Complementary treatments are often used by patients whose current cancer treatment is no longer effective. Many patients use them to aid in managing side effects as well. Educate yourself on what therapies are commonly used, and how they can help with cancer treatment. Reiki Reiki is an energy based treatment that many cancer patients take part in during treatment. Learn more about reiki and how it can help cancer patients. Gerson Therapy Gerson Therapy is a type of alternative cancer treatment. Learn more about the treatment and how to receive it.
Bovine Cartilage Bovine cartilage is often used as an alternative cancer treatment. Learn how bovine cartilage may work to treat cancer and how to obtain it. Laetrile Learn more about laetrile, an alternative cancer treatment. Laetrile dates back to the ancient Egyptians. Essiac Learn more about Essiac, an alternative method used to treat cancer. Essiac is a popular alternative therapy. The Hoxsey Method: Alternative Cancer Treatment Learn more about the Hoxsey Method, an alternative cancer treatment method. Antioxidants, Free Radicals and Cancer.
Antioxidants are substance which many people believe to prevent or slow cancer. In this article, we discuss what antioxidants and free radicals are, preventing cancer, and what foods contain antioxidants. Alternative Medicine for Cancer Alternative medicine is used by some cancer patients in different circumstances. This FAQ looks at what alternative medicine is and why some patients use it. Complementary Therapy For Cancer Complementary therapies are often used by cancer patients. Explore what what complimentary medicine is and see examples of complimentary therapies.
Acupuncture During Cancer Treatment Acupuncture has been found to help relieve nausea and vomiting resulting from cancer treatment. Learn more about acupunture can help you during cancer treatment. There are several different ways to treat cancer. Each method has it’s own risks and side effects. The good news is that many side effects can be relieved with medication and alternative therapies There are four standard methods of treatment for cancer: surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy and biologic therapy.
Surgery: Surgery can be used to prevent, treat, stage (determine how advanced the cancer is), and diagnose cancer. In relation to cancer treatment, surgery is done to remove tumors or as much of the cancerous tissue as possible. It is often performed in conjunction with chemotherapy or radiation therapy Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses of drugs to eliminate cancer cells. Unlike surgery, chemotherapy affects the entire body, not just a specific part. It works by targeting rapidly multiplying cancer cells.
Unfortunately, other types of cells in our bodies also multiply at high rates, like hair follicle cells and the cells that line our stomachs. This is why chemo can cause side effects like hair loss and an upset stomach. Radiation Therapy: Radiation therapy uses certain types of energy to shrink tumors or eliminate cancer cells. It works by damaging a cancer cell’s DNA, making it unable to multiply. Cancer cells are highly sensitive to radiation and typically die when treated. Nearby healthy cells can be damaged as well, but are resilient and are able to fully recover.
Biologic or Targeted Therapy: Biologic therapy is a term for drugs that target characteristics of cancerous tumors. Some types of targeted therapies work by blocking the biological processes of tumors that allow tumors to thrive and grow. Other types of therapies cut off the blood supply to the tumor, causing it to basically starve and die because of a lack of blood. Conventional Therapies These are the tried, tested and clinically proven therapies for cancer. They may also be called standard treatments.
Such therapies are most commonly used and widely accepted by the medical world inspite of debates on their side-effects and curative capabilities in the later stages of cancer. Treatment options may include: Surgery This is the oldest form of treatment for cancer. Surgery is performed in order to remove the cancerous tumor as well as some of the surrounding tissue and lymph nodes near it. Radiation Therapy Radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy) uses high-energy particles or waves, such as x-rays or gamma rays, to destroy cancer cells. Chemotherapy
This is the use of medicines to treat cancer. Systematic chemotherapy uses anticancer drugs that enter the bloodstream and reach all areas of the body, making this treatment potentially useful for cancer that has spread. Hormone Therapy Hormone therapy is used against certain cancers that depend on hormones for their growth. This treatment may include the use of drugs that stop the production of certain hormones or that change the way they work. Hormone production or hormone action can also be stopped by the surgical removal of hormone-producing glands. Immunotherapy.
Immunotherapy (also called biological therapy) is the use of treatments that promote or support the body`s immune system response to a disease such as cancer. Ayurveda Ayurveda is an ancient Indian medical science. It is a natural health care system thought to be the “mother of healing”. Unlike modern western medicine, which focuses on treating the symptoms of an illness, Ayurveda concentrates on the source of the disease using natural treatments to eliminate the root cause and promote the patient`s inherent self-healing abilities by improving immunity.
The most extreme example of illness caused by lack of purpose is cancer. Ayurveda considers cancer an emotionally caused disease. Many herbs (including astragalus, dong quai, echinacea, and Asian ginseng) supposedly “boost” the immune system and so shore up the body against future or existing cancer. Extremely small studies suggest that shiitake or maitake mushrooms, mistletoe, extracts of the Venus flytrap, and various botanical therapies used in traditional Chinese medicine may help treat certain forms of cancer. But until better evidence is in, we cannot completely rely on them.
Ginger, and maybe some other herbs, may help relieve nausea that often accompanies conventional cancer therapies. Iscador (Mistletoe Extract) Mistletoe (Viscum album L. ) is a semi-parasitic plant that lives with several tree species, including oak, pine, fir, elm and apple, and has been used since ancient times to treat a variety of human ailments. Extracts of mistletoe have been shown to kill cancer cells in the laboratory and to stimulate the immune system. Only the European species of mistletoe is used in the treatment of cancer. Aloe vera, birch, hoxsey, issiac.