Blame the Victim: Cancer Edition

H disclosed to my wife that he is committing slow suicide – or not – by treating his prostate cancer with diet.  A naturopathic fraud cured H's wife of some long term ailment.  Obviously, the naturopath is the best choice for treating the prostate cancer that H may or may not be there.  H is certain of the diagnosis and certain that the diet is beneficial.  I am the skeptic.  Diagnosis and follow-up were based entirely on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood tests and measurements of "liver function."  

PSA tests don't work. It was a good idea that failed. High rates of false positives and false negatives. The K-Y jellied gloved hand digital exam is the most reliable screening test available.

My wife asked H about the naturopath's success rate with prostate cancer.  Oh to be a shameless fraud! Diet-based cancer cures are just like abstinence-only contraception. H explained that the method succeeds for people who are 100% faithful to the regimen. The treatment can't fail the patient; but the patient can fail the treatment. (I need to translate that into Latin.) Blame the victim.  We learned all about that scam when another friend died after treating his prostate cancer with tanker loads of carrot juice plus cabbage juice chasers.  After the cancer killed him, his wife found a hidden Spam stash.  Aha! She just knew he had been cheating on his diet.  And, there was the evidence.  I wonder if his death certificate reads "cancer" or "Spam."

H's wife elaborated on the healthy diet theory to my wife.  The naturopath believes that good food crucial to good health.  But, don't cancer cells benefit just as much -- if not more -- from nutrition?  What is the saying, "Feed a cold and starve a fever" or vice versa or "Feed a cold and starve a cancer."