What is Chemotherapy?
Part One.
Chemotherapy, by definition, is drug therapy used, for example, to treat infections, cancers, and other diseases and infections.
I find it interesting that in my Taber’s Medical Dictionary there is this “CAUTION: Chemotherapeutic agents used to treat cancer are poisons and pose risks to those who handle them, primarily pharmacists and nurses. Usually only oncology practitioners specifically trained in chemotherapy should perform this task.” The caution goes on to describe the use of proper protection including protective clothing with goggles, mask and special chemotherapy gloves. Specialized delivery precautions are required and prohibitions are listed for the areas used where chemotherapeutic drugs are prepared or administered. Also, “exposure poses additional risks to females reproductive health, including ectopical (mislocated) pregnancies, spontaneous abortions, and fetal abnormalities.” Reference: Taber’s Medical Dictionary Edition 19.
Is it any wonder that the human metabolism already stressed by a serious malady reacts in an adverse way to this chemical soup? In the Merck Manual of Medical Information – 2nd Edition it states that “The use of alternative medicine may be toxic.” Apparently the combination of chemotherapy drugs isn’t. I can only assume that the authors have never read the caution quoted above.
The same Merk manual quoted above also states that “almost everyone who receives cancer treatment experiences side effects. – chemotherapy commonly causes nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue, and low blood cell counts that lead to anemia and risk of infections. With chemotherapy, people often lose their hair, but side effects vary according to the type of drug.”
Contrary to the information provided by Merk and other pharmaceutical companies, there have been several well manages studies that show acupuncture and Chinese medicine herbal formulas can be effective in helping patients reduce or eliminate chemotherapy symptoms. The US National Cancer Institute has a list of studies that confirm the efficacy of acupuncture for treatment of cancer related problems.
Are you experiencing nausea associated with your chemotherapy? Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) may help you through the side effects of your treatments. Acupuncture, as on of the pillars of TCM, can be helpful in a myriad of ways. One of the basic aspects of an acupuncture treatment is to balance the triad of spirit, mind and body. The emotional trauma of hearing the “C” word can have a devastating adverse effect on our human psyche. In some cases if left untreated, this “insult” can be more dangerous than the disease and our chances of recovery are diminished.
Watch this CBS News report: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7398476n It will provide food for thought about how much trust we are able to place in even published research.
Contact me via “The Doctor is In” link on my web page for more information.
End of Part One. ©2012 William Hardman, Dr. TCM