By Henry Relfield

We know that cancer treatment is just part of the picture. However, if you have just been diagnosed with cancer, it is the only part you see. Your cancer treatment plan becomes the primary focus of your life. As life goes on for everyone else, your world comes to a grinding halt. You catch glimpses of everyday activities in your peripheral vision, but they seem like a sideshow - distractions to your process, your plan, your fight. Cancer has become your job, your obsession. A cancer diagnosis defines and disrupts your life in profound ways. Given that cancer treatment takes center stage, it is of utmost importance to understand as much as possible about the components of an integrative treatment plan. Let's start with conventional treatment.

Conventional medicine is based upon three basic treatment options. Although there have been improvements within each, these same options have been offered to cancer patients for decades. Surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy have all been shown to kill cancer cells. Unfortunately, they can also cause varying degrees of damage to normal tissues and they do not always cure cancer. The continued hunt for more effective treatments and treatment support options is the driving force behind current research and development in conventional cancer care. Targeted molecular therapies are one result of this search. While still falling short of eradicating tumor, conventional cancer therapies are powerful weapons in this fight.

A great deal of individualized thought and information gathering should go into determining a cancer treatment plan. To decide which conventional and/or complementary treatments are most appropriate, ask yourself these key questions:

* Where is the cancer?
* What stage is the tumor and has it spread?
* How old is the person and how is their overall health?
* What are the chances of survival and remission?
* Which treatment offers the best chance of destroying the tumor while causing the least harm to the person?
* What are the risks associated with the proposed treatment?
* What are the goals of the person with cancer?

Answering these questions will help you make educated decisions. This, in turn, will give you greater confidence in your treatment and will keep you focused on doing what you can to maximize its benefits.

By Grace O Gawler

Recently the Medical Journal of Australia published my refute letter regarding a famous cancer recovery story that I was intimately involved with three decades ago. My now controversial refute is being debated not only in medical circles, but in complementary and alternative medicine groups. My medical journal report highlights how easy it is for medical histories and clinical timelines to be altered with the passage of time. In this case, it began with a few mistakes in a 1978 published article about this patient. The media enjoyed a field day with sensationalist headlines as errors went unchecked for more than thirty years, possibly influencing the decisions of thousands of cancer patients, maybe millions if the internet is taken into account.

Then in 2008 a medical journal article under the heading of 'True Stories' not only reproduced the original errors; but added to and embellished them. There was only one thing to do; write a refute letter based on facts and presenting undeniable proof hoping that the information would filter through to treating doctors and eventually patients who usually don't read medical journals. I believe it to be imperative that cancer patients base their treatment choices on factual cases if they choose to emulate someone else's recovery plan.

Hope comes with a duty of care and the many cancer entrepreneurs whose cancer remission stories don't quite add up may soon have to prove their original diagnosis, treatments and recoveries if they want to promote their cures. There are many occurrences outside scientific knowledge and there will always be inexplicable cures from all kinds of illness deemed incurable, but an accurate diagnosis is always essential. This subject has become a very grey area in complementary, alternative and lifestyle medicine.

But how do cancer patients know who is legitimate and who is not? Today's cancer patient almost needs a science and research degree in order to wade through the volumes of material that they discover on the internet or in books or even from their next door neighbour. Easy availability of information has created the information overload phenomenon with many oncologists and doctors now having to add to their repertoire of recommendations a 'stay away from the internet warning'. Health professionals need to play a part in creating a new paradigm of care for cancer patients.

When you analyse the majority of 'cancer cures' in the popular press or on the internet, you will find very little about how the person who has cancer can develop and access life-skills and strategies to deal with their life and their cancer concurrently. As long as the focus stays just on alternative, complementary or orthodox medicine and various combinations of those modalities - there will remain suffering for patients and families. It is imperative that first-line humanistic medicine is incorporated to complete the holistic model. The humanistic model concurrently addresses critical life issues such as treating post traumatic stress disorder, grief and loss, emotional distress, depression, to name but a few.

We all know that building a house, if it is to last, requires strong and well planned foundations. Working with cancer is no different. The Foundations built during the earliest possible stages of the illness will ensure a more conscious and transformative journey, whatever the outcome. We all have to die someday and in our dying moments I can guarantee you that it will not be how much of a product we ingested or how much treatment we have endured or if we followed the latest dietary trend; it will be our human values that are important; our emotional and moral intelligence, our relationships-healed or unhealed, our peace of mind with the life we have lived. How do I know? Having been at death's door many times, I have also sat in homes and hospitals with dying patients and their families and this has given me a valuable and rich perspective on life.

