For Swami Radahkrishnananda, and for Paula

Adam McLeod, Dreamhealer questions@dreamhealer.com
Naturopathic oncology: a chapter in integrative cancer care
Article By Dr. Walter Lemmo, ND

A person you care about or love, it can even be your self, is diagnosed with cancer. A whirlwind of emotions and thoughts about life & death may begin to enter the heart & soul at some level. Has the cancer been caught early? Is the cancer treatable? How effective are the treatments for my case? What can I do to help minimize the risks? For others their situation may be one where their cancer has come back - a recurrence. For others yet again, the treatments are not working as well as they should be. And, finally, there are those where no noteworthy or perhaps marginal treatments are available to begin with.

There is also another group of people with a cancer diagnosis, either in active treatment or who have finished, and who have been hurt by the treatments that are designed to help (it's the unfortunate double-edged sword of conventional cancer treatment—helpful on one side and potentially hurtful for the rest of the body on the other). For example, over time some chemotherapy medicines may cause nerve problems, and radiation treatments can harm the tissues & organs. Some patients need to halt treatments because of low white blood cell counts and others may need blood transfusions. For others yet again, patients may literally be consumed by feelings of fatigue either during treatment or from months to years post-treatment. In fact, fatigue is one of the most common & debilitating symptoms experienced by patients with cancer.

The emerging field of Naturopathic Oncology may hold answers and support for people found in the above situations of the cancer care paradigm. First, for those unfamiliar with naturopathic medicine and trained naturopathic physicians let me shed some light. In the province of BC, for example, naturopathic physicians have had their own act in the government since the 1920's (it is not a new profession). They are licensed & insured as primary care providers and have a similar legal responsibility as medical doctors. To become a Naturopathic Doctor (ND), one needs to complete the standard pre-medical school courses (about 4 years) and then complete 4-5 years of naturopathic medical education. Once in naturopathic medical school, students are exposed to a broad field of natural medicine & healing philosophies. For example, botanical/herbal medicine, Homeopathic medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) & acupuncture, Ayurvedic medicine, nutritional medicine, physical medicine (like a physiotherapist or chiropractor), diet & life-style counseling, along with psychological counseling are some of the areas that make up naturopathic medicine. At graduation, NDs have completed more than 4800 hours of naturopathic medical education. Moreover, NDs also have the advantage of being trained in conventional medical care & diagnostics - offering patients "the best of both worlds" type of approach. Consequently, in my practice, I help patients read medical reports, laboratory tests, imaging studies (CT Scan/X-rays, etc.). When needed, I perform physical exams, order blood tests, medically monitor patients, intravenously support (i.e. hydrate), and make referrals to their oncology team. In Naturopathic Oncology, as you can imagine, understanding standard oncology medicine is vital. In fact, I am finding more and more patients coming to my office who have been recently diagnosed with cancer and who are simply looking for help in understanding what their cancer diagnosis means (as you can imagine most patients are overwhelmed).

Naturopathic Oncology is simply the use of naturopathic medicine and its principles in specifically assisting and/or treating patients with cancer. Enhanced survival and quality of life is the main focus. There is an emerging organization known as the Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians (OncANP) that is helping to standardize this important specialty. Another term, which also signifies the blending of both worlds (i.e. eastern & western medicine) and a more holistic approach to cancer, is commonly being referred to as Integrative Cancer Care (ICC). Naturopathic Oncology is not the same as a Medical Oncologist or Radiation Oncologist who are specifically trained in conventional cancer care & treatments. But rather, an ND practicing Naturopathic Oncology is devoting their time, energy, and practice focus into how more natural methods of health & healing safely fit into a cancer patient's treatment program. For example, in my practice, over 90% of the patients treated have cancer, of which the majority are also receiving some form of standard cancer care. Moreover, because an ND is also trained in conventional medical care, we can offer suggestions on standard oncology treatment(s) and also provide direction & supervision on more experimental or unconventional options if desired.

