Are there alternative cures for cancer ? Natural Cures ?   Another question I answered on Quora that is worthy of repeating here. Is complementary/alternative medicine harmful?   

The uneducated practice of alternative or complementary medicine or even orthomolecular ( mega doses of vitamins) can absolutely be dangerous !!! I am the biggest health nut and pop dozens of supplements daily. But I studied first. We just watched an episode of strange deaths. Some nut job poisoned himself with vitamin A. Anyone taking supplements should know at least the fat soluble ones like A, E, K. You must have some level of understanding even to take a few vitamins. Most water soluble vitamins like vitamin C and most B vitamins will harmlessly wash out of your body every day.  Other vitamins, like vitamin A,  can literally kill you if you are stupid enough to take toxic amounts.  Herbs are also something to be extremely careful with.  Some herbs are extremely strong.  Remember ephedra ? A few people died from that. Its pretty much speed in herbal form. Most drugs were actually modeled on herbs. Where do you think the drug companies got the idea for ephedrine ? Plus you have to consider if its going to interact with any drugs or pre-exisiting conditions. Also they compete with each other, so by overdosing with one supplement you could create an imbalance or shortage of another one. I can think of countless issues where I have been helped as well as times I was surprised at a side effect. For example some make you more photo sensitive. I remember taking St John’s Wort and getting a really bad sunburn. I am olive skinned and rarely burned in my whole life. But the absolute worst thing you can do is to avoid getting proper, or conventional treatment because you are trying your alternative path first. I honestly dont know what I would do if I got cancer.  I have seen and listened to alternative cures both here and in Europe at the World Anti Aging Congress. But I also know that for certain types of cancer, if treated early there are many conventional therapies that are extremely effective and have very high cure rates if caught early. Also if you wait until it is spread throughout your body even the best conventional cures might be hopeless. If you are lucky and have a good complementary or integrative doctor that understands how to integrate alternative and conventional therapies for the best possible outcomes you would be in the best hands. But don’t do it yourself and dont take anything without telling your doctor no matter how much of a health nut you are. Certain supplements are terrific for your liver. But if you need a medication and the supplement or vitamin is clearing your liver out too quickly the medication will not be in your system long enough to be effective. So there is no blanket answer except for no, without proper education, yes with a good integrative doctor. That would be someone who is an MD and also a PHD in biochemistry and nutrition and or organic chemistry who also has clinical experience. Its a very new field of medicine and you should seek out the most experienced providers to assist you who work with conventional doctors that are open minded to complementary alternative treatments to integrate with your conventional treatment. But again I cant emphasize enough do not wait to get a conventional opinion on the speed and progression of whatever is ailing you. PS if you want a great education, the vitamin companies that sell exclusively to doctors have a tremendous amount of great research that together with guidance from a qualified practitioner can be carefully integrated into your treatment.  But dont do what my friend recently called me and did.  He got me on a three way call with his cousin and father in law who had cancer, for my opinion about a specific natural “cancer cure”  That is simply absurd.  There are dozens of different types of cancer that could be at various degrees of progression.  Unless you have a medical degree and are also a PHD in biochemistry and a ton of experience with different complementary medicines and the knowledge of how they can interact or effect a specific treatment you have no business messing with people’s lives.  That being said the time for alternative therapies is before anything bad happens.  Limit your exposure to the thousands of cancer causing chemicals.  There is nothing wrong with taking the brocolli sprouts and other wonderful natural substances that detox harmful cells before they get expressed as cancer.  There is a theory that we constantly have damaged cells.  Our body naturally eliminates them with our T cells and killer cells.  Its only when our system is overwhelmed that it becomes expressed as cancer.  Dont wait til things get that far gone. You can live very well without all of the cancer causing ingredients and chemicals. Paradoxically the wonderful natural supplements that eliminate “bad cells” or cancer cells or help your liver flush out all of the toxins will also flush out the drugs before they have a chance to help you.  This is a compelling reason to take all of those wonderful supplements now.  Because you literally cant, or will be betting your life if you wait until you have a serious disease before you pay attention to your health and embrace complementary or natural remedies.