There are many pills, potions and diets claiming to be natural cancer cures.  Just how reliable are they?   Usually, even ardent advocates of the natural approach do not agree with the total abandonment of orthodox treatment such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy in favor of alternative cancer treatments.  Whatever approach or approaches you choose caution should be taken and full knowledge gained about the therapy.  Every therapy can have side effects, even if naturally based and some natural medicines can adversely effect or inhibit the function of orthodox medical treatments, so be aware of these possible conflicts.  Definitely consult a specialist whatever alternative cancer treatment you choose, particularly if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you are using another form of therapy already.

However, many disillusioned sufferers strongly argue that conventional medicine has only made them more sick and has not cured their disease.  Many people have had the experience of being diagnosed with cancer where the best approach is considered chemotherapy and/or surgery and/or radiotherapy.  This however may or may not work but will definitely give side effects, sometimes debilitating and causing further illnesses.  Alarmingly, in the USA, the side effects of these pharmaceutical medications are the fifth largest cause of death. 

It is no wonder that people are searching for more natural cancer treatment to cure their disease and of course these remedies do work for many people.  Thousands of people have been cured through diet alone and indeed the western diet is seen by many medical professionals dangerous to health.  A shocking one out of three Americans die of cancer which has increased in recent years – it used to be one out of four.  For women breast cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer.  Many women seek an alternative breast cancer treatment rather than going through courses of chemotherapy or radiotherapy and/or surgery.  Some combine both conventional and alternative treatments. 

It is obvious that what we put into our body will affect our health.  In 1979 a report was issued, compiled from over 2,000 studies and utilizing the advice of doctors, biochemists and nutritionists.  It concluded that the regular American diet was dangerous.  Out of the 2.1 million Americans that died in 1979, 1.5 million died from diet related diseases and therefore the study strongly emphasized how essential a good diet is towards optimum health.  They encouraged the reduction in saturated fats such as red meat, butter and eggs. 

University researchers studied a group of 200 cancer sufferers who where experiencing spontaneous remission and found that 87% had changed their diet to vegetarian. 

Even though it is increasing at an alarming rate, cancer can be prevented.  Consumption of unnatural, denatured foods such as refined white sugar, flour and white rice along with chemicals like preservatives and additives such as MSG, all add to bad diet.  Alcohol, coffee, tobacco, and fizzy drinks as well as dairy and meat are considered detrimental to health by many doctors who believe that diet is key to preventing cancer. Wholesome good food builds a strong immune system and good blood where as denatured, manufactured foods deplete our immune system and create an acidic environment in the body where disease thrives. 

With some cancers, toxins are the cause like the unique case of mesothelioma cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. There are two different types namely peritoneal mesothelioma and malignant mesothelioma.  It is recognized that patients with this rare form of cancer have depleted immune systems and although there is no known cure, caring for the general health and immune system could substantially prolong the life of the patient for some years. 

So it seems that there are many natural cancer cures possible, especially diet, however it is up to the patient to decide whether to solely use them or combined with conventional medical treatments.
 

With advancement in research there are many breast cancer treatment options to choose from and the one you are offered depends on certain factors.  Scientists have recently claimed that they have discovered a new route to a potential breast cancer cure.  Currently there are combinations of treatments available.  The main treatments are surgery, hormone therapy, biological (Herceptin), radiotherapy and chemotherapy.  These may be given individually or in combination depending on several factors such as:

the type of breast cancer present
whether menopause has occurred or not
the size of the tumor
the grade of the cancer cells
the stage of the cancer
whether particular receptors are present
the general health of the patient

All these factors will be taken into account by the doctor. 

Cancers are given stages and grades to help doctors categorize and assess the tumor and to decide the appropriate treatments to give.  Breast cancer stages consider whether the cancer has spread and how much it has grown.  The grade means how the cancer cells appear  when viewed through a microscope.  There are three grades namely, low (grade 1 slow growing), intermediate grade (grade 2) and high grade (grade 3) which is a rapidly growing tumor.  These have a higher risk of returning after initial treatment and if surgery has taken place to excise the tumor, a course of chemotherapy will likely be administered to destroy any lingering cancer cells and therefore reduce the risk of it returning.   The grades and stages of breast cancer give a general rule of thumb as it is impossible to generalize about how a tumor will behave.

If the cancer has spread beyond the localized breast area and lymph nodes in the armpit then treatment my not include surgery but a course of chemotherapy and radiotherapy in conjunction with other treatments. The majority of people however start their treatment with surgery and there are different types of surgery that maybe offered depending on the position and size of the tumor.  A mastectomy is where the whole breast is removed with a reconstruction possible later on.  A lumpectomy is where the tumor itself is removed along with a small amount of surrounding breast tissue.  Then course of radiotherapy focused on the breast will likely be offered. 

There are many factors to consider when choosing treatment and mostly is is about how the patient feels about their options once a selection of appropriate treatments is offered.  There are no correct or incorrect answers to these decisions and each woman feels differently.  It can feel overwhelming to have a whole breast removed, so, if possible, a lumpectomy with radiotherapy is preferable for some women. Some feel they do not want radiotherapy but others will choose this if it leads to retaining their breast. 

There are different types of breast cancer and different types of cancers altogether.  Mesothelioma cancer is a completely different type of cancer and caused by exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma symptoms can be general like chest pain, shortness of breath and a persistent cough.   Symptoms of breast cancer however, are more specific and things to look out for include a dimpling of the skin, change in breast shape or size, a thickening or lump in one area of the breast, irregular nipple shape especially if it turns inward like it’s being pulled from the inside, a rash on the nipple or area surrounding, nipple discharge (blood-stained), a lump or swelling in the armpit.

There are many breast cancer facts, features, symptoms and breast cancer treatment options to be aware of, but advancing knowledge and research means there are many options available to those suffering from this disease.