Unorthodox therapy and your cancer patient

Abstract

Despite progress in cancer therapy, unorthodox treatments continue to hold a fascination for cancer patients. Studies have suggested that more than 50% of patients undergoing conventional cancer therapy simultaneously pursue unorthodox programs, often from an early stage of their illness. A substantial proportion of such patients ultimately reject conventional treatments. Physicians should be aware of the magnitude of this problem and of strategies that can be employed to combat it.