This section for breast cancer comprises energetically oriented treatments that have to do with intention, energy healing, prayer, and in some cases god. These terms may be volatile for some, and for others they resonate. Some of these treatments have proven to be profoundly healing for certain individuals with breast cancer as well as other cancers. Though some people are skeptical, prior notions of these words should be set aside when reading about these spiritual healing treatments, as many of the are truly incredible!
So take a look at which spirit treatments have been used for breast cancer, or add any that are missing!
Yoga can absolutely fit into any well-rounded cancer treatment regime. The exercise and stretching portions of yoga not only help you to feel and be well, but the conscious breathing and meditative components can help as well. Many people find a new sense of peace after beginning a comprehensive yoga practice.
Some people have used acupuncture along with other treatments to help treat or combat some side effects of cancer or other cancer treatments (such as chemotherapy and radiation.)
Before we can get into detailed discussion of natural products proposed to help prevent cancer, we must first discuss some fundamental issues regarding the nature of medical evidence.
It is rather difficult to prove that taking a certain supplement will reduce the chance of developing cancer. One really needs enormous long-term, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies in which some people are given the supplement while others are given placebo. However, relatively few studies of this type have been performed.
For most supplements, the evidence that they help prevent cancer comes from observational studies, which are much less reliable. Observational studies have found that people who happen to take in high levels of certain vitamins in their diets develop a lower incidence of specific cancers. However, in such studies it is very difficult to rule out other factors that may play a role. For example, individuals who take vitamins may also exercise more, or take better care of themselves in other ways. Such confounding factors make the results of observational studies less reliable.
Although this may sound like a theoretical issue, it has very practical consequences. For example, based primarily on observational studies, hormone replacement therapy was promoted as a heart-protective treatment for post-menopausal women. However, when placebo-controlled studies were performed, hormone replacement therapy proved to increase the risk of heart disease.
It is now thought that apparent benefits of hormone replacement therapy were due to the fact that woman who used it belonged to a higher socioeconomic class than those who did not use it. (For a variety of reasons, some of which are obscure, higher income is associated with improved health.)
Only a few supplements have any evidence from double-blind trials to support their potential usefulness for cancer prevention, and even that evidence is weak. For all other supplements, supporting evidence is limited to observational studies, as well as preliminary evidence from animal and test tube studies.
However, it is important to keep in mind that most placebo-controlled and double-blinded studies are seeking to prove the efficacy of a single substance (like a particular drug, vitamin, substance or intervention), but it is often thought that the interaction among certain vitamins or of vitamins within diet (and not simply in an extrapolated pill form) is what makes it effective. So while many double-blind studies have not been "successful" this may be more a product of trying to prove a supplement's efficacy with an inadequate test.
All cancers are believed to begin with a mutation in a single cell. However, a cell doesn't become cancerous overnight. Several mutations in a row are necessary to create all the characteristic features of cancer. Ordinarily, cells have a self-destruct mechanism that causes them to die when their DNA is damaged. However, in developing cancer cells, something interferes with the self-destruct sequence. It may be that the cancer-causing mutations themselves turn off the countdown.
The DNA alterations that create a cancer cell give it a certain independence from the ordinary rules of cell behavior. Normal cells are highly influenced by nearby cells, with the result that they "get along" well with their neighbors. For example, the growth of a healthy cell is ruled by special growth factors given off by surrounding tissues. However, cancer cells either grow without such growth factors or simply make their own. Many types of cancer cells can also trigger the growth of new blood vessels to feed them.
The rate of cancerous mutations is increased by exposure to carcinogenic substances. Cigarette smoke is a powerful carcinogen. Many carcinogens exist in the diet as well, even in fruits and vegetables. This is why so many lifestyle treatments are said to prevent and even help treat cancer. Read more at Treatments for Breast Cancer.
Cancer is the second major cause of death (next to heart disease) in the United States. It claims the lives of more than half a million Americans each year out of the nearly 1.4 million who get the disease. The probability of getting cancer increases with age. Two-thirds of all cases are in people older than 65.1
Breast cancer. National Cancer Institute website. Available at: http://www.cancer.gov . Accessed January 31, 2006.
Breast cancer. Womens' Health.gov website. Available at: http://www.4woman.gov . Accessed January 27, 2006.
All cancers are believed to begin with a mutation in a single cell. However, a cell doesn't become cancerous overnight. Several mutations in a row are necessary to create all the characteristic features of cancer. Ordinarily, cells have a self-destruct mechanism that causes them to die when their DNA is damaged. However, in developing cancer cells, something interferes with the self-destruct sequence. It may be that the cancer-causing mutations themselves turn off the countdown.
The DNA alterations that create a cancer cell give it a certain independence from the ordinary rules of cell behavior. Normal cells are highly influenced by nearby cells, with the result that they "get along" well with their neighbors. For example, the growth of a healthy cell is ruled by special growth factors given off by surrounding tissues. However, cancer cells either grow without such growth factors or simply make their own. Many types of cancer cells can also trigger the growth of new blood vessels to feed them.
