Tag Archives: Management of cancer

Hyperthermia and Cancer Treatment

July 1, 2014

Hyperthermia widely used in Treating Cancer

HyperthermiaHyperthermia is a condition in which the body temperatures are higher than the normal degrees. Hyperthermia can be caused by certain diseases but it can also be created by medical experts to help in treatment of certain diseases especially cancer. In this case it is referred to as heat treatment. Higher than normal temperatures are known to cause various health complications but in hyperthermia the heat is under careful control of qualified medical personnel hence cannot kill the patient but only kill the cancerous cells.

Use of hyperthermia which is also called thermal therapy in cancer treatment involves exposing the patient’s body tissues to high temperatures of up to 113°F.Thermal therapy is used to kill or damage the cancerous cells without or with minimal hurt to the healthy cells.

Thermal treatment helps in making the cancer cells more vulnerable to treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy. High temperatures may also kill the cancer cells instantly. Hyperthermia is very effective in treatment of cancer but it may also lead to the death of healthy cells for this reason it needs to be handled by doctors who are well versed in the area and can take good control of the heat so as to avoid harm to the patient.

Hyperthermia had been used in the past however, back then the tools used in hyperthermia were not as effective and so the results were not constant. The reason to this was that the doctors were finding it hard to maintain that heat on a specific area of the body for a certain time without affecting the remaining parts of the body that was not subject to the treatment. This means the other body parts that did not have cancerous cells also got affected adversely. Nevertheless there is no hopes left as today’s tools used in hyperthermia are more effective and it is now easy to control the heat on a certain area without affecting the rest of the body. Today very many health institutions are using hyperthermia in treatment of cancer worldwide.

There are two ways through which hyperthermia is done. All this are related to the surface that that the heat is concentrated on and the intensity of the heat. The heat can be concentrated in one area that is infested by the cancer cells especially on tumor. When the heat is focused on one small area it is referred to as local hyperthermia or thermal ablation. In local hyperthermia the heat used is much stronger and so helps in killing or damaging the cancer cells on that small area.

hyperthermia

 The cancer cells are killed when the proteins in them get coagulated and the blood vessels that supply them with nutrients are killed. This leaves a place that is cooked hence no living cancer cell. Various sources of energy can be used in this process including Radio waves, microwaves, and ultrasound waves.

Thermal ablation can be either internally or externally. When done external the source of heat is focused on a specific area of the patients body while in internal ablation involves using a needle that is pricked into the tumor. The needle releases lots of heat at the tip killing the cancerous cells.

Thermal ablation can be used in treatment of cancers that are deeply rooted In the internal organs. It is the method that is used in killing cancer cells in brain tumors. This technique is called Interstitial and it releases lots of heat than the external thermal ablation. Needles that release heat are used in the tumor to kill the cells in it.

At times the heat can be concentrated on whole body of the patient. This is especially when the cancer cells are well spread in the body of the patient. When the heat is concentrated on the patient’s whole body, it is referred to as whole body hyperthermia or regional hyperthermia.

Regional hyperthermia is not used with a lot of heat as in the thermal ablation. It is used on an entire organ or on a large surface affected by the disease. Regional hyperthermia is mostly used with other treatment methods like chemotherapy as well as radiation therapy

The regional hyperthermia can involve the following techniques in treating cancer:

  • Deep tissue hyperthermia– Deep tissue is used to heat a specific area that is affected by the cancer. It involves use of external applicators that are placed around the affected organ and then Radio waves, microwaves or ultrasound waves are focused on that area to heat it killing the cancerous cells.
    • Whole body hyperthermia– whole body hyperthermia is an approach that is used to treat cancer that is widespread in the body. Metastatic cancer is mostly spread hence use of thermal ablation may not be very effective. Here the temperatures can be heightened upto108° Fahrenheit.
  • Regional perfusion– regional perfusion involves removal of some of the patient’s blood, heating it and then pumping it back into the system after the cancerous cells have been killed. It is useful in treatment of specific areas of the body for example the lung or the liver.

Are there risks Associated with hyperthermia?

Hyperthermia can be safe when it is used under the control of experts in the field it involves use of heat that can be dangerous if not well controlled and the patient needs to assess the credibility of the oncologists that is to control the heat. In most cases the healthy cells are rarely affected by hyperthermia. However side effects like burns, blisters and pain may occur due to the high temperatures. Perfusion may cause other problems like blood clot, tissue swelling and even bleeding. Generally these side effects are associated with hyperthermia: Vomiting, nausea and diarrhea.

Doctors are doing research daily to find better ways of treating cancer. Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is particularly committed to finding you the best information that can help you in staying away from cancer. Visit her website regularly for information about cancer and other diseases.

