Z Gesamte Inn Med. 1987 Sep; 42(18): 525-8.

[Alternative medicine in oncology]

Tanneberger S.

Zentralinstitut f�r Krebsforschung, Akademie der Wissenschaften der DDR Berlin-Buch.

Unsolved medical key problems always gave and give way to outsider ideas and alternative-medical activities. This is normal and intellectually to be performed and often to be experienced in a humane respect. The problem of cancer with its great social relevance, but above all with its high moral claim to an early solution is particularly attractive for alternative-medical initiatives. These can be classified into the subjects of alternative diagnostics of cancer, immunotherapy, physiotherapy/homoepathy/organotherapy, anthroposophical cancer therapy, cancer diets and hypertherapy/multistep therapy. The analysis of these initiatives shows that the alternative medicine in oncology, and this is perhaps typical, not on a small scale is determined by personalities with philanthropic ideals, a superelevated consciousness of mission or lost self-criticism. Errors of famous scientists in the younger past are deplorable. Indeed, alternative medicine always means a scientifically devious subject, but on no account an offence against the scientific morality. Alternatively thinking personalities with their ideas may even stimulate, provoke and clarify scientific standpoints. But the analysis of initiatives given also shows that the alternative medicine in oncology may lead to deplorable commercial (iscador, carnivora) or medical doubts. Thus alternative medicine may become a disadvantage, a danger for science (lavished means) and society (misguidance of patients).