Comment by nine_k

I'm sorry to hear this.

My idea is not about quack medicine. People should be discouraged from using quack medicine, and made abundantly informed that it's guaranteed not to work, while consuming their precious time alive which other treatments might extend.

My idea is about something that has promising results in scientific trials, but may carry unknown risks, and so is not yet approved. The risks may be worth it, because the alternative is a certain and quick death.

The patients should, of course, be also abundantly informed about the risks, the odds of success, etc.

Of course, some people would do things that we would find irrational, no matter how we try to persuade them against that. This may of course be painful to see, but I don't see why should we curtail the free will of an adult in their sane mind, as long as nobody's rights are being infringed. Certain new things always look crazy even though they have merit: see vaccines, blood transfusion, etc.