Holistic approach to cancer
Cancer is a term that is applied to a group of cells that are malignant. Malignant cells are capable of rapid growth and do not respect normal tissue boundaries. Such cells therefore, break out of their original site to spread either locally or through the blood or lymphatic system. The holistic view is that there is a pre-existing susceptibility hence, the cause of cancer becomes merely triggers that lead to cancer in susceptible persons. The real cause becomes a disordered vital force that manifests as a depleted immune system.
How the immune system Works
The immune system is made up of the pituitary gland, the thymus gland, the lymphatic system, the bone marrow end the lymph nodes, spleen, appendix and tonsils.
The pituitary Gland
This is found in the central brain and is the director of affairs. It liaises with all the other systems of the body and has the final say so to speak, as to prioritise functions.
The Thymus Gland
This is a small gland found behind the breastbone. It is the central computer for the immune system and is responsible for programming all the immune system cells and the way they respond to their internal and external environment. The thymus gland is activated at birth by growth hormones and suppressed at puberty by sex hormones. It is therefore actively storing and gathering information in the first twelve years or so of life when the individual learns to deal effectively with the environment. This is when most of the immune system codes are formulated.
The bone marrow
Here, from birth to death, millions of blood cells are manufactured including those that are directly concerned with the immune system. The most intense period of cell manufacture is from birth to puberty, after which time the process slows down. The blood cells perform many different jobs.
Red Blood Cells
They travel around the body in the blood stream and exist of platelets which help the blood to coagulate after injury and erythrocytes which mainly carry oxygen but they also detect toxic material in the blood and inform other cells of its presence. White blood cells not only travel in the Lymphatic system but in the blood stream.
The Lymphatic system
This is a network of channels that end in Lymph nodes. The channels run alongside blood vessels of the body and carry Lymphatic fluid which contains the cells of the immune system known as polymorphs, lymphocytes and monocytes. These cells are easily distributed through the lymphatic system to anywhere in the body and are responsible for clearing infection and debris for elimination. Unlike the blood vessels, there is no pump (the heart) to move the lymphatic fluid around. The lymph channels run alongside the muscles and it is only by the action of the muscles (or massage) that the lymphatic fluid is moved. This is why exercise is so important, lack of exercise causes a build up of waste material, with all its consequent problems, preventing the cells of the immune system from having easy access to all areas of the body. The Lymph nodes found at the end of the lymph channels, are collection points for intense activity during illness or infection. This is why, when infection or illness occurs, the nodes (found in the neck, armpits, groin and throughout the body) swell up and become tender. This is the natural reaction of a healthy immune system.
Lymph node, spleen, appendix, tonsils and peyer;s patch
These areas produce other types of cells known as Lymphocytes which are quite sophisticated cells capable of memorising past infections. When an infection arises that has been known before, the lymphocytes rapidly reproduce themselves and deal with it before it takes hold. These are subdivided into:
T and B lymphocytes
T4-cells have all passed through the thymus gland at some stage for programming. Otherwise known as T helper cells, they travel around the body and decide whether or not the immune system is needed to deal with a particular problem. It is these cells that effectively switch on the immune system. T8 cells (otherwise known as suppressor cells) switch off the immune system when the problem is over. Cytotoxic T cells are purely designed to look for viruses that are hidden within the cells of the body, they contain chemicals that actually break up the whole cell containing the virus. B-lymphocytes deal more with bacteria or viruses that have been known before. The B cells remove bacteria from the blood or lymph into the tissues then ascertain the shape and size. They then make exact replicas of the bacteria, rapidly manufacturing them in their thousands and take them back into the blood or lymph where they speedily attach themselves to the growing bacteria and neutralise them. The process is known as antibody production.
Cancer is arising all the time in our bodies, when the immune system is healthy these are dealt with before they become a problem. If the immune system is depleted then the cancer can grow and become clinically identifiable. The holistic approach is to nourish and support the immune system so that it can deal with the cancer itself.
Therefore the prevention of cancer lies in maintaining a healthy immune system in all senses of the word. Tonsils serve to act as the first line of defence, if they are removed, our immune system is weakened. It has been noted that children who have their tonsils removed are three times more likely to get Hodgkin’s disease, a malignant disease of the lymphatic system.
Psychological traumas are the most powerful suppressors of the immune system. Cancer frequently follows a psychological shock such as bereavement, separation or other major life change.
The medical profession have been theorising as to the cause of cancer for many years, vast sums of money have been expended erecting cancer hospitals, institutes for cancer research. Remedies have been lauded time and time again as a cure for this disease, yet people keep dying in the same old way and cancer is a powerful symbol in our society. A diagnosis of cancer leads to great consequences to the affected person, and their family. It is very common today and one person in three develops the disease and one in four die of it. Very few families are touched by it. Death is such a Taboo in western culture that the diagnosis of cancer frequently provokes shock, disbelief and huge psychological difficulties.
Cancer has always been with us and was described by the ancient Greeks. Te increase in cancer today reflects the general increase of all chronic disease and it is often quoted that we are waging war against cancer and terms such as these reveal much about conventional views of cancer. Conventionally, it is believed that cancer comes from somewhere outside ourselves and that we are the passive victims of invasion and assault, cancer is seen as something that is alien and has to be attacked. Nowadays, there are theories that we are somehow genetically programmed, or not, to develop cancer. Whatever the current conventional medical fad, there is a continuing belief that there is little or nothing we can do to prevent it.