I have worked at the coal-face of cancer for 35 years with client numbers of over 13,000. I have had the privilege of working with one large targeted group of people with cancer who have been willing to share their mistakes and successes as well as their experiences, choices and outcomes. I listened to them and learned a valuable lesson or two. People who considered themselves to be successful cancer patients focused on dealing with their illness by rediscovering and utilising their authentic self; in other words they accessed what they already knew as a baseline strategy to create a health restoration plan. There was no direct focus on diet, supplements or massive lifestyle changes because when patients lived life from their authentic self, they tended to make the right decisions.

My approach, rather than focusing on what you can ingest to cure cancer invites you to explore your illness creatively, spinning gold from straw and living for however long you can authentically and with purpose and meaning. Often this approach extends life beyond all expectation.

Far from depressive, I have always viewed my work in supportive care medicine for cancer patients as a privilege and honour and the work has introduced me to some amazing people who have turned their situation around spinning gold from straw and thereby enriching the lives of everyone around them. So it is my hope that this message reaches as many health professionals of all persuasions along with their cancer patients, because if taken to heart and applied, it will create the baseline and value add to any other healing modality that follows. The cancer maze as I call it is a confusing and challenging path to navigate when feeling vulnerable, sick and tired.

Let us bring ethics, moral intelligence, compassion, integrity and truth to the cancer healing world remembering first and foremost who we are there for-the patients!

By Jason Braka

Hair extensions for Cancer patients is not a new idea, but it is a wonderful option to consider. Because cancer is a tough, often up-hill battle to for any person to fight, and the affects of radiation and chemotherapy reach beyond physical pain and the toll they take on one's body. Hair loss is a common side affect for many people going through radiation and chemotherapy. Hair loss, especially in women, can lessen one's self-esteem and self image. For years female cancer patients have been turning to wigs to get their sense of femininity back. With the advancements in today's hair products, extensions are gaining in popularity in general and especially for cancer patients.

Extra small fusion bonds with soft glue are the most recommended type of hair products for cancer patients. Hair extensions applied with extra small fusion bonds are safest for the fragile regrowth of new hair. They will not add as much weight to the new hair strands and allow the hair to grow back in. Also a softer bond will be easier to remove reducing breakage when they are removed.

The objective is to add hair temporarily while new hair grows back in and not become dependent upon extensions. Bonds that last only 2-3 months are best so they practically fall out when it is time for removal and a new set of extensions. Using a hard bond that is made to last for 4-6 months may lead to extensive breakage and a dependence upon hair extensions that can last for years.

It is highly recommended that cancer patients who opt for hair extensions using either application technique visit a reputable salon for a product which suits their needs. This minor adjustment in appearance can be a great way to give a cancer patient their self-esteem back - this could be very therapeutic and help the patient to go through the process and have a full recovery.

By Andy Kahn

Cancer is generally defined as a growth or tumor that results from abnormal and uncontrolled cell division. Normal cells of the body, with a few exceptions, constantly undergo division as old and injured cells die off and are replaced. The process of Controlled growth and death of normal cells is referred to as homeostasis, and its goal is to maintain a healthy balance in the life. To achieve this goal, cellular growth and division occurs in a process called the cellular cycle, and its steps are carefully controlled by a variety of genetic and molecular feedback mechanisms. In cancer cells, any one or several of these mechanisms malfunction, allowing their growth to proceed unchecked.

The cellular cycle is an orderly, four-stage process. The cell starts the cycle when it is engaged in its normal functions. It eventually prepares to make a copy of itself by entering a phase in which it's DNA the genetic material-replicates, resulting in duplicate genetic material. It then returns to its normal functions for a while before entering the final phase, when the cytoplasm and duplicate genetic material separates producing two identical cells. Normal cells follow the steps of the cellular cycle in an orderly fashion.

Cancer cells also follow these steps, but they bypass the controls that keep too many of them from entering the cycle at once and that make them die off when they should. Cancer cells do not stop dividing the way the normal ones do. They differ from normal ones in a number of ways. Normal cells require external growth factors to enter the cellular cycle. External growth factors are substances from the surrounding environment that trigger division. Cancer cells live independently of these growth factors, so they continually divide. Normal ones limit their division when they come into contact with other cells.

