It is a myth that alternative medicine is generally practiced by quacks and charlatans on a population of the desperate and ignorant. In fact studies show that the more educated are more likely add alternative medicine to their treatment by standard medicine. They get healthier. And if they have cancer, they get to be healthier people with cancer. They have better quality of life and better survival.
Doctors prefer fighters for cancer patients.
People who will engage their cancer. David Spiegal, a Stanford psychologist did a study in 1980 of women with metastatic breast cancer. Contrary to Spiegals' expectations, those in the support group fared better and had increased longevity. He did a follow-up study on the same group ten years later and learned the longevity of the support group people was double that of the non support group. Lerner believes the support group does not have to be all that formal.