Alternative cancer treatments
Since the 1940s, medical science has developed chemotherapy, radiation therapy, adjuvant therapy and the newer targeted therapies, as well as refined surgical techniques for removing cancer. Before the development of these modern, evidence-based treatments, 90% of cancer patients died within five years. With modern mainstream treatments, only 34% of cancer patients die within five years. However, while mainstream forms of cancer treatment generally prolong life or permanently cure cancer, most treatments also have side effects ranging from unpleasant to fatal, such as pain, blood clots, fatigue, and infection. These side effects and the lack of a guarantee that treatment will be successful create appeal for alternative treatments for cancer, which purport to cause fewer side effects or to increase survival rates despite evidence to suggest a 2–5 fold increase in death with alternative medicines.
Fertiprotekt
As a result of today’s significantly improved prognosis for patients with cancer, quality of life is increasingly important after overcoming treatment of the disease. Fears about fertility preservation play an important role for young men and women. The most common types of cancer diagnosed under the age of 40 years are breast cancer, melanoma, cervical cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and leukaemia. One of the biggest problems in women who have to undergo chemo- or radiotherapy is premature ovarian failure (premature ovarian insufficiency) and its associated infertility. For breast cancer alone, it is assumed that there are ca. 200 patients a year in Germany who wish to conceive. In men, chemotherapy can result in permanent damage to the testicular tissue. Due to advances in reproductive medicine, a variety of fertility-protective methods are now available. These techniques include administration of GnRH-agonists, ovarian stimulation with cryoconservation of fertilised or unfertilised oocytes, as well as cryoconservation of ovarian tissue. Relocation of the ovaries by surgically moving them out of the pelvis (ovarian transposition) to protect them from damage caused by radiotherapy is also possible.