unproven method for cancer management

Any of the unorthodox therapies of dubious benefit offered by self-proclaimed cancer specialists—who may have little formal medical training

unproven method for cancer management

Fringe oncology Any of the unorthodox therapies of uncertain benefit offered by self-proclaimed cancer specialists–who may have little formal medical training; in a comparison study at similar stages of terminal malignancy between Pts treated with conventional and unproven cancer therapies, those receiving conventional therapy had better survival and quality-of-life scores than those receiving an unproven regimen, which consisted of a combination of autogenous immune-enhancing vaccines, bacille Calmette-Guérin–bCG, vegetarian diets and coffee enemas–the difference does not reach statistical significance Methods of unproven care Bioelectromagnetic applications Electromagnetic field manipulation, electrostimulation and neurostimulation devices, magnetoresonance spectroscopy, blue and other colored light treatment, artificial light therapy Lifestyle changes Changes in habits and lifestyle, diet, nutrition, megavitamins, macrobiotics, nutritional supplements Mind/body control Various external or internal therapies–art, humor, hypnosis, music, and prayer, relaxation techniques–biofeedback training, yoga, meditation, counseling Pharmacological and Biological Treatments Antioxidizing agents–eg vitamin A and E, oxidizing agents,1 cell treatment, chelation therapy,2 herbal medicine, naturopathy, metabolic therapy Structural and Energetic Therapies Acupressure, aromatherapy, ayurvedic medicine, bodywork, chiropractic, herbal medicine, massage therapy, reflexology, shiatsu Traditional and Ethnomedicine Acupuncture, ayurveda, herbs, homeopathy, Native American medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, folk medicine 1Eg hydrogen peroxide–H2O2, ozone, both identified by the FDA as fraudulent2Other than for accepted medical indications, eg desferroxamine for hemochromatosis AMN 21/11/94 p13