Can Ayurveda Treat Cancer?

The development of abnormal cells that can spread to other areas of the body is known as cancer. It has about 100 types and includes cancer of the skin, lung, prostate gland and so on. Compared to normal body cells that follow a proper path of cell division, growth, and termination, cancer cells don't die but continue to develop and divide.

Holistic treatment of cancer involves purification and strengthening of body's immune system.

Ayurvedic treatment of cancer comprises an all-around approach keeping in mind your temperament and body characteristics, the affected energies in the body as well as the tissues involved. More importantly, the treatment focuses not only on the malignant spot but your entire body system. This is because Ayurveda believes in restoring harmony to your entire being for the ailment to be treated effectively so as to prevent its recurrence.

The treatment plan involves the purification of the body and of the toxins that influence the cells to attack your body. Certain blood cleansing herbs are administered alongside the recommendation of a detoxifying diet. To stimulate blood flow in your body, herbs that improve blood circulation are prescribed by a practitioner. This renders an efficient removal of toxins, prevents stagnant blood from forming and assists in the healing process of your tissues. Since it's a debilitating disease, herbs and minerals that boost your immunity are also suggested.

What are the holistic methods of treating cancer according to Ayurveda?

The treatment methods for cancer include:

- Elimination of toxins from the body through Panchakarma (a therapy that involves five cleansing procedures)
- Abstinence from lifestyle and foods that lead to the imbalance of the tridosha namely, vata (air), pitta (heat) and kapha (water and earth forces)
- Restitution of the functions of your digestive system
- Rejuvenation through a special form of treatment called rasayanas
- Recommendations on Ayurvedic preparations that can be taken along with radiotherapy or chemotherapy
- Suggestions on Ayurvedic medications for minimizing the side effects of the various cancer therapies

In addition to these, treatment also involves suggesting ways to relax the mind. Yoga, meditation, and praanayam (an ancient practice involving ways to control your breath) are some of the ways that are recommended for bringing about deep personal healing for cancer patients.

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Can Ayurveda Treat Cancer?

Lumpectomy is a surgery where a cancerous or benign tumour is removed from a breast along with some surrounding tissues. The amount of tissue removed varies according to the nature of the tumour. It is a form of breast-conserving surgery. It is also called a partial mastectomy.

Lumpectomy is the first option of treatment for women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer.

What is the goal of lumpectomy?

Lumpectomy aims to remove the cancerous cells from the breast and at the same time maintaining the appearance of the breast. Studies have proved that for early stage breast cancer, lumpectomy is as effective as mastectomy (complete removal of the breast).

Doctors may recommend lumpectomy to remove precancerous cells as well.

Pre lumpectomy measures-

If you are under any other medication or if you suffer from allergies, inform your doctor. Other pre-surgery measures include-

  Stop taking aspirins or any pain relieving medication

  Your doctor will recommend you to not drink or eat anything 8-12 hours prior to the surgery.

The procedure:

A mammogram and a biopsy reveal the exact location of a tumour. Lumpectomy is performed under general anaesthesia. The surgeon makes a small incision over a tumour to extract the cancerous cells and the surrounding tissues. Sometimes doctors have to perform sentinel lymph node surgery or axillary node dissection.

The surgeon then closes the incisions with sutures. The sutures may dissolve over time or may have to be extracted later by a doctor.

If you have undergone lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy, you will be discharged on the same day as the surgery as soon as your blood pressure stabilizes.

However, after lumpectomy with axillary node extraction, you may have to stay in the hospital for 2-3 days.

Therapy after lumpectomy

Your oncologist will recommend a follow-up radiation therapy to destroy the mutated cells that may have remained in the area where a tumour had developed. Radiation reduces the risk of breast cancer recurrence.

You might also have to undergo hormone therapy. Some types of breast cancer need female hormones like estrogen and progesterone to grow. Hormone therapy inhibits the development of cancerous cells by not allowing these hormones to reach the cells.

Your doctor will advise you to avoid strenuous physical activities for at least a month after the surgery.

