CancerCancer occurs when a certain cell type in the body grows in excessively, out of control, and at the expense of all the other cell types. Cancer treatment is usually multifaceted. Although a patient receives the treatment of cancer itself, heshe get additional non-cancer treatment related to the coexistent diseases, measures of preventive care, and others. It is much easier to prevent cancer than treat it. However, when the disease occurs, it is reversible with holistic therapies that deal with the imbalance of the mind, spirit, and body. Holistic approach means the treatment of all levels of patient’s emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual being. A holistic approach to the care of cancer is effective as it heals different states of a person and involves the healing of the whole person, rather than the use of alternative therapies.
Cancer treatment requires a comprehensive approach that presupposes taking into account such factors as natural chemotherapies, building of the immune system, detoxification, healthy diet, oxygen therapy, spiritual cleansing, change of lifestyle, and others. Nutrition and water are vital to the successful strategy of cancer treatment. Patients should be aware of the foods which assist in the disease healing, feeding, and which of them interfere with effective treatment. It is believed that a diet of patients with cancer should consist of not less than 80% of raw products. Digestive enzyme supplementation is also effective. Another factor that should be taken into consideration is the immune system. It defends the body against negative influences, abnormal development, and diseases. The immune system prevents the mutation of cells caused by negative environment and stressors. Hence, the holistic approach to cancer treatment presupposes building or strengthening the body’s natural defense. Detoxification is the removal of metabolic wastes and toxins from the body. The treatment process should start from cleansing vital organs and body purification.
Toxins in the body prevent it from receiving the proper level of oxygen that is essential to cells. Cellular oxygen starvation tends to result in disease. It is evident that cancer cells stop growing in case of oxygenation. In addition, the approach makes use of natural chemotherapies. Although they are non-toxic they kill malignancies. Some of them should be used in the combination other treatments, while others are stand-alone treatment processes. According to the holistic approach, cancer is also treated by leading a healthy lifestyle. Patients should have a proper balance between sleep, rest, and work. Sleep makes our body rebuilds and detoxify. It is not advised to eat earlier than three hours before sleep. In addition, a patient should adequately expose the body to the sunlight. Regular exercising is also essential as it decreased the amount of toxins, provides oxygen to the body, and improves a lymphatic function. Therefore, lifestyle changes are an essential aspect of cancer treatment. The patient’s regimen is considered to be very rewarding as it shows positive results.
Cancer may be diagnosed or suspected on the basis on the person’s symptoms. However, screening tests and physical examination are vital. X-rays are a common method to detect abnormalities, but cancer confirmation requires termed diagnostic tests. When a patient is diagnosed with cancer, it is essential to stage the disease. Staging is a description of cancer advanced and its spread to other tissues, organs, and lymph nodes. The disease is also diagnosed through ultrasonography or computed tomography. The already mentioned tests successfully indicate the size and location of abnormalities, but they do not confirm that cancer is their primary cause. The most popular way of cancer confirmation is getting a tumor piece with the use of needle biopsy or surgery. This procedure is called a biopsy. Afterwards, it is essential to find the cells of cancer on the microscopic sample examination. In some cases, it is necessary to examine the blood. Hence, to diagnose the disease, doctors usually order lab tests, tomography, biopsy, as well as other scans and procedures. Lab tests include the examination of urine, blood, and other fluids in the body. Imaging procedures help to detect whether a patient has a tumor, here belong ultrasound, CT scan, MRI, nuclear scan, X-rays, and others. A biopsy is the procedure carried out in several ways, with surgery, a needle, and an endoscope (About cancer, n.d.).
There are two types of cancer staging systems. The first one is the Tumor, Node, Metastasis (TNM) system and it states the initial cancer size. In addition, it provides information about the spread to body parts (metastasis) and to the lymph nodes. ‘T’ indicates the cancer size that may be from 1 to 4, ‘N’ shows that the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes and rages between 0 and 3, while ‘M’ indicates that the cancer has already spread to other body parts and may be from 0 to 1.
The second system of cancer staging is a number system. According to it, most cancer types have 4 stages. The first stage refers to small cancer. The second stage indicates that the cancer is a bit larger than in the initial stage, but it has not spread into the surrounding tissues. In some cancer types this stage represents the spread of cancer cells into the lymph nodes. The third stage refers to larger cancer that has already started to spread into the lymph nodes and other tissues. The fourth stage indicates that the cancer has spread to other organs in the body. In many cases, doctors write the stage number in Roman numerals (Stages of cancer, 2014). It is essential to note that many types of cancer follow their own classification systems. Therefore, the above-mentioned letters and numbers do not always means the same for every cancer kind. Moreover, some types have special groupings.
People tend to have numerous cancer complications that depend on the patient’s health and tumor stage. All of them are inconvenient, sometimes painful, and even fatal. Alternative therapies make an emphasis on the reduction of cancer-related complications. The most frequently experienced cancer complications are emotional and mental complications, physical complications, and metastasis. People with cancer usually experience mood disorders, including sadness, anxiety, and grief. In some cases, they require medical treatment. The most common physical complication of the disease is pain. When a tumor grows, it makes a pressure on the nearby nerve as it spreads into other tissues. The pain may be of three categories such as neuropathic, visceral, and somatic. The next complication is metastasis. It is considered to be one of the most dangerous as it indicates the spread or cancer to the lymphatic system, the blood, and other body areas. It is the main reason of cancer-related deaths as the disease affects vital organs, including lungs, brain, liver, etc. Some cancer types spread to other organs very quickly. Although surgery is effective in removing isolated tumors, this complication is extremely difficult to treat and such patients have small recovery chances.
All drugs that treat cancer cause numerous side effects that are a direct medical treatment result. Radiation and chemotherapy also cause side effects. Sometimes, patients confuse them with the cancer symptoms. The body’s reaction to the drugs, chemotherapy, or radiation is strongly dependent on the dose, length of treatment, the health state of a patient, and others. Although most side effects are short term and last only throughout the treatment process, long term effects are also common and cause increased discomfort to a patient. Hence, cancer patients may experience the development of blood knots, dental issues (dry mouth, tooth decay, etc.), problems related to concentration and memory, bone pain, bone fractures, and bone weakening. Other side effects include diarrhea, constipation, fatigue, mouth sores, lymphedema, hair loss, throat problems, vomiting, nausea, pain, neuropathy problems, rash, as well as weight gain or weight loss. However, anemia, negative influences on skin and muscles, fluid retention, and flu-like symptoms are also common.
Psychological effects are usually lessened with psychotherapy, antidepressant medication, or support group therapy. For some patient is enough to speak to the doctor and discuss the symptoms and potential chances to live. However, patients with psychological side effects should focus on a new outlook, talk about their feelings, and make choices of healthy lifestyle. It is essential not to generalize as cancer differently influences each person. Energy, laughter, stress management, and relaxation therapies are also effective. Physical pain is treated only after the doctor identifies its category. In many cases, treatment with opioids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are effective.
The holistic approach of healing serves as the basis for a wide range of therapies that aim at treating patients with cancer. This approach is considered to be effective as it addresses emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual being of a person through exercising, spiritual and psychological support, numerous therapies, etc. Cancer diagnosis is made on the basis of lab tests, X-ray, and other procedures. The size of a tumor and its spread influences the patient’s chances for complete cure. Although cancer and its treatment have numerous side effects, modern medicine can deal with them.