Why is Naturopathic Oncology so important, especially, during this time of medicine? First of all it is becoming more and more common for patients diagnosed with cancer to seek and incorporate complementary & alternative medical care (CAM). For example, more than 80% of all women with breast cancer report using CAM. Moreover, there are groups of patients with cancer who use CAM without the knowledge of their treating medical oncologist & staff. This is potentially dangerous for both the patient and doctor(s) as the choice of a qualified practitioner comes into question. There are potential areas of concern (i.e. contraindications) that exist between herbal-vitamin products, medications & standard cancer care that a patient may not be aware of. An ND, with an interest in oncology is a perfect bridge for such situations. Imagine another dilemma where a patient and support member(s) are facing a cancer diagnosis that is not responding well to standard oncology care. In my experience, there tends to be an overwhelming amount of information recommended by concerned family & friends, the internet, magazines, health shows, etc. on how a health product(s), diet program(s), out-of-the country clinic(s), may help (or even "cure") patients with cancer. A hurricane of information, confusion & stress can result from this process. However, for those that know a little about hurricanes, the center (also known as the eye of the storm) can be quite calm & clear. A goal of Naturopathic Oncology & ICC is to help create a place of clarity and stability so that all the above information can be objectively filtered, analyzed, and safely applied to each case under the care of the ND.—It's a team-oriented process between the patient and the doctor. A patient, along with their support people, can gain a sense of control and attempt to also nourish their mental & emotional well being during these periods.

There are also situations where patients are seeking means of enhancing their treatment responses that may not be explained by their standard oncology team. For example, in women with breast cancer, research from JAMA 2005 suggests that physical activity or simply walking 3 to 5 hours per week at a moderate pace helps to strongly decrease the relative risks of dying by almost 50%, especially in those with more hormone sensitive forms (i.e. estrogen positive). Moreover, the results held true if the cancer was diagnosed early and even more so in advanced cases (i.e. stage III). I have yet to read a patients oncology medical report suggest the potential importance of physical activity in increasing survival. In colon cancer, a recent paper published in JAMA 2007 revealed that patients with stage III disease who ate less of the typical North American diet (meat, fat, refined grains, and dessert.) and who ate more fruits & vegetables, poultry, and fish lived longer (decreased recurrence risk) and performed better with surgery & chemotherapy. The above two examples shed light on how very simple interventions may strongly impact cancer. For those wanting to use varying degrees of integration (i.e. select natural health products, vaccines, intravenous therapies, etc.), there is also some interesting research in those areas as well.

Overall, everyone is trying their best to help patients with cancer and to ultimately find a cure whenever possible. When you are in the trenches with patients who are fighting cancer, any advantage (no matter how small) can be considered a ray of sunshine. I have personally seen many patients throughout the years told they have weeks to a few months to live, and are alive years later. While controversies exist out there on combination approaches during standard cancer care, when a patient is monitored under appropriate supervision and they feel empowered about their decisions, I have generally witnessed patients respond better and report fewer side effects when they do. I commonly hear patients report back to me that their Medical Oncologist has told them to "keep doing whatever your doing". In the US, you are seeing more and more hospitals incorporating NDs working together as part of the oncology team. In Canada, ICC facilities such as Inspire Health in Vancouver are doing the same and leading the way. Naturopathic Oncology has risen to meet the calling for quality, regulated, and responsible physician-level practitioners to help lead the swell of interest and information regarding unconventional approaches to treat a person with cancer. Naturopathic Oncology, if the patient chooses, can safely be incorporated at any stage of a cancer treatment program (i.e. before, during, or after) and can also be utilized for those wanting to rebuild their health and support recovery. Having a Naturopathic Doctor, primarily, focused in oncology can be an integral part of a patient's cancer care team.

References
1.Rubin D. Naturopathic oncology: an emerging discipline. Hematology & Oncology News & Issues. August 2005; 19-22
2.Weizer K. The eye of the hurricane: surviving cancer. ND News & Review 2006: 2:2:17
3.Boon HS et al. Trends in complementary/alternative medicine use by breast cancer survivors: comparing survey data from 1998 and 2005. BMC Womens Health 2007: 7:4
4.Hofman M et al. Cancer-related fatigue: the scale of the problem. Oncologist 2007: 12 Suppl 1: 4-10
5.Holmes MD et al. Physical activity and survival after breast cancer diagnosis. JAMA 2005: 293:20: 2479-86
6.Meyerhardt JA et al. Association of dietary patterns with cancer recurrence and survival in patients with stage III colon cancer. JAMA 2007: 298:7: 754-64
Article retreived from: http://www.lemmo.com/oncology.html

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