Cancer Is The Largest Revenue Generator Of American Traditional Medicine

Steve Jobs tried alternative medicine after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer before changing to conventional medicine until he died in 2011 (Williams, 2012, 90). Alternative medicine is defined as “a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices and products that are not presently considered part of conventional medicine”(NCCAM, 2011, 92). Moreover, people have known about alternative medicine for many years and some prefer it to conventional medicine. Thus, insurance companies should cover alternative medicine for two important reasons.

An increasing number of medical schools are now offering courses in alternative medicine for their students, and some hospitals already have alternative medicine departments. The availability of healers and doctors practicing holistic medicine has also increased in recent years, and more and more people are educating themselves in these new fields. In fact, the World Health Organization estimates that between 65 and 80 percent of the world’s population (about 3 billion people) rely on traditional medicine as their primary form of health care.

Before chemotherapy the survival rate of people with cancer was lower. Cancer cannot be eliminated by natural resources; however, there is a way for someone who has had it to prevent it from coming back. It has been proven that if you get cancer it is likely to come back between 6 to 10 times. You can prevent this by eating healthy. By eating healthy you strengthen your immune system allowing it to be able to fight and destroy the cancer cells living in your body. Chemotherapy has helped society by helping save millions, maybe even billions of peoples’ lives. In my opinion I think that scientist, chemist, and oncologist

In modern medicine, alternative therapies are poorly understood and studied. The preference for alternative therapies, and herbal medicine were indicated, and the fear of relinquishing information regarding these practices were almost paralyzing. It seemed as though they were ashamed to admit to cultural healing practices, and did not divulge information to practitioners regarding their usage. The cultural disconnect was present as alternative/complimentary medicines are valued as a culture, and “modern” practitioners cast judgment on their usage. This perceived stigma additionally limited the information shared by the cultural participants with modern medical treatments, potentially causing additional harm, as some herbals are potentially toxic.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death. What if there was a safe, natural herb that could work for nearly every type of cancer?

Today we have alternative medicine which was developed thousands of years ago and have a long-standing historical value of effectiveness, advantages, and some drawbacks. Diagnosis was the first approach to any illness. Alternative medicine looks at the factors of equilibrium and the environment in which one lives and the disease is considered an imbalance between the two; cleansing the whole body than on a particular problem to get the balance back in sync. Very much the description of the Buddhist and the Greek cultures of medicine and healing the

(Audience: American physicians, patients, legislators, and insurers who are wary of alternative medicine and its growing popularity)

Abstract Cancer “Sucks” and many individuals today are dealing with it or know someone who has dealt with it. The late president Richard Nixon declared war on cancer in 1971 and we have been fighting the battle ever since (McCarthy, 2015, paras. 16). Since the declaration many possible cures were developed and chemotherapy is the one which seems to work on almost every cancer. However, this treatment has drawbacks that are either controversial or questionable as to what degree they help with defeating cancer.

there are many other forms of treatment that can slow the cancer, but none that leave the patient completely cancer free

Other complementary and alternative treatments can be found in common foods that are consumed every day on a regular basis in the United States and are a little more commonly known to the average American, unlike the use of medicinal mushrooms. Simple dietary supplements, such as green tea and pomegranate fruit juice or extract can have powerful effects on cancer and the human body. Take for example green tea, which contains several polyphenols that

Why focus on treatment instead of finding a cure? It is simple; there is in profit in finding a cure for cancer. Desperate and eager to live, the typical cancer patient spends about $50,000 fighting the disease. Chemotherapy drugs are among the most expensive of all treatments, many ranging from $3,000 to $7,000 for a one-month supply. If the cancer industry allows a cure, then their patient base goes away (Dr. Mercola, D. (2011, January 1). Cancer: Forbidden Cures | Natural Cancer Treatment. Retrieved February 26, 2015, from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/03/natural-cancer-treatment.aspx.) It makes more

As a result, the amount of money that gets propelled back into the healthcare industry skyrockets as the list of medical issues following these treatments grows more and more extensive. A study done by Dr. John Diamond shows that females who undergo chemotherapy and radiation treatments “face a 35% chance of developing breast cancer by the time they are 40, which is 75 times greater than average” (Dr. John Diamond, MD). Chemotherapy and radiation have been proven to weaken, and sometimes completely destroy, the immune system. This makes the already physically unstable patient even more susceptible to illnesses and diseases that they wouldn 't otherwise have had to worry about. Consequently, the recurrence of cancer is a very likely, and in some cases, unavoidable. But it is unacceptable that the most common and easily accessible drug is the reason why 35% of patients will develop a second cancer (haematologica.org). Many other cancers can come as a result of chemotherapy too. One study found that, "Patients who underwent chemo were 14 times more likely to develop leukemia and 6 times more likely to develop cancers of the bones, joints, and soft tissues than those patients who did not undergo

Herbal medicine has been used for many, many years and is a great natural alternative to modern medicine.

The article chosen for this assignment is “Oncology Pain and Complementary Therapy” by Running and Turnbeaugh (2011). The researchers conducted a literature review of complementary remedies, evidence utilized in treating cancer patient pain and control symptoms (Running & Turnbeaugh, 2011). The utmost mass of patients that have progressed cancer suffers great pain and almost half of these patients have moderate to severe pain (Running & Turnbeaugh, 2011).

By examining some of the most popular, enduring alternative medical systems, one can begin to see some general trends of the systems, understand some recurring flaws, and understand the attraction and usefulness of alternative medicine in today's health care system. However, alternative medicine remains controversial. Whether it can be supported scientifically or not, alternative medicine may be useful to encourage both physical and mental well-being via a placebo effect. For this reason, alternative medicine must be considered by physicians as a complement to modern medicine.