Hyperthermia widely used in Treating Cancer

 

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Managing Cancer Naturally

July 1, 2014

Natural treatment of cancer is a better alternative

CancerCancer is a disease that has caused pain to its victims as well as their loved ones and it has affected the world’s economy just as much as it has depopulated the world greatly. It has become an unfortunate avenue through which the young and the old alike get to the cemetery. But does it have a cure? Yes, it has its only that the most effective cancer doctor that you have spent years searching for is just within your reach: you are your cancer doctor, believe it or not.

The most known cancer treatments are not as effective as they ought to be in fact they leave patients with lots of life threatening side effects. Chemotherapy is one of the most known cancer treatments that works in such a way that it kills the cancerous cells, however in the process of killing the cancer cells the healthy cell are also killed and the patient will suffer the consequences which includes loss of hair, nausea, loss of appetite and loss of weight among other dangers associated with chemotherapy.

Embracing natural ways of cancer treatment will not only help the patients to evade the life threatening side effects associated with chemotherapy, radiation therapy and even surgery but will also heal the world’s economy. Currently cancer has disabled many people who would rather be working towards achievement of various national goals reducing them to dependent individuals who cannot survive without family support. A cancer patient spends about $ 50000 fighting the disease. Chemotherapy drugs are not cheap either and cancer patients spend between $3000 and $7000 to maintain a steady supply of chemotherapy drugs a month.

The best way to treat cancer is to starve the cancer cells, that is, to restrict supply of needed nutrients for their survival. When this is achieved the cancer cells will be eradicated without injury to the healthy cells hence the patient will go through the whole process without having to through the agonizing pain associated with chemotherapy when both the healthy cells and the cancer cells are killed by the chemotherapy drugs.

  • Eat anticancer foods

The basic rule to treating cancer naturally is by watching what you eat. There are lots of foods that are anticancer that will help you a great deal in your fight for health and freedom from the disease.

Colleen Doyle, the director of nutrition and physical activity for the American Cancer Society says that whatever you eat and the quantity you eat will have a long term impact in your fight for cancer. He advises that you should reduce the amount of sweets and unhealthy fats and increase the amounts of healthy foods that can help you in fighting cancer. Here are some of the foods that will help you in fighting cancer.

Berries are highly concentrated in antioxidants that help in limiting cell damage and helps in repairing damaged cells that may become cancerous. Freshly picked berries are healthy choice but if you can get the frozen berries you can still use them.

  • Garlic

Garlic is very good for cancer patients as they have antioxidants that help greatly in fighting colon cancer. It is rich in compounds that block tumor formation and growth in the colon.

  • Flaxseed

Flaxseeds are rich in lignans which are compounds that have antioxidant properties. They help in reducing the growth of cancer cells and are good for breast cancer patients. The seeds should be ground for easier absorption in the bloodstream

  • Grapes

Grapes are rich in resveratrol which is helpful in slowing the rate of growth in cancer cells as well as inhibit tumor formation in the liver breast and colon. They also contain lycopene which helps in fighting cancer.

The Gerson’s therapy is also another powerful alternative treatment to cancer that has got known worldwide for its effectiveness. It endorses use of vegetable as well as fruit juices over a period of time. The foods featured in the Gerson’s therapy are rich in anticancer properties and are good for cancer treatment without severe side effects.

  • Detoxify Your System

As known we get cancer from our interaction with the environment. The air we breathe and even the foods we eat put at as risk of getting the disease. Genetically modified organism like commercial poultry are a major source of cancer and so it calls for detoxification to remove all these toxins from our system

Effective cancer treatment calls for detoxification to remove toxins from the cells. This process is vital and you can find foods that can help you detoxify naturally.

Gerson's therapyUse of coffee enemas in detoxification is known as the most effective way to get rid of toxins that may put you at risk of getting cancer.

Other products that can also be used in this process include green tea, Artichokes, grapes among other fruits and vegetables.

  • Eat to starve cancer cells

Doctor William Li while at TED talked of Anti-angiogenetic therapy which can be used to deny cancer cells supply of blood and other needed nutrients. Angiogenesis is the process by which the body creates blood capillaries. He says that too many blood capillaries ensure the cancer cells of steady supply of blood and nutrients. So the body needs to have optimum capillaries to reduce the risk of cancer. He advised that eating anti-angiogenetic foods such as kales, turmeric, garlic, Artichokes, tomato, berries and cherries can help reduce cancer deaths.

Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) has a passion for creating a healthier world by empowering you to stay safe from cancer. Be a regular visitor on her website and learn how to treat and take care of yourself.

