Integrative Cancer Care
How do I reduce my chance of getting cancer?
One in three of us will experience cancer in our life times.
The principles of Integrative Medicine when applied to Cancer Care and Prevention involve attention to Diet, Nutritional Supplements, Herbal Therapies, Exercise, Physical Therapies, Energetic Therapies and Self-Regulation Therapies.
The goal of Integrative Medicine is to support the general health and vitality of the individual. The ‘terrain’ upon which disease and illness arise is a major factor in when the illness develops and how severe it becomes. Our goal is to optimize ‘terrain’, basic health and vitality.
- Diet: A diet high in ‘phyto-nutrient’, (protective plant chemicals), anti-oxidants and healthy fats is recommended. Foods high in refined carbohydrates, (sugars and refined grain products), unhealthy fats, (trans-fats and saturated fats), and foods that are processed is not recommended.
- Nutritional Supplements: Nutritional supplements do not play a large role in cancer prevention. The emphasis is on obtaining our ‘phyto-nutrients’ and ‘anti-oxidants’ from our basic diet. Specific supplement recommendations can be made based on individual family history, personal history, environmental history, and medication history.
- Herbal Therapies: There are many herbs that are rich in ‘phyto-nutrients’, anti-oxidants’, and substances that help to prevent cancer. Cooking with herbs such as Ginger and Curcumin is a good way to incorporate these products into the diet. Nutritional Smoothies with products like Cell Guardian, (Natura), added are an excellent way to optimize intake of these herbal products.
- Exercise Therapies: It is well established that regular exercise reduces the incidence of certain cancers, (breast cancer). Walking for 30-45 minutes at a pace of 3-4 miles per hour, three to four days per week is an example of a preventive exercise regimen.
- Physical Therapies: Physical Therapies such as Sauna can play a role in cancer prevention. Sauna therapy is an excellent way to promote detoxification.
- Energetic Therapies: Energetic Therapies bring balance to the Autonomic Nervous System and help to reduce the adverse effect of stress. Examples of Energetic Therapies include Acupuncture, Chi-Gong, Lymphatic Enhancement Therapy and Pulses Electromagnetic Field Therapy.
- Self-Regulation Therapies, (SRT): SRT is a way to reduce the adverse effects of stress on our Autonomic Nervous System and Immune Systems. It is a way to improve our Resilience in dealing with emotional, physical and environmental stress.
There are several areas to measure and provide feedback on in relationship to Cancer Prevention.
- Inflammation: C reactive protein is a simple and inexpensive marker for inflammation in the body. Inflammation is permissive to cancer initiation, promotion, growth and spread. We can improve inflammatory states with diet, nutritional supplements, herbal therapies, exercise, energetic therapies and self-regulation therapies.
- Glycation: This refers to blood sugar and insulin management. Elevated fasting blood sugar, Insulin or Hemoglobin A1c are markers for impaired Glycation. This signifies a permissive environment for cancer initiation, promotion, growth and spread. The Integrative Medicine practices outlined above can address impaired Glycation.
- Oxidative Stress: Oxidative Stress suggests that our body is having difficulty with dealing with detoxification. This may be related to normal detoxification related to regular metabolism or toxic burden from environmental sources. We can measure antioxidant levels with the Bioluminescence Devise in our Apothecary. We can measure for stress on our inherent detoxification processes through a simple blood test, (GGT).
- Genetic Testing: This is a developing field that holds promise. There are special situations, depending on personal or family history, that warrant genetic testing at this time. It is important to realize that science has shown that the vast majority of cancer is related environmental factors. First is the internal environment we create through choices of dietary patterns, alcohol use, tobacco use, and other drug use. Second is the external environment to which we are exposed through work, location and other factors.
- Trace Mineral Assessment: Copper and Zinc are both normal trace minerals. There is a strong relationship between the relationship of copper concentrations to zinc concentration and cancer risk. When copper and zinc are both in a normal range but copper is higher than zinc risk to a variety of cancers increases. This is one reason to avoid supplements with copper in them. Copper/Zinc ratios can be measured and adjusted through appropriate supplementation.
- Personal and Family History: It is important to review personal and family health history in assessing cancer risk.