Tag: palliative care
CBD Oil Fails to Improve Symptom Control in Advanced Cancer
Has the hype outpaced the evidence when it comes to cannabis? A new clinical trial fails to show any benefit of CBD oil in patients with advanced cancer.
So-Called Alternative Medicine for Cancer
Edzard Ernst's new book on alternative medicine for cancer addresses cancer prevention, treatment, and palliative care. It is an invaluable, accessible guide to the evidence for each modality.
The Ethics of Prescribing Worthless Treatments
Is it ever ethical for a physician to prescribe a treatment to a patient that they know to be entirely without efficacy? Is it ever possible to do this without deceiving the patient to some degree? I think the answer to both questions is a clear “no.” Within the flipped reality of “alternative medicine,” however, it suddenly becomes acceptable to deceive patients...
Facing Decline and Death
Note: Atul Gawande and his book will be featured on a Frontline episode airing on PBS tonight. We’re all going to die. (There’s nothing like starting on a positive note! 🙂 ) We’re all going to die, and if we are fortunate enough to survive long enough to become old, we’re all going to experience a decline of one sort or another...