Cancer Health Article

Alternative treatment

There are a multitude of alternative treatments available to help the person with cancer. They can be used in conjunction with, or separate from, surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Alternative treatment of cancer is a complicated arena and a trained health practitioner should be consulted.

Although the effectiveness of complementary therapies such as acupuncture in alleviating cancer pain has not been clinically proven, many cancer patients find it safe and beneficial. Bodywork therapies such as massage and reflexology ease muscle tension and may alleviate the side effects such as nausea and vomiting. Homeopathy and herbal remedies used in Chinese traditional herbal medicine have also been shown to alleviate some of the side effects of radiation and chemotherapy and are being recommended by many doctors.

Certain foods including many vegetables, fruits and grains are believed to offer protection against various cancers. However, isolation of the individual constituent of vegetables and fruits that are anti-cancer agents has proven difficult. In laboratory studies, vitamins such as A, C and E, as well as compounds such as isothiocyanates and dithiolthiones found in broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage, and beta-carotene found in carrots have been shown to protect against cancer. Studies have shown that eating a diet rich in fiber as found in fruits and vegetables reduces the risk of colon cancer. Exercise and a low fat diet help control weight and reduce the risk of endometrial, breast, and colon cancer.

Certain drugs, which are currently being used for treatment, could also be suitable for prevention. For example, the drug tamoxifen (Nolvadex), which has been very effective against breast cancer, is currently being tested by the National Cancer Institute for its ability to prevent cancer. Similarly, retinoids derived from vitamin A are being tested for their ability to slow the progression or prevent head and neck cancers. Certain studies have suggested that cancer incidence is lower in areas where soil and foods are rich in the mineral selenium. More trials are needed to explain these intriguing connections.

Prognosis

"Lifetime risk" is the term that cancer researchers use to refer to the probability that an individual over the course of a lifetime will develop cancer or die from it. In the United States, men have a one in two lifetime risk of developing cancer, and for women the risk is one in three. Overall, African-Americans are more likely to develop cancer than whites. African-Americans are also 30% more likely to die of cancer than whites.

Most cancers are curable if detected and treated at their early stages. A cancer patient's prognosis is affected by many factors, particularly the type of cancer the patient has, the stage of the cancer, the extent to which it has metastasized and the aggressiveness of the cancer. In addition, the patient's age, general health status and the effectiveness of the treatment being pursued are also important factors.

To help predict the future course and outcome of the disease and the likelihood of recovery from the disease, doctors often use statistics. The five-year survival rates are the most common measures used. The number refers to the proportion of people with cancer who are expected to be alive, five years after initial diagnosis, compared

with a similar population that is free of cancer. It is important to note that while statistics can give some information about the average survival experience of cancer patients in a given population, it cannot be used to indicate individual prognosis, because no two patients are exactly alike.

Prevention

According to nutritionists and epidemiologists from leading universities in the United States, a person can reduce the chances of getting cancer by following some simple guidelines:

• eating plenty of vegetables and fruits
• exercising vigorously for at least 20 minutes every day
• avoiding excessive weight gain
• avoiding tobacco (even second hand smoke)
• decreasing or avoiding consumption of animal fats and red meats
• avoiding excessive amounts of alcohol
• avoiding the midday sun (between 11 A.M. and 3 P.M.) when the suns rays are the strongest
• avoiding risky sexual practices
• avoiding known carcinogens in the environment or work place

BOOKS

Buckman, Robert. What You Really Need to Know about Cancer: A Comprehensive Guide for Patients and Their Families. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1997.

Morra, Marion E. Choices. Avon Books, October 1994.

Murphy, Gerald P. American Cancer Textbook of Clinical Oncology. American Cancer Society, 1995.

Murphy, Gerald P. Informed Decisions: The Complete Book of Cancer Diagnosis, Treatment and Recovery. American Cancer Society, 1997.

Simone, Joseph V. "Oncology: Introduction." In Cecil Textbook of Medicine, edited by Russel L. Cecil et al. Philadelphia:W.B. Saunders Company, 2000.

PERIODICALS

"What You Need to Know about Cancer." Scientific American (September 1996).