My Malignant Melanoma

After a few robust discussions on various internet cancer boards, I am afraid to say that have noticed something about the average poster who insists in the face of all evidence that alternative medicine can cure cancer, and subscribes to the belief that conventional treatment in a harmful scam. (This beleif is of course a bizarre inversion of the truth)

1. They are female.

80% of complementary /alternative medicine clients are middle class, middle aged women. My wife tells me that when such women are chatting amongst themselves, it is often considered impolite to point out that they are talking nonsense.

99% of those who have insisted to me that there is something in alternative treatments even after being pointed to the appropriate Cancer Research UK or Quackwatch page are female.
This is a fact. It has recently been suggested that this is derogatory to women, but how can fact be derogatory?

2. They do not have cancer. Their husbands have cancer.

It's all very well pushing people into pretending to be positive, exercising like mad, and eating a punitive fad diet whilst undergoing the mental strain of a diagnosis of life-threatening illness. Try it yourself.

Interestingly, use of alternative medicine by women with breast cancer is correlated with lower quality of life, worse mental health, greater fear of recurrence, depression, and lower sexual satisfaction. Source1 Source 2

3. They are often American

79% of Americans believe in angels. About the only thing they don't believe in is vampires. Source.

4. They are often alternative/complementary practicioners themselves

They do not seem to see the conflict of interest this gives them.