The rate of cancerous mutations is increased by exposure to carcinogenic substances. Cigarette smoke is a powerful carcinogen. Many carcinogens exist in the diet as well, even in fruits and vegetables. This is why so many lifestyle treatments are said to prevent and even help treat cancer. Read more at Treatments for Breast Cancer.
Cancer is the second major cause of death (next to heart disease) in the United States. It claims the lives of more than half a million Americans each year out of the nearly 1.4 million who get the disease. The probability of getting cancer increases with age. Two-thirds of all cases are in people older than 65.1
There are a broad number of drug and other medical treatments that are used to reduce or eliminate breast tumors, and combat the spread of the cancer. Some treatments are used by themselves, while other protocols incorporate multiple treatments together, designed to improve the results.
Depending on the stage, the location, and the type of tumor, you may be a candidate for various forms of surgery. In the early stages of breast cancer, breast-conserving surgeries (surgeries that remove only a portion of the breast) may be used. For early or later stages of breast cancer, or as a preventive measure, mastectomy (removal of the breast) may be performed instead.
Breast Conserving Surgeries:
Lumpectomy, wide excision, segmentectomy, and partial mastectomy are known as breast-conserving surgeries. Only the malignant area and a small portion of the surrounding healthy tissue are removed. Sometimes, lymph nodes under the arm are also removed (axillary dissection). This procedure is almost always followed by a course of radiation therapy.
Today, breast-conserving surgeries are the preferred type of surgery for eligible women in the early stages of cancer. Studies have shown that breast-conserving surgeries combined with radiation therapy are just as effective as mastectomy in the early stages of breast cancer. However, not all women with stage I or II breast cancer are eligible for this type of surgery.
Conditions that might make you ineligible for this procedure include:
American Lung Association website. Available at: http://www.lungusa.org . Accessed January 27, 2006.
Breast cancer. National Cancer Institute website. Available at: http://www.cancer.gov . Accessed January 27, 2006.
Detailed guide: breast cancer. American Cancer Society website. Available at: http://www.cancer.org . Accessed January 27, 2006.
Chemotherapy is usually given by vein, but some forms can be given by mouth as well. Your oncologist will tell you how many cycles or courses of chemotherapy are best for you. Usually there are between 4-8 cycles when the chemotherapy is delivered on its own.
The type of chemotherapy you receive will depend on the type and stage of your cancer. New combinations of chemotherapy are constantly being designed as new information is discovered. The most common chemotherapeutic drug combinations are:
Chemotherapy is usually given by vein, but some forms can be given by mouth as well. Your oncologist will tell you how many cycles or courses of chemotherapy are best for you. Usually there are between 4-8 cycles when the chemotherapy is delivered on its own.
In addition to drugs that kill cancer cells (cytotoxic therapy), you may be given estrogen-blocking drugs, such as tamoxifen or the newer class of drugs called aromatase inhibitors (AIs). These drugs will produce symptoms of menopause (eg, hot flashes, night sweats) in many women. They may also produce a condition called “tumor flare” in patients with advanced cancer metastatic to bone, resulting in increased blood calcium. This may be a serious health threat that requires hospitalization.
Chemotherapy is a form of therapy that employs drugs to kill cancer cells. The drugs enter the bloodstream and travel through the body in order to kill cancer cells. The side effects from the chemotherapy come from the fact that it destroys normal cells as well as the cancer cells.
The type of chemotherapy you receive will depend on the type and stage of your cancer. New combinations of chemotherapy are constantly being designed as new information is discovered. The most common chemotherapeutic drug combinations are:
In addition to drugs that kill cancer cells (cytotoxic therapy), you may be given estrogen-blocking drugs, such as tamoxifen or the newer class of drugs called aromatase inhibitors (AIs). These drugs will produce symptoms of menopause (eg, hot flashes, night sweats) in many women. They may also produce a condition called “tumor flare” in patients with advanced cancer metastatic to bone, resulting in increased blood calcium. This may be a serious health threat that requires hospitalization.
American Lung Association website. Available at: http://www.lungusa.org . Accessed January 31, 2006.
Breast cancer. National Cancer Institute website. Available at: http://www.cancer.gov . Accessed January 27, 2006.
Detailed guide: breast cancer. American Cancer Society website. Available at: http://www.cancer.org . Accessed January 27, 2006.
7/26/2010 DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/what.php : Vaidya JS, Joseph DJ, Tobias JS, et al. Targeted intraoperative radiotherapy versus whole breast radiotherapy for breast cancer (TARGIT-A trial): an international, prospective, randomised, non-inferiority phase 3 trial. Lancet. 2010;376(9735):91-102.