By Rose Liu

Cancer which is a disease that has not been totally cured by people, is still threatening the lives of many people at present. Based on the report, you will find many reasons that could cause cancer, and not many of these reasons are well recognized to us. It is one of the most dreaded diseases of our time and studies show that there are definite links between environment and cancer. Environment increases the risk of some forms of cancer such as colon, breast cancer and rectal cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is probably the most challenging cancers to cure by using traditional western medicine. That's exactly where an alternative solution therapy for pancreatic cancer comes in. Pancreatic cancer is difficult to treat as it has very few symptoms before it spreads to other body parts. This is because pancreatic cancer can be quite a very aggressive. When it is discovered, it is usually too late for conventional western medicine to do anything other than to prolong life a long time.

A few of the typical testicular cancer symptoms and signs include swelling of the testicles, presence of lump that's not painful, discomfort felt in the scrotum or testicles, pain or dull ache in the testicles or scrotum and so on. But it ought to be taken into account that the above testicular cancer symptoms and signs may also be the signs and symptoms of other diseases associated with the reproductive organs which the person experiencing them should directly consult a doctor.

Alcohol injection has been shown to improve survival in people, it may also be used to help reduce symptoms in cases of metastatic liver cancer. The most common side effect is leaking of alcohol onto the liver or into the abdominal cavity.

By Joan Lynch

One of 7 Ways to Fight Cancer, nutrition, exercise, stress reduction, the early diagnosing of cancer, surgery and/or radiation therapy, chemotherapy and by drinking alkaline antioxidant ionized water. These are steps that can be used to reduce the risks of cancer and diseases of all kinds.

Diagnosis Has and Will Continue to be Rationed

Diagnostic Nuclear Medicine is used by physicians to diagnose cancer, and other medical conditions.

Diagnostic Nuclear Medicine is used in hospitals and imaging centers for diagnosing the spread of cancer to the bones. Cancer of the bones will impact the care of your cancer. Bone cancer may be painful depending on the progression of the spread of the to the bones.

There was a rationing is caused by the medical isotopes being produced by the aging of 5 nuclear reactors that are being stretched beyond their lifetime operations capacities. In 2009 the Canadian reactor shutdown imperiled roughly 8 million planned nuclear studies. Clinicians were alerted about alternative diagnostic studies. About 60% of the Nuclear Medicine departments were affected by the 2009 shortage.

Medical radioisotopes cannot be stockpiled. They have brief half-lives (they decay rapidly to almost no radiation) which make them useless for imaging bones.

"An increasing number of hospitals and imaging centers across the U.S. and Canada are prioritizing their patient lists...and may be unable to treat patients with cancer, thyroid, and heart and kidney disease."

The above is quoted from: Ethical Issues in Radioisotope Shortages: Rationing and Priority Setting* from the Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology, Vol. 38, No.3, September, 2010

Rationing of Diagnostic Imaging When Hospitals Close Down Will Never Happen

You say, "That could never happen in the U.S.A." You may say it's never happened before. If you research "In 1975, inflation in Britain skyrocketed 26.9%...in a single year!" you can read about Britain's "Winter of Discontent". During that time many hospitals only accepted emergency patients. During the 1970s businesses were limited to using electricity to three specified consecutive days a week.

Drink Alkaline Antioxidant Ionized Water for better health

You may have been reading about how Alkaline Antioxidant foods and Nutraceuticals can prevent or slow the oxidative damage to our bodies. Antioxidants may also enhance the immune defense and lower the risk of cancer and heart disease. It is expensive and takes a lot of time to eat the fruits, vegetable and take the Alkaline Antioxidant Nutraceuticals. Exercising is often hard to do regularly. Reducing stress is sometimes impossible.

Conclusion

It is very important to take steps now for better health to reduce the risk of developing cancer. When you stay cancer free you don't need diagnosing imaging to make sure your cancer hasn't spread to your bones. It is much easier to drink Alkaline Antioxidant Ionized Water from a water appliance as an important step in reducing the risk of developing cancer.

By Lee K Duncan and Ty Duncan

Are you one that is skeptical about the natural remedies that are out there? If you are, you are not alone because taking a chance on the unknown can be scary and make one hesitant to try. What if you passed something up that could have changed your life or even saved your life? There is so much in this world that we don't understand and so many things that are unknown to us. Unless we try new and different things then things will be as they have been for many years and that is disease and illness and eventuality of passing away early. If you suffer from cancer then you ready to embark on a series of treatments that are harsh and bring your body to near death trying to defeat the cancer.

I am asking you to remove the mask that has been placed over your eyes since you were born and embrace something that is natural provided by Mother Nature herself to help us overcome disease and illness. It is so amazingly simple that most look at it as to good to be true, but after some experience with this amazing method, I can personally tell you it's not too good to be true. If you understand cancer, you understand that they have not found a cure for it. I believe they are looking in the wrong place because there is only one true cure in this world and that cure is your body. Your body has the ability to overcome diseases like cancer and many other diseases all on its own. All we have to do is provide the tools to help your body achieve this because these days our bodies need all the help they can get. I don't mean filling them with harsh chemicals in hopes your body will prevail.

There can be a disease free future for us all. If we can just understand what is causing most of our health issues then provide our body with the tools to overcome them. My 6-year old son was diagnosed with asthma when he was 4. He had a horrible cough and was sick all the time since he was 3 so, we didn't really catch it early. When we tried traditional treatments, we found out that it came with a very high price because of the possible side effects that came along with his prescription drugs. We decided that the price was too high, so we looked for an alternative. I am grateful so much to this method because in a very short time my son beat his disease and has been symptom free for 2 years now. The bonus from this method is he has not been sick in those 2 years, absolutely remarkable.

So, to make a long story short, there are ways and means to aid your body in the defeat of diseases like cancer. All you have to do is believe and try them for yourself because other people's testimonies can touch your heart. Your own testimony rings out in your soul where true belief is grasped and then the ability to share it with others shines through. So, what keeps you from taking a chance on something that could help your body overcome disease? What put you on the path to searching for alternatives? Traditional treatments are failing and that is why so many have turned to alternatives. Alternatives give a greater chance of survival with minimal to no side effects. Side effects are mostly a price to high to pay. So, if you truly are searching for a solution that can help you, other than the modern way, I believe you have found it.

By Jeremy P Stanfords

Radiation oncologists are specialized doctors who work with cancer patients who are receiving radiation treatments. These highly skilled professionals oversee the patient's care, which includes developing a treatment plan and prescribing radiation treatments. They also make sure that the radiation treatments are applied accurately, adjust treatments and monitor patient's progress. As they work closely with other oncologists and doctors, they help to identify any side effects that occur from this form of treatment as well as provide proper medications for side effects. These specialized physicians are experts in the field of radiation and the treating of disease. After extensive study and training on the safety of this field as well as safe application for the treatment of cancer, these physicians will have completed 13 years of extensive training to become board certified.

This form of treatment has been used for hundreds of years to treat cancer. After the discovery of the x-ray and its effects on this type of disease, it has gained popularity in being an effective choice of treatment for certain types of cancers. Today, many people have success with this form of therapy and experience few side effects. It has also been proven to be less traumatic on normal tissue, allowing the preservation and function of healthy cells.

With the advancements in modern technology and the highly trained physicians who work with this field of medicine, more than half of the people who suffer from cancer will be treated with high-energy radiation. This form of therapy uses computerized treatment plans combined with three-dimensional imaging and x-ray machines that are highly energized. The physician may use this therapy to treat the disease or to relieve pain.

This form of therapy is effective as it stops cancer cells from reproducing and allows the body to naturally eliminate the cells from the body. This therapy may be used along with chemotherapy or used alone. Cancer of the larynx and the prostate are often treated solely with radiation. Sometimes this therapy is used along with surgery to allow more body tissue to be saved, preventing complete removal of the affected body part, such as the bladder or breast. Therapy can include external generation or internal generation.

To find a radiation oncologist, most patients are referred to these specialized doctors by their oncologist. To ensure that the doctor is the best available, asking the medical staff who work at the oncologist's office such as the oncology nurses, who they would recommend, will usually lead the patient to the doctor who is the most experienced and has the best success rate in this field.

