Alternatives To Cancer Radiotherapy

Cancer happens to be the unrestrained division and growth of abnormal cells in any part of the body. In order to be cured of cancer, the disease must be detected in the early stages, and the tumor needs to be removed. Nonetheless, even if the tumor is removed, patients often undergo medical treatment using radiotherapy, which consists of ionized radiation that acts upon slowing down the abnormal cells. Moreover, there are patients that might be in search of alternatives to cancer radiotherapy, and there are quite a few options for treatment that the patient might be able to choose from.

Detecting Your Type of Cancer

Cancer can affect virtually any part of the body, but there are some types of cancer that are a lot more common than others. Unfortunately, there are various types of cancer that can go on for years undetected, and when the person finally starts showing symptoms, it’s too late for any alternative to cancer radiotherapy to cure the disease –or even slow it down. Some of the most common types of cancer in the United States according to the American Cancer Society are the following:

• Prostate – over 240,000 men expected to be diagnosed in 2011
• Breast cancer – more than 200,000 women diagnosed in 2010
• Melanoma –about 130,000 cases in 2010 (expected to double in 10 years)
• Leukemia–almost 50,000 people diagnosed in 2010
• Lung cancer–over 200,000 cases in 2010

Going for Chemotherapy

A clear and extremely common alternative to cancer radiotherapy is chemotherapy, which makes use of a drug to treat the disease. Interesting enough, chemotherapy was discovered right around the time of the First World War, when soldiers had accidentally been exposed to mustard gas. Physicians were able to notice that their white blood cell counts decreased, which meant there was a reaction to the gas. Later on, researchers were able to find a direct relation between the chemical and the reaction of the human body, and later on they substituted the gas with other types of medicines that were administered through injections. This alternative to cancer radiotherapy differs in the sense that it counterattacks the cancer in any part of the body, unlike radiotherapy that only attacks locally. This is perhaps one of the reasons why this alternative to radiotherapy is so commonly used.

Preventive Natural Measures

There are numerous patients in the U.S. and the world that have opted for natural alternatives to cancer radiotherapy. The main reason for this is that their body might not react well to chemicals or radiation, and prefer to follow a treatment that only includes natural and herbal options. Known alternatives to cancer radiotherapy are the following:

• Acupuncture
• Hypnosis
• Yoga & meditation
• Natural supplements and sources of vitamins
• Ayurvedic therapy
• Hybrid program (natural & chemical)

Statistics have shown that more than half of cancer patients tend to seek treatment alternatives to cancer radiotherapy. The majority of them are advised to seek help with their personal doctor first, prior to purchasing any type of natural remedy to treat their cancer.