Most unproven methods have never been studied at all. The only "proof" their developers usually offer is the display of people who—the practitioners say—have been cured by their therapy. The "beneficiaries" of the miracle treatment may be displayed live during some publicity event. Or they may testify to the worth of the treatment in writing, often in a brochure. Of course, it is not possible to know from these kinds of displays whether people were cured by the unproven method, whether they received conventional treatment before or at the same time as receiving the unproven treatment or if they were, in fact, ever diagnosed as having cancer at all.
Stories told by or about a patient are called anecdotal reports, and they can sound very impressive and persuasive. Even assuming they are true, however, no faith can be placed in anecdotal reports about one or even a few patients. Careful study of many clinically similar patients is required before a legitimate conclusion can be drawn about any new therapy.
The Appeal of New Methods To people with cancer and their families, unproven treatments can look very appealing, especially when no conventional treatment is left to be tried. They may be drawn to some unorthodox remedy even if there is no solid evidence that a product or procedure is beneficial. Patients and families may be ready to try anything, feeling that they have nothing to lose.
But they do indeed stand to lose. For many cancers, cure or long-term remission requires treatment at early stages of the disease. A prolonged delay while a patient undergoes some form of unorthodox treatment may
