Robert McIntosh, M.B., B.S., F.R.A.C.P.

As a practising cancer specialist, I see many patients whose cancers are incurable, and the aim of any therapy — whether chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or purely symptomatic care — is to lessen their symptoms and thereby improve their quality of life. Once the options for active treatments have been exhausted, it is easy to understand why so many patients choose to pursue unorthodox therapies. The practitioners of these treatments usually promise patients far more than I can, and they offer hope to desperate people. My patients often justify seeking such treatment with, “I have nothing to lose.” Regrettably, I am now well informed on how much they have to lose. My wife’s sister Robyn was 42 years old when she was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. Unfortunately, …