I was very upset to learn that health officials in Hong Kong are preventing individuals from seeking their own cancer treatment, by banning the book The Cure For All Cancers by Dr Hulda Regehr Clark (report headlined, 'Prosecution threat over cancer', Sunday Morning Post, July 12). These officials should realise that the US has much more stringent health laws than Hong Kong. Here, Chinese medicine is allowed to operate with very little regulation and makes much more profound health claims than this book. Yet, in spite of tough laws in the US, this book is sold there and the author is allowed to have her own clinic and it is very successful. My mother is a cancer survivor, not thanks to modern medicine which promised her only six months to two years to live if she followed conventional chemotherapy, radiation and mastectomy treatment, but thanks to non-conventional treatment which allowed her to remain cancer-free for 18 years. During this time she was able to keep her hair and her breasts and work full-time. How dare these officials prevent sales of these books. Everyone should have the right to find out what options are out there. What kind of society is this if it prevents individuals from doing their own research with books that are routinely sold in the rest of the world? How can this book be banned and yet traditional Chinese medicine is tolerated? After all, they both advocate the use of herbal remedies. It should be up to each individual to choose his/her own treatment and to be able to read about the options that are available. If there is a risk involved, then the individual should be free to take that risk if he or she wishes. My mother did and never regretted it. KATIE de TILLY Repulse Bay
