Facets of Integrative Cancer Care from a Naturopathic Medical Standpoint


Desert Health News April/May 2011
Author: Sonja Fung, ND

What is Integrative cancer care?
Integrative cancer care uses a comprehensive approach to health, using the best combination of conventional and alternative therapies specific to the patient. That means treating the person who has the cancer, rather than treating just the cancer in the body. Integrative cancer care is NOT about replacing your medical oncologist; it is about creating diversified team of doctors and health practitioners each bringing their knowledge to formulate your unique treatment plan. Using an integrative approach to cancer care means using the best treatments at the most appropriate time to get an optimal result; it is not choosing one type of treatment over the other. This means that before your surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy, appropriate use of complementary therapies can fortify your body with healing nutrients to maintain your energy, strengthen your immune function, shrink recovery time, augment your cancer-fighting ability, and minimize side effects for a more optimal quality of life.1
Role of naturopathic medicine in cancer care
Naturopathic doctors (NDs) are an important addition to your cancer-fighting team that can focus on cancer care from a holistic standpoint. Naturopathic doctors are primary care physicians with expertise in complementary treatments used to support your body’s innate ability to heal and support itself. This includes diet and nutrition, lifestyle counseling, IV nutrient therapy, and appropriate supplementation to enhance cancer cell death. NDs are also poised for continued care post cancer treatment to address and minimize risks for cancer reoccurrence.1
Naturopathic doctors can further obtain board certification in naturopathic oncology but are not required in order to treat cancer patients.2
IV nutrient therapy: A facet of cancer care
The little-known gem of naturopathic cancer care has multiple facets: nutrition, botanical medicine, nutrient therapy, movement therapy, and mental and emotional support. I am focusing on one shining surface; intravenous nutritional therapy.
IV nutritional therapy is a highly concentrated infusion of vitamins, minerals, and other natural substances delivered directly into your cells to support optimal health and correct any nutrient deficiencies. It is one of the most effective systems used to stabilize and increase muscle mass, replenish your vitamins and minerals, and increase your energy and strengthen your immune system.3
IV administration of nutrients can achieve blood levels not attainable with oral routes, as digestion and absorption are not an issue. High dose Vitamin C infusions can be used to decrease tumor burden and boost your immune system.5 Doses as high as 50-100 grams of vitamin C are necessary for therapeutic effect and is only achievable when given via IV, whereas an oral intake of the same amount will cause severe diarrhea and cramping.
In certain cancers such as lung, ovarian, colon, and pancreatic cancers, disease progression is often marked by loss of appetite, loss of energy, and muscle wasting.4 For patients unable to intake enough food, IV amino acids, b vitamins, and minerals are commonly used in naturopathic clinics to halt and reverse progression of muscle loss and fatigue. It is best to start IV therapy before that point, however, it is one of the most effective therapies at any point of the cancer fighting process.
Dr. Sonja Fung is a Naturopathic Doctor utilizing IV nutrient therapy at Live Well Clinic. Live Well Clinic is located at 78-900 Avenue 47, Ste 102 in La Quinta, CA. For more information you can visit www.livewellclinic.org or call 760-771-5970.
References
  1. Alschuler, Lise and Gazella, Karolyn. Definitive Guide to Cancer. 2nd Ed. Berkeley: Celestial Arts, 2007.
  2. OncANP. http://www.oncanp.org/
  3. Anderson, Carter, Osborne. IV Nutritional Therapy for Physicians. Cedar Ridge: 2010.
  4. Abeloff, Armitage, Niederhuber, et al. Clinical Oncology. 3rd Ed. Philadelphia: Churchill Livingstone, 2004.
  5. Verrax J, Calderon PB. “Pharmacologic concentrations of ascorbate are achieved by parenteral administration and exhibit antitumoral effects.” Free Radic Biol Med. 1;47 (2009): 9-27.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Food Addiction, Food Allergy and Overweight

By: Sephen Levine, Ph. D. Have you ever eaten something - a bowl of ice cream, a piece of cheese, an orange - and felt hungrier than before? Do you have urges for a particular food and find it hard to satisfy your craving unless you eat that particular food? If the answer is "yes" to either of these questions, then you have a food allergy. If you are also fat, then chances are your food allergy is making you fat. Food sensitivities may cause allergic people to crave those foods to which they are allergic. Just as a drug addict suffers withdrawal symptoms when the drug is withdrawn, allergic people experience discomfort when they lose access to a particular food. Obese people can testify to the overwhelming power of food allergy addiction. Compulsive eaters crave and continue to eat those allergenic foods to which they are addicted day after day. The obese person has no idea that his daily food cravings or eating habits are based on a physiological need to stop withdrawal symp
Read more

IV’s- Not Just for Dehydration

Image
By: Dr. Sonja Fung In the desert, we should always be cognizant of our hydration status, especially in the summer months. We are more prone to overheating and dehydration, sometimes to the point of needing IV (intravenous) hydration. We are all familiar with IV therapy in hospital settings, where drugs and other substances are administered during surgery or in emergency situations. But that’s not what I’m talking about today. The IV therapy I’m describing is like hydration with a boost! IV nutritional therapy is a highly concentrated infusion of vitamins, minerals, and other natural substances delivered directly into your cells to support optimal health and correct any nutrient deficiencies. IV administration of nutrients can achieve blood levels not attainable with oral routes, as digestion and absorption are not an issue. For example, high doses of Vitamin C have been shown to boost your immune system to help fight off a cold or flu. Doses as high as 15 grams of vitamin C are e
Read more

NAD: New Powerhouse in Cellular Repair and Anti-aging

Image
Why do we age? Your body is made up of about 10 trillion cells that form our tissue, organs, blood, etc. Each cell has an essential part called mitochondria which makes energy for the cell to use and a nucleus containing DNA to indicate how the cell should function. As our cells die or replicate, we lose a little bit of our telomeres (DNA length) each time. Telomere length represents our biological age as opposed to our chronological age. The more our DNA repairs by replication, the shorter the lifespan of the cell. As we age, oxidative stress from toxin exposures from the environment, smoking, what we eat and drink, and life stressors in general, can damage our DNA even faster, causing us to age faster, not counting our genetic health predispositions. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is one of the most important molecules involved in aging. It is used in every cell of your body and has been shown to decrease with age. NAD has multiple functions, but the top three anti
Read more