An Alternative Medicine Definitive Guide to Cancer

Provides information on alternative cancer treatments and includes patient case histories

Although there is some worthwhile information here, this new title from the publisher of Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide (LJ 6/1/94) would definitely not be a public library's first choice for a book on alternative cancer therapies. Some of the information could be useful to health practitioners counseling patients using alternative remedies or to patients with cancer who have some knowledge of how to evaluate such remedies. But the book's clear political agenda limits its usefulness in most libraries. The preface sets the tone by implying that many doctors reject alternative medicine because they will have to "go back to school to catch up." Although there are some scientific references, many of the claims made are not documented. The chapter "How Cancer Politics Have Kept You in the Dark Regarding Successful Alternatives" is particularly hostile, stating that "the result is that chemotherapy, radiation and surgery are the law of the land as cancer treatments?for political, not therapeutic reasons." Occasionally, a recommendation has some credibility, and the authors give a good synopsis of studies on the herb Essiac, suggesting that it be "combin[ed]...with other anticancer agents and other cancer-fighting modalities." One hopes that most readers will realize that these recommendations should be discussed with a mainstream physician. Better choices on alternative cancer therapies include Ross Pelton's Alternative in Cancer Therapy (LJ 6/1/94) and Michael Lerner's Choices in Healing: Integrating the Best of Conventional and Complementary Approaches to Cancer (LJ 6/1/94).?Natalie Kupferberg, Ferris State Univ. Lib., Big Rapids, Mich.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.