Alternative Cancer Therapies, a Review

Alternative cancer therapies are an emotive subject. In this Summative assessment the main events in a hypothetical case history are recounted from a naturopathic point of view and an effective management plan for the final part of the nutritional treatment is described. To support the given treatment strategy an attempt is made to subjectively consider a critique of nutritional therapies in general and the Gerson cancer therapy in particular, written by Saul Green PhD, biochemist and science editor of the Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine. The argument for the use of the Gerson therapy is considered mainly by the review of several papers written by Hildebrand, Chairman of the Gerson Institute, and a more recent version of this therapy by reviewing the notes from the Aloe thing by L. Plaskett biochemist, and the Nutritional medicine course principle at TVU University.

Interpretation of events

Eileen was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999; however, she would at this time have had cancer for many years (maybe even ten's of years). The naturopathic view of cancer is that there is an inherent ability for the body to heal itself, and treatment therefore focuses on supporting the subject's immune system. From naturopathic standpoint the initial lumpectomy could be seen as a negative event due to the toxic effect of anaesthetic and physical trauma to body tissues, however, removal of the main bulk of tumour cells can be extremely helpful in reducing the 'work' the immune system has to do, whilst at the same time preventing toxins from the dying tumour being released into the bloodstream. The net effect of the initial operation is therefore positive.

The subject showed advanced dissemination of the cancer cells as there was a second tumour in her breast and malignant foci in her spine, rib, pelvis and shoulder. This is indeed a bad sign as the secondary tumours are more difficult to eliminate due to the way they are formed by natural selection to be more resist to host immune attack.

The subject started on a nutritional programme on the 1st of June 2001. By rejecting the chemotherapy the subject was able to avoid lowering her immune system further and her positive attitude can only have had a beneficial effect on the potential outcome.

According to the NCTT , there are distinct stages of therapy progression when undergoing nutritional treatment. During 'Stage 1' the body is detoxifying. Eileen started to show aggravations (digestive discomfort, nausea, indigestion and wind) after about 2 months treatment, suggesting that her cells had started to detoxify at this time. These aggravations reached a peak after 14 weeks due to the strong eliminative pressure being applied at a time when routes of elimination are not fully open. Due to the urgent need to rid the cells of toxins, the treatment intensity is not reduced at this time and this can have a negative effect on the subject's mental state as was seen in this case. It is quite usual for the patient to become depressed and lose up to two stone in weight during this stage and this is in fact what happened.

From week 18 onwards the patients seems to have gone into 'Stage 2' the 'tumour killing' stage. Although a scan at week 21 confirmed the presence of secondary tumours, Eileen's appearance mental attitude was improved. It is thought that during this stage the tumours disintegrate and cancer cells are passed out into the bloodstream to be dealt with by the immune system. This supposition seems to have been validated by a scan showing bone deposits becoming clear and a reduction in the size of the breast tumour.

It is a common observation by the NCTT therapist that after 'Stage 2' all tumour cells have died. However, at week 37 Eileen was found to have an expanded tumour mass at the base of her spine. At week 39 the pain suffered by the subject was enough to interrupt her daily life and hinder the progression of the treatment. The pain was probably caused by the tumour as it dies.

Management plan:

The management plan for this patient from week 39 onwards focuses on further support of the immune system and continuing with the nutritional programme in place. The subject has started to suffer from pain thought to be caused by the dying tumour. The management of this pain is one of the main focuses of treatment at this stage as extreme physical discomfort may prevent the subject from continuing with the treatment due to anorexia or by a feeling that the condition is worsening and orthodox intervention is needed.

Spine, difficult region to operate?

Pain of spine, radiotherapy to shrink tumour? homeopathics

Coffee enemas are utilised for non-toxic pain relief as is the Heel remedy Zeel.

Coffee enema

The therapy utilises coffee enemas, 4 per day at 550-840ml each according to Plaskett (2000), in accord with Gerson therapy. Hildenbrand (1990) suggests that these coffee enemas exert their detoxifying effect by .dilating bile ducts, increasing bile flow and stimulating the glutathione-S-transferase (GST) enzyme mechanism. In his critique, Green queries whether coffee enema do increase bile flow, bile salt formation and excretion of metabolites stating 'nowhere in the scientific literature on the subject is there a reference to the data that coffee will do this'. He maintains that these enemas can serve no other function that that of purging, and so far from being healing may actually be depleting the body of valuable nutrients and giving rise to an increased risk of hyponatraemia, dehydration and infection. However in a response to Greens critique, Hildenbrand and Lechner (1994), refer to several recent studies in which GST is implicated as a detoxification mechanism in the bile, Fernandez-Checa et al (1993), and that bile flow is increased in rats by giving them cafestol (one of two GST-inducing diterpene esters found in coffee). In fact Hildenbrand and Lecher are rigorous in the defending of coffee enemas with numerous studies quoted that indicate that coffee may indeed have a special role in detoxifying the cells and adding greatly to the overall therapeutic effect of the diet.

It is interesting that nearly the same comments (regarding the use of coffee enemas as a purging treatment only) are levelled at Gonzales in Green critique of his work (1998), some 4 years after Hildenbrand reply. This shows an inflexibility on the part of Green to consider his response and also

At this stage the support of the therapist may be crucial in