Lumpectomy is a safe surgical procedure that can root out tumours or precancerous cells from the breast without deforming the shape of it.

Breast Lumpectomy - All You Should Know!

Let s start with some mind-boggling statistics: in India, over 2.5 million patients are diagnosed with cancer. Moreover, it is estimated that around 700,000 new patients are found to have cancer, each year, and around 550,000 annual deaths are related to cancer.

While these perturbing numbers might unnerve you, there is, however, a case for cautious optimism. While there are certain causes of cancer like genetics and environment which are beyond your realms of control; there are certain causes which can be controlled by you. Research shows that nearly 70% of cancer causes are in your hands   including your own diet.

Your daily nutritional intake is vital for two reasons:

There are definite cancer-preventing nutrients and food items;
Conversely, there are certain types of nutrients and food items which cause cancer.
While research typically points to links between food items and cancer than well-established cause-effect relationships, it is found that certain dietary items have a greater influence. Here are some general guidelines to guide you better:

Avoid processed and red meat: Processed and red meat are generally considered as any meat which has been artificially modified for taste or purposes of preservation. It must be noted that during this process of preservation there are certain chemicals mixed with it which makes it carcinogenic in nature. Though the WHO (World health organization) hasn t recommended any specific amount for consumption, it has categorized processed and red meats as a Group 1   carcinogen.
Consume more fruits and vegetables: Plant foods including fruits and vegetables contain essential micronutrients like flavonoids and carotenoids which researchers  state are powerful antioxidants. Antioxidants help prevent the destruction of cells as they diminish free radicals. It is recommended to regularly consume fruits and vegetables like berries, broccoli, leafy greens, apples, papaya, among others.
Reduce your alcohol and smoking habit: Along with processed and red meats, alcohol is designated as a Group 1   carcinogen by the WHO. Cancer research has repeatedly linked consumption of alcohol to higher chances of cancer, irrespective of the alcohol type. A number of cancers including pharynx, liver, and breast are directly connected to alcohol.
Furthermore, it is suggested that an individual must limit to no more than a drink on any given day.

In conclusion, it must be stated that our diets play an indispensable role in the prevention of cancer. The consumption of healthy food items will only bolster our physical well-being along with the reduction of cancer occurrence.

How Your Diet Can Potentially Prevent Cancer?

Cancer has been regarded as one of the most deadly diseases. It is a non-communicable chronic disorder, caused by uncontrolled growth of cells in the human body. Every year over 7 million people succumb to this disease globally and over 12 million people are diagnosed with cancer. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), estimated that India will observe over 8 lakh deaths and over 17 lakh new cancer cases annually by the year 2020. The survival expectancy of a cancer patient depends upon the stage of diagnosis.

There are some forms of cancer which show any noticeable symptoms only in the final stage while there are certain other subtle symptoms which if paid attention to might save a life.
Some common signs of cancer:

Unexplained weight loss: This is one of the earliest noticeable symptoms of cancer and is particularly common in patients of lung and breast cancer. Weight loss has been observed in over 40% of cancer patients at the time of diagnosis. Losing over 10% of body weight in a span of 6 months or less could be a cause of concern.
Wheezing: This is associated with lung cancer, which is also the most common form of cancer. When the airway in the lungs is pressed or narrowed by a tumor, it creates a wheezing sound while breathing.
Frequent infections: Frequent infections and fever may indicate that something is not right with the internal organs of the body. This could be because of cancerous conditions such as leukemia or lymphoma. 
Loss of appetite: Cancer impacts the metabolic process of the body, hence often leads to a loss of appetite. This is particularly a symptom of colon, stomach, ovaries and pancreatic cancer. 
Blood in stool/urine: Traces of blood while passing stool or urine could be a symptom of cancer. Though, this could be attributed to many other infections and conditions as well.
Chronic cough: Flu and cough along with symptoms like chest pain, hoarseness, weight loss and fatigue could be because of lung cancer.
Night sweats: Though night sweat could be attributed to many more reasons, it is also one of the many early warning signs of cancer.

Early Warning Signs Of Cancer That We Often Ignore!

