Seek Knowledge, Gain Confusion

Kim Brooks

I live in that confusing, highly-charged space between conventional and alternative medicine. I think a lot of people live here with me. We want the benefit of both; research-based, proven treatments, and the "natural" or "alternative" support for that treatment.

David Servan-Schreiber, in Anti-Cancer, convinced me that there are substantial reasons to change diet and lifestyle to effectively combat cancer; he also was himself an MD and believed in conventional medicine. So I take his lead, and that of Richard Beliveau in Foods to Fight Cancer. on how the anti-cancer foods and lifestyle can change our lives.

Chikitzo 1

This morning I was after evidence of a connection between frankincense and brain cancer, and followed a couple of interesting links. This digression took me, within a couple of clicks, to the Sloan-Kettering database of herbal/natural medicines: what they were purported to do, what evidence there is to support or not support its effectiveness, and how it interacts with chemotherapy.

The site was so interesting to me that I read it through this morning's migraine. By the time the Imitrex took effect, I was a good way through the alphabetical list. It's an attractive and well-organized site, and has what you would expect: it mostly discredits herbal/natural remedies.

I found a way to interpret what they found. In general, if they said, "This does not prevent cancer," then it means that there WAS some study or other, and it had no impact on cancer. "This has not been shown to prevent cancer in humans" is a different story -- it means there might be laboratory evidence, in-vitro or animal studies, that do show benefit. What this says to me is that nobody has found it profitable to put money behind an extensive clinical study. It does not mean that the nutrient should be rejected.

When they did say that some herb, nutrient or supplement I give Lindy WAS backed by significant evidence I felt like jumping up and ringing a bell. Like I won the lottery.

I'm addicted to information, but in this area I will never have enough. It leaves me in a perennial state of unbalance. For awhile reading advances my understanding and my happiness. Then I read more and some of what I already read gets discredited. Four different information sources will mention 3 different attributes of berries. One will say, Great Antioxidents! Eat Lots! Another says, Don't Cook! Will Destroy Benefits! And yet another says, 95% Of Benefit are in Raspberry Seeds! Finally there's the one that says There Is No Evidence Berries Do Anything.

We have seen a naturopath who we like and seems very knowledgeable and experienced about integrating diet/supplements with conventional oncology and she's worked extensively with our own oncologist. So I do what she says.  But I can't rest there. Living in this space between medicine and alternatives will always result in a giant question-mark hanging over my head wherever I go.

I never did finish my search about frankincense and brain cancer. Back to it I go.

Lisa