Alternative breast cancer treatments are being utilized by millions of patients, either as their sole therapy, or as an adjunct to more traditional therapies. Many books have been written about alternative breast cancer treatments if you are in need of print information. Patients are seeking alternative cancer treatments at just about every stage of their disease, from initial diagnosis to late stage illness.
Even though research funding is now over 900 million dollars annually; during the last 30 years increases in the survivability can be measured in just a few percentage points. Traditional breast cancer treatments, though somewhat less toxic than in the past, can still be miserable ordeals. So what about alternative breast cancer treatments?
In our experience, the success of these treatments is sometimes overstated (by the alternative breast cancer treatment community), or understated (by the traditional breast cancer treatment community). One thing however, is clear; the most promising programs are integrating traditional and alternative breast cancer treatments. Practitioners trained and licensed in traditional medicine, but also possessing experience with alternative breast cancer treatments and non-traditional therapies are, in our opinion, making the greatest progress in the fight against breast cancer. The best of these practitioners design individualized programs for each patient.
There are a growing number of clinics in the Us and around the world that are having great success with alternative breast cancer treatments. Some of the most popular treatments include: homeopathy, Iscador (mistletoe), detox tea, breast cancer diet, Essiac, laetrile, 714X, progesterone creams, mushroom extracts, and more.
Essiac is an herbal concoction composed of Burdock, Indian Rhubarb, Sorrel, Slippery Elm and other ingredients. It was developed by a nurse in Canada, Rene Caisse (Essiac is Caisse spelled backward). Caisse gave the formula to a company in Canada who markets the product today. Indian Rhubarb contains benzaldehyde, one of the components of Amygdalin (Laetrile). Many alternative physicians use Essiac to help cleanse the blood, especially if a patient has been on chemotherapy or radiation.
Laetrile (i.e. amygdalin or Vitamin B17) therapy is another popular and well known alternative breast cancer treatment. It is very simple to use and is effective if used in high enough doses and if the product is of high quality and if it is combined with an effective breast cancer diet and key supplements (in other words, you need to do your homework to maximize its benefits). Laetrile works by killing cancer cells and building the immune system to fend off future outbreaks of cancer. It uses two different methods for killing cancer cells. It involves a strict diet (as do all cancer treatments) and several supplements.
According to many new studies, calcium D-glucurate has also been shown to reduce tumor formation by 50-70% and the levels of serum estradiol were decreased by 23%. It may be worthwhile to add this to one’s program.
The tropical periwinkle has also been used as an alternative breast cancer treatment, and for other malignancies as well. This periwinkle alkaloid is used in the making of vincristine, which is a very powerful chemotherapy agent. However, this alternative breast cancer treatment should be conducted carefully. Herbal periwinkle extracts are highly toxic in nature. Hence, this drug form should be given under medical supervision only.
Many women have also found success with the meditation and self hypnosis method. Women with advanced breast cancer stage, can participate in group support sessions that conduct meditation and self hypnosis methods. By doing so, they will increase their survival chances. The above mentioned alternate breast cancer treatment methods, mobilize the immune system to fight the further spread of cancer. Relaxation techniques help in removing stress and anxiety caused by cancer patient. This can help boost the immune system of the body leaving it strong to fight off the side effects of your treatment.
There are also several good books on alternative breast cancer treatments if you would like further reading on this subject.
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This article arrived in my inbox this morning, and I couldn’t wait to share it with all of you. There is some promising news ahead for anyone suffering with breast cancer. This new applicator could potentially increase the number of women eligible for shorter bouts of radiation treatment for breast cancer. This wonderful new treatment option, along with a good breast cancer diet could really make the difference for lots of women. Lets all keep our fingers crossed for this one and hope that future studies continue to show the promise that this one does.
A study co-authored by Arizona Oncology Services (AOS) reports “outstanding” early experiences with the SAVI™ applicator — particularly for minimal side effects and the device’s potential to increase the number of women eligible for shorter breast cancer radiation treatment.
