Saying 'No' To Conventional Cancer Treatment Available Everywhere From the back cover: "This is a story about a young woman with a very common but deadly illness who did a very uncommon thing when faced with that disease. She disagreed with her doctors, rejected their treatment advice, and chose her own path to getting well again.
Full Answer
When is it reasonable to say “no” to drug treatment?
Saying “no” may also be reasonable where the benefits from treatment are expected to be modest, yet the adverse effects from treatments are substantial. These scenarios are not uncommon in the palliative care setting. But in some circumstances, there’s a clear medical requirement for drug treatment – yet treatment is declined.
Is there evidence to support the use of CAM treatments?
Despite widespread claims, there is no evidence to support the use of any CAM treatment as a replacement for conventional cancer care.
When is it reasonable to say “no” to palliative care?
Saying “no” may also be reasonable where the benefits from treatment are expected to be modest, yet the adverse effects from treatments are substantial. These scenarios are not uncommon in the palliative care setting.
Can We follow patients that voluntarily opt out of cancer treatment?
But we can answer this question in a different way: Patients that voluntarily opt out of cancer treatment can be followed, and compared to patients that do take cancer treatment. While it isn’t a prospective randomization, which would be the gold standard, it’s the best we can get. But even this approach is difficult.
Can you say no to cancer treatment?
You don't have to have treatment. People with very advanced cancers sometimes find they'd rather treat the pain and other side effects of their cancer so that they can make the best of the time they have remaining. If you choose not to be treated, you can always change your mind.
What is conventional cancer treatment?
Treatment that is widely accepted and used by most healthcare professionals. It is different from alternative or complementary therapies, which are not as widely used. Examples of conventional treatment for cancer include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery. Also called conventional therapy.
Why do oncologists push chemo?
An oncologist may recommend chemotherapy before and/or after another treatment. For example, in a patient with breast cancer, chemotherapy may be used before surgery, to try to shrink the tumor. The same patient may benefit from chemotherapy after surgery to try to destroy remaining cancer cells.
Can I decline treatment for cancer?
Refusing treatment is a personal decision that involves not just the medical facts of the case, but the values of the person afflicted with cancer. Although it can be hard to accept, sometimes refusing treatment is the right decision to make.
What is the meaning of conventional medicine?
A system in which medical doctors and other healthcare professionals (such as nurses, pharmacists, and therapists) treat symptoms and diseases using drugs, radiation, or surgery. Also called allopathic medicine, biomedicine, mainstream medicine, orthodox medicine, and Western medicine.
What is the most successful cancer treatment?
Top of the best cancer drug list is Celgene's Revlimid (lenalidomide). This drug has been very successful in the treatment of multiple myeloma as it promotes immune responses that slow tumour growth. It is also used to treat myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).
Why do oncologists lie?
Many have fulminated against oncologists who lie to patients about their prognoses, but sometimes cancer doctors lie for or with patients to improve our chances of survival. Here's the back story in this case. The patient, a woman in her early 50s, was given a diagnosis of endometrial cancer.
Do oncologists profit from chemotherapy?
Smith, an associate professor of oncology at the Medical College of Virginia Commonwealth University, has estimated that oncologists in private practice typically make two-thirds of their practice revenue from the chemotherapy concession.
Why would chemo not be an option?
Because of chemotherapy's considerable side effects, it may not be safe for individuals who have underlying conditions. If your oncologist worries that your body is not strong enough to withstand chemotherapy, they will likely recommend other treatment options.
Why do people refuse treatment for cancer?
Cognitive aspects—where my cancer is, what my odds are—are only part of patients' decision-making, so we need to understand their emotions.” Emotions that drive refusal for treatment may stem from exhaustion, depression, or a desire not to be a burden to loved ones.
Can a patient refuse treatment?
You cannot legally be treated without your consent as a voluntary patient – you have the right to refuse treatment. This includes refusing medication that might be prescribed to you. (An exception to this is if you lack capacity to consent to treatment.)
Can you refuse medical treatment for yourself even if it means death?
Courts have upheld the right of patients to choose their own medical treatment, even when their decisions may lead to health impairment or death. The right to refuse medical treatment can only be overridden when a patient is deemed by a court to be lacking in decisional capacity.
Who wrote the book "Saying No to Conventional Cancer Treatment"?
Saying No to Conventional Cancer Treatment " is a book written by Hollie and Patrick Quinn about navigating through the shock and the fear of a breast cancer diagnosis at a very young age and during her pregnancy with their first child. It is the story of the many courageous and intelligent choices they made along the way.
What are the factors that determine the treatment of cancer?
Furthermore, the plan for treating an individual and their cancer very much depends upon the stage at which the cancer is discovered and on many other factors which include, but are not limited to, the aggressiveness, size and invasiveness of the tumor cells .
How long did it take Patrick and Hollie to learn about cancer?
Upon hearing the devastating diagnosis and the recommended toxic chemotherapy treatment, they decided to take a few months to systematically learn and understand the molecular biology of breast cancer and the cancer treatments recommended to them.
Is cancer treatment changing?
Today, the landscape of cancer treatment and diagnosis is rapidly changing . Many forward thinking Oncologists and Oncology Centers now include Alternative Cancer Care in the treatment plans of their patients. Because our understanding of cancer genetics is advancing, Oncologists are beginning to acknowledge that Cancer Care can now become more ...
Can breast cancer be resolved without treatment?
Some researchers now believe that early forms of breast cancer may spontaneously resolve without treatment. Therefore, because this book is the story of just one woman, no generalizations or assumptions can be made about other women facing breast cancer.
Should I expect to live if I have breast cancer?
It is also true, that in America today, if a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, she should "Expect to live," according to Kristi Funk, M.D., Breast Surgeon. This is because there is very good and effective treatment for breast cancer within both the conventional and alternative cancer worlds. It is also because we do our best ...
Is breast cancer a choice?
This is not a choice for everyone. Cancer is not one disease. Breast cancer is not one disease. There are breast cancers -- plural. Whether or not a person with cancer should choose a conventional treatment path or choose a path of Integrative Cancer Care, combining the best of both worlds, must be an informed choice based on evidence and research, ...