Natural treatment of cancer is a better alternative

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Low Dose Chemo and Cancer Treatment

June 28, 2014

 Low dose chemo is an effective alternative cancer treatment approach

cancer treatmentInsulin potentiation therapy (IPT) is the utilization of low doses of chemotherapy and insulin in treatment of cancer. The insulin potentiation therapy may also be used in treatment of other chronic diseases. The use of low dose chemotherapy is safer as compared to conventional chemotherapy that leave patients with many life threatening side effects. The conventional chemotherapy does not only kill the cancerous cells but also kill the healthy cells in the patient’s body leading to a period of intense pain, loss of appetite, loss of hair, weakness, fatigue and even weight loss. The ability of coping with the side effects of conventional chemotherapy varies from patient to patient but generally the experience is not for those faint at heart. These inconveniences have led the patients to look for other safer alternatives in cancer treatment and doctors as well as other medical researchers have been looking for alternatives that can help the cancer patients to be treated more effectively with less severe side effects.

The history of Insulin potentiation therapy (IPT) can be traced back to the early 1920s when insulin was first used in the attempt to treat patients with schizophrenia. Dr. Donato Perez Garcia, Sr. developed IPT and used it to put cancer patients to coma in an attempt to treat them of cancer. His sons took the practice a head and today very many doctors now recommend the use of IPT in treatment of cancer, Needless to mention several publications have been made to avail information in support of this approach to cancer treatment.

Insulin and Cancer

Insulin is the hormone charged with the responsibility of transporting glucose through the bloodstream to the cells to provide energy. This glucose is needed by  both healthy cells and the cancerous cells to survive.

One of the notable difference between cancer cells and healthy cells is that cancer cells depend entirely on sugar and glutamine which is a form of amino acids found in highly concentrated animal proteins. The cancer cells will therefore use all the sugar (glucose) that is found in the bloodstream leaving the healthy cells with inadequate sources of energy to survive on. The healthy cells having no glucose left to utilize become starved and this explains why most cancer patients are always weak and rapidly lose weight.

The amount of insulin used to transport the glucose into the cancer cells is much higher as compared to the amount of insulin hormone used to transport glucose into the healthy cells. Averagely the cancer cells need 16 times more insulin hormones to feed its cells with the glucose.

The cancer cells are very fast in grabbing the glucose available in the blood and that is the basis through which PET scan works. During PET scan a radioactive agent is introduced into the bloodstream within a glucose molecule and since the cancerous cells are the first to race for sugar, they become visible through the scan.

IPT works in the same way as the PET scan, the low doses of chemotherapy drugs are administered in the bloodstream within the glucose molecules and so the cancer cells come scrambling as they are faster in response to glucose than the healthy cells. They utilize the ‘poisoned’ glucose and get killed sparing the healthy cells. In IPT healthy cells are not killed as it happens in the conventional chemotherapy where both the cancerous and the healthy cells are killed. This explains why patients on low dose chemotherapy do not suffer severe side effects as common with patients undergoing conventional chemotherapy.

Potentiation in the IPT is an English word derived from a verb ‘potentiate’ which means to give more power or other to make more potent. In this therapy insulin is used to make conventional chemotherapy more powerful and effective in killing the cancerous cells.

A study that was done at the George Washington University in 1981 revealed that when insulin is mixed with a chemotherapy drug, methotrexate, its strength in killing the cancerous cells improved greatly. With that high potency, patients no longer needed to be given so many drugs to kill the cancerous cells. This combination not only made cancer treatment more effective but also gave convenience to patients as they did not have to use too many drugs to keep healthy.

In numerous ways insulin can help in treatment of cancer patients. Being a hormone that encourages growth, it will trigger cell multiplication by dividing. This allows healthy cells to be more while it puts the cancer cells in a more vulnerable state to be killed by the poisoned glucose molecule in that as the cell divides, it becomes more exposed to the chemotherapy drug in the glucose molecules speeding their death frequency.

Low Dose Chemo

IPT is surely a clever way to kill the cancer cells. You see, Insulin is also known to promote detoxification process as it makes the cells more permeable. This makes it easy for the toxins to be removed from the cells. Detoxification is a crucial procedure in cancer treatment and can be highly achieved through IPT as opposed to the conventional chemotherapy.

The use of low dose chemotherapy has gained popularity over a time and doctors have endorsed this alternative cancer treatment. Going by the simple physiology discussed herein you can see how effective the IPT approach to cancer treatment is. Other advantages that the patient enjoys are that the whole procedure does not leave the patients with life threatening side effects as common in conventional chemotherapy. The drugs given to patients are also manageable as they are more potent. Healthy cells are safe and the patients do not become bald.

Cancer treatment is subject to new inventions and that gives you a reason to find a reliable source of information that will update on the latest medical inventions geared towards making cancer treatment more effective. Contact Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) who is more experienced in cancer treatment so that you can learn more on cancer treatment and management.

 Low dose chemo is an effective alternative cancer treatment approach

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