Finding a lump on either breast is the biggest cause of concern for any woman. This is one of the most common characteristic signs of breast cancer. Making any woman stressed out on discovering a lump. Breast cancer is increasingly becoming a commonly found cancer but, not all lumps are cancerous. Lumps can appear on the breast tissue as a side effect of contraceptives or during menstruation. These lumps typically disappear on their own. When a lump on the breasts does not reduce but instead begins to grow larger, one must immediately consult a doctor.

Non-cancerous lumps on the breast are known as fibroadenoma. These are typically seen in women below the age of 30 years. Fibroadenoma can be described as firm lumps with well-defined contours. These may be very small in size and may move under the skin. However, they can be easily identified through a mammography or an ultrasound. Fibroadenoma rarely turns cancerous and can be treated without surgery with homeopathy.

Homeopathy is a holistic form of medication that does not treat only the symptoms exhibited but treats the root cause of the issue. It may be safely prescribed to women of all ages. A homeopathic remedy is dependent on the symptoms exhibited along with the patient s overall physical, mental, and emotional health. Thus, two women with similar lumps in their breasts may be prescribed different medication if one has a type-A personality while the other has a type-B personality. For this reason, it is important to remember that while homeopathy has negligible side effects, self-medicating might not have the best results. If you have noticed a lump on your breasts, you must consult a qualified homeopathic doctor to prescribe a remedy for you.

Homeopathic remedies not only reduce the lumps but will also keep them from recurring. These may be prescribed on their own or in a combination of two or more medicines. Homeopathy can be taken along with allopathic medicine as well. When taking these medicines, one must be careful of the dosage and the timing. Homeopathic medication must always be taken at least an hour before or after eating anything else. When it comes to homeopathy, progress may be slow. Hence, it is important to take the full course of medication and not change the dosage or medicine without the doctor s advice.


Breast Lumps - How Your Symptoms Define Your Line Of Treatment?

While you cannot cure breast diseases, family history and maturing, but there are some hazards or risks that you can control. Keeping in mind the fact that there is no certain approach to forestall breast cancer, there are things you can do that may bring down the hazard. Here are five approaches to ensure your breast's well-being:

Watch your weight: Being overweight or hefty expands breast cancer chances. This is particularly true after menopause and for women who have put on weight as grown-ups. After menopause, the vast majority of your estrogen originates from fat tissue. Having more fat tissue can heighten your chances of getting breast cancer by raising the estrogen levels. Additionally, women who are overweight have a tendency to have more elevated amounts of insulin, than other hormones. Higher insulin levels have been associated with a few tumors, including breast cancer.
Exercise routinely: Many reviews have found that exercise is the sign of having a healthy breast. Studies show that one to two hours of energetic walking each week, lessened a woman s cancer risk by eighteen percent. Walking ten hours seven days decreased the hazard all the more.
Constrain liquor: Women who have two to five mixed beverages every day have a higher danger of breast cancer than women who have just one drink a day or none . As much as three to six glasses of wine seven days have been found to somewhat increase breast cancer chances. It is not clear how or why liquor raises the hazard. In any case, constraining liquor is particularly essential for women who have other hazard variables for breast cancer, like, breast cancer running in their families.
Restrain time spent sitting: Research has shown that sitting time, regardless of how much exercise you get when you are not sitting, increases the probability of growing cancer, particularly for women. Women who sit six hours or more a day outside of work have a ten percent more serious risk for breast cancer compared to the ladies who sit under three hours a day, and an increased hazard for other cancer types as well.
Stay away from or confine hormone substitution treatment: Hormone Replacement Treatment (HRT) was utilized frequently in the past to control night sweats, hot flashes, and other troublesome manifestations of menopause. In any case, specialists now realize that postmenopausal ladies who take a blend of estrogen and progestin might probably create breast tumors or cancer. Breast cancer disease seems to come back within five years in the wake of ceasing the blend of hormones. Therefore, get a breast cancer test even if you feel a small lump.

5 Ways to Decrease The Chance of Breast Cancer 

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