Treatment of cancer is a complex process that involves recognition, diagnosis and decision-making regarding the pros and cons of different treatment options depending upon the cancer type and the condition and history of an individual patient. You should consult an appropriate physician and get several diagnosis and treatment recommendations from two or more physicians or medical oncology groups.
Cancer can be treated by surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, monoclonal antibody therapy or other methods. The choice of therapy depends upon the location and grade of the tumor and the stage of the disease, as well as the general state of the patient. A number of experimental cancer treatments are also tried and under development.
Complementary, Alternative and Hybrid Treatments
Complementary and alternative medicine treatments include a diverse group of medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not generally part of conventional medicine. "Complementary medicine" refers to methods and substances used along with conventional medicine, while "alternative medicine" refers to compounds used instead of conventional medicine.
A wide-range of alternative treatments have been offered for cancer over the last century. The appeal of alternative medicine arises from the risks, costs, or potential side effects of many conventional treatments and the limited prospect for cure. Some people resort to these so-called "alternative" forms of treatment in desperation or as a last resort.
Hybrid or Molecular Medicine offers an excellent balance of conventional and complementary medicine. Molecular Medicine offers a lifestyle that is beneficial and promotes overall health and wellness. The basic tenants and practices of Molecular Medicine are directed at optimizing connexin molecule function. For over 40 years it has been known that dysfunction of different subtypes of connexin molecules are associated with nearly all forms of cancer. Leading a lifestyle that is favorable to connexin molecule function may be a preventative measure to reduce one’s risk of developing cancer.
Modifiable risk factors
Examples of modifiable cancer risk factors include reduction of alcohol consumption (associated with increased risk of oral, esophageal, breast, and other cancers), smoking (although 20% of women with lung cancer have never smoked, versus 10% of men), physical inactivity (associated with increased risk of colon, breast, and possibly other cancers), and being overweight (associated with colon, breast, endometrial, and possibly other cancers). Other lifestyle and environmental factors known to affect cancer risk (either beneficially or detrimentally) include certain sexually transmitted diseases, the use of exogenous hormones, exposure to ionizing radiation and ultraviolet radiation, and certain occupational and chemical exposures.
Diet
The consensus on diet and cancer is that obesity increases the risk of developing cancer. Particular dietary practices often explain differences in cancer incidence in different countries and studies have shown that immigrants develop similar cancer risk to that of their new country, often within one generation, suggesting a substantial link between diet and cancer.
Vitamins
The concept that cancer might be prevented through vitamin supplementation arises from observations correlating certain human diseases with vitamin deficiencies, such as pernicious anemia with vitamin B12 deficiency, and scurvy with Vitamin C deficiency. In relation to cancer, studies make associations between vitamins and reduced cancer risk, but none are as definitive as for vitamin deficiency diseases. Vitamin D production and consumption has been shown to be associated with reduced cancer risk. One, research group estimates that 50,000–63,000 individuals in the United States and 19,000 - 25,000 in the UK die prematurely from cancer annually due to insufficient vitamin D. Epidemiologists studying both diet and serum levels of beta-carotene observed that high levels of beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A, were associated with a protective effect, reducing the risk of cancer, but no truly long-term, prospective studies definitively demonstrate that beta-carotene reduces one’s risk for developing cancer.
Prognosis
Historically, cancer is known as a deadly disease. However, today some types of cancer have a prognosis that is substantially better than many other nonmalignant diseases such as heart failure and stroke. Cancer has now become more of a chronic illness. Nonetheless, progressive and disseminated malignant disease has a substantial impact on a cancer patient's quality of life, and many cancer treatments (such as chemotherapy) may have severe side effects.
Patients are living longer and more functional with quiescent persistent disease.