The Dove Clinic for Integrated Medicine
Life threatening illness
The approaches we use in life threatening illness do not have as good an evidence base as do conventional approaches, such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, etc. The treatments we offer are by comparison, safer than conventional treatment modalities, but it is important to realise that significantly less research has been done with the approaches we offer than with conventional approaches. This is why our treatment programmes are offered an an 'informed consent' basis only. Therefore, it is important not to have false hopes as to what we might be able to achieve. We do not claim that any of our treatments, investigative procedures, or blood tests are cancer cures.
We have an academic approach to our work and have written several papers of a research nature to do with life threatening illnesses which are posted here on our website.
We have formed a group of doctors in the UK who have an interest in treating life threatening illness using the complementary integrated approach, at which we invite appropriate speakers to come and talk to us. Amongst these speakers are oncologists, particularly those who have a broadminded approach to the treatment of life threatening illness. These kinds of oncologists are increasing in numbers. We are also prepared to teach (by arrangement), individual doctors who have a special interest in the approaches we are using. We encourage research into the approaches used at The Dove Clinic for Integrated Medicine, and have a research charity called The Dove Healing Trust, which is set up to fund this kind of work. The reason for this is that conventional funding for these kind of studies tends not to be forthcoming.
We frequently work with oncologists and radiotherapists and we consistently find that a number of our approaches, especially organ based complex homeopathy, based on the traditional Chinese model and methods for maintaining cell mediated immunity, lead to much lower side effects from chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Specifically we find that hair loss and nausea occur less often with these approaches running concurrently with chemotherapy, and post-radiotherapy scarring is less common. We are planning to incorporate hyperthermia, a treatment that is known to enhance the effects of radiotherapy. Anti-oxidant therapy running alongside chemotherapy is a controversial area. A detailed discussion document on this issue by Frank Moss, comes down in favour of moderate anti-oxidant use during chemotherapy, even though chemotherapy is a pro-oxidant treatment.
The problem with life threatening illnesses is that they are complex illnesses and operate as systems rather than as linear processes in which cause A gives a result B. The science of genetic disorders giving rise to life threatening illnesses, is just such a complex process. This means therefore, that we would need a systems view of assessing these treatments in order to truly establish their value. This sort of research methodology does not exist currently; a research problem also for the majority of complementary medicine, which has a poor evidence base but an increasing number of patients - interestingly enough, doctors are major users! We are happy to answer questions from prospective patients: use the new customers form in the contact us section. We can recommend accommodation both in London and in Hampshire, for patients when they stay for their intravenous infusion programmes.
If you have a tumour that is curable by surgery, or by any other conventional means, then we would most probably advise you to follow the conventional route, and we would provide supportive treatment approaches to reduce any damage which conventional approaches may have. If you chose to completely forego conventional treatment approaches with a conventional tumour, we would clearly have to state that in writing to you, and make sure that you know that the evidence base of the treatment we are offering is not as solid as that offered by conventional medicine.