In reality, cancer does not come from somewhere else, our bodies manufacture it and it is a manifestation of an underlying energetic imbalance. This is no different in principle from the holistic view of other diseases, except that cancer may be life threatening. People are often subjected to treatments that seem, and indeed often are, worse than the original disease. Some people are given treatment that is severely depleting which may end in complete collapse of the entire immune system. Some are given treatment when they are clearly in a terminal or pre-terminal state. This causes difficulties for the patient and their families, in such cases have been weakened by the treatment and there can only be increased suffering at the time of death.
Here we see two diametrically opposed systems – conventional medicine sees the cancerous lump as the problem which must be attacked and removed at all cost. Success is judged in terms of reducing or removing the lump with little mention of the person. Ironically, all the conventional treatments damage the immune system.
Holistic medicine sees the whole person and their immune system as the issue to be dealt with so treatments are nourishing and strengthening. The aim is to gently strengthen the person’s energy to the point where they themselves, transform the cancer, the lump takes second place to the person so may or may not change size for a long time. It may even increase in the short term and a conventional doctor would see this as a failure of the treatment this can create difficulties when treating people with cancer.
The condition of the person conventionally, is not viewed in any depth. Any increase in well being is of overwhelming importance in holistic medicine.
The practice in England and Ireland is to give the maximum dose of radiation over one course. This damages the normal as well as malignant cells so the radiation dose is aimed as accurately as possible. Treatment is usually continued for 3 to 6 weeks and causes radiation sickness syndrome of malaise, fatigue, nausea, anorexia and vomiting. This usually lasts for several months.
Chemotherapeutic agents cause toxic side effects that are worse the longer the treatment. Frequently, several drugs are used in combination. They are used in about 50% of people with cancer although it has been found that they are only of use in 5% of cases.
The early agents were derived from nitrogen mustard, a chemical warfare agent. There are many different types now being used which affect different parts of the cell metabolism. All cells have similar metabolism and so treatment affects all cells especially rapidly dividing cells as found in gastrointestinal tract, bone marrow and skin (leading to hair loss). There are many side effects because some damage to normal cells is inevitable. In the gastrointestinal tract there are mouth ulcers, vomiting and diarrhoea. The blood is quickly affected and after 3 to 6 treatments most people have problems with tiredness, weakness, hair loss and signs of anaemia. Chemotherapy agents are also carcinogenic and so cancer can actually develop after their use.
The general health of the patient must improve before the cancer will improve. Above all, they must eat nourishing foods and take exercise whenever possible. Exercise will stimulate the immune system and good food when probably digested helps to make what we call good blood. The patient needs pleasant surroundings and loved ones around to keep them happy and cheerful also positive. A person feeling down is less likely to rally round and heal themselves. Negative talk does nothing but dampen the spirit. Unfortunately in many cases the patient will meet with no encouragement from the family doctor who will try and convince them that there is no cure for cancer and the only way to prolong life is to go down the road of chemo etc.
The Homeopathic Approach
In the strictest classical tradition the way to prescribe homeopathy is to administer a single dose then wait and observe what changes the remedy has accomplished. In the treatment of cancer however, the prescriber cannot afford to ‘wait and watch’, the adverse effects of primary and secondary lesions require a more aggressive procedure, adapting to the urgency and severity of the condition, and to the necessity of quickly bringing about tangible or visible changes in pathology. This method can involve:
Facts worth mentioning in the treatment of cancer
Whisky, or any form of alcohol has the same effect upon cancer that kerosene does when poured onto a fire. Anything given to a cancer patient that heats the blood is bad for them, simply feeds the cancer and makes it grow more quickly.
Morphine, or an opiate in any other form dries up the secretions and weakens the vitality of the patient and interferes with the action of all other remedies.
An Epsom salt bath is just as essential to the cure of the patient as any other part of the treatment. The medicine is driving all the refuse matter to the surface of the body and the medicated bath of Epsom salts neutralises the toxins, opens the pores of the skin, feeds the blood with magnesium, soothes tired nerves and helps the patient relax.
The tendency of cancer patients is to hive up in the house but they must walk out every day, they need the exercise and air. Breath the air, good pure blood depends on pure air, pure food and pure water. No matter how the patient feels need fresh air little and often.
Some physicians make a pratice of cutting away a portion of the cancerous growth. When you put a knife to a cancer it irritates it and can make it grow much faster. Remember the cancer is a sleeping lion and you do not want to fool with it.
Watch the patients tongue and check if they are digesting their food properly. If there is a coating on the tongue they are not digesting properly. The strength which should be derived from the nourishment is not being obtained with poor digestion.
If there is a hardness or tension to the pulse it shows a contraction of the capillaries which shows a focus or congestion somewhere.
A regular movement of the bowels everyday is important, the refuse matter must pass off and not been retained in the intestine to poison the blood.
If there is a yellowish or greenish or cloudy appearance of the white of the eye you may be sure that somewhere in the blood toxic material is forming, this shows that the glands of the body are not working properly.
This article is for information only and homeopathic treatment of cancer should only be undertaken by a qualified Homeopathic Practitioner
The website is copyright of Lynne Wheatman 2007 - 2009
fairies through the site, courtesy of Gwynneth and Artist Amy Brown