Scarcity of Integrative Oncologists
From the beginning of my book project for A New Strategy for the War on Cancer, I planned for an Appendix that would list where cancer victims could go for integrative treatment. As I searched for clinics, centers, and institutions that offered natural complementary therapies managed by certified oncologists, I was disappointed to learn just how few there were. Although these complementary therapies are becoming more prevalent each year, they are still far from being readily accessible to the general population.
Plenty of small clinics offer various natural alternative therapies, but most are administered by naturopaths or other non-physician practitioners. I am not critical of that or deny their right to do that. However, my focus is on certified oncologists who realize the benefit of natural therapies and prescribe them as necessary complements to conventional treatment. I believe that is the future of cancer treatment that works.
As I searched for integrative oncologists, I found them relatively accessible to potential patients on the east and west coasts. They were especially available in major medical school clinics like those of Harvard, Yale, Duke, UCLA, UCSF, etc. Of course, Cancer Treatment Centers of America that you see advertised on TV have hospitals in the north central and northwest areas of the country. A few are found in Arizona and Nevada where the state agencies are receptive of them. Outside of M.D. Anderson in Houston, which has a relative small presence of integrative oncologists, very little is available in the south and south east. Regardless of where one might live, it is very seldom that such capability is available within a short, convenient drive.
A principal part of the new strategy is to encourage cancer patients to request complementary treatements from their oncologists. Until that happens, integrative oncologists will not be inclined to expand their practices, and conventional oncologists will not have incentive to broaden their practice into complementary therapies. In our free market economy reliance on supply and demand prinicples, we must make all oncologists feel the demand for complementary therapy options. That is done through education and information. We all need to become involved in spreading the word. That will be the thrust of my book.
February 12th, 2010 at 03:40
Looking forward to reading your book. I trust that you included the Block Center for Integrative Cancer Treatment in Evanston, IL. Keith Block is widely considered the pioneer of integrative oncology and is who Andrew Weil would go see if he were ever diagnosed with a malignancy.
http://www.blockmd.com/
February 12th, 2010 at 17:05
I certainly have the Block Center on my list. If you have any others that you think I might have missed, let me know. Thanks.