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
Alternative or unconventional treatments of cancer and other diseases are becoming commonplace with patients tiring of traditional therapies which simply don't work. These non-traditional treatments vary from acupuncture and herbal remedies borrowed from Oriental medicine, to special diets, chiropractic, massage and supplements. This paper will look at alternative and unconventional treatments for cancer, examining physicians attitudes to alternative therapies, insurance coverage for such unconventional treatments, funding for research into alternative medical therapies, and what choices are available to, and made by, the individual seeking treatment.
Studies show that one-third of Americans use alternative or complementary medicine every year (An About Face at the AMA, 1996). The American Medical Association (AMA) went as far as issuing a new position paper urging physicians to learn more about alternative medicine and lauded the work of the Office of Alternative Medicine (OAM) in evaluating various alternative treatments. Twelve major insurance companies are now reimbursing policy holders for alternative treatments because they are finding them cost-effective in many cases, and the first alternative HMO is...