The type of treatment you are given for your cancer depends on
many factors, particularly the type of cancer you have, where in the
body it started, what the cancer cells look like under the microscope
and how far they have spread, if at all.
Chemotherapy is the use of anti-cancer (cytotoxic) drugs to destroy
cancer cells. It can be just one drug or several drugs, taken from a
choice of about 50 different drugs available.
Chemotherapy may be used alone to treat cancer or together with surgery and/or radiotherapy.
Chemotherapy drugs work by interfering with the ability of a cancer
cell to divide and reproduce itself. The affected cells become damaged
and eventually die. As the drugs are carried in the blood, they can
reach cancer cells all over the body.
The drugs damage the cancer cells in different ways. If a
combination of drugs is used, each drug is chosen because of its
different effects. Unfortunately, chemotherapy drugs can also affect
normal cells in your body, sometimes causing unpleasant side effects.
Unlike cancer cells, however, normal cells quickly regrow, so any
damage to them is usually temporary and most side effects will
disappear once the treatment is over.
Chemotherapy has to be carefully planned so that it progressively
destroys the cancer during the course of treatment, but not the normal
cells and tissues.
Unfortunately, during the process of eliminating cancerous cells,
healthy cells are also damaged, and many side effects can develop.
Several nutritional approaches show promise for alleviating side
effects and/or increasing the effectiveness of chemotherapy treatment.
People undergoing chemotherapy and experiencing side effects may
find some relief in homeopathic remedies. These remedies are not
intended as substitutes for treatment, nor should they be considered
part of the therapy. Homeopathic remedies are safe, non-toxic, and do
not interfere with the treatment.
Nutritional supplements and herbs that may help chemotherapy -
- Multiple-Vitamin/Mineral
- N-acetyl cysteine
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Folic acid
- Coenzyme Q10
- Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
- Magnesium
- Vitamin B6
- Ginger
- Astragalus
- Eleuthero
- Asian Ginseng
- Ligustrum
- Maitake.html">Maitake
- Shiitake
- Reishi
- Schisandra
The
nutrients mentioned above reflect the major nutritional supplements
that may help the condition. Please do remember however that
nutritional supplementation is an adjunct to medical treatment and in
no way replaces medical treatment.
- Kurbacher CM, Wagner U, Kolster B, et al. Ascorbic acid
(vitamin C) improves the antineoplastic activity of doxorubicin,
cisplatin, and paclitaxel in human breast carcinoma cells in vitro.
Cancer Letters 1996:103 - 19. - Wagdi P, Fluri M, Aeschbacher B,
et al. Cardioprotection in patients undergoing chemo- and/or
radiotherapy for neoplastic disease. Jpn Heart J 1996;37:353 - 9. - Pace
JC. Oral ingestion of encapsulated ginger and reported self care
actions for the relief of chemotherapy-associated nausea and vomiting.
Dissertaion Abstr Internat 1987:8:3297.
