FEATURE of the MONTH

CANCER: ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS

Because of the poor results obtained with conventional 
therapies and the great harm they can cause, alternative 
therapies are gaining in acceptance and popularity.  These 
therapies are all based on assisting the body's own defense 
systems in destroying the cancer cells.  They use various 
methods to achieve this with most of them requiring a great 
deal of commitment and determination on the part of the 
patient.  As in the case of conventional treatments, very few, 
if any, controlled experiments have been carried out on the 
value of the various therapies, so testimony as to their 
effectiveness usually comes from former patients and is spread 
by word of mouth.  One notable exception is the megadose 
vitamin therapy pioneered by Drs. Linus Pauling, Ewan Cameron, 
and Abram Hoffer.

Megadose vitamin therapy involves the ingestion of large 
amounts of vitamins.  This treatment has been extensively 
evaluated at the Vale of Leven Hospital in Scotland under the 
supervision of Dr. Cameron.  The experiments found that 
terminal cancer patients who received large, daily doses of 
vitamin C along with their regular treatment lived much longer 
than patients who did not receive vitamin C; they also had 
less pain and in general, a much improved quality of life.  

Vitamin C has many properties which makes it an excellent 
cancer fighter.  It is a detoxifying agent, an antioxidant, 
and helps to produce antibodies.  It is also very important in 
preventing growing tumors from invading adjacent tissue.

Dr. Hoffer of Victoria, Canada later expanded on the 
Pauling/Cameron treatment protocol by adding large amounts of 
vitamin E, vitamin B-3, other B vitamins, beta-carotene, and 
some minerals.  Those of Dr. Hoffer's cancer patients who 
followed this regimen lived, on the average, about 16 times 
longer than those who did not.

In January 1994, Dr. Donald Lamm and his colleagues at the 
West Virginia University School of Medicine reported that 
daily megadose vitamin therapy significantly lessens the risk 
of recurrence in bladder cancer patients.  Patients who 
received the therapy, on the average, had less than half the 
tumor recurrence rate than did patients who did not receive 
it.  Dr. Lamm's vitamin combination included multivitamins 
(RDA dosages) plus 40,000 IU vitamin A, 100 mg vitamin B-6, 
2,000 mg vitamin C, 400 IU vitamin E, and 90 mg zinc.

The megadose vitamin therapy, so far, has only been evaluated 
in combination with conventional cancer treatments.

Metabolic and herbal therapies aim at cleansing the body, 
boosting the immune system, and assisting the body in ridding 
itself of the cancer and the toxins created by the breakdown 
of the tumor.

The Gerson therapy was formulated by Dr. Max Gerson, a German 
physician who came to the United States just before World War 
II.  Dr. Gerson believed that cancer results from a faulty 
metabolism and long-term exposure to pesticides and other 
environmental pollutants.  His treatment involves a 
detoxification program and a meat-free, salt-free, and low-fat 
diet along with copious quantities of fresh fruit and 
vegetable juices as well as various supplements.  The Gerson 
program is particularly effective for melanoma, lymphomas, and 
cancers of the liver, pancreas and colon.  Success has also 
been achieved with inoperable brain cancer, metastasized 
breast cancer, and prostate cancer.  The Gerson therapy is 
available on an in-patient basis at the Centro Hospitalario 
Internationale del Pacifico in Tijuana, Mexico.

The Hoxsey therapy was developed by a self-taught American 
healer, Harry Hoxsey.  By the 1950s, the Hoxsey Cancer Clinic 
in Dallas was the world's largest private cancer clinic.  In 
1960, however, the American Medical Association, the National 
Cancer Institute, and the Food and Drug Administration managed 
to close down the clinic.  It later reopened in Tijuana, 
Mexico as the Bio-Medical Center.  The clinic treats all kinds 
of cancer on an out-patient basis only; best results have been 
achieved with lymphoma, melanoma, and skin cancer, however, 
patients with breast, cervical, prostate, colon, and lung 
cancers have also been successfully treated.  The Hoxsey 
therapy includes the total avoidance of pork, vinegar, 
tomatoes, carbonated drinks, alcohol, bleached flour, and 
refined sugar.  Various supplements are also given with the 
main component of the treatment being the Hoxsey tonic which 
consists of several different herbs, many with potent anti-
cancer effects.

Immune therapies are used in both conventional and alternative 
treatment protocols.  The Livingston Foundation Medical Center 
in San Diego treats cancer patients with various individually-
tailored vaccines, gamma globulin, and a vegetarian diet with 
vitamin and mineral supplements.  The Immunology Research 
Center in Freeport, Bahamas uses injections of immune 
substances to augment the body's own immune system and claims 
good success with breast, colon, kidney, and bladder cancer.  
The Burzynski Research Institute in Houston, Texas uses 
injections or supplements of peptides and amino acid 
derivatives occurring naturally in the body to augment the 
body's biochemical defense system and reprogram cancer cells 
so that they revert to normal development.

Other alternative therapies are based on the use of specific 
formulations such as the Canadian herbal remedy Essiac which 
has been used with apparent success since 1922.  Shark 
cartilage has been found to be particularly effective against 
brain cancer and prostate, liver and breast metastases.  It 
works by interfering with the tumor's ability to create a 
vitally needed blood supply.  Hydrazine sulfate is 
particularly effective in combatting cachexia, a deadly 
condition which causes many cancer patients to starve to 
death.  It has also been used with success in Russia to treat 
lymphatic cancer.

There are many highly respected alternative cancer therapies 
in use in Europe.  The late Johanna Budwig, MD advocated a 
combination of sulfur-containing protein and essential fatty 
acids to treat many types of cancer.  Dr. Hans Nieper, MD in 
Hanover, Germany uses a vegetarian diet and various 
combinations of vitamins, minerals, laetrile, and special 
vaccines.  Dr. Nieper claims that 45 to 48 per cent of those 
of his patients who have been declared incurable by 
conventional medicine have their cancer under control after 18 
months or less on his program.  The Breuss Clinic in Hanover, 
Germany uses lengthy juice fasts and a totally protein-free 
diet to bring many cancers under control.

Wright Healthcare in Auckland, New Zealand also has an 
excellent cancer program and specializes in the treatment of 
skin cancer using a proprietary ointment.  Also in Auckland is 
the Centre for Advanced Medicine with its excellent facilities 
for treating heart disease, cancer, and osteoporosis.  
Traditional Chinese medicine and ayurvedic medicine also have 
specific treatments for many cancer; the ancient technique of 
Qi Gong has been found to be particularly effective.

It is clear that there is an enormous range of alternative 
therapies available to aid in the fight against cancer.  The 
challenge is to find the right one, the one you believe will 
work for you, and then commit to it.  The fact that your 
conventional doctor may have told you that your illness is 
terminal and that nothing can be done is really irrelevant.  
It just means that conventional medicine cannot help you, but 
it is certainly no reason to give up.  Remember though, just 
as conventional treatments should only be carried out by 
professionals so should alternative treatments.  Self-
diagnosis and self-medication have no place when it comes to 
fighting cancer.



LITERATURE REFERENCES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST



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INTERNