Integrative cancer and oncology news with articles and the latest news on cancer.
Originally published in icon Spring 2010
Holistic, Integrative surely the only way forward for UK cancer treatment?
Some people are born to criticise. I never quite understand this. I remember from my early science lessons that there is a law of physics about ’Entropy’ that basically says it is easier to destroy, than it is to build, so perhaps these people are taking the easy option and are fundamentally lazy. Who knows?
Which people am I referring to? The people who seem to delight in criticising any treatment that is not orthodox (the ’Holy Trinity’ of drugs, radiotherapy and surgery).
There are two major issues here. Firstly, many of the ’alternative therapies’ so despised by these quacks have the potential to be the orthodox of tomorrow. In the last 6 years CANCERactive has told you about, for example, Clinical Trials on the Diet Therapies of Gonzalez in New York, which beat the ’orthodox’ drugs, the use of hyperthermia and HIFU as an alternative to prostate surgery, with a lot less side-effects, and on the latest developments in Photodynamic Therapy (this current magazine covers SPDT from the Dove Clinic). Less invasive alternatives with research already behind them, surely this is good news for patients?
Secondly, there are complementary therapies for example we have told you about three Clinical Trials on acupuncture showing not only that it works for pain relief, but how it works. Or Clinical Trials on Meditation prior to surgery resulting in 40 per cent less blood loss. Then there is research from MD Anderson that taking astragalus doubles survival times with radiotherapy patients, that the herb feverfew beats the available drugs in research on leukaemia (the FDA in the USA are ’fast-tracking’ the development work); that the Boston Medical School think every cancer patient should have good blood levels of vitamin D, and so on. Surely every cancer patient needs to know these and more?
Ah, but every alternative therapy should have ’proper research’ behind it before it is used. We agree. Let’s set up a separate Government Health fund that can pay for the Clinical Trials, and the scientists and researchers involved. Why? Because some of these ’alternatives’ are cheap, and will never be able to generate huge profits, so why would the existing Pharmaceutical company led system pay to develop them? Surely cancer patients would support this?
Ah, but many of these ’complementary therapies’ have no research behind them at all. Indian Head Massage, Bach Flower remedies? If they work at all, it’s just the Placebo Effect it’s all in the mind. Frankly, if the cancer patient feels better as a result, surely they would want to know about them?
Integrative Cancer and Oncology News
Canceractive (and its magazine icon) is unique amongst cancer charities in the UK. We know that cancer patients derive benefit from complementary therapies and that they long for non-invasive alternatives. Surely cancer patients deserve to be fully informed?
And so this edition of icon brings you an article ’Vitamin D are you getting enough?’ And one on Red Clover, being used to fight oestrogen-driven breast cancer in some hospitals. And one on Bach Flower Remedies; and one on Photodynamic Therapy.
But we are not some ’Alternative’ charity we have just started an on-going review of all the cancer drugs part one is in this magazine, the whole list is on our web site. Over time you will be able to look up your drugs and find the latest info from around the world, about the benefits and the side-effects.
To us the terms Holistic or Integrative mean just that building a programme using the best of the best treatments that may be ’orthodox’, complementary, and alternative. We provide information on all of these therapies without any hint of vested interest so that you can make more informed choices, and increase your personal odds of beating cancer.
Is your favourite UK cancer charity ’Holistic’?
Tomorrow’s treatments will be Holistic and Integrative. The biggest hospitals in the USA even send out e newsletters on this subject. But you may well find that your UK information provider falls short. This is why some years ago we set up CANCERactive.
And CANCERactive has come a long way in the last five to six years. This magazine will go into over 500 hospitals, cancer centres and health sections of major libraries in the UK. Over 60,000 people will take away their FREE personal copy. (Some 2,000 people prefer to receive the magazine by post see below for details).
The CANCERactive web site has been completely revised. You can find information on your cancer drug and on all the common complementary cancer therapies like yoga, meditation and acupuncture. You can find an in depth review of nutritionals to boost your immune system, be they herbs or natural compounds like resveratrol and indole3carbinol. You can also find a whole section on alternative therapies, and a growing section on Private Cancer Clinics around the world, with a listing of all the local support groups right here in the UK.
What other UK charity offers all this?
CANCERactive and Empowerment
Other articles in icon include the much loved Living Proof story this issue covers one woman’s fight to beat mesothelioma, asbestos-induced lung cancer. Then there’s an interview with the boss of Macmillan, to see what plans they have to help you in the coming years. Next, it is Cancer Watch, our unique review of all the top cancer beating research stories over the last few months - from how mushrooms can help you fight cancer to how bone enhancing drugs could help beat breast cancer; it’s all there.
The centrefold looks at John Boik of the MD Anderson and his view of cancer, and what you might eat to beat it. Then, we have an article on Ovarian Cancer, the silent killer, as Ovarian Cancer month is shortly with us.
We have two book reviews and an article which looks at the truth about those High Street vitamins millions of people in the UK take and whether they do any good at all.
Finally we have a new and regular column from broadcaster Janey Lee Grace, a woman who is passionate about natural alternatives and living a clean, healthy life.
Helping you increase your personal odds of beating cancer
icon is jammed full of information - it’s all here, to help you build the ’total’ programme you believe can best serve you to beat cancer. Frankly, if certain natural compounds like vitamin D, astragalus, indole 3 carbinol and melatonin have been found to help as ’cancer fighters’ you deserve to know about them I know, we’ll start a regular feature!
In our next magazine we will even cover our unique ACTIVE8 Programme that helps show you how to build your own holistic programme. Surely all cancer patients would want to know about that?
Make sure you don’t miss out ring 02031861006 to pre-order now.