[Unproven treatments in cancerology]

A socio-ethnologic study of 21 patients localized or metastatic cancer with which consisted of 8-hour in-depth interview and family interviews determined 3 categories of cancer patients which used unproven methods. The first category (No 5) decided to use unproven methods immediately after classical treatment in order to improve the possibility of cure. These patients had already used unproven methods for benign illness. The second category (No 11) used unproven treatments a certain while after the completion of all classical treatment, to reduce the adverse effects of radiotherapy or chemotherapy and to prevent recurrences. The last category (No 5) used the unproven treatments before any classical treatment was treatment carried out, due to fear or lack of confidence in classical treatment. The frequency of unproven treatment among cancer patients is estimated at 52%. In most cases patients who were not representative of a specific socioeconomic level used classical treatment in parallel with unproven methods prescribed either by non medical (No 12) or medical doctors (No 9). Among these very few are permanent prescriptor and advice patient to take exclusively the unproven methods. A better information of patients and better relationships between patient and doctor can improve the chance of cure.