Hey Dad, I was looking into some alternatives to treating specifically your nausea. I know there are plenty of theories out there with all types of suggestions but I was just throwing it out there to see if anyone had experienced any of those suggested.
Complementary and alternative cancer treatment: Get the facts
Complementary and alternative medicine treatments for cancer won't cure your cancer. But some might help ease the side effects that come with cancer treatment.
It's not unusual for you to want to explore complementary and alternative medicine if you have cancer — up to half of people with cancer will try these therapies. Standard cancer treatments often have significant side effects and may not be 100 percent effective. Especially if your cancer treatment is particularly difficult to endure or doesn't promise you the results you desire, complementary and alternative medicine may appear to be an attractive treatment option. The longer you have cancer, the more likely you are to start searching for these other cancer treatment options.
But keep in mind as you research complementary and alternative medicine that some therapies may improve your quality of life and others, even if used correctly, can harm you. Approach complementary and alternative medicine with an open, yet cautious mind. Gather as much information as you can and discuss with your doctor any treatments you're considering.
Complementary and alternative medicine marketed as cancer treatment
You'll probably find advertisements that claim a particular complementary and alternative medicine product or therapy will cure your cancer. Don't believe it. Complementary and alternative medicine can't cure cancer. If it did, everyone would be using it. Even so, some people with cancer forgo conventional, proven cancer treatment and spend thousands of dollars trying questionable or ineffective therapy.
Giving up on conventional cancer treatment that has been proved repeatedly in clinical trials to help people with cancer can be risky and even deadly. Avoid alternative therapists who pressure you to give up the treatment your doctor recommends for a treatment that's unproved. Your doctor can discuss with you the pros and cons of conventional therapy as well as which complementary and alternative therapies are safe to try for your particular situation.
Always tell your doctor before you begin taking any complementary and alternative medicine treatments. This is especially important if you're currently taking chemotherapy. In some instances, combining complementary and alternative treatments with your chemotherapy regimen can cause great harm, either by rendering the chemotherapy ineffective or by increasing the side effects or toxic effects of the chemotherapy drugs.
Here's a look at products and therapies that are often marketed as cancer treatments:
Nutrition and herbs
Nutritional therapy and herbal therapy are often touted as "natural," which might sound appealing. But natural doesn't always mean safe. Talk to your doctor about how these options might complement or interfere with your current cancer treatment.
* Antioxidant supplements. Antioxidants occur naturally in many foods, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains and some meats. Some studies have reported that antioxidants may slow cancer growth in the test tube, but no proof exists that this occurs in humans. Doctors aren't sure if supplements — sometimes with antioxidant levels thousands of times higher than those found in food — are as safe as food sources of antioxidants. These supplements might interfere with your cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy, and could be dangerous. One study showed that smokers who used antioxidant supplements had a higher risk of lung cancer than those who didn't use the supplements.
* Alkaline diet. A diet rich in certain alkaline foods, meaning foods that aren't acidic, won't cure cancer. Proponents of this diet claim foods such as soft drinks and meats make your body acidic, allowing cancer to flourish. They suggest eating mainly alkaline foods, such as fruits and vegetables, and restricting acidic foods. The theory that acid causes cancer isn't true, and it isn't clear that what you eat has any impact on your body's overall acidity or alkalinity.
* Essiac. Essiac is an herbal tea mixture that has been touted to relieve pain and reduce the size of tumors. The original formula contained four herbs: burdock, rhubarb, sheep sorrel and slippery elm. Some newer products and knockoffs have other herbs added as well. Though some early tests have shown that chemicals in the herbs used in Essiac have some antioxidant, anti-inflammatory or anti-cancer activity, Essiac hasn't been proved to have any effect on cancer.
* Laetrile (amygdalin). Taken orally or as an injection, laetrile is a purified form of amygdalin, a chemical found in lima beans, raw nuts and the pits of many fruits. Amygdalin produces cyanide, which proponents claim kills cancer. But laetrile hasn't been proved to work against cancer and has even caused several deaths.
