Colon Cancer Alternative Treatment

Colon cancer alternative treatment makes sense to a lot of people. Especially if your doctor wants you to have chemotherapy. Almost half of all people on chemo try some alternative cancer treatment. Let us set out some facts about the nutritional aspects of this topic for you.

Natural cures for colon cancer have been around for decades. They run the gamut from drinking several glasses of raw juice daily to taking large doses of vitamins (sometimes intravenously). They include herbal preparations that you eat and enemas to cleanse your colon and detoxify your body. Nearly every colon cancer alternative treatment claims to improve your health and possibly cure you.

Can I combine alternative treatments with chemo?

But keep in mind that several supplements and antioxidants present problems when used along with chemotherapy. Research by many cancer-related organizations indicates that combining antioxidants and chemotherapy is not a good idea. The American Cancer Society's Cancer Journal for Clinicians reported in Sept/Oct 2005 that 50% of cancer patients use some supplements. That article reported, ..."vitamin C and other antioxidants can protect cells against radiation and chemotherapy," adding that because vitamins protect against radiation, they can also reduce chemotherapy's effects. "This is the reason why most oncologists discourage patients from using antioxidants during treatment," the article said.

As with nearly every colon cancer alternative treatment, you will find information saying it is fine to combine antioxidants and chemotherapy. But solid research says the opposite.

Our organizing group, Cancer Information Center LLC, believes that medically based cancer treatment, is the foundation for overcoming cancer. We also believe in maintaining a healthy lifestyle while undergoing treatment and for future cancer prevention. This lifestyle includes exercise, good nutrition and - when appropriate - supplementation of certain vitamins and herbs.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine

There are hundreds of thousands of pages on the Internet discussing complementary, alternative and holistic cancer treatments. Still, colon cancer alternative treatment is difficult to study using traditional Western medical methods. Most patients in advanced stages of cancer are receiving chemotherapy. And if you add treatments made from plants or use other forms of holistic medicine, it is impossible to know what is working. It is also unethical to discontinue a patient's medications to determine if natural treatments work.

Additional information on alternative treatment

Here then is a concise explanation of colon cancer alternative treatment. We are including basic information about vitamins and other supplements that can help prevent cancer and rebuild your health after chemotherapy. Some of these, such as CoQ10, might be OK to take while undergoing chemotherapy. But always check with you doctor.

Holistic medicine, including clinical trials for alternative treatments, have been practiced in many countries for years. The Food and Drug Administration does not acknowledge these trials. Yet alternative health recently became a legitimate field of study in the U.S. The U.S. Government has a division called The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine or NCCAM (nccam.nih.gov). NCCAM reports on various types of therapies, including nutrition, supplementation, massage, acupuncture and lifestyle.

Supplementation to help prevent cancer and rebuild your health has been popular for years. But six years ago, in April 2003, Christine L. Taylor, PhD, formerly Director, Office of Nutritional Products, Labeling and Dietary Supplements, FDA, wrote, "Some scientific evidence suggests that consumption of antioxidant vitamins may reduce the risk of certain forms of cancer."

10 top supplements to keep you healthy and help prevent cancer

1. Calcium (May reduce the risk of getting colon cancer)
2. CoQ10 (May relieve cancer symptoms and increase energy)
3. Omega-3 fatty acids (May reduce the risk of getting colon cancer)
4. Quercetin (An anti-inflammatory and antioxidant that may prevent or treat cancer)
5. Resveratrol (May block or stop many stages of cancer)
6. Selenium (May protect colonic cells from external and internal stressors)
7. B Vitamins and folic acid (May help prevent cancer)
8. Vitamin C (A strong antioxidant that can help prevent cancer and rebuild the body after chemotherapy)
9. Vitamin D (May help to fight colon cancer)
10. Vitamin E (A strong antioxidant that can help prevent cancer and rebuild the body after chemotherapy)

Natural herbs can help with side effects from chemotherapy and might help prevent cancer, say many health-related agencies such as NCCAM and the American Cancer Society. Consider also that Chinese herbs often have antioxidant properties, so you might need to avoid these.

One herb in the news is turmeric, a yellow plant in the ginger family. Research in several countries indicates that this anti-inflammatory herb can slow the spread of cancer, slow down the growth of new tumor blood vessels and cause cancer cells to die. According to Bharat B. Aggarwal, M.D., professor of cancer medicine, Dept. of Experimental Therapeutics, University of Texas, the active component of turmeric is an excellent blocker of TNF, or tumor necrosis factor, which contributes to cancersh2

Natural Herbs

Herbs that can help with side effects from chemotherapy including nausea, depression and insomnia include:

1. Blackberry
2. Fenugreek
3. Ginger
4. Cinnamon
5. Peppermint
6. St John's wort
7. Saw Palmetto
8. Valerian
9. Kava

Other forms of alternative treatments for cancer have been around for decades. While many patients claim to have been cured by these, research is limited. Alternative therapies generally fall into five categories, while many programs use more than one type. These are:

1. Nutrition - including some supplements taken intravenously.
2. Enzymes - to break down the protective coating around cancer cells.
3. Oxygenation - including ozone therapy and oxygenation of the blood intravenously.
4. Detoxification - including colonics and detoxification diets.
5. Tumor targeting - including cancer vaccines.

Gerson Therapy

Gerson Therapy, one of the most popular alternative regimens, has been around since the 1940's. It consists of drinking raw, organic juices several times a day, using coffee enemas, eating a restricted diet and taking many supplements. Numerous people claim to have been cured by this method, which is very high in natural vitamins, mineral and micro-nutrients and low in sodium and fats. Andrew Weil, MD, says on his website, "Coffee enemas are recommended in some alternative approaches to cancer treatment, and they are widely promoted on the Internet and by some alternative practitioners as a detox method.I have never recommended coffee enemas, but I won't write them off."

The Gerson Institute suggests that patients initially check into appropriate clinics to get treated, and to learn how to use this method on their own. But few states in the U.S. allow alternative clinics to operate.

Gerson Therapy works in part by sending toxins into the bloodstream, then eliminating them. For this reason, people who have received chemotherapy are advised to work with a Gerson practitioner. For personal use of this treatment could cause liver failure for these people.

Hundreds of thousands of people claim to have been helped or cured by this method. But treatment is expensive, difficult to understand and not easily available. However, it is today the most popular alternative method to treat cancer.

There have been many other alternative methods to combat cancer over the years.

Other alternative methods to combat cancer include:

• Hoxsey Therapy uses an herbal paste for external cancers and an herbal mixture for internal cancers, and includes laxatives, douches, vitamin supplements, and dietary changes.
• Livingston-Wheeler therapy included vaccines, antibiotics, vitamins, minerals digestive enzymes, enemas and a vegetarian diet. In 1990, the CA Dept. of Health Services ordered the clinic to stop giving patients a vaccine made from the patient's own urine or blood.
• Di Bella Multitherapy used compounds including melatonin, retinoid drugs, and cyclophosphamide. Clinical trials were run on lymphoma, breast, lung, colon and other cancers with little evidence of a cure.
• Vitamin C, promoted by Dr. Linus Pauling regarded as a possible cancer therapy showed no positive results.
• Poly-MVA, containing vitamins, minerals and amino acids, palladium, B12, and other B complex vitamins, was promoted as a non-toxic alternative to chemotherapy. No success stories about the use of this supplement have been published in scientific journals.

Written by Steve Goldner - 4/4/09

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