| While there's a whole gamut of cancer | | | | breast is removed or mastectomy, in which the |
| treatment options available; which is the | | | | entire breast is removed. |
| best one to use depends upon the type of | | | | |
| cancer as well the stage that the cancer has | | | | Alternative Cancer Treatment Options |
| reached. Though the prevailing trend is to | | | | |
| resort to more traditional cancer treatment | | | | Traditional cancer treatment options form |
| options, cancer patients are not restricted | | | | only art of the story. An increasing number |
| to them. There are a variety of alternative | | | | of health professionals are now exploring |
| and natural options (some new, some old) for | | | | alternative cancer treatment options that |
| treating cancer. | | | | encompass the whole individual. |
| | | | |
| Traditional Cancer Treatment Options | | | | Nutrition Therapy |
| | | | |
| Traditional cancer treatment options are | | | | Maintaining a healthy, well-balanced diet |
| often referred to as cut, poison and burn | | | | that includes foods rich in antioxidants and |
| (surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation). | | | | beta-carotene, is the best way to provide |
| | | | your body with the nourishment it needs to |
| Chemotherapy | | | | fight cancer. Proper nutrition helps minimize |
| | | | nausea and fatigue that are the main |
| Chemotherapy, which involves the use of | | | | side-effects of traditional cancer treatments |
| chemical agents or drugs to destroy cancerous | | | | and are a critical component of the healing |
| cells, forms the core treatment of | | | | process. |
| malignancies. These drugs work by targeting | | | | |
| fast-growing cells and the type and | | | | Buah Merah or Red fruit, found primarily in |
| combination of drugs depends upon the type of | | | | the Indonesian island of Papua, has very high |
| cancer. Though chemotherapy has been proven | | | | levels of anti-oxidants, beta-carotene and |
| to be effective, it can give rise to a host | | | | tocopherol and offers hope to all cancer |
| of side-effects including hair loss, fatigue, | | | | patients. Beta-carotene and tocopherol have |
| diarrhea, loss of appetite, anemia or low red | | | | strong anti-carcinogenic properties and help |
| blood cell count, neutropenia or low white | | | | by boosting the immune system and retarding |
| blood cell count, mouth sores and shortness | | | | the growth of cancer-causing cells. Buah |
| of breath. | | | | Merah also contains Omega 3 and Omega 9 as |
| | | | well as linolenat, oleat, dekanoat and |
| Radiation Therapy | | | | linoleat acids; all of which act as active |
| | | | medicinal compounds and also help in the |
| Radiation therapy involves the use of | | | | prevention of diabetes mellitus, heart |
| high-energy ionizing radiation from varied | | | | diseases, hypertension, stroke, diabetes, |
| sources including x-rays, gamma rays, protons | | | | hepatitis and HIV/AIDS. |
| and neutrons to shrink tumors and kill | | | | |
| cancerous cells. It is used almost half of | | | | Naturopathy |
| all cancer patients; either by itself or in | | | | |
| combination with other cancer treatments. | | | | Naturopathy is a system of treatment that |
| External-beam radiation therapy, which | | | | focuses exclusively on using the healing |
| involves using radiation that is emitted from | | | | powers of nature such as sunlight, water and |
| a machine outside the body is more common | | | | air. It is supplemented with therapies such |
| than internal radiation therapy, in which a | | | | as massage as well as a wholesome diet. |
| radioactive material is implanted in the body | | | | Naturopathy is by and large a holistic kind |
| near the tumor or cancer cells. | | | | of treatment and includes homoeopathy, |
| | | | ayurveda, therapeutic nutrition, hydrotherapy |
| Surgery | | | | or botanical medicine. It is based on the |
| | | | belief that the body is self-healing and will |
| Surgery often entails a biopsy, which is done | | | | recover and repair by itself spontaneously if |
| for diagnostic purposes. Surgery that is done | | | | it is given a healthy, conducive environment. |
| to remove the cancerous tissues is often | | | | |
| followed by chemotherapy or radiotherapy, | | | | Pain Control |
| which reduces the risk of the cancer | | | | |
| recurring and also to destroy any cancer | | | | Though, to a certain extent medication can be |
| cells that may be left behind in the affected | | | | used to manage pain, Acupuncture is gaining |
| part of the body. | | | | popularity as a means to control the pain |
| | | | experienced by cancer sufferers. The pain |
| The kind of surgery depends on which part of | | | | could be brought on by the cancer itself or |
| the body has been affected by cancer as well | | | | as a side-effect to the cancer treatment. |
| as the extent of the cancer. In breast cancer | | | | Prevalence and severity of pain depend on the |
| patients the options could include | | | | extent, location and type of cancer as well |
| lumpectomy, in which only the lump is | | | | as pain threshold of the person afflicted by |
| removed; segmentectomy, in which part of the | | | | cancer. |