External beam radiation therapy uses radiation produced by a machine called a linear accelerator. Short bursts of x-rays are fired from the machine at your cancer. The x-rays come out in square shapes. The radiation oncologist designs special blocks to shape the radiation beam so that it treats the cancer and as little normal tissue as possible.
The radiation oncologist will determine how many treatments you will receive. Each treatment generally only takes a few minutes, and the total treatment time can range from 5-8 weeks, depending on the total dose required.
Radiation therapy can be given to treat cancer at its initial site or once it has spread. In some cases, once cancer has spread, radiation is no longer curative. However, the treatments can help resolve problems that the cancer may be causing, including pain and weakness.
Many people believe that once you have received a certain dose of radiation you can no longer get any more treatment. It is true that each tissue in the body can only safely tolerate a certain dose of radiation. However, the therapy is very focused and it is possible that you can get additional treatments to an already treated area, or certainly to an area not yet treated. Ask your radiation oncologist about what dose you can safely receive.
In most cases of breast cancer, radiation therapy is done after surgery. The standard treatment is after lumpectomy, when the remainder of the breast is still at risk for disease. But, if the tumor is large or any of the lymph nodes have cancer in them, your radiation oncologist will probably recommend you receive radiation therapy as well, even after a mastectomy.
In the US, if you need chemotherapy and radiation therapy, chemotherapy usually comes first. Unlike other cancers where both therapies are used, in breast cancer they are not offered at the same time because of an increased risk of side effects.
There are new developments in delivering radiation, including intensity modulated treatment (IMRT) and conformal therapy that allow finer control of dosage and treatment areas. These treatment types may be available in your area, and you may wish to discuss them with your doctor. Be aware, however, that such treatment is not needed in every case and that some highly respected scientists warn against it being used indiscriminately, resulting in increased costs for care with little improvement in outcome.
One new form of radiation delivered externally includes three dimensional conformal partial breast irradiation. This technique delivers twice daily radiotherapy to the area of the tumor plus a small margin. For women who are in the early stages of breast cancer, targeted external radiation may be delivered during surgery.
Brachytherapy
“Brachy” means “short,” and this form of treatment uses radiation therapy at very short distances. When you receive external beam radiotherapy, the radiation comes out of a machine located about 40 inches above you. Brachytherapy, however, delivers radiation directly to the cancer via a radioactive implant inside the body, usually by placing removable radioactive seeds within the surgical site.
Brachytherapy may be used to “boost” the dose delivered to the site of the cancer and spare the surrounding tissue from more radiation exposure. This special type of treatment is used at many centers in the US. Ask your radiation oncologist if it is appropriate for you. There are many methods to administer radiation therapy by means of brachytherapy to include the MammoSite balloon applicator and in-dwelling needle techniques. If you are a candidate for brachytherapy, your doctor will recommend one form or another based on the size and location of the tumor and her experience.
Axillary lymph node dissection is a diagnostic procedure used to see if the cancer that started in the breast has spread to the lymph nodes underneath the arm. During the procedure, 10-15 of the lymph nodes that drain from the breast are removed. A pathologist then determines if any of the lymph nodes could contain cancer.1
Breast cancer. National Cancer Institute website. Available at: http://www.cancer.gov . Accessed January 27, 2006.
Breast cancer. Womens' Health.gov website. Available at: http://www.4woman.gov . Accessed January 27, 2006.
Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation website. Available at: http://www.komen.org . Accessed January 31, 2006.
Way LW, Doherty GM. Current Surgical Diagnosis and Treatment . 10th ed. Appleton and Lange; 1994.
Women who have lymph nodes removed as part of breast cancer surgery may be at an increased risk for developing lymphedema, a condition caused by blockages of the lymph vessels. Lymph vessels run throughout the body carrying fluid, cells, and other material, but may become blocked when lymph nodes are removed. This will result in swelling of the arm.
To reduce the risk of developing lymphedema, the following precautions are recommended:
Because of the possible side effects from a standard axillary lymph node dissection, patients may qualify to have a special procedure performed that may not require that many lymph nodes be removed; this has been shown to reduce the chances of swelling, pain, and lymphedema. This is called Sentinal Lymph Node Biopsy.
In brief, a radioactive tracer and blue dye is injected around the tumor in the breast, and the tracer is followed into the armpit. The lymph nodes that pick up the tracer are called the sentinel lymph nodes. The lymph nodes are removed and evaluated.
If there is no cancer, then there is a 95% chance that none of the other axillary lymph nodes have cancer and no further surgery to the armpit is required. If the lymph node has cancer, then a complete axillary dissection is performed.
There is some debate about whether a completion axillary dissection must be performed after a sentinel node procedure has shown rare cancer cells in the armpit. Several scientific groups are evaluating this very question, and you may be a candidate to enroll in a study. Ask your surgeon for more information. If your surgeon does not perform the sentinel lymph node procedure, you can talk with another doctor who has experience with this type of surgery.
