Alternative Cancer Treatments According to “Centers for Disease Control and Prevention” (2013), “Each year globally, 12.7 million people learn they have cancer, and 7.6 million people die from the disease” (para. 1). Cancer treatments can be affective, depending on the type and level of the cancer. Doctors often offer different treatment options to patients. Most of these treatments include medications that can affect the body in a harmful way in attempt to kill the cancer. Many patients are starting to look for alternative treatments. There are no conventional or alternative treatments guaranteed to cure a patient from cancer. A major concern about alternative treatments is its use as a false lure to a cure. Although there is no cure for cancer, alternative treatments may prove to be helpful along with conventional treatment as cancer becomes more common.
To understand how alternative treatments can assist cancer patients along with their conventional treatments, we must first ask what cancer is, and how it can affect the human body. According to “National Cancer Institute” (2013), “Cancer is a term used for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control and are able to invade other tissues” (para. 1). As cancer cells continue to divide, they can also spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph systems. These abnormal cells can cause some major issues throughout the body. A broad spectrum of non-specific cancer symptoms can include a nagging cough or hoarseness, difficulty swallowing, nausea, persistent fatigue, unintentional weight loss, and pain, as well as changes in bladder or bowel habits (cancer symptoms, 2003). These symptoms can be very difficult to manage on a daily basis.
To help combat many of these symptoms, as well as the pain, nausea, and fatigue associated with conventional cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, many are turning to alternative treatments. One such alternative treatment that can help with these symptoms is acupuncture. This traditional Chinese medicine practice has been around for thousands of years. During an acupuncture session, practitioners use needles placed along the energy fields of the body to re-balance the body’s energies. Acupuncture can be used to help alleviate both cancer and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (Ernst, 2009). Pain is another symptom that acupuncture has been suggested to help. This pain can be caused by the cancer, chemotherapy, or even surgery (Eldridge, 2013). As these are a few of the most recognized symptoms of cancer, the use of acupuncture is becoming more common. Many cancer centers are now offering acupuncture for cancer treatments.
Another alternative treatment that is being offered in many cancer treatment centers is the use of chirpractics. Of all the alternative treatments available for cancer patients, chiropractic is the most widely used (Alcantara, Alcantara, & Alcantara, 2012). Chiropractic care is used to treat and alleviate bone, muscle, and joint pain by properly aligning the spine and other joints to help restore nerve function. Since cancer can attack both bones and muscles, this becomes an alternative treatment that different cancer centers are now offering. In fact, Cancer Treatment Centers of America offers Chiropractic care to cancer patients to help alleviate symptoms such as pain, stiffness, nausea, and headaches. Chiropractic care has also shown to reduce stress and help improve overall wellness (Cancer Treatment Centers of America, 2013). With the damage that cancer can cause to the human body, stress reduction is extremely important.
Another popular alternative cancer treatment is the macrobiotic diet. The popularity can be attributed to the case reports of individuals who have recovered from cancers with poor prognoses to macrobiotics (Kushi, Cunningham, & Herbert, 2001). The macrobiotic diet is a predominantly a vegetarian, whole-foods diet which emphasizes natural, minimally processed foods, and is high in complex carbohydrate, and low in fat. Foods in this diet include brown rice, wheat, corn, pasta, and bread. This type of diet offers help with cancer symptoms such as unintentional weight loss and change in bowel movements. Extra energy has been associated with diets containing high carbohydrates. The benefit of this high carbohydrate diet helps decrease symptoms of cancer such as persistent fatigue. The macrobiotic diet can be modified to fit one’s personal needs, as well as help with the symptoms of cancer and its treatments (Kushi, Cunningham, & Herbert, 2001). As a diet is changeable without the help of a doctor or any special tools, the macrobiotic diet is gaining in popularity with not only cancer patients, but also those who may have a higher risk of cancer.
When looking into alternative cancer treatments, it is important to remember that no alternative treatment has been proven to cure cancer. Since the advent of the Internet, it has become easier for people to market an alternative treatment as a “cure” for cancer. Because of this market, it is important for cancer patients to speak with their doctor before attempting any alternative treatment. According to the “National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine” (2013), “Some fraudulent cancer treatments are harmful by themselves, and others can be indirectly harmful because people may delay seeking medical care while they try them, or because the fraudulent product interferes with the effectiveness of proven cancer treatments” (Beware of Cancer Treatment Fraud). Often times these products are marketed as a “new technology”, or as a “miracle”. Chances are that these products are not reliable, nor would they be approved by a cancer patient’s doctor. This makes communication between the cancer patient’s doctor, and the patient more important than ever.
With almost 13 million people worldwide diagnosed with cancer each year, more people have begun looking into alternative treatments. It is however very important for a cancer patient to talk with their doctor before attempting to try an alternative treatment. Many of these alternative treatments have had some success with managing many of the associated ailments involved with cancer, and the medicine used to treat it. Screening programs and diagnostic techniques to detect cancer remain of great importance in effort to catch cancer early. As cancer treatment research moves forward, it is important to consider all options, including alternative treatments.