You sound like one of the big pharmaceutical companies who are in fear of losing profits! I've read and researched a few claims, and a friend has reported how her brothers tumour in his oesophagus has shrunk considerably since using hemp oil and various antioxidants, I was rather hoping to hear from other sufferers who are testimony to such treatment, rather than a non-believer! 

Hello and welcome to Cancer Chat, PanseyPotter.

I’m sorry to hear that your partner has been diagnosed with bladder cancer, it must be a really worrying time for you both.

You mention that you’re researching treatments such as antioxidants and hemp oil, so I wanted to share some important information that we have on our site about the difference between complementary and alternative therapies.

A complementary therapy means you can use it alongside your conventional medical treatment. It may help you to feel better and cope better with your cancer and treatment. It is important to discuss with your doctor any complementary therapy that you are thinking of using.

An alternative therapy is generally used instead of conventional medical treatment. All conventional cancer treatments have to go through rigorous testing by law in order to prove that they work. Most alternative therapies have not been through such testing and there is no scientific evidence that they work. Some types of alternative therapy may not be completely safe and could cause harmful side effects.

If your husband is considering trying a complementary or alternative therapy, he should talk to his doctor first. Some therapies may be harmful or could interact with any other treatments he’s having. You can find out more about the safety of complementary and alternative therapies on our website.

I also wanted to share a blog post from the site which looks at miracle ‘cures’ that frequently crop-up online, and explains why they’re not supported by scientific evidence. There’s also a rather long piece about cannabis, cannaboids and cancer on the blog which is a must-read.

I hope that you find these articles helpful, and if you ever have any questions you’d like to ask about your partner’s treatment, please don't hesitate to get in touch with our nurses on 0808 800 40 40. There’s a bewildering amount of information out there online, and not necessarily any safe or sound scientific evidence to back it up, so talking to one of our experienced cancer nurses might well be a good place to start. They’ll be more than happy to hear from you and chat through any sorts of treatments your husband is considering trying, conventional or otherwise!  

I’m sure you will find the community here welcoming and supportive, and hopefully some friendly forum faces will be along soon to chat.

With best wishes,

Helen