People diagnosed with cancer are often curious about complementary medicine and alternative to chemotherapy treatment to support them in their cancer fight and improve their mental and physical resilience. Many patients use alternative therapies to support their holistic well-being, reduce side effects and improve their quality of life during cancer treatment. This is called complementary therapy or integrative medicine. Others try chemotherapy alternatives after exhausting other treatment options. Fortunately, today, there are numerous alternative treatment options available.
Read on to find out what natural and alternative therapies are on offer, how an alternative treatment plan is designed to meet a patient’s specific needs, and what you can expect during a treatment program.
A Holistic Picture of Cancer’s Impact
Alternative cancer treatments acknowledge the holistic picture of cancer’s impact in a person’s life. When a patient is diagnosed with cancer, the obvious priority must be fighting the cancer itself. However, it’s important not to neglect the significant impacts cancer has on the lives and health of patient. As a person struggles to cope with the symptoms and side effects of cancer and cancer treatment, their whole sense of physical and emotional well-being can decline.
Sometimes this is due to the effects of illness or conventional cancer treatment like chemotherapy treatment on the body, overwhelming emotions like fear and sadness that often come with a cancer diagnosis, and other strains that come with managing life as a cancer patient, such as financial concerns and worries about work or family care obligations.
Often patients find their way to alternative cancer therapies in order to better address the full suite of impacts cancer has had on their lives. Alternative treatment for cancer options tend to focus on a patient’s holistic wellness, boosting their innate physical and mental strength to defend against the threat posed by cancer.
Alternative therapies are designed to support a patient’s natural defenses against cancer. And alternative medicine programs are often provided in environments that are designed to support overall wellness. They may feature significant individual attention from the cancer care team, an emphasis on healthy and delicious food, and comfortable surroundings meant to soothe stress and support psychological and physical health. All of these elements can be important additions to treatment to help boost a patient’s quality of life, comfort and chances of recovery.
Immunity Therapy Center’s Treatment Philosophy
It is precisely because cancer has such significant wide-ranging impacts on patients’ lives that the Immunity Therapy Center is committed to providing alternative cancer treatment options according to a holistic understanding of health and wellness.
We have seen that often patients with psychological resilience – a sense of optimism and hope – see better treatment outcomes and overall survival. We know that strong social support matters, too. We believe in creating an environment where the whole person can heal. We create custom-tailored treatment plans employing the latest and best alternative therapies, offer every patient significant individual consultation time with our physicians, and always ensure you understand your cancer care and have your questions answered. Our state-of-the-art clinic offers a resort-like atmosphere, with healthy, appealing meals and natural lighting. Treating the whole person, like a person and not only a patient, is our guiding philosophy.
In the sections that follow, we’ll break down more details of our alternative treatment modalities and how treatment at the Immunity Therapy Center works. First, though, it’s important to dispel some common misconceptions about our alternative treatment offerings.
Finding Stress Relief During Cancer Treatment
Many people have misconceptions about modern alternative therapies. Often, when people hear “alternative” cancer treatment they think of practices that promote relaxation. Many cancer patients use these techniques to help them cope during a difficult time. These practices can be very helpful with stress relief, but it’s important to note that they do not treat cancer directly. These techniques are also not reflective of what alternative therapies are.
Here are some examples of these stress-relieving techniques:
- Acupuncture – This is an ancient practice stemming from traditional Chinese medicine. Certain areas of the body are stimulated using very thin needles to address a range of symptoms and health conditions.
- Aromatherapy – Aromatherapy uses fragrant oils to provide a calming sensation. Oils, infused with scents such as lavender can be applied to your skin during a massage, or the oils can be added to bath water. Fragrant oils also can be heated to release their scents into the air. Aromatherapy may be helpful in relieving nausea, pain and stress.
- Hypnosis – A hypnotherapist uses their voice and sometimes other methods to help a patient enter a state of intense concentration. The therapist then directs the patient to certain wellness-oriented goals, such as relaxation, improved mood and pain relief that are linked, at least in part, to thought patterns.
- Imagery – Imagery can be guided by a recording or directed internally by the patient. Either way, this technique employs imagined visual experiences to focus the patient’s attention in order to achieve a positive outcome, like an improved mood and a sense of calm and focus.
- Massage – A massage therapist uses their hands or other specialized tools to manipulate the soft tissues of the body for mental and physical benefits, including releasing muscle tension and promoting relaxation. Techniques for self-massage can also be taught so patients can gain the benefits of massage on their own, at home.
- Meditation – There are many types of meditation practice, but they usually share in common an effort to focus the attention on the breath or on certain thoughts, sensations or phrases, in order to direct the attention to the present moment and calm emotions.
- Yoga – This ancient system aims to cultivate inner well-being through a series of physical postures linked to the breath, breathing exercises and meditation.
