Alternative Reality: Patients Who Spurn Chemo For Natural Remedies
The breast cancer was curable. The oncologist suggested chemo, radiation and surgery. The patient, 28, chose an alternative route â trips to Mexico for coffee enemas and vitamin infusions.
They didnât work. About two years after her diagnosis, the cancer was in her liver and no longer curable. But it was treatable â with chemotherapy. This time, the patient agreed.
âFor my whole team, that kind of broke our hearts because sheâs young, lovely, beautiful, and we just thought, oh shoot, now it has spread and we wish we could have avoided it,â said Dr. Julie Gralow, that patientâs oncologist at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, clinical care partner for Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
âBut the patients are the ones who, ultimately, have the right to choose â with good education and recommendations from us,â said Gralow, who monitored the patientâs overall health amid those alternative therapies. She continues treating her.
News of another chemotherapy refusal is reviving focus on alternative cancer therapies â and on what advice doctors should give patients who spurn the conventional for the natural.
That choice seems to be gaining favor for some who have faced malignancies, say researchers and doctors.
âConversations need to include why people may be interested in using , what effects they are hoping to achieve, and the state of science on the efficacy of different therapies,â Greenlee said via email.
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Nature And Breast Cancer: The Plants That Saved A Botanist’s Life
Botanist Dr Sandy Knapp has studied plants for 40 years. When she received a breast cancer diagnosis, the natural world she knows so well was what saved her life.
Dr Sandy Knapp is one of the world’s experts on food crops and leads the plants division at the Museum. She’s studied them for decades – how they grow, where they thrive, how they support us.
Sandy has spent a career championing nature on an international stage, speaking up for the preservation of species all over the world. When a cancer diagnosis came in 2018, it was nature’s time to repay her. As she was treated with drugs originally derived from trees and soils, the great diversity of life on planet Earth became her literal support system.
In October 2018 Sandy was on a complicated overseas work trip for a museum review in Boston, a herbarium visit in Missouri and a conference speech in Ecuador. About halfway through she discovered a lump in her breast.
She says, ‘I thought it was nothing and carried on, but just to be safe I called my GP and made an appointment for when I got back. I returned and was referred straight away. Fast forward to the hospital and me feeling shocked to discover that the ‘nothing to worry about’ lump was quite probably malignant. Gulp.
‘The NHS is amazing. Like a juggernaut, it just went into action.’
The Pacific yew tree , pictured, is where the cancer-fighting drug Taxol originally comes from. Now, doctors use synthetic alternatives. Image via Wikimedia Commons.
Before Trying ‘natural Cancer Therapies’
If you are interested in trying any nontraditional therapies, its essential to talk to your doctor first. Unfortunately, because patients often struggle to have these conversations with their oncologists openly, many do, in fact, end up at the feet of unscrupulous practitioners promising a fantasy, says Gary Soffer, MD. He is part of the Integrative Medicine Program. We provide patients a safe forum, with trained practitioners, to openly have these conversations and ask these questions. Services are available for patients being treated at Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital.
In his experience, most people are not looking for alternative cancer therapies, he says, but are seeking ways to change the experience of their disease and their quality of life. Other times they are looking for ways to increase their chances of survival while on their conventional medications or to mitigate some of the side effects. Or often it is simply a patient wanting some autonomy when they feel most powerless. We are positioned to provide all of this while helping to prevent replacing effective therapies, Dr. Soffer says.
The fact is, when a natural substance is effective, it becomes part of medical care, says Dr. Johnson, offering several examples. Aspirin is derived from willow bark, and chemotherapies for breast cancer patients, including anthracyclines and taxanes, are created from soil bacteria and the pacific yew tree, he says.
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Medicine With A Side Of Mysticism: Top Hospitals Promote Unproven Therapies
Absolute and exclusive belief in natural alternative medicine to cure cancer has devastating consequences. A study out this month in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute looked at 281 patients with non-metastatic breast, lung, colorectal, and prostate cancers who chose to be treated exclusively with an alternative approach, and compared their survival with patients who received conventional cancer treatment. Overall, those in the alternative medicine group were 2.5 times more likely to die. Those with lung cancer were nearly 2.2 times more likely to die, and those with colorectal cancer were 4.5 times more likely. Women with breast cancer fared the worst with a 5.7 times higher death rate among those who chose only alternative therapies. Several other studies have shown similar outcomes, especially for breast cancer.
