Breast Cancer & The Integrative Medical System Through The Use of Naturopathic & Modern Medicine

This is a paper I wrote a few months ago for school. I apologize for the crazy format, but it will not copy and paste correctly and I am not sure how to fix it😊.

Breast cancer is not a respecter of persons; while it is more common among women than men it does not affect only specific age groups, ethnical groups, or financial groups.  Breast cancer is estimated to kill nearly 40,500 women and 440 men by the end of 2016 with an estimated 246,660 new cases of invasive breast cancer among women and 2,600 among men (Susan G. Komen, 2016).  Despite the medical advances of Conventional Medicine, cancer among men and women is increasing although survival rates are higher.  This is most likely due to the fact that early stage I and stage II are being diagnosed before it metastasize (National Institute of Health, 2013). While there is no known conventional medical cure for breast cancer Alternative Medicine is showing some promising results through the study of specific essential oils.  However, until a cure is developed there are multiple approaches to the prevention and treatment of breast cancer: Conventional Medicine, Alternative Medicine, and Integrative Medicine with each one having its own systems within. 

While there are no known cures for breast cancer, Alternative Medicine is showing some promising results, but until a cure is found the Naturopathic system should be integrated along side specific treatments of the Conventional Model of Medicine in order for one to receive the best possible outcome without sacrificing ones quality of life and overall health any further.

Breast Cancer as Defined by Conventional Medicine.

        When it comes to breast cancer there are five different types of test that are used to make a diagnosis. These different test included mammograms, ultrasound, MRI, Biopsy, and lab test. Mammograms are x-rays that are taken of the breast in order to detect any abnormality. However; mammograms are “less likely to reveal breast tumors in women under the age of 50” making them less reliable in diagnosing younger women (How Reliable Are Mammograms For Detecting Cancerous Tumors?, 2015, para. 1).  Conventional Medicine tends to view breast cancer as a disease in which “medical doctors and other healthcare professionals will treat the symptoms and seek to cure the disease through the use of drugs, surgery, radiation” and/or chemotherapy (National Cancer Institute, n.d., para. 1).  However, the type of treatment done is personalized as everyone has different factors that must be taken into consideration.  For example, the treatment plan depends upon ones age, health, size of the cancer, stage, tumor type, and possible mutation of the cancer cells (American Society of Clinical Oncology, 2016, para. 5).  According to the SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) program, 61 percent of patients are diagnosed with stage I breast cancer and the survival rate at five years is 98.8 percent of those patients diagnosed and treated while patients whose cancer has metastasized have a survival rate of 26.3 percent five years after diagnoses and treatment (National Cancer Institute, n.d.). 

Breast Cancer as Defined by Complementary and Alternative Health

        Often times when one seeks the use of cancer treatment through a CAM practitioner he/she has already been diagnosed through a CM oncologist.  That being said, due to the fact that CAM is often integrated with mainstream medicine many of the same tests are preformed.  However, many more Naturopathic and other CAM practitioners are starting to use Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging (DITI) to detect breast cancer rather than mammograms and ultra sounds for women under the age of 50.  For example, Progressive Medical Centers uses integrative medicine, which includes Breast-Thermography.  Breast-Thermography is non-invasive, painless, affordable, radiation free, and can detect breast cancer in its very early stages and according to Dr. Zoya Voitenko from Stop the Clock Naturopathic Clinic states that Thermography is not meant to replace conventional methods of detection but rather Thermography is a great complement to ultrasounds, x-rays and/or MRIs (Voitenko, n.d., para. 2). Complementary and Alternative Medicine views breast cancer as a disease to which CAM seeks to “relieve symptoms, ease treatment side effects, and improve ones quality of life” through diet, nutrition, herbs, minerals, aromatherapy, vitamins, and mind-body techniques such as massage while receiving conventional treatment (Complementary & Holistic Medicine, 2016, para. 2).  However, the Cochrane School of Complementary medicine defines Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) as a system that “complements mainstream medicine by contributing to a common whole, by satisfying a demand not met by orthodox methods or by diversifying the conceptual frameworks of medicine” (Adams, & Jewell, 2007, para.3).  That being said, Complementary and Alternative Medicine works off the belief that the body has an innate ability to heal itself, as is seen time after time.  Therefore, most CAM practitioners view disease as an imbalance in once health in need of restoring.  Alternative Medicine alone views health as a whole health system, meaning that good health is broken down to seven dimensions: physical, social, intellectual, emotional, environmental, occupational and spiritual (Seven Dimensions of Wellness, 2014).  Due to the fact that breast cancer affects not only one physically but also emotionally, socially, and, spiritually therefore it is important to treat the whole person.  Complementary and Alternative Medicine is all about treating the whole person while placing emphases on nutrition, and other methods to reduce toxins and heal the body.  When it comes to Alternative medicine there are several systems within for example, Herbalism, Homeopathy, Chinese medicine, and Naturopathic medicine are all part of the CAM models.  Due to the fact that CAM is just now starting to be accepted by some medical researchers and those within mainstream medicine no real non-bias data and research has been conducted on the survival rates of those patients with cancer who seek Alternative Medicine however, there are statistics of patients who have used some form of CAM alongside conventional treatment but even then there has not really been any studies done to see if patients who receive specific CAM therapies along side CM have a higher survival rate.  Some individual hospitals will release the statistical data that they have however; some data may be biased therefore, one must be very careful when selecting a cancer treatment facility, especially one that offers alternative cancer treatments only.  According to Oasis of Hope Hospital its breast cancer survival rates are at 75 percent five years after diagnosis and treatment (Breast Cancer Survivor Patients At Oasis of Hope Hospital, 2015).  The Nature Works Best Cancer Clinic uses only Alternative methods and states that “93 percent of its patients in Stage I through early stage IV who did all of the required protocols went into remission all without the use of chemotherapy or radiation as Nature Works Best does not use these two procedures in its treatment protocol (Natural and Holistic Cancer Treatments, 2016, para. 2).  

