Cracking down on cancer quackery

I was pleased to see that the FDA has started to crack down on 23 companies and two individual entrepreneurs selling "alternative" cancer treatments. Specifically, the FDA has demanded that these folks stop claiming their products work to cure cancer, or face criminal charges or seizures of the product. The list of the suspect sellers is here. The FDA has done this sort of action before, though this one is relatively large in size in comparison. The FDA is continuing to request that the public report any herbal or alternative products they come across that claim to cure cancer.

This is all welcome news to curb what I feel is the exploitation of understandably desperate cancer patients and their families. Newsweek had a somewhat recent article about a familiar sounding case. For a few months, I had that article taped to my office door at work. At least weekly I am asked about some ï¿½alternative therapy.ï¿½ Really, I prefer the quackwatch.com term, ï¿½non-evidence based therapy.ï¿½ Most of the time, I am not opposed to someone trying it, if they wish to. The vast majority of my patients who inquire want to use some herbs along with standard chemotherapy. I usually add the caveat that these alternative treatments are not proven to work, or in some cases, have been disproved. I also have the patient speak with our cancer pharmacists to ensure there are no interactions with their antiemetics or oral chemotherapy. However, the more distressing cases are those who do only alternative therapies in lieu of conventional therapy. I think all oncologists have treated or known at least a few patients who chose that route, and the path is always heartbreaking. A nice list of common agents that I frequently refer to is here.. In the end, we can only supply our opinion of the treatment in question, support our patients, and be there when they need us, or if they change their minds.