternative medicine = Bogus medicine

The scum of the EARTH....
People who sell quack Cancer treatments.

Here is the article that has left me so enraged;

http://quackwatch.com/13Hx/MM/17.html

Well, you say, so what can it hurt? Why not give people hope?

Because Most of the time, the VAST MAJORITY of the time, the people who pedal this junk know full well that it is snake oil.

The cancer patients themselves are desperate and vulnerable. They are not as discerning as they would normally be. They are also tired. Worn out with medications and treatments and side effects. This stuff seems like a miracle, a simple easy way out.

I do not blame the victims. Treatment is difficult. In many cases the best decision is not to treat, Hospice care or pain managment is the best course of action.

Unfortunately Some will try out quack cancer remedies in place of better treatment that might actually work. Others will use up financial resources as well as mental and physical energy to pursue a treatment that has no medical value.

I hate it. It is not "alternative"medicine, it is BOGUS medicine. Trying different treatments can be important. Patients should be comfortable witht heir dctors and have good care. Good nutrition is important. Psychological counselling can help. Patients who are not getting what they believe is the proper care should get a second opinion. DO NOT simply decide that some QUACK on late night TV suddenly knows more than your doctor.

Many different treatments can be used to fight cancer. These are not to be confused with BOGUS treatments. Doctors themselves may be slow to condemn such practices, careful to preserve lines of communication. Slow to tell their patients that they are doing stuff that is CRAZY.

It is CRAZY. Alternative medicine is, in general, a waste of time and money. Those who subscribe to such practices are quick to defend themselves. I have been very careful not to offend people who believe in alternative (bogus) medicine. It is a belief system. It is a placebo effect.

What is wrong with the placebo effect working? Why not let someone recover due to positive thinking as a result of snake oil ? Well, The recovery is credited to the quack treatment, which gives it "credit" and encourages others to forego modern medicine in favor of the bogus treatment. Hence the "Palcebo effect" recovery may prevent recovery from the "medical effect"

The Dirtbags who sell and promote this stuff do it out of pride or ignorance. This is why it is most prevalent in rural communities and among the undereducated.

Science education is great. Not only do people learn about natural systems and laws, but also how to research and learn. Critical thinking skills are important. Don't believe me? Just try to hold a conversation with someone who does not have them.

I used to give perveyors of Bogus medicine the benefit of the doubt ("maybe there is medicinal value in tree sap;,perhaps a study I don't know about?"). I now believe that this is the wrong approach. I need to stand up for truth where ever I find it, else my silence may be taken as an endorsement and I become a participant in a lie.

This week I will be especially vigilant in this. Watchout people.