The Dangers of Ignoring "Conventional" Treatment

[dinah77, ADN]

A public memorial will be held on Friday to farewell Jessica Ainscough, a young woman who forged a career during her short life promoting alternative therapies for cancer.

After seven years battling her extremely rare cancer, epithelioid sarcoma, it claimed her life 10 days ago at home with family on the Sunshine Coast.

Two years ago, Ms Ainscough lost her mother to breast cancer after she rejected conventional medicine in favour of alternative treatments.

Cancer death of 'Wellness Warrior' Jess Ainscough brings focus onto alternative treatments

[yhl1975]

It is so sad:The patient died from "alternative"/"allopathic".

How many patients died from chemotherapy?

Nobody wants to "kill", as nobody wants to "be dead", especially with cancer. And still there is a demand of all "other" treatments. In microeconomics, supply and demand is an economic model of price determination in a market. Lets pray, that clients will choose certified practitioners that work by standards of care with evidence based protocols.

"Noli nocere"

[cayenne06, MSN, CNM]

Grown adults are free to do whatever they want with their health. But I am CERTAIN that pseudoscientific "health care" providers helped guide this woman through her "treatment." Makes me red with rage. Any health care provider who uses their position of authority to steer patients away from effective medicine should be ashamed of themselves. Grossly unethical.

So sorry for the loved ones of this poor woman. Sad story, but maybe it will help other patients make better decisions.

[JustMeRN]

If I recall correctly, this young woman was advised her odds of survival would be very good if she underwent a high arm amputation. She chose Gerson therapy. She did well for a few years and I believe became somewhat of an alternative health internet celebrity. Her mother was diagnosed with a highly treatable form of breast cancer, but chose Gerson therapy with her daughters encouragement. Now they are both dead much sooner than they should have been. These are the cases that point out why we need to actively fight back against the creeping in of unproven alternative therapies. This is the reason why we can no longer think "meh, what's the harm in a little woo if it makes you feel better". This is the harm, and the price is life. This infuriates me!

[Nashvillejeanne]

After 15 years in the hospice field, I am not so sure the cancer kills the patient or is it the chemo/radiation that kills the patient? Either way the patient is dead. We should be able to choose our own pathway of treatment. I would be very hard pressed to "choose "chemo or radiation. It would depend on the situation, but it would be a hard sell. I work hard to prevent. I have seen way too much.