Cancer, unproven therapies, and magic

Commonly used by cancer patients, unproven therapies are treatments that th e practitioner claims cart alter the disease process although there is no p roof to support the claim. The reasons for the popularity of uproven therap ies fall into two categories-practical considerations and fundamental mecha nisms. Research has implicated the following practical factors: a pragmatic search for relief of symptoms, expression of a philosophical view; a need to reestablish a sense of control in life, and dissatisfaction with convent ional medicine. Fundamental mechanisms include traditional magic, the heroi c individual, and a delusional pattern of thinking. Underpinning and genera ting these factors is the fear of death, Particularly in patients with canc er, this is not only a fear of nonexistence, bat of loneliness, the unknown , pain, loss of control, and emptiness, The popularity of unproven therapie s poses a challenge to the medical system at large, and oncologists, psycho -oncologists, and palliative-care physicians, in particular. The essence of the challenge is to understand the reasons for the use of unproven therapi es, to analyze our own behavior, and conclude what if anything our response should be. Unproven therapies (as with magic, a sense of heroism, and delu sional thinking)f ulfil the function of resolving the inexplicable and the psychologically painful-ie, relieving the anxiety associated with cancer.