Statistical Data on CM and CAH Therapies Used by Patients With Breast Cancer

       When it comes to stage I or stage II breast cancer and the conventional treatments, it is believed that 59 percent of women choose to undergo surgery and 36 percent choose mastectomy followed by radiation and 4 percent choose radiation and/or chemotherapy due to the belief that one will then have a stronger chance of long-term survival resulting in only four percent of patients receive radiation and/or chemotherapy alone while women with state III or IV choose mastectomy at a rate of 59 percent and radiation and/or chemotherapy at a rate of 16 percent (American Cancer Society, 2014, p. 5).  According to the American Cancer Society women with stage II breast cancer have a survival rate of 93 percent while women with stage IV have a survival rate of only 22 percent (American Cancer Society, 2016).  Many women choose to include CAH therapies along with conventional treatments in order to “help with healing, promote emotional health, and to cure cancer” (Wanchai, Armer, & Stewart, 2010, abstract).  While there is not a lot of statistical data on CAH and women with breast cancer one study did find that 35.9 percent of cancer patients in Europe used some form of CAM therapies for breast cancer (Molassiotis, Fernadez-Ortega, et al., 2005).  Another study conducted at Kaiser Permanente Northern California showed that CAM therapies were used by 86.1 percent of patients immediately following diagnoses of breast cancer, which included supplements, natural products, special diets, mind/body healing, and other CAM treatments (Greenlee, Kwan, Ergas, Sherman, Krathwohl, Bonnell, & Kushi, 2009).  Another study conducted among a group of women with advanced breast cancer found that 73 percent of patients used CAM alongside CM with relaxation/meditative techniques and herbs being the most common (Shen, Andersen, Albert, et al, 2002).  

Epidemiological Trends

         While there is not a lot of statistical data of breast cancer patients who use CAM or the types of CAM therapies used, surveys have been conducted.  It was found that non-Hispanic white women are more likely to use CAM with Mexican American women being lest likely (Kronenburg, Cushman, Wade, Kalmuss, & Chao, 2006, p.3).  One survey found that the social influences of ones family and friends were found to be an important factor among African-, Mexican-, and Chinese-American women when choosing to use any form of CAH therapy (Chao, Wade, Kronenberg, et al, 2006, abstract).  Another survey involving oncology patients showed that those who were familiar with CAM were more likely to use it during treatment and favored food supplements, vitamins, and massage compared to those who were unfamiliar with CAM treatments (Kessel, Lettner, et al., 2016, abstract).  Surveys also show that CAM use is increasing among veterans in the U.S (Park, Finkelstein-Fox, et al., 2016).  When studying the reasons a patient with breast cancer may choose to use some CAH therapies found that many cancer survivors seek CAH therapies due to the unmet physical and emotional needs that Conventional Medicine alone cannot meet (Mao, Palmer, Straton, et al., 2008).

