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Cancer Treatments According to Eastern and Western Medicine:

Updated: Nov 17



DIFFERENCES & BENEFITS

Cancer treatment encompasses a variety of approaches in both Western and Eastern medicine, each with its own set of benefits. The key differences lie in the methods and goals of the treatments.


Western Medicine:

A system in which medical doctors and other health care professionals (such as nurses, pharmacists, and therapists) treat symptoms and diseases using drugs, radiation, or surgery. Also called allopathic medicine, biomedicine, conventional medicine, mainstream medicine, and orthodox medicine. Western medicine relies on scientific approaches and clinical trials.


The most common treatments include:

 

  1. Surgery: Used to remove cancerous tumors, and in some cases, entire parts of the body affected by cancer, such as in breast or prostate cancer.


PROS:

  • Could remove the entire tumor in some cases

  • Can help with pain or pressure caused by the tumor

  • Remove blockage that's causing sickness


CONS:

  • Damage to organs in the body

  • Blood loss

  • Adverse reactions to medication


Risks during surgery recovery: Some risks after surgery include infections, other illnesses, blood loss or clots, pain or discomfort (a common problem following surgery that can often be relieved with medication and with the help of your cancer care team)


 

  1. Chemotherapy: The use of drugs to destroy or slow the growth of cancer cells. It is useful for fighting cancer that has spread throughout the body.


PROS:

  • Chemo can reach and kill cancer cells growing in different parts of your body


C‌ONS:

  • Chemo also kills good cells

  • Can cause damage to Kidneys, Liver and other major organs

  • Diarrhea

  • Fatigue

  • Nausea and Vomiting

  • Hair loss

  • Mouth ulcer

  • Anemia

  • Easy bruising

  • Constipation

  • Loss of appetite


 

  1. Radiation Therapy: also called radiotherapy, is a type of cancer treatment. This treatment uses beams of intense energy to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy most often uses X-rays. But other types of radiation therapy exist, including proton radiation. Modern methods of radiation are precise. Uses X-rays or other particles to destroy cancer cells. It can be used alone or in combination with surgery or chemotherapy.



PROS:

  • Provides detailed information to help decide whether surgery is a good treatment option.

  • Can be used to guide medical procedures to place catheters, stents, or other devices inside the body (fluoroscopy, a type of imaging).


CONS:

  • Fatigue

  • Nausea and Vomiting.

  • Skin reaction.

  • Xerostomia.

  • Hair loss.

  • Dysphagia.

  • Diarrhea.

  • Frequent urination.

  • Lymphoedema.

  • Permanent damage to tissue and organs.


4. Immunotherapy: It is treatment that uses a person's own immune system to fight cancer.


PROS: 

  • Immunotherapy can boost or change how the immune system works so it can find and attack cancer cells.

  • Stimulates the immune system to attack cancer cells.


CONS:

  • Fatigue.

  • Itchy rash.

  • Diarrhea.

  • Nausea and vomiting.

  • Decreased thyroid hormone levels.

 

  1. Targeted Therapy: It is a type of cancer treatment that uses drugs or other substances to precisely identify and attack certain types of cancer cells. A targeted therapy can be used by itself or in combination with other treatments, such as traditional or standard chemotherapy, surgery, or radiation therapy.


PRO: 

  • Uses drugs that specifically target changes promoting cancer cell growth, division, and spread.


CONS:

  • Weakness.

  • Nausea.

  • Vomiting.

  • Diarrhea.

  • Headaches.

  • Difficulty breathing, and rashes.

 

  1. Hormone Therapy: Slows or stops the growth of hormone-dependent tumors.


PROS

  • Isused to prevent osteoporosis.

  • Better sleep.

  • Improved mood.

  • Boost Libido.


CONS

  • Breast tenderness.

  • Hot flashes.

  • Fatigue.

  • Headaches

  • Diarrhea.

  • Irregular bleeding.

  • Nausea.

  • Arthralgia.

  • Mood Changes.

 

  1. Stem Cell Transplant: Used in cases of leukemia, lymphoma, or multiple myeloma, among others.


PROS

  • treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases.

  • Helps heal incisions and wounds.

  • Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases.

  • Autoimmune Diseases.

  • Orthopedic Conditions.


CONS

  • Low blood cell counts. You will have low blood cells counts after a stem cell transplant.

  • Infection.

  • Bleeding.

  • Anemia.

  • Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)

  • Veno-occlusive disease (VOD)

  • Digestive system problems.

  • Skin and hair problems.


Eastern Medicine & Alternative Approaches:


On the other hand, Eastern medicine and complementary therapies focus more on the patient’s overall well-being, seeking to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life.

Eastern medicine therapies are not aimed at directly curing cancer, but supporting the body to do what it was made to do Heal Itself!

 

  • NUTRITION AND LIFESTYLE : The first thing addreiisnthe nutrition and lifestyle (stress) of the individual. Many people have poor diets with little to no actual nutrition value and their work and home life in stressful setting the.body up for failure.

 

  • IV THERAPY:  IV therapy is used to help get nutrition and fluids into the patient in order to supply the body what it needs to clean itself and function properly. Most people are dehydrated daily and therefore puts the body in a position that it can't clean itself up!Imagine cleaning your entire house with 1 gallon of water! Not gonna get very clean!The body needs significant water to be able to clean itself out!


  • RED LIGHT THERAPY High level red light therapy can help guide the cells of the body to start the healing process as well as alleviate the cells that shouldn't be there!


  • MOXIBUSTION: the burning of herbal leaves on or near the body is a type of traditional Chinese medicine. It involves burning moxa, a cone or stick made of ground mugwort leaves or other herbs, on or near your body's meridians and acupuncture points.

 

  • CUPPING: the use of warmed glass jars to create suction on certain points of the body.The two main types of cupping are dry and wet.For either type, in the traditional method (fire cupping), your healer puts a flammable substance such as alcohol, herbs, or paper, inside a cup and sets it on fire. As the fire goes out, they put the cup upside down on your skin.When the air inside the cup cools, it creates a vacuum. This causes your skin to rise and redden as your blood vessels expand.

 

  • ACUPUNCTURE: is a traditional Chinese method used to relieve some health conditions and symptoms, such as pain. An acupuncturist inserts very thin steel needles into your skin at multiple “acupoints.” The needles rebalance your body’s energy, or qi, and prompt your body to release natural chemicals to fight the illness or symptom. Relieves nausea and pain by inserting needles into specific points on the body.

 

  • AROMATHERAPY: Aromatherapy has been used for centuries. When inhaled, the scent molecules in essential oils travel from the olfactory nerves directly to the brain and especially impact the amygdala, the emotional center of the brain. Uses essential oils to reduce stress, pain, and nausea.

 

  • MEDIATION AND YOGA: Techniques to reduce stress, improve sleep, and alleviate anxiety. Purpose: Meditation focuses on calming the mind, reducing stress, and promoting inner peace, while yoga aims to improve physical health, flexibility, and mental well-being through movement and breath awareness. Focus: Yoga uses breathwork and movement to bring awareness to the present moment.

 

  • MANUAL LYMPHATIC DRAINAGEThis helps the body to flush out the lymph nodes and get the lymph system moving better to support the cleaning out of the bad cells as your going through the healing process. Also boosts the immune system.

 

  • MASSAGE: Helps reduce pain, fatigue, and stress.

 

  • EXERCISE: Improves quality of life and reduces fatigue during treatment.

 

  • MUSIC THERAPY AND RELAXATION TECHNIQUES Can help manage pain, stress, and improve emotional well-being.

 

  • TAI CHI: A noncombative martial art that focuses on breathing techniques and slow movements.

 

DIFFERENCES AND BENEFITS:



Western medicine focuses on directly attacking cancer cells and eradicating the disease, while Eastern medicine and complementary treatments aim to improve quality of life, relieve treatment side effects, reduce stress and support the body to heal naturally without killing the good cells.


Both approaches can be beneficial and complementary when used together, forming what is known as integrative medicine, which combines conventional treatments with evidence-based alternatives.



It is important for patients to discuss with their doctors which treatments may be most suitable for their specific case, balancing the effectiveness of conventional treatments with the benefits of complementary therapies.

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