- Tai chi – This gentle, meditative form of exercise uses slow, controlled body movements and breathing patterns.
These practices can all have important supporting roles in a cancer patient’s wellness, since dealing with a cancer diagnosis can be stressful. However, these techniques do not treat the cancer itself.
Now, in contrast, let’s look at the range of modern alternative cancer treatment options offered by the Immunity Therapy Center.
Contemporary Alternative Cancer Therapies
The Immunity Therapy Center, we focus on the latest modern alternative cancer therapies. These are combined on an individual basis in order to provide the best possible outcomes for our patients.
Here are some of the alternative cancer therapies we offer:
- Dendritic Cell Therapy – This vaccine treatment stimulates anti-tumor action in immune cells. It is often combined with Leukocytes Activated by Interleukin (LAK) Therapy.
- Sono Dynamic Therapy – This treatment combines low-intensity ultrasound, molecular oxygen and sonosensitizers, chemical agents that make cells more vulnerable to ultrasound. The goal is to potentially produce reactive oxygen species, a kind of highly reactive molecule containing oxygen. It’s thought that this could potentially prevent tumor growth and help neutralize cancer cells.
- Insulin Potentiation Therapy (IPT) – This therapy activates the insulin receptors within cancer cells, potentially making those cells more susceptible to treatment with certain cancer medications. Cancer cells are thought to have extra insulin receptors versus healthy cells. This may make the membranes of cancer cells more vulnerable to the delivery of medications than healthy cells, making this alternative therapy a gentle treatment option, since it targets cancer cells specifically.
- Immunotherapy – This approach strategically alters certain natural immune system cells (T cells) collected from the patient to carefully target cancer in the body.
- Autologous Anti Cancer Stem Cell Treatment – This therapy involves collecting healthy stem cells from the patient’s body, then activating those cells using a special protein called Interleukin II that regulates immune cell activities. The stimulated stem cells are then reintroduced to the patient’s circulatory system, primed to better fight off cancer.
- Enzyme Treatment for Cancer Patients – This therapy uses the cancer-fighting properties of natural enzymes to inhibit tumor growth.
- Regenerative Cell Cancer Therapy (Peptide Treatment) – Also referred to as Peptide Therapy, regenerative cell cancer therapy is a treatment given by injection that supports repair and regrowth of tissues while also reinforcing the immune system’s capabilities to eradicate cancer cells.
- Leukocytes Activated by Interleukin (LAK) Therapy – This treatment intervenes in the immune system to boost anti-tumor activity. It is often combined with Dendritic Cell Therapy for greatest impact.
- Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) – This technique combines heat and electricity to attack cancer cells and relieve pain.
The above alternative cancer therapies are just a sampling of several dozen modern alternative treatments offered at the Immunity Therapy Center. Learn more about all the types of treatment we offer.
Designing an Alternative Treatment Plan
You might be wondering, with so many different types of alternative cancer treatment available, how do you know which might be a good fit for you? At the Immunity Therapy Center, your assigned physician will meet with you for a one-on-one initial assessment, which will allow them to develop your alternative treatment plan.
Each patient’s course of treatment will vary depending on the individual factors your doctor will discuss with you at your first consultation.
Here are the factors that will determine your alternative cancer treatment plan:
- Your diagnosis, including the type, stage and location of your cancer
- Your overall medical history
- Your current health status
- Previous treatments you’ve received
- Your family medical history
- Lifestyle factors
What to Expect During Alternative Treatment
Once you begin treatment at our alternative cancer treatment center, your progress will be checked daily. You will frequently meet with your physician to determine how the treatment is working. Adjustments to your treatment plan are typically made along the way to ensure optimal results. Most patients can expect their course of treatment to last about three weeks, but treatment time varies according to the specifics of each case. Every patient is provided with a home treatment program to promote continued healing after they depart the center.
Reach Out Today
Do you have questions about our alternative treatments for cancer? Or are you ready to begin your customized treatment program now? Contact us at the Immunity Therapy Center today. Our caring healthcare professionals will be glad to discuss your alternative treatment options. We look forward to welcoming you to the center soon.
Sources:
- “Complementary and Alternative Medicine.” National Cancer Institute, https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam. Accessed 19 February 2023.
- “Alternative Cancer Treatments: 11 Options to Consider.” The Mayo Clinic, https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cancer-treatment/in-depth/cancer-treatment/art-20047246. Accessed 19 February 2023.
At Immunity Therapy Center, our goal is to provide objective, updated, and research-based information on all health-related topics. This article is based on scientific research and/or other scientific articles. All information has been fact-checked and reviewed by Dr. Carlos Bautista, a Board Certified Medical Doctor at Immunity Therapy Center. All information published on the site must undergo an extensive review process to ensure accuracy. This article contains trusted sources with all references hyperlinked for the reader's visibility.