The retrospective study evaluated the first 102 patients to undergo therapy with the SAVI device, making it the largest clinical evaluation of the SAVI applicator to date. Researchers examined several parameters to assess the device’s performance, including dosimetry, seroma formation and infection rates. Almost half of the evaluated patients were not eligible for other single-entry breast brachytherapy devices because of skin spacing or breast size.
“I think the most important finding is that we have a device that significantly increases the number of women who are candidates for breast brachytherapy,” said Coral Quiet, M.D., a radiation oncologist at AOS and co-author of the study. “The multiple catheters allow tremendous flexibility in radiation delivery, which results in more individualized treatment. SAVI gives more women an opportunity to have a choice regarding radiation therapy.”
Robert Kuske, M.D. and Salih Gurdalli, Ph.D., also of AOS, co-authored the study with Dr. Quiet, along with the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of California, San Diego. Surgeon Victor Zannis, M.D. of the Phoenix-based Breast Care Center of the Southwest was also a co-author. The study was presented as a scientific poster at the recent 2008 Breast Cancer Symposium, Sept. 5-7, 2008 in Washington, D.C.
AOS was the first medical facility in the nation to offer SAVI as an option for breast conservation therapy.
SAVI is a single-entry, multi-catheter device that delivers radiation as part of breast conservation therapy. It is the only single-entry breast brachytherapy device that can customize the dose based on patient-specific anatomy. By more precisely targeting radiation therapy, the device targets tissue where cancer is most likely to recur, while minimizing the exposure of healthy tissue like the skin, heart, lungs and ribs.
Researchers observed that this newer device combines the ease of placement of single-entry brachytherapy devices with the increased dose modulation of interstitial brachytherapy. The result is improved dosimetry compared to first-generation single-entry devices, such as balloon brachytherapy.
“Unfortunately, interstitial brachytherapy is so complex that very few physicians offer it. That’s why we’ve been motivated to develop single-entry devices that are easy for physicians to place, but still allow superior dose control,” said Dr. Quiet. “SAVI is nearly as good as interstitial, and it’s also significantly easier to utilize.”
The study also reported favorable outcomes regarding seroma formation and infection rates with SAVI. Only 8% of patients had a palpable seroma, all of which were asymptomatic. In contrast, seroma rates with balloon brachytherapy are reported to vary from 15%-60%. The infection rate with SAVI was 3%, which is comparable to the average rate of infections for breast procedures.
“Having more than 100 patients in the study provides considerable support that SAVI is a safe, effective device for the delivery of radiation therapy,” said Dr. Zannis, the Phoenix breast surgeon. “SAVI continues to prove itself clinically and gives a lot more women a choice in their radiation treatment options.”
Added Dr. Quiet, “We’re proud we were able to help expand breast cancer treatment options for women by being the first to introduce this new technology, both in the state of Arizona and across the country.”
About Arizona Oncology Services
Arizona Oncology Services is a radiation oncology practice with over 20 physicians and 13 locations in the greater Phoenix area and Yuma. Formed in 1981, AOS is a nationally recognized leader in numerous radiation techniques, including accelerated partial breast therapy, brachytherapy, prostate seed implants, stereotactic radiosurgery and monoclonal antibody radiation therapy. AOS physicians and staff partner with patients, families and referring physicians to provide superior radiation oncology care with a focus on leading edge treatment, empathy and compassion. For more information, call 602-274-4484 or access www.azoncology.com
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In almost all cases, killing cancer cells and leaving normal tissue unscathed, is almost impossible.
Many proponents say that nanotechnology may do the trick, but big pharmaceutical companies are far from embracing that strategy. In the meantime, highly-engineered biological molecules will fill the void.
By attaching powerful poisons onto the cancer-seeking antibodies, scientists can make smart drugs that hit diseased cells hard.
These antibodies can recognize the cancer cells, and latch onto them, but they won’t kill their targets without some help.
When injected into the body, the Y-shaped molecules drift around until they latch onto abnormal cells, and then their toxic payloads kill them. But it turns out that they also cause quite a bit of collateral damage — like liver and kidney irritation.
Researchers at Genentech have found a way to reduce those side effects.