People with cancer are easy targets for naturopathic scams because they can be desperate for hope and extensively research their treatment options. Natural treatments with few side effects appear irresistible when compared to surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. But it is almost impossible for most people to know beforehand that these natural remedies wont do anything for their cancer. If the cancer returns, they are more likely to blame the cancer rather than the ineffective natural remedies they received.
Suneel D. Kamath, M.D., is a hematology/oncology fellow at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.
Talk With Your Doctor
Make sure you talk with your doctor before you begin any of these alternative treatments. Your doctor can tell you if complementary or alternative therapies will be effective for the stage of your breast cancer, and steer you away from fraudulent products.
They can also tell you what research is available on different CAM treatments, what is and isnt known about them, and whether theyre safe. Your doctor can also write you a referral or a recommendation for an appropriate CAM treatment. Once you have all the information, you can make a truly informed decision.
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Holistic Treatments For Breast Cancer
If you heard the four words, You have breast cancer, you likely equated the statement to a life sentence. But, with as much research as is being done currently, we have learned a number of different treatment supports and options to help you cope with cancer and have a better chance for full recovery. While breast cancer does require traditional medical supervision and care, there are also a number of natural cures, including turmeric, flaxseed, calcium, acupuncture, and others, which are effective for treating cancer and its symptoms.
Natural Remedies For Breast Cancer
Doctors care is necessary to identify the stage of your cancer and to identify the most appropriate treatment approach. However, many natural options are effective for supporting traditional cancer treatments and for treating the condition on their own. Some of the best natural cures for breast cancer include turmeric, flaxseed, calcium, baking soda, and acupuncture.
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Supplementing The Diet In A Cancer Protocol
Supplements also play a key role in natural cancer remedies, boosting the bodys supply of certain nutrients beyond what the diet can provide. Check your protocol and consult with your wellness professionals before adding supplements, of course, because natural substances are powerful and should be treated with respect. Here are a few supplements likely to be included in your natural protocol.
Probiotics & Enzymes. Digestive support plays many roles in wellness. For cancer therapy, it helps to maximize the effects of the nutritional efforts were making as well as providing microbial support for the immune system and cellular health.
One approach is through proteolytic enzymes, which has been studied as an element of cancer therapy since the early 1900s when John Beard first discussed the potential that pancreatic proteolytic enzymes had to defend the body against cancer. In the early 1980s, it gained traction as an alternative, and we have only learned more since then.
In 2008, researchers published their findings on proteolytic enzymeA protein that speeds up chemical reactions in the body. therapy in the journal Integrative Cancer Therapies. They detailed impressive findings: These studies demonstrated that systemic enzyme therapy significantly decreased tumor-induced and therapy-induced side effects and complaints such as nausea, gastrointestinal complaints, fatigue, weight loss, and restlessness and obviously stabilized the quality of life.
What Is The Difference Between Traditional And Alternative Treatment For Breast Cancer
Traditional and conventional cancer treatments include only three options chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery. The problem with chemo, radiation, and surgery is that these conventional medicine approaches can cause more harm than good. While they have proven to be effective, their side effects can be more damaging than the cancer itself. Before starting chemo or committing to surgery after a cancer diagnosis, its highly suggested for every breast cancer patient to learn about the other complementary medicine practices available.
When it comes to alternative targeted therapy, breast cancer patients have several options.
Natural treatment for breast cancer refers to several treatments that are not part of conventional medicine. They can be used on their own or in combination with conventional treatments as targeted therapy. Alternative cancer treatment works to enhance your bodys immune system, instead of only flushing your body with chemicals or treating cancer through surgical strategies. Complementary therapy can either assist conventional treatment or serve as the sole medical treatment.
If youre interested in learning how to cure breast cancer without surgery, you might want to study alternative treatments. Many people often question whether alternative breast cancer treatments work. Well at ITC we have seen first hand how alternative medicine works to build up the immune system and kill breast cancer cells.
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Lung Cancer Treatment Cuba
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Testing For Proteins And Genes
The breast cancer cells will be tested for certain proteins called estrogen and progesterone receptors. If the cancer has these proteins, it’s called a hormone receptor positive breast cancer. The cells are also tested to see if the cancer makes too much of the HER2 protein. If it does, it’s called a HER2-positive cancer. These cancers are sometimes easier to treat. If the cancer doesn’t test positive for any of these proteins, it’s called a triple-negative breast cancer.