By Henry Relfield

According to the American Cancer Society, more than 50 percent of all cancer patients receive radiation therapy. It is believed that radiation is most effective against cells that are actively dividing. If radiation successfully hits dividing cells, those cells will either die or sustain injuries that prevent them from dividing, or from dividing more than one time. Because retinoic acid, a derivative of vitamin A, inhibits the repair of radiation damage in cancer cells, sufficient levels of retinoic acid can enhance the effectiveness of radiation therapy. Similarly, flavonoids such as genistein, apigenin, and quercetin may enhance radiation-induced cell death by decreasing the repair of DNA with radiation damage.

Like chemotherapy, radiation also kills healthy cells. But in contrast to chemotherapy, which is typically sent throughout the body, radiation is usually focused on the specific area of the body where the cancer is or was (when using radiation to prevent local recurrence). Side effects of radiation include local effects such as fatigue and loss of appetite. As with chemotherapy, radiation can cause secondary cancers.

Some nutrients, specifically vitamins A, L-glutamine, and honey, have been shown to help offset the side effects of radiation therapy without interfering with the intended effects of radiation. A clinical trial of individuals with glioblastoma demonstrated that melatonin improves survival and quality of life in individuals undergoing radiation therapy. Topically, a cream with the herb Calendula officinalis (marigold) can help soothe the skin side effects of radiation and assist with healing. Vitamin E cream may also help in the same way. The herb astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus) has been shown to increase white blood cells and their activity in patients undergoing radiation therapy. Because astragalus enhances white blood cell synthesis, it has recently been used to treat leucopenia (low white blood cell counts) due to chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Radiation to any area of the body that includes large bones (especially the pelvis and upper leg) will affect the bone marrow's ability to produce white blood cells. Thus, astragalus may help to prevent the immune deficiencies that can occur with radiation therapy.

As always, a healthy diet plays an important role and can help support the body before, during, and after radiation treatment. An interesting study featured in the Journal of Clinical Oncology demonstrated that dietary counseling significantly improved outcomes for colon cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. The researchers concluded that this nutrition intervention not only improved the patients' nutritional status, it also improved their quality of life and lessened morbidity.

By Henry Relfield

Stress is an imbalance between demands and resources. Anything that continually taps into your resources is depleting. This is why repetitive demands - especially without re-invigoration or a sense of "winning' - cause big health issues. And more than anything else, chronic stress-induced depletion is the predecessor of severe immune system dysfunction - the greater and more longstanding the relative depletion, the greater the risk of developing cancer. Even though all depletion and stress is negative, there are different types of stress. The two main types are current stress and legacy stress.

Current stress seems like an obvious thing: too much to do! But that is only a small part of it, because that is usually only about not having enough time. In fact, issues of self and spirituality are the most potent current stresses as they cut away at the very core of being (which is about you, rather than your activities). So losing sight of who you are, feeling fractured as an individual, losing faith or trust in "bigger things" or in others - these issues create infinitely greater demands and consume infinitely greater resources than having too much to do.

Consequently, in preventing and treating cancer, addressing issues of individuality and spirituality are very important. Although the value of ongoing exercise and system support through diet and supplements are appreciable, individuality and spirituality are the "longest levers" meaning they are the most powerful tools, exerting the greatest force for gaining and maintaining health. Having fun should delight you and light you as an individual, not just distract you from your worries.

However, even more than that there is legacy stress, which refers to all those demands and resources tethered to your emotional baggage and undesirable or adverse life experiences. I believe at least 80 percent of current stress has legacy attached to it. The problem with this is that the hormones and the immune system continue to be tilted toward disequilibrium by a mind anticipating, perceiving, creating, defending against, and reacting to threats that are real, huge, and current to the individual, but that in truth no longer exist.

You should view stress differently if you are trying to prevent or treat cancer. In prevention you can afford to set up your life, your personal focus, and your mind to maximally offset stress and constantly fill the bank with resources. This means minimal stress, rare adverse physical impact, and maximum biological bounce.

However, in people who have cancer and are receiving treatment, the equation is tilted - often drastically. Cancer itself can consume huge resources (including nutritional), the emotional stress of cancer can prove to be an enormous demand, and all forms of conventional treatment, while necessary, increase system stress. That being the case, it is important to clear as much legacy stress as possible as quickly as possible, with as little effort as possible, thereby rapidly tilting the imbalance back toward equilibrium by dramatically reducing demands and maximally increasing resources. This can be done through a combination of introspection, psychological therapy, counseling, and other activities. Professional assistance may be required.