Assessment of the Naturopathic System

        The Naturopathic System is a system that “stresses the promotion of health, prevention of disease, patient education, and self-responsibility” and incorporates many different therapies such as aromatherapy, nutrition, massage, herbalism, and other CAM models (Micozzi, 2011a, p. 307).  “Naturopathic physicians believe that most disease is the direct result of the ignorance and violation of natural living laws” (Micozzi, 2011b, p.314).  Based upon the clinical data evaluated so far, many patients with breast cancer use alternative therapies such as naturopathic medicine in conjunction with conventional medical treatments.  However, more research, clinical studies, and reviews are needed in order to understand the needs of women with breast cancer and the best treatments.  The need to study, review, and collect data of the Naturopathic approach to breast cancer via Complementary and Alternative Medicine is a necessary part to understanding how its treatment differs from Conventional Medicine alone. That being said, the best approach is to treat the “whole” person; all seven dimensions of wellness, to which research seems to suggest that Naturopathic medicine addresses these aspects of health.  More and more cancer treatment facilities are starting to integrate Complementary and Alternative Health therapies as part of the treatment plan for patients with breast cancer.  For example, the Cancer Treatment Centers of America treatment centers includes Naturopathic Medicine within its patient’s treatment plans, which include vitamin therapy, essential oils, supplements, and other CAH therapies (Naturopathic Medicine For Breast Cancer, 2015).  Another breast cancer treatment center known as the Oasis of Hope Hospital uses Alternative Medicine alongside Conventional Medicine in order to treat breast cancer resulting in “two to three time better results that patients who receive only conventional medicine (Oasis of Hope Hospital, 2015, para. 6).  While there may be limited research on CAH therapies and breast cancer, the research that is out there shows that many women seek some form of Complementary and/or Alternative therapy in order to deal with the side effect of traditional cancer treatments, like chemotherapy. Naturopathic Medicine focuses on the person as a whole and uses a variety of alternative therapies/treatments and protocols to treat his/her patients. Naturopathic medical appointments take about an hour to an hour and a half were the Naturopathic doctor (ND) goes over ones complete health history.  According to Micozzi (2011) the history taken includes past and current “testing and diagnosis, the patient’s current diet, environment, toxic load, exercise, stress, and lifestyle” (Micozzi, 2011c, p.314).

Review of The Evidence

         The Conventional Model of Medicine’s standard of treatment for breast cancer according to the CDC includes surgery, mastectomy, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, and radiation (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016).  Whereas the standard of Treatment for Breast Cancer patients using Naturopathic Medicine include intravenous vitamin C therapy, which is used to “slow the growth of cancer cells and to improve ones quality of life” while receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy (National Cancer Institute, 2015, p. 1).  More and more research is being conducted regarding essential oils and cancer, but perhaps the most promising essential oil is Frankincense (Boswellia species).  According to research being conducted at the University of Oklahoma, Frankincense has been shown to target cancerous bladder tumor cells by killing them and leaving the healthy cells showing that it may be an effective treatment for advanced breast cancer (Frank, Yang, Osban, et al, 2009).  According to

another study Boswellia sacra essential oil was shown to “induce breast cancer cytotoxicity and suppress the cellular network formation and disruption of spheroid development of breast cancer cells” leading to a possible effective treatment for advanced breast cancer (Suhail, Cao, Mondalek, et al, 2001, p. 1). 

Breast Cancer Treatment Using Naturopathic Medicine Through an Integrative Approach

        Naturopathic medicine addresses the whole person (seven dimensions of wellness) and views good health as more than simply the absence of disease; it is a way of life.  A Naturopathic focuses on the importance of “finding and treating the cause (not just symptoms), self-responsibility, education, health maintenance, and disease prevention believing that the body has the ability to heal itself and an innate ability to maintain health” (Eliopoulos, 2014, p. 371).  The Naturopathic approach to preventing and/or treating any type of illness or disease is to treat the whole person through all aspects of health, which includes nutrition/diet, vitamin therapy, and herbalism just to name a few.  According to the Cancer Treatment Centers of America the Naturopathic approach that they use along side conventional treatment are “herbal and botanical preparations, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, massage, hydrotherapy, food and nutritional supplements, stress reduction therapies, acupuncture, and chiropractic care” (Naturopathic Medicine, 2015, para. 5).  Naturopathic Medicine seeks to Remove all obstacles that may prevent healing and strengthen the patients immune system by introducing vitamins, minerals, and other agents that will directly attack the cancer cells thus making changes in ones diet in order to reduce the risk of metastasis, and to thoroughly address the particular needs of the patients body (Yarnell, & Philhower, 2005).  When approaching breast cancer treatments, even through a natural approach, many of today’s natural breast cancer treatments also include low dose chemotherapy within the treatment plan.  According to one case report the use of

functional/integrated medicine, which integrates CM and CAM models, found that Conventional therapy along with IV infused vitamin C, gluten and dairy free diet, and nutritional support resulted in the breast cancer patient feeling good while recovering and being 3 years in remission (Taxman, Conlon, Speers, et al, 2016).  Furthermore, a preventative approach is much more important as studies indicate that there is a “30 percent increased risk of invasive cancer 10 years later near or at the original biopsy site” (Fulop, 2003, p. 276).   Therefore, the use of Preventative care and treatment through Naturopathic and other Complementary and Alternative Health therapies that include nutrition, diet, vitamins, therapeutic grade essential oils, and lifestyle seems to be the best way to prevent, cure, and treat breast cancer.

