The three main treatment methods, namely surgery, radiation and chemotherapy may be considered 'scientific' by the medical community but their effectiveness is open to debate and and at the same time highly damaging to the health of the patient. The major drawbacks of these three treatment methods are listed below :-

Surgery

1. Surgery-as in the case of brain tumours-where the space available is limited, will inevitably cause brain damage. Even benign tumours run the risk of injuring the brain when surgical procedure is involved.

2. When a tumour is cut, either for a biopsy or during a surgical removal, the possibility of cancer cells getting released into the blood supply and thereby spreading the disease to other parts of the body is very real.

3. It is highly likely that the removal of the main tumour after a 'successful' surgery may lead to the development of tumours in other places due to the control exercised previously by the surgically removed tumour.

4. In particular instances of surgery, as in the case of colon cancer where a significant portion of the colon is removed, the long term impact is severe enough to interfere with any future attempts to regain health through other means.

5. The risk of infection from many of the viruses and bacteria that are now endemic in surgical units and other places in hospitals are dangerous enough to kill patients who have compromised immune system as in the case of cancer.

Radiation

1. Ionizing radiation can be considered fully effective against cancer cells only if the surrounding healthy cells are also killed. So the damage to organs nearby is inevitable and serious as in the case of the pelvic area.

2. Another problem with radiation is that areas that have been irradiated cannot subsequently be operated on as the body's ability to heal is severely compromised.

3. Cancer cells occur in areas of low oxygenation and it is highly unlikely that radiation will kill all of them as radiation therapy is more effective only in areas of high oxygenation.

4. Cancer tumours that survive exposure to radiation are likely to become more aggressive and more resistant to control by other means. As a result the cancer spreads faster than before and is harder to stop.

Chemotherapy

1. Though some cancers have shown a very positive response to chemotherapy, the overall effectiveness of this form of treatment for all major cancers is only marginal.

2. Chemotherapy, like radiation, makes cancer tumours more aggressive. After the initial shrinking, the tumour grows again and any further sessions of this therapy is unhelpful.

3. Chemotherapy has an extremely damaging impact on your health. All the drugs used in this therapy have an adverse effect on the normal cells too. For example, the cells that lubricate all our internal tubes get damaged during chemotherapy thereby causing major problems for our urinary system.

4. Children undergoing chemotherapy for any type of cancer have a higher risk of mental retardation.

5. Most chemotherapy regimes are very painful and involve a lot of discomfort.

CONCLUSION

It is the individual choice of everyone, whether to opt for the orthodox form of treatment or look for alternative methods. But being informed  beforehand of the costs and benefits of such treatments can make our journey towards a healthier lifestyle less burdensome and help us take our every step with more conviction.