The following organisations may provide useful additional information towards reaching a balanced assessment of options in the treatment & management of cancer and other degenerative diseases.
Australia
The Gawler Cancer Foundation and Yarra Valley Living Centre is a private not for profit & non-denominational organisation, that promotes a whole-person (holistic) and integrative approach to health, healing and wellbeing.
Many cancer patients take advantage of the Foundation’s 5 or 10-day cancer courses originally developed by its founder Dr Ian Gawler, which are based on 7 elements that deal with potential causes: Regular Meditation, Good Nutrition, Power of the Mind, Emotional Healing, Quest for Meaning, Moderate Exercise and Effective Support.
The Quest for Life Foundation was established in 1989 by Petrea King and offers intensive educational support programs and community-based workshops that encourage, educate and empower people with the tools to create emotional resilience and peace of mind. Assisting people from all walks of life the Foundation provides a proven, effective and holistic approach to physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.
Solaris Cancer Care (a merger between the Cancer Support Association of Western Australia and the Solaris Foundation in 2016) is centred around assisting individuals diagnosed with cancer to live well. It evolved out of a clear demand from cancer patients for a wellness approach to cancer in Western Australia and is a leading authority on integrating natural and complementary therapies with conventional care.
The Cochrane Library is an online health information resource containing a regularly updated collection of evidence-based databases, including over 6,000 Cochrane reviews. These reviews explore the evidence for and against the effectiveness and appropriateness of different treatments in specific circumstances. Each review features a Plain Language Summary, with the aim of making the information accessible to everyone. The Cochrane Library also includes editorials and special collections focusing on high profile health areas.
As part of the Department of Health, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) safeguards and enhances the health of the Australian community through effective and timely regulation of therapeutic goods (medicine & medical devices). As no therapeutic good is risk free, the level of TGA regulatory control increases with the level of risk the medicine or device can pose and determines how consumers can access these goods.
This is a useful information site, e.g. with reference to “Access to medical cannabis products”.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is the Australian Government agency which develops and administers the Australian New Zealand Food Standards Code. The Code regulates the use of ingredients, processing aids, coloring agents, additives, vitamins and minerals. FSANZ is responsible for labelling for both packaged and unpackaged food, including specific mandatory warnings or advisory labels.
The Food Intolerance Network consists of 13700 families, mostly in Australia and New Zealand. This private network provides independent information about the effects of food on behaviour, health and learning in both children and adults. Additionally, it supports families using a low-chemical elimination diet free of additives, low in salicylates, amines and flavor enhancers (FAILSAFE) for health, behaviour and learning problems.
Nutrition Australia is an independent, non-government, non-profit, member based-organisation that aims to promote the health and wellbeing of all Australians. Originally known as the Australian Nutrition Foundation Inc., it was founded in 1979, became incorporated in 1981 and commenced trading as Nutrition Australia in 2001. It is Australia’s peak community nutrition education body, providing scientifically based nutrition information to encourage all Australians to achieve optimal health through food variety and physical activity.
Members of Nutrition Australia include the general public and some of Australia’s most influential food and nutrition experts, together making Nutrition Australia a key nutrition voice in Australia.
Europe
Cochrane is a global independent network of researchers, professionals, patients, carers and people interested in health, who work together to produce credible, accessible health information that is free from commercial sponsorship and other conflicts of interest. Many of its contributors are world leaders in their fields – medicine, health policy, research methodology, or consumer advocacy – and our groups are situated in some of the world’s most respected academic and medical institutions.
The Cochrane Library (ISSN 1465-1858) is a collection of six databases that contain different types of high-quality, independent evidence to inform healthcare decision-making, and a seventh database that provides information about Cochrane groups.
The Clinical Evidence Group BMJ systematic reviews summarise the current state of knowledge – and uncertainty – about the prevention and treatment of clinical conditions, based on thorough searches and appraisal of the literature. They don’t tell you what to do: they just describe the best available evidence from systematic reviews, randomised controlled trials (RCTs), and observational studies where appropriate. And, if there is no good evidence, the Clinical Evidence Group BMJ say so.
Please note that this is a user-pay online service.
Penny Brohn UK is the leading UK charity specialising in a whole person approach to cancer, known as the Bristol Whole Life Approach. This approach recognises that, to be healthy, we need to pay attention to all parts of ourselves – our mind, body, spirit and emotions, as these are all closely connected and work together to support our immune system and its ability to keep us well. Penny Brohn UK has helped and supported thousands of people through their experience of cancer for over 36 years and we know this approach really does work.
Penny Brohn UK supports every aspect of a person’s life, helping them build resilience and live the best life possible, whatever their circumstances. We show people how healthy eating, staying active, managing stress and reconnecting with the things we love can make a big difference to our health and wellbeing.
Bringing together both medical advice and complementary approaches, Penny Brohn UK finds the best of what works for each individual and helps them find what they need, to live as well as they can.
The Gentle Approach to Cancer is a Cancer Support Group based in Preston, Lancashire, offering a truly holistic approach. This organisation helps you to look at your own needs and to value time doing things that bring you joy.
The support group offers advice and counselling for cancer patients and their families; diet, lifestyle, positive thinking, stress control and relaxation, as well as a range of therapies. The Gentle Approach to Cancer support is complementary to medical treatment and not an alternative to it.
The Paracelsus Clinic is the leading center for alternative medicine in Europe. Founded over 50 years ago near St. Gallen, Switzerland, it attracts patients from all over the world, and teaches the methods of its “biological medicine” to physicians everywhere. The Clinic has an international network of affiliated doctors who rely on us for their most difficult cases.
The Clinic is named after Paracelsus, the father of alternative medicine, a Swiss doctor and scientist who was a medical revolutionary 500 years ago. Because of the legacy he created, Switzerland is the only country in the world that enshrines access to alternative medicine in its national constitution as a basic human right.
United States of America
The US National Library of Medicine (NLM) is the world’s largest biomedical library, coordinating a 6500-member national network of Libraries of Medicine. NLM provides access to health information, including a comprehensive drug information portal and up to date information on clinical trials (mainstream).
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) is the US Federal Government’s lead agency for scientific research on the diverse medical and health care systems, practices and products that are not generally considered part of conventional medicine.
Cancer Decisions is a private organisation founded by Dr Ralph Moss, who is a pre-eminent medical writer & research analyst. Dr Moss is a graduate of New York University (BA, cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, 1965) and Stanford University (MA, 1973, PhD, 1974, Classics) and for the past 40 years has independently evaluated the claims of conventional and non-conventional cancer treatments.
His articles and scientific communications have appeared in The Lancet, the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, the Journal of Clinical Oncology, the Journal of the American Medical Association, New Scientist, Immunobiology, Pharmacological Research, Anticancer Research, Genetic Engineering News, Research in Complementary Medicine, the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Journal of Cancer Research and Therapeutics and Integrative Cancer Therapies of which he is Corresponding Editor.
Dr Moss was a founding advisor to the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Alternative Medicine (now the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health [NCCIH] in the USA).
