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Alternatives To Traditional Lung Cancer TreatmentsAlternative lung cancer treatment can be a puzzling term because of the widely-held belief that cancerous cells are difficult to cure in general. No doubt that once the cancerous growths reveal signs of metastasis in any affected patient, it becomes very difficult to cure such a condition. Hence, throughout the world, those working in the field of research pertaining to lung cancer treatments tend to focus on strategies termed as alternative lung cancer treatments. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), as defined by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), is a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine. Complementary medicine is used together with conventional medicine. Alternative medicine is used in place of conventional medicine. Conventional medicine is medicine as practiced by holders of M.D. (medical doctor) or D.O. (doctor of osteopathy) degrees and by their allied health professionals, such as physical therapists, and registered nurses. Other terms for conventional medicine include allopathy; Western, mainstream, orthodox, and regular medicine; and biomedicine. Some conventional medical practitioners are also practitioners of CAM. When considering complementary and alternative therapies, what questions should you ask your health care provider?
The terms "complementary" and "alternative" medicine often are used interchangeably. However, the terms are quite different. A therapy is generally called complementary when it's used along-side a conventional treatment. However, a therapy is generally referred to as "alternative" when it's used instead of conventional treatment. Many people suffering with lung cancer use complementary medicine in combination with their conservative treatments. This is often advised by a doctor. You certainly want to have as many bases covered as you possibly can when it comes to something as serious as cancer. However, other lung cancer sufferers choose alternative methods in place of more conventional approaches, or have moved to alternative methods after conventional treatments have failed. One of the more promising alternative approaches to lung cancer treatment is antiangiogenesis, a treatment that stops new blood vessels from forming in tumors, thereby limiting tumor growth. A consistent blood supply is the cornerstone of a growing, metastasizing tumor. Angiogenesis is a nature process of the body and part of this process; its the development and growth of of new blood vessels. In the case of cancer, a tumor will not grow continue to grow unless it maintains an increasing blood supply through the angiogenic process. Antiangiogenesis (AA) is treatment to block angiogenesis. While antiangiogenesis will not cure a cancer, it can slow or even halt the cancer's growth. There are two basic approaches to antiangiogenesis treatement. The first is to block the tumor's growth using products that claim to have antiangiogenesis characteristics. These products can include: alpha lipoic acid, bindweed, butcher’s broom, curcumin, genistein, green tea, honeylocust fruit, quercetin, selenium, shark cartilage, and silimarin. The second approach is to deny the tumor copper, which is important for blood vessel growth. This is commonly done by introducing ammonium tetrathiomolybdate (TM), a complex of sulfur and molybdenum designed to lower copper levels by oral chelation. This compound is generally well tolerated, with few side effects. Both of these approaches are still in clinical trials. As with all alternative treatments, lung cancer patients considering complementary or alternative therapy should discuss their situation with their doctor or nurse just as they would with any therapeutic approach. Some complementary and alternative therapies may interfere with standard treatment or may be harmful when used with conventional treatment. It's also wise to first become thoroughly informed about a potential therapy, including whether the results of scientific studies support the claims that are made for it.
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