Comparison of The Two System Different Models of Care

       The Conventional Model of Medicine treatments its patients under the one-size-fits-all and seeks to treat the symptoms and the possible cause of that symptom rather than the fact that each individual is unique and while one symptom may be caused by a specific illness there is an underlining cause to that illness.  For example, when it comes to breast cancer CM only knows how to treat breast cancer through the use of invasive measures such as surgery, mastectomies, chemotherapy, etc. and does not understand how to prevent or seek healthy alternative ways to cure cancer and heal the whole person. Through conventional medical treatments an individual’s immunity is compromised, good cells along with the bad are destroyed, one suffers from “fatigue, hair loss, upset stomachs, nausea, diarrhea, anemia, bruising and bleeding, depression, mouth, gum, and throat discomfort, and pain” (Cancer Treatment Side Effects, 2013, p. 1). Along side CM treatments include a lot of medications that lead to other negative symptoms whether one is trying to prevent or treat breast cancer.  For example, Raloxifene hydrochloride is

approved by the FDA for decreasing ones chance of developing invasive breast cancer however, it has a side effect that includes:

increased risk of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism as well as an    increased risk of death due to stroke, numbness or weakness, headache, confusion, vision problems, chest pain, sudden cough, wheezing, swelling and more” and this medication is used to prevent breast cancer (Evista, 2016,). 

FDA approved medication for the treatment of breast cancer includes a list of over ten medications with Methotrexate being one of them.  According to Medline Plus, Methotrexate may cause:

serious, life-threatening side effects, decrease in the number of blood cells made by ones bone marrow, sore throat, fever, bruising or bleeding, fatigue, pale skin, shortness of breath, liver damage, nausea, lack of energy, loss of appetite, pain in upper right-side of stomach, and much more (Methotrexate, 2014).

The Conventional Model of Medicine includes the use of invasive treatments for breast cancer which includes mastectomies, surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and others that are either invasive or that causes one to be extremely ill while limiting ones quality of life as seen above.  Unlike Conventional Medical treatments, Complementary and Alternative Medicine uses a much more gentler approach by either allowing the patient to use only Alternative Medicine to treat the cancer or by using Alternative Medicine as a complementary to CM (Integrated) in order to help ease the symptoms of traditional medical treatments through the use of vitamins, minerals, nutrition, herbs, diet, aromatherapy, and other therapies.  Many of todays cancer facilities, even the alternative ones use some form of conventional treatment alongside alternative.  For example many Alternative Cancer Facilities are actually cancer treatment

centers that use Integrative Medicine, which means that they treat the whole person through conventional medicine alongside Alternative Medicine (CAM).  These facilities have a staff of Holistic Nutritionist, Herbalist, Mind-body Therapist, Oncologist, and Naturopathics that all work together to provide the best possible outcome for his/her patients.  These cancer facilities offer conventional medical treatments such as full to low-dose chemotherapy along side many alternative therapies such as intravenous vitamin C therapy, mineral supplements, diet, and nutrition that help to improved over all health by strengthening ones immune system, protecting the health cells, easing the symptoms, and improving ones quality of life.  However, there are some Naturopathic cancer treatment centers that do not use any form of CM treatments.  Whether Naturopathic medicine/therapies are used by itself or in conjunction with CM they still uses a variety of natural therapies such as vitamins and minerals, nutritional therapy, essential oils, and massage therapy.  At the Forsythe Cancer Care Center each treatment plan is based upon each individual patient and his/her need.  These treatments may include full-dose or low-dose chemotherapy along side the Forsythe Immune Protocol with CST, Alkaline H20 or PH therapy, nutritional guidance, dietary changes, vitamin, mineral and herbs and other protocols (Alternative Cancer Treatments, 2016).

Conclusion and The New Conventional Medical Model For Treatment

       Naturopathic medicine is a great option in the treatment of breast cancer as it treats the whole person and works on healing and repairing the body.  Naturopathic medicine incorporates nutrition/diet, herbs, vitamin and minerals, massage, and aromatherapy as well as many other aspects of health.  However, with the information and research available Naturopathic Medicine should be integrated alongside Conventional Medical Treatments when it comes to the treatment of breast cancer.  The CM treatments should be low-dose chemotherapy and be integrated

alongside Naturopathic medicine, as Naturopathic Medicine and low-dose chemotherapy appear to provide the most success when integrated alongside one another. 

While there are no known cures for breast cancer, Alternative Medicine is showing some promising results through different types of essential oils that are proving their ability to kill cancer cells.  However, until a cure and/or effective treatment can be found through Alternative Medicine the Naturopathic system should be integrated along side specific treatments of the Conventional Model of Medicine in order for one to receive the best possible outcome without sacrificing ones quality of life and overall health. 

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