Cancer
Dr. Weyrich's Naturopathic Functional Medicine Notebook
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Overview
Dr. Weyrich is not an expert in the treatment of cancer, but does offer supportive therapies to mitigate the side effects and to generally boost the immune system.When talking to your oncologist, the three most important questions to ask are:
- What is the 5-year survival rate for people with my type and stage of cancer when untreated?
- What is the 5-year survival rate for people with my type and stage of cancer when treated according to the protocol you propose to use on me?
- Will you please give me the references to the primary literature that support your answers above?
Etiology
Some authors contend that the body is constantly forming cancerous cells, but the vast majority of the cancer cells are detected by the immune system and destroyed before they can multiply to the point of becoming a problem.Differential Diagnosis
Treatment
Conventional treatments have been characterized by critics as consisting of "slash, burn, and poison" - that is surgical removal of cancerous tissue, radiation treatment to destroy cancerous tissue in situ, and using selective toxicity to kill cancerous cells (which typically have a different metabolism than healthy cells and thus are more sensitive to chemotherapeutic agents). Some slow-growing cancers are not treated at all by conventional medicine. For example prostate cancer is often dealt with by "watchful waiting."Alternative treatments are not approved by the FDA and violators are often procecuted harshly.
Complementary treatments aimed at mitigating the side-effects of conventional treatments and boosting the immune system are often employed by naturopathic medical doctors.
Prevention
Maintaining a strong immune system and avoiding excessive exposure to carcinogenic substances are the best defenses against cancer. Ways to maintain a strong immune system include:- Maintain adequate Vitamin D levels by cautious exposure to sunlight and supplements as needed.
- Treat functional immune deficiency associated with hypothyroidism [Starr2005, pg 109].
ICD-9 Codes
| ICD9-Code | Description | Comments |
|---|---|---|
References
Unless specifically noted above, references used in the construction of this web page include the following:[FDM] Lecture notes from Functional Medicine University.
[SCNM] Lecture notes from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine.
[UT] Lecture notes from the University of Tennessee graduate programs in Chemistry and Biochemistry.
[Starr2005] Mark Starr. Hypothyroidism Type 2: The Epidemic. Columbia, MO: Mark Starr Trust (2005).
Copyright © 2007-2010 Dr. Weyrich (Naturopathic Medical license number 07-1008). The information on this site is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease or illness. The statements on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This web page is http://www.DrWeyrich.com/disorders/cancer.html - Phone Dr. Weyrich at (480) 423-6952