Pharma Blog » Cancer

MORE ABOUT BREAST CANCER

admin — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 16:23:09 +0000

The process that makes a cell cancerous is the same process by which a cell grows and replicates. With cancer, the cells seem to be doing the job too well. The control mechanism that would normally stop a cell from multiplying seems to be at fault. The multiplication seems to continue with no controls. It is interesting that this overgrowth and multiplication can be happening all over our bodies at different times and yet does not necessarily produce cancer. When our cells are functioning well and our immune system is good, cancer does not develop.

Surgery to remove cancerous growths is based on the assumption that these tumors are separate independent manifestations of the disease that arc unconnected to the general health of the rest of the body and that removal of the diseased part, if caught in time, can prevent the cancer from spreading.

Surgery removes as much of the cancer as possible but does not address the underlying cause. So although that one lump may have been removed, cancer may reappear at another site because the factors that caused the cancer in the first place are still there. This theory is supported by recent research involving 5500 breast cancer patients – one of the largest investigations of its kind. It demonstrated that mastectomy (radical surgery involving the removal of breast tissue and all lymph nodes in the armpit) guaranteed women no greater survival rates than if they had a lumpectomy (lump only removed) and radiation. Modern medicine, in many cases, focuses on treating the symptoms rather than the cause. A good metaphor is the one where the hard-working doctors are busy mopping up the floor covered with water which is over-spilling from the sink above, where both taps are on full and the plug is in. They are frantically treating the never ending ‘symptom’, whereas the natural treatment would be to find and remove the cause, i.e. take out the plug and turn off the taps.

Breast tenderness and lumps are known to respond to an increased intake of essential fatty acids, so these oils should be an important part of our diet both for prevention and treatment. And a very interesting study in the Journal of Nutrition showed that soya beans can have a balancing effect on the oestrogen in our bodies. The soya increased oestrogen levels when they were low and reduced them when they were too high. It seems to explain why soya beans can reduce hot flushes (which are thought to be due to a lack of oestrogen) and also reduce the incidence of breast cancer (which is thought to be linked to an excess of the hormone). Increasingly researchers believe that some constituents found in certain foods, like soya, that forms an important part of traditional Japanese and other Eastern diets, effectively protect women from hormonally linked cancers.

Most breast problems are benign, not cancerous. Many women complain of tender swollen breasts and lumps that fluctuate with the menstrual cycle – fibrocystic breasts. These can be so painful that the women’s lives are seriously affected. Some women can’t bear to hug their children and cannot bear to be hugged by their partners. It can make sexual intercourse uncomfortable. Other women can’t wear tight clothing and some have difficulty sleeping because they can’t find a comfortable position. In extreme cases some women have opted for mastectomies.

But fibrocystic breasts can be helped with nutrition. This can be done by avoiding drinks which contain methyhcanthines (coffee, tea, chocolate, cola and even decaffeinated coffee) as these have been shown to cause breast tenderness. Add in some supplements containing oils such as evening primrose oil, linseed oil or fish oils.

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NAUSEA AND VOMITING – REMOVING OR CORRECTING

admin — Mon, 18 May 2009 06:50:34 +0000

Once the cause(s) for your nausea are found, it may be possible to remove or correct them. For example, if it is due to the cancer itself, some form of anti-cancer treatment would be a possible, but not necessarily the best, way to tackle it. If it is due to cancer in the brain, corticosteroids could relieve the nausea temporarily by reducing the pressure on the brain. If it is due to a bowel blockage, surgical removal or bypass of the blockage may be possible. If it is due to radiotherapy or chemotherapy it may be possible to change the doses, or even stop the responsible treatment. If it is due to, or aggravated by, anxiety, talking about and dealing with some of your worries, learning relaxation techniques and taking sedatives are three approaches you could consider.

The nausea itself must be treated if the cause is not to be emoved—either because this is impossible or because you decide that the likely cost of removing the cause would outweigh the likely benefit. I suggest you read pages 240-42 here. This section is basically about the treatment of nausea due to chemotherapy, but the same sorts of approaches can be followed for nausea due to other reasons. Remember, there are a number of different antinausea medications and it can be a matter of trial and error to find the one that suits you best. Chemical names of some good ones are prochlorperazine, metoclopramide, thiethylperazine maleate and chlorpromazine.

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TREATMENT OF SYMPTOMS – PRACTITIONERS AND TREATMENT

admin — Fri, 15 May 2009 06:39:24 +0000

If you would have accepted a common-sense explanation for it before, you probably should now.

I’m afraid that many doctors and other practitioners who treat people with cancer behave as though symptoms are not important. These practitioners don’t ask about them and will treat you in an inattentive and impatient manner if you try to tell them about the symptoms that are worrying you.

You will have to keep reminding yourself of three things in order to get your symptoms the attention they deserve. Firstly, any symptom that is uncomfortable, restricts your activity, keeps you awake, makes you feel anxious because you don’t know what it means or worries you in any other way, is important. Secondly, because no one else can see or feel your symptoms, they will only know about them if you tell them. Thirdly, your practitioner’s job is to care for you as a whole person, not just to treat your cancer. It is never a waste of his or her time to talk about your symptoms. In fact, your symptoms and their treatment should be discussed every time you see your practitioner.

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