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Stage 1 Throat Cancer. Will It Be Cured By Gerson Diet?
Question: I have a friend I am worried about who has throat cancer, Stage 1. He is refusing conventional radiation therapy and is on the Gerson diet. He believes this diet will cure his throat cancer. Do you know of any links I can send him outlining the hazards of the Gerson diet? Thanks for your help.
Hello and thanks for the query.
There are no reliable sites which outline hazards of this diet. The diet itself is relatively healthy BUT there has never been any randomized controlled clinical trial which has demonstrated that this diet is curative of any cancer.
What needs to be emphasized is the curative success of conventional therapy. This is a cancer that can be cured and is often cured! This can not be emphasized enough especially in early stages.
Your friend needs to understand the advances we have made in the field of radiation oncology. We are now able to target the beams very precisely to limit toxicity as well as long term side effects.
Until your friend understands and embraces the therapeutic potential of conventional treatment I think it will be very difficult to sway his opinion.
The risk in the diet is assuming that these foods can kill cancer cells. This is simply not true and has never been proven.
I know you are frustrated with your friends current decision. I encourage you to be strong an persistent in helping him understand the curative benefit of radiation.
Thanks for your query. I am available to discuss any additional follow up concerns.
Sincerely,
Dr Robert
There are no reliable sites which outline hazards of this diet. The diet itself is relatively healthy BUT there has never been any randomized controlled clinical trial which has demonstrated that this diet is curative of any cancer.
What needs to be emphasized is the curative success of conventional therapy. This is a cancer that can be cured and is often cured! This can not be emphasized enough especially in early stages.
Your friend needs to understand the advances we have made in the field of radiation oncology. We are now able to target the beams very precisely to limit toxicity as well as long term side effects.
Until your friend understands and embraces the therapeutic potential of conventional treatment I think it will be very difficult to sway his opinion.
The risk in the diet is assuming that these foods can kill cancer cells. This is simply not true and has never been proven.
I know you are frustrated with your friends current decision. I encourage you to be strong an persistent in helping him understand the curative benefit of radiation.
Thanks for your query. I am available to discuss any additional follow up concerns.
Sincerely,
Dr Robert
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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