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Alternative Medicine for Cancer
No disease is more dreaded and feared than cancer. It is an encompassing term that refers to more than a hundred diseases that manifest uncontrollable proliferation of malignant cells under the orchestration of an oncogene. An oncogene is the cancer gene that starts mutation in a chromosome to trigger a series of active cell division that invade (metastasis) organs and tissues. At a certain stage, it goes beyond treatment with death as the definite end. More than any disease, it begs for treatment. An alternative medicine for cancer is more than welcome; as a preventive medicine, it is a valuable investment in which the gain is health and life.
Cancer patients are desperate for a cure and so are their families. They are willing to try anything to get well or even to delay the progression of cancer to buy time and new breakthroughs. Most opt for established traditional treatments because the results are predictable. At a certain point, however, reversing the process becomes hopeless. Cancer patients just live with pain and hopelessness. What can alternative medicine therapies offer that can make a difference?
Holistic or complementary alternative medicine (CAM) advocates the combination of an alternative treatment with conventional Western medicine. One therapy that is gaining attention from oncologists is the use of nutrition therapy to deter cancer as well as to slow it down. Studies revealed that certain diets and dietary supplements can achieve three goals which are: to foster an increase in the number of cancer-free cells, to suppress cell division of cancer cells, and to bolster the immune system to fight the cancer cells as well as the free radicals.
An anti cancer diet is centered on plant-derived foods and food products. This ensures the elimination of iron found in meats and sea foods which is a fundamental element needed by cancer cells to grow and multiply. A diet high in fibers and low in refined sugars, sodium and fats is highly favored. Treatment using shark cartilage looks promising as it contains a substance that prevents blood vessels from developing. Cancer patients treated with cartilage supplements exhibited suppressed development of blood vessels that prevent supply of oxygen and food to cancer cells slowing their activity and shrinking their sizes.
Mega doses of vitamin C and other antioxidants like vitamin E, selenium and beta carotene can similarly shrink cancer cells as well as fend off free radicals. Coenzyme Q10 at high doses are seen to work effectively in the treatment of breast cancer. Fairly high doses of melatonin have been shown to ease the discomforts of patients with advanced solid tumors. Citrus pectin which is pH-modified was recently shown to help in the deterrence of several types of metastatic tumors such as cancers of the breast, prostate, and skin. This significantly delays the spread or metastasis of cancer cells.
An alternative medicine for cancer that is anchored on mind-body interventions can help cancer patients develop a positive mindset that influences the body in managing pain; relieving the body of stress, anxiety and depression; and restoring the vigor of the immune system. Some examples of these are guided imagery, meditation, acupuncture, hypnotherapy, yoga, art therapy, chromotherapy, and tai chi among others. Oxygen therapy, through an IV drip of the hydrogen peroxide or through ozone (O3), was revealed to be effective in reducing the sizes of cancer cells. Alternative medicine modalities like Ayurveda, herbal medicine, Chinese medicine and environmental medicine also offer treatments or therapies that help in treating or slowing down cancer cell proliferation.
Indeed, cancer is dreadful. It is good to know that cancer can be prevented by having a healthy diet and lifestyle. It pays to know too that a person is not totally helpless and that by taking control of one's habits and practices there remains that hope of avoiding cancer. It is true that the decision to avoid cancer is the hard path because this entails discipline. It dictates shying away from what a person may have been accustomed to eating. The battle for early cancer detection and diagnosis continues. With early diagnosis and alternative medicine for cancer, the prospect for better cancer management is at hand. With proper guidance, cancer can be made more manageable.
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