William Mallet and his colleagues invented a trick to precisely control how many of the cell-killing compounds become bonded to each antibody, and then they tested the carefully crafted drugs on mice, rats and monkeys.
In the current issue of Nature Biotechnology, Mallet and his colleague Jagath Junutula explain that attaching lots of toxic molecules onto each antibody is not the best idea. One or two poison molecules per protein will suffice. This will provide good cancer treatment results without overloading the cells with toxins
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“The recent reductions in death rates from major cancers in the US have bypassed less educated working people, suggesting that persons in lower socioeconomic groups have not yet benefited equivalently from recent advances in prevention, early detection, and treatment of the major fatal cancers,” Dr. Ahmedin Jemal, from the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, and colleagues conclude.
Using data from the National Center for Health Statistics and from the US Bureau of Census Current Population Survey, the researchers found that death rates from cancers of the lung, breast, prostate, and colon/rectum generally fell significantly in every race and sex stratum in people with 16 or more years of education.
For instance, in subjects with this level of educational attainment, colorectal cancer mortality fell by 2.4% to 4.8% annually from 1993 to 2001.
The one exception, however, was lung cancer in black women for whom death rates held steady during the study period.
With less than 12 years of education, by contrast, cancer death rates generally remained stable or even increased, as was seen with lung cancer in white women and colon cancer in black men. However, in white women with breast cancer, mortality fell by 1.4% annually.
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It looks like there is a new inhalable form of gene therapy - loosely based on technology that was recognized in the 2006 Nobel medicine prize - that shows increasing promise for treating lung cancer, infectious diseases and inflammatory lung disease, scientists have concluded after an exhaustive review of worldwide research on the topic.
In the released article, Niamh Durcan, Charlotte Murphy, and Sally-Ann Cryan focus on research efforts to develop an inhalable form of RNA interference (RNAi), a gene-therapy technique that interferes with or “silences” genes that make disease-causing proteins. These authors explain that RNAi has several advantages over other gene therapies. Among them are: it is very potent, it’s specific, and it appears to have a very low risk of side effects.
They also cite encouraging results with RNAi in laboratory studies in cells and animals with a range of lung diseases, including lung cancer, certain respiratory infections and inflammatory lung disease. The keys to successful therapy in humans include careful design of the gene-silencing agents, determining the most effective doses of the new drug, and then developing better ways of delivering RNAi agents to the lungs, the scientists say.
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Women that have been newly diagnosed with breast cancer could be faced with the extra dilemma of having to decide whether to be tested for dangerous gene mutations, as evidence emerges that those with high-risk changes to the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes may fare better with particular forms of chemotherapy.
For women with several close family members who had already had breast cancer, immediate testing may be warranted, Associate Professor Liz Lobb told the Sydney Cancer Conference today, because it could alter treatment decisions and improve survival rates.
But the testing has wide-ranging ramifications for the patient herself and for family members, who may also be at higher risk of breast cancer or ovarian cancer or recurrence of the diseases.
Under the current medical practice, women whose families have a strong history of breast cancer first undergo surgery and then embark on courses of radiation or chemotherapy before deciding - often several months later - whether or not to have a gene test.
If it is positive, many women opt for complete removal of both breasts and sometimes ovaries to help prevent future disease. A positive result usually also triggers anxiety in sisters and daughters, who may then feel pressure to have the test themselves.
Now a new class of drugs known as PARP-inhibitors, that may reduce the cell damage done by cancer, are turning out to be especially effective in breast cancer linked to gene mutations.
This means women might need to make the decision about being tested at the beginning of their treatment, while still coming to terms with their diagnosis, said Associate Professor Lobb, a senior research fellow at the University of Sydney’s Centre for Medical Psychology and Evidence-Based Decision-Making.
“There’s mounting evidence that tailoring surgical management and [chemotherapy] to genetic status may be beneficial,” she said. “But there’s a concern that a decision about genetic testing would be overload; too much too soon to take on board.”
In a survey she conducted of doctors working with inherited breast cancer patients, they said it was important for women to be given all relevant information. But geneticists and counselors were more likely to emphasize the severity of the stress this might trigger.
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