Alternative Cancer Treatments – Know the Other Solutions Available to You

Posted by in Cancer Treatments on August 7, 2011

By James Turner

Cancer when caught early can be treated. There are several cancer treatment options such as surgery, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, radiation therapy and targeted therapy. These treatments are usually combined together for a successful treatment of cancer. Most of these treatments are aggressive which usually have side effects. Aside from modern treatments, oriental medicine and alternative medicine practitioners have come up with different alternative cancer treatments. These alternative treatments emphasize the use of Mother Nature in the treatment of cancer. There are many alternative cancer treatment centers these days found in many countries all over the world.

Herbal Treatment:

The use of herbs and other plants in the treatment of different illnesses has been tried and tested. Despite the invention of powerful and modern drugs, many people opt to use herbs because herbs usually do not have side effects and adverse effects. Many researches have been done to create the ultimate cure for cancer. To this end, alternative medicine practitioners are also doing their best to find a cancer cure. A highly recommended alternative cancer treatment is the use of herbs for cancer treatment. Some of the top cancer herbs are garlic, red clover, chaparral and Echinacea. Garlic is a very powerful herb which can be used as an anti-bacterial, anti-parasitical, anti-fungal and anti-viral. Those who have cancer should eat at least 3 to 5 cloves of raw garlic everyday. Those whose cancer is already in its advance stage should increase their garlic intake to eight cloves per day. Chaparrals and red clovers also have anti-cancer properties.

Chaparral in particular is a good liver cancer alternative treatment because it has liver stimulants which can remove the toxins in the liver. Echinacea boosts the immune system which is very important when fighting cancer. For those with stage 4 cancers, a popular cancer alternative treatment is the ‘grape cancer cure.’ This alternative treatment which was developed by Johanna Brandt focuses on the use of grapes for the treatment of cancer. There are other herbs which can be used to fight cancer.

Holistic Cancer Treatment:

Holistic alternative medicine as a cancer cure is gaining popularity. Holistic healing is a kind of treatment which focuses on the person as a whole. This means that the treatment does not focus on the illness alone but on all aspects of the patient’s life. The spiritual, social, emotional, mental and physical aspects are all considered in the treatment of the person. Holistic cancer treatment uses different therapies such as herbal remedies, acupuncture, energy-based therapies, counseling, prayer, exercise and many more. All these treatments or therapies aim to restore balance in the human body. In the treatment of cancer, a person’s fighting spirit is important. This is where holistic healing as an alternative cancer treatment comes in. It helps a person stay mentally strong while undergoing cancer treatment.

Complementary Medicine:

Complementary medicine refers to different treatments which are used along side with conventional treatments. Examples of complementary medicines are yoga, tai chi, acupuncture, massage and meditation. Some people say that complementary medicine works in the same way a placebo does. However, studies have shown that people who used complementary techniques along with conventional medicine have a higher chance of successfully beating cancer.

There are many other alternative cancer treatments aside from what has been mentioned. Many doctors and people are skeptical about these treatments. However, many cancer survivors who used alternative medicines are living proofs of the effectiveness of these treatments.

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New Treatments for Advanced and Metastatic Melanoma

Posted by in Skin Cancer on August 7, 2011

By Mai Brooks

Melanoma, the deadly skin cancer, is on the rise. In the United States in 2010, there were estimated 68,130 new cases of invasive cancer and 46,770 of in situ melanoma. In the same year, 8,700 people were predicted to die from this malignancy. Melanoma is curable if it is detected early and can be surgically removed. When melanoma has spread to lymph node(s) or when it is more than 4 mm thick, there is a chance of metastasis (spread to distant organs). Melanoma could spread to the following organs: lung, liver, brain, bone, intestine, pancreas, adrenal, kidney, spleen, heart, and thyroid. Imaging tests such as Pet CT and brain MRI may be done to look for metastasis. Most patients with metastatic melanoma die within one year. The 2-year survival rate is only 10-20%. Current treatments include chemotherapy, of which dacarbazine is the most commonly used. Over the past decades, many drugs and vaccines have been tested, with no success. The last drug approved was interleukin-2 in 1998, but it is so toxic that physicians rarely use it nowadays. Neither it nor the other approved drug, dacarbazine, has clearly demonstrated improved survival. This year, two new drugs are being introduced. The first drug is Yervoy (ipilimumab), which was approved by the FDA in March 2011. The second agent is vemurafenib; it has finished its clinical trial and awaits approval.

Yervoy is an antibody that blocks T-lymphocyte associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4). This blockage increases T-cell proliferation, which results in a more active immune system to attack the melanoma cells. A recent clinical trial enrolled 502 patients with previously untreated metastatic melanoma. The patients were randomly assigned to either dacarbazine chemotherapy plus Yervoy, or chemotherapy alone. Overall survival was significantly longer in the group receiving Yervoy plus dacarbazine than in the group receiving dacarbazine (11.2 months versus 9.1 months). At one year, 47% of the Yervoy patients are alive, in comparison with 36% in the chemotherapy only group. At two years, 29% of the Yervoy patients are alive, in comparison with 18% in the chemotherapy only group. At three years, 21% of the Yervoy patients are alive, in comparison with 12% in the chemotherapy only group. Yervoy can result in severe immune-mediated adverse reactions due to T-cell activation and proliferation. These immune-mediated side effects may involve any organ system. The most common severe adverse reactions are enterocolitis, hepatitis, dermatitis (including toxic epidermal necrolysis), neuropathy, and endocrinopathy. Yervoy costs $120,000 for a complete course of treatment, which consists of four infusions given over a three-month period.

The second promising new drug, vemurafenib, targets a mutation in the gene BRAF (Serine/threonine-protein kinase B-Raf). About 50% of melanoma cases have this mutation. The clinical trial enrolled 675 patients with previously untreated, metastatic melanoma with the BRAF mutation. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either vemurafenib or dacarbazine. At six months, overall survival was 84% in the vemurafenib group and 64% in the chemotherapy group. Common adverse events associated with vemurafenib were joint pain, rash, fatigue, hair loss, squamous-cell carcinoma, photosensitivity, nausea, and diarrhea. In the study, 38% of patients required dose modification because of toxic effects. This drug is being considered for future potential approval by the FDA in melanoma patients. The price tag is unknown at this point.

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