Contents
Many cancers respond well to treatment in the early stages. And even when the tumor process is running, with the help of competent therapy, it is possible to prolong the patient’s life and improve its quality. Thanks to the timely help of doctors, a person will be able to live in the usual mode, communicate with friends and devote time to their favorite activities and hobbies.
Many patients are frightened when they hear the diagnosis of cancer and perceive it as a death sentence. Some people doubt that official medicine can help them, so they turn to alternative methods, for example, they self-medicate with folk remedies that they read about on the Internet.
The appearance of the tumor
The popular opinion that cancer occurs with weak immunity is partly true, therefore, in order to improve the body’s defense, cancer patients begin to take dietary supplements, herbal decoctions or “acidify” the body with vinegar, or “alkaline” with soda, which, in their opinion, helps to destroy malignant cells. It is important to understand that there is no single cause of the tumor process. This mechanism is very complex and occurs under the influence of a combination of many different factors on the body.
In the process of life, the cells of our tissues are constantly dividing, replacing the dead. When they reproduce, genetic errors can occur – mutations that lead to changes in DNA. Cells with such disorders can no longer function normally. In the presence of predisposing factors, they begin to divide uncontrollably, forming a cancerous tumor. Among the reasons that contribute to malignant degeneration, there are internal (for example, hormonal failure or genetic predisposition) and external (smoking, alcohol abuse, malnutrition).
The danger of traditional medicine for cancer treatment
The tumor process in the body can develop at different speeds. There are both indolent tumors and aggressive ones that quickly metastasize. Since latent malignant neoplasms are characterized by slow growth and a long absence of symptoms, preventive self-treatment by alternative methods in this case creates an imaginary effect of controlling the tumor, giving rise to legends about the effectiveness of these methods. What are the risks of a cancer patient if she does not seek medical help on time?
By opting for non-traditional methods of treatment, the cancer patient loses the most important asset in the fight against cancer – time, as abnormal cells divide exponentially, affecting more and more organs. There is not a single person with a malignant tumor who has been cured of cancer with folk remedies. Not a single such case has been officially documented or confirmed by research results. All stories about miraculous healing with decoctions of herbs and other similar methods, as a rule, are accompanied by advertising of these funds and a strong recommendation to buy them. A person who self-medicates with cancer not only does not improve his health, but also allows the tumor to progress without proper medical care.
Modern treatments
At the moment, in medicine there is no single universal drug that cures cancer, on the contrary, more and more narrowly targeted and therefore effective drugs, new options for biological cancer therapy are currently appearing, therefore, thanks to timely diagnosis and following the recommendations of doctors, many patients manage to defeat the disease . Modern methods of treatment of malignant tumors are divided into surgical, radiation and medicinal. The latter include several types: chemotherapy, hormone therapy and targeted therapy, immunotherapy.
The action of chemotherapy is based on substances that have a detrimental effect on cancer cells. Hormone therapy is used for hormone-sensitive cancers. Due to such treatment, the flow of certain hormones to the tumor is reduced, which prevents its cells from multiplying and helps to reduce its size. Targeted drugs block the signaling pathways by which the cell “understands” that it needs to divide. Thus, this method of treatment helps to curb tumor growth. Immunotherapy prevents the tumor from hiding from immune surveillance, and forces the immune system to rush to fight the malignant neoplasm. In each case, an integrated approach is used with an individual treatment regimen, taking into account the patient’s age, stage of the disease, structure and size of the tumor, and the characteristics of the cells of which it consists.
Recommendations
If you are convinced that traditional medicine can help you, then discuss this with your oncologist. Without knowledge about the nature of the tumor, it is impossible to choose the necessary medicine or active agent. In pharmaceutical preparations, the exact composition, concentration of active substances, therapeutic and side effects are always known, which cannot be said about self-prepared products. However, if they do not harm the body or adversely affect the main treatment, then the doctor most likely will not prohibit them.
Any disease is cheaper and easier to prevent than to treat, and cancer is no exception. Try to reduce the impact of carcinogens on the body, give up addictions, fatty, fried and spicy foods. It is important to review your diet in favor of a balanced diet rich in fresh vegetables and fruits. Spend time outdoors and do not forget about the minimum physical activity that contributes to a good mood and keeping the body in good shape.
Attention to your own health will allow you to detect at an early stage or even avoid the development of not only cancer, but also other diseases. Even if you do not have alarming symptoms, oncologists recommend yearly routine check-ups with key specialists and conduct basic research.