QUACK MEDICINE

FALSE CLAIMS | John Inchley goes undercover to expose cancer quacks

Inside Out, with the help of John Inchley, goes undercover to investigate alternative therapists who falsely claim to cure cancer.

Winchester shopkeeper John Inchley, has turned undercover reporter to investigate the exploitation of cancer patients by alternative therapists. Inside Out secretly filmed John as he went in search of salvation.

John has prostate cancer. Although he was appalled by some of the miracle cures he discovered, John feigned interest in some fairly bizarre treatments.

No scientific basis

John was appalled by some of the 'miracle cures' he discovered

"There are all kinds of strange therapies out there and most of them have no scientific basis," he says. "There are people in my position who probably feel little hope and who are prepared to go to any length to effect a cure."

John is filmed visiting a company called Self Health Enterprises in East Grinstead. The treatment offered by Self Health Enterprises is based on the work of Hulda Clark and has been widely criticised by the medical establishment.

The therapist at Self Health, who has no conventional medical qualifications, tells John that his cancer will be cured if he uses a special device which emits electrical frequencies. The price of this frequency generator? A mere £2,885.

Abandon conventional treatment

"These people are wasting their money and their time. They are being offered false hope and they are having their wallets emptied," says John.

Worse still, the therapist then suggests that John should abandon his conventional medical treatment as this would counteract the work of the frequency generator.

"This is extremely dangerous advice to give to people with cancer, as the conventional treatment may be the only thing keeping them alive," said John. "It’s also an incredible amount of money to pay for a machine that cannot possibly cure cancer."

Miracle cures

Self Help claims electrical frequencies can cure cancer

Self Health is not the only company offering controversial alternative treatments. A quick trawl through the internet shows that there are thousands of practitioners offering a wide range of unusual cures.

These include crystals, magnets, water, sound, light, electricity, oxygen, urine, mistletoe, coffee enemas, apricot kernels and a bewildering range of dietary supplements.

Most of these treatments have not been scientifically tested and many of the therapists are not regulated by any kind of professional body.

The British Medical Journal has however, issued good practice guidelines for alternative medicine. The most important rule is that therapists should never tell patients to change their conventional treatment.

Self Health Enterprises say the therapist should not have advised John to stop his conventional treatment, yet the company still insists that the frequency generator can help cure cancer.

Until they can provide sound scientific proof, John will be hanging onto his £2,885 and will remain highly sceptical of supposed 'miracle cures'.