Canadian Integrative Cancer Therapies Association (CICTA, www.cicta.net, previously was www.cicta.ca) was founded in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Dr. Jack He was elected the first President of CICTA. Directors of the board, except the one in charge of financing and administration, consists entirely of medical professionals.
In North America, conventional medicines play an important and unshakable role in healthcare. However, it is an astonishing fact that conventional western medicines only meet the need of half of the inflicted population, while the other half, running out of resort from mainstream, seeks help in alternative therapies. This insufficiency of conventional medicines is particularly demonstrative in the treatment of cancers. 67% of cancer patients have to rely on certain alternative therapy, such as naturopathic treatment, herbals and other complementary methods to relieve symptoms, improve quality of life, and prolong survival. There are 1.4 million newly diagnosed cancer patients in North America.
Conventional medicines have long been incapable of meeting the demand of the cancer therapeutic market. Tremendous opportunity, a multi-billion potential market, exists in alternative medicines in cancer treatment. While pronounced breakthroughs in conventional medicines spending years in labs and through clinical trials before coming to aid, millions of cancer patients are in a desperate fight out of their way on the death roll. According to CNN and Reuters, two thirds of cancer patients in the developed worlds seek help in alternative therapies, which include religious and psychological therapies, aromatherapy, traditional Chinese medicines, acupuncture, herbals, nutritional supplement, reflexology, relaxation therapy and naturopathic therapy.
Efficacy of many of these therapies has not been proven with strictly scientific methods, and consequently constantly challenged by the legal and western medical establishment. Phonies and pseudoscience do exist in this less regulated area. After exhaustive discussion, a group of experts formed CICTA, with the aim of building a communication venue for information exchange and interaction for medical professionals, giving cancer patients a selection of therapeutic options out of the conventional fields, and providing patients and their families with community care and support.
The first President of CICTA is Dr. Jack He, a Canadian medical professional. Over the years, Dr. He has been actively involved in the research of new technologies and concepts in cancer treatment, as well as the promotion of cancer prevention among the public. In order to contribute the cause against cancer in China, Dr. He’s homeland country, He and Mr. Zhiguang Yin, a senior scientific reporter, chief editor of Scientific China launched a website in 2007 www.kxka.com.cn (unfortunately this website closed down permanently) with the primary purpose of disseminating basic information in cancer treatment and prevention.
CICTA is currently in the process of member recruitment, website building and campaign planning. We sincerely invite interested parties, across national borders, ethnic backgrounds and academic disciplines to join hands and contribute to humanity’s fight against cancer.