* Macrobiotic diet. The macrobiotic diet is strictly vegetarian and requires you to consume about half of your daily calories from whole grains, about a quarter of your calories from vegetables, and the rest of your calories from beans, seaweed and soups. The macrobiotic diet is marketed for both prevention and treatment of cancer, though no proof exists that it does either. Eating plenty of vegetables can reduce your risk of cancer, but how much you should eat or which vegetables you should choose is unknown.
* Megavitamin treatments. Megavitamin treatments usually combine high doses of vitamins A, C and E — sometimes requiring you to take hundreds of pills a day. These vitamins are an important part of everybody's diet, whether you have cancer or not. But if you already eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, you probably get enough of these vitamins without taking supplements. Too much of a vitamin can even be dangerous and can interfere with your cancer treatment.
* Mistletoe. Mistletoe injections are given two to three times a week. They're used mostly in Europe and aren't available in the United States. Mistletoe extracts have been shown to kill some cancer cells in laboratory and animal experiments. Studies in people have had mixed results.
Detoxifying treatments
Proponents claim that detoxification treatments clear your body of harmful substances and stimulate your immune system to attack the cancer in your body. But detoxification therapy can be invasive and dangerous.
Most people with cancer have a functioning immune system, so the need to further stimulate it is unnecessary. And because cancer cells seem to hide from normal immune systems, stimulating your immune system won't help your body fight off your cancer. Also, no evidence exists to support the theory that removing "harmful substances" affects cancer.
* Colon therapy. Colon therapy removes waste from your colon through a process called a high colonic, in which a plastic tube is inserted through your rectum and into your colon. Up to 20 gallons of liquid — usually water, herbal solutions or coffee — is pumped into your large intestine. This is repeated several times. No evidence exists to support the use of colon therapy, and treatment can cause infection and mineral and electrolyte imbalances that can be dangerous.
* Gerson therapy. The Gerson therapy uses minerals, enzymes and hormones to "detoxify" and "cleanse" your body. The therapy requires that you consume 13 glasses of organic fruit and vegetable juice every day. You must also follow a vegetarian diet and have coffee or chamomile enemas. No conclusive proof of the Gerson therapy's effect on cancer is available. Some people on this regimen report feeling more energetic, often due to the large amounts of caffeine absorbed through the colon as part of this therapy.
* Gonzalez treatment. The Gonzalez treatment incorporates special diets, supplements, pancreatic enzymes and coffee enemas to treat cancer. Proponents believe that the main anti-cancer component in this regimen is pig pancreas enzymes. The Gonzalez treatment is highly controversial but showed some promise in a small study. It's currently being investigated in a larger study sponsored by the National Cancer Institute.
Chemical and animal-based treatments
These treatments are based on chemicals or components that come from humans or animals.
* 714-X. This treatment is a solution of camphor, nitrogen, ammonium salts and ethanol. It's purported to stabilize your immune system, so your body regains its ability to fight your cancer. It can be injected or inhaled. No scientific proof exists of 714-X's effectiveness, and it isn't available in the United States.
* Antineoplastons. Proponents claim that antineoplaston therapy causes tumor cells to die by stopping some of the processes involved in their growth. Antineoplastons are isolated from horse urine and are taken orally or by injection. Trials of antineoplaston therapy haven't shown any anti-cancer activity. Several more clinical trials of antineoplaston therapy are currently under way.
* Cancell (Entelev, Cantron, Jim's Juice, Crocinic Acid). Cancell is a dark brown liquid that is taken orally or rectally, or applied to your wrist or foot. Its manufacturers say it changes cancer cells so that your body recognizes them as foreign and eventually destroys them. Cancell contains 12 compounds, including inositol, nitric acid, sodium sulfite, potassium hydroxide, sulfuric acid and catechol. No proof exists that these compounds cure cancer. Cancell has never been scientifically tested on people.
* Coenzyme Q10. Your body naturally produces coenzymes to help stimulate chemical reactions in your body. Proponents of coenzyme Q10 believe that people with cancer and other conditions have lower levels of coenzyme Q10, though no evidence of this exists. When you take coenzyme Q10, either as an injection or a pill, it may act as an antioxidant and stimulate your immune system. No definitive studies have shown that coenzyme Q10 has any effect on cancer. Some practitioners claim coenzyme Q10 protects your heart from damage caused by certain chemotherapy drugs, though research has yet to prove this claim.
* Oxygen therapy. Oxygen therapy uses ozone or hydrogen peroxide to supposedly add extra oxygen to your body. Proponents believe cancer cells need a low-oxygen environment to survive, and that flooding your body with extra oxygen will kill cancer cells. Ozone gas can be mixed with water or air, and users usually drink or inhale the solution. It can also be injected into a muscle. Hydrogen peroxide is sometimes injected into a vein, though it can also be administered rectally. Oxygen therapy hasn't been studied in people. Hydrogen peroxide bubbles in the blood can block blood flow and lead to death.
* Shark cartilage. Proponents believe that shark cartilage stops a tumor's growth by preventing it from growing new blood vessels (angiogenesis). The rationale behind this theory is the belief that sharks don't get cancer, although that has since been proved false. Some anti-tumor substances have been found in cartilage, though, and shark cartilage has been used in clinical trials. The Food and Drug Administration found no conclusive evidence that shark cartilage works and recommends against using shark cartilage as a cancer treatment. Clinical trials using substances isolated from shark cartilage are currently under way.
MORE ON THIS TOPIC
* Herbal supplements: What to know before you buy
* Dietary supplements: Using vitamin and mineral supplements wisely
* Colon cleansing: Is it helpful or harmful?
* Coenzyme Q10
Complementary and alternative medicine to ease side effects of cancer treatment
Most people with cancer who use complementary and alternative medicine don't expect the treatments to cure their cancer. They may use complementary and alternative medicine to treat the pain associated with their cancer and control the side effects of treatment, such as nausea and weakness. Your doctor might recommend conventional medications or complementary and alternative medicine therapies, such as acupuncture or massage, for these signs and symptoms. These types of therapy aren't specific to cancer and can treat pain and side effects of many other conditions, as well.
In general, these treatments aren't invasive, making them safer than other complementary and alternative medicine treatments. Still, talk to your doctor about these types of therapy before using them.
* Acupuncture. In this treatment, tiny needles are inserted into your skin to stimulate your body's natural energy, or qi (pronounced "che"). By restoring the natural flow of qi, acupuncture is supposed to help your body heal itself. Acupuncture has been effective in treating pain and nausea in some people with cancer.
* Aromatherapy. Proponents believe that fragrant oils from plants can affect your mood. About 40 oils are commonly used in aromatherapy. They can be smelled at home or at a spa, or applied as oil during a massage. Though little proof of its benefit exists, aromatherapy is said to help pain, depression and stress, and promote a general sense of well-being.
* Hypnotherapy. This relaxation method effectively relieves some chronic pain, and it may also reduce nausea and vomiting in people with cancer. Although you may look like you're asleep during hypnosis, you actually go into a state of deep concentration. While you're under hypnosis, your practitioner may suggest you focus on goals, such as controlling your pain and reducing your stress.
* Massage therapy. During a massage, your practitioner kneads your skin, muscles and tendons in an effort to relieve muscle tension and stress and promote relaxation. Several massage methods exist. If you're currently receiving conventional chemotherapy, check with your doctor before undergoing massage. If you have a low platelet count because of chemotherapy, deep massage can cause bleeding or bruising. Certain types of massage and spinal manipulation can also be unsafe if the bones in your back or neck have been weakened by cancer.
* Therapeutic touch. Touch therapy practitioners claim to use their hands to transmit "energy forces" that can heal the energy force that runs through you. By moving their hands back and forth across your body, they claim to be able to locate and remove your energy force disturbances. Practitioners believe this reduces pain and encourages relaxation.
Many other types of complementary and alternative medicine are promoted for pain relief. They include homeopathy, reflexology, relaxation, spirituality, and art and music therapy.