The cells might also be tested for certain genes, which can help decide if chemo might be helpful and how likely it is that the cancer will come back. Ask your doctor to explain the tests they plan to do, and what the results might mean.
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What About Other Treatments That I Hear About
When you have cancer you might hear about other ways to treat the cancer or treat your symptoms. These may not always be standard medical treatments. These treatments may be vitamins, herbs, special diets, and other things. You may wonder about these treatments.
Some of these are known to help, but many have not been tested. Some have been shown not to help. A few have even been found to be harmful. Talk to your doctor about anything youre thinking about using, whether its a vitamin, a diet, or anything else.
More Proof That Breast Cancer Can Be Healed Naturally
Every week I get emails or phone calls from women around the world that are on a natural healing journey with Breast Cancer. Many are very confused and dont know where to start, but they are sure that they dont want to submit their body to toxic therapies. Others have a game plan that has been outlined for them by their Naturopath or Integrative Doctor.
These Thermography images are yet another example of a Courageous Conqueror you took responsibility for her health. She lost 2 of her friends to Breast Cancer and she vowed to herself that she would never go the cut, burn poison route. She changed her eating habits, improved her lifestyle, incorporated many powerful supplements to boost her Immune System and weaken the cancer.
These are Thermography images of her breasts before she began treatment and only 4 months later. Notice the white hot and red lines in her breast in the first image on the left and compare it to the next image on the right. The red lines in her breast in the picture on the left, are an indication that angiogenesis is developing this means new blood vessels that are being created to feed the tumor. Notice how there are fewer white hot spots and red lines in the second image on the right. There is also more cool green in the other breast, which indicates less inflammation and healthier tissue.
Here is a list of some of the steps she took to heal her body:
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Most Common Symptoms Of Invasive Breast Cancer
- A breast lump
- Lump or swelling in the armpit
- Mysterious change in the shape or size of the breast
- Nipple discharge thats not breast milk
- Peeling on nipple or breast
- Red, pitted skin over the whole breast
- Scaling on nipple or breast
- Swelling in parts of or the entirety of the breast
Breast cancer patients are usually women, although on rare occasions men can also contract breast cancer. Most forms of breast cancer are found as a lump or breast tumor that can be felt within the breast. In conventional treatments, these are removed in surgery, likely with a mastectomy . Luckily, unlike other forms of cancer, breast cancer can be easily detected and treated in the early stages.
- Triple-negative breast cancer
- Tubular carcinoma
Adenocarcinoma: This is the most common type of breast cancer and is found in the glands of ducts and lobules.
Paget disease of the nipple: This is a rare cancer that forms in the ducts of the breast and spreads to the areola and the skin of the nipple.
Inflammatory breast cancer: This is an invasive form of cancer. Its found in only a small percentage of breast cancer patients
Angiosarcoma: Another rare type of breast cancer, this cancer arises in the cells that line blood vessels or lymph nodes.
Theimportance Of Your Ph Level When Eliminating Cancer
So what is the bodys perfect oxygenated or alkaline level then?
Well, youve no doubt heard of the need to maintain the correct pH level for a swimming pool? .
The human body also has a pH level. And it must be maintained above the neutral level at all times for optimum health. But here’s the most amazing part. By keeping your pH above seven, the body then acts as a “natural cancer treatment” for itself and goes to work to break down and dispose of any cancerous tumors!
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Herbal Remedies For Breast Cancer: An Alternative Treatment
International Meeting on Womens Health, Gynecology, Obstetrics and Breast Cancer 2018
Hiteksha Panchal
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Womens Health Care
Abstract :
Biography :
Hiteksha Panchal is currently working as an Associate Professor of Pharmacognosy Department. She has 10 years of experience in Pharmaceutical Research, particularly in the areas of Pharmaceutical Sciences. She is currently pursuing her PhD from Gujarat Technological University, India. Her area of research is pharmacognostical and phytopharmaceutical studies. She has published 18 research papers in both national and international journals. She is a Life Member of The Indian Pharmaceutical Association.
Get Regular Vaccines And Check
Older people are more susceptible to cancer than younger people, especially those who are more than 55 years old. Hence, regular medical screening is recommended for older people. Generally, annual screening is recommended for adults but check with your doctor for the best screening schedule for you.
Though natural remedies are great for treating many diseases, it is also worth remembering that what works for one person may not work for another. So, to cure Cancer, the recommended solution would be to understand the type and stage of it and consult with your physician before going for any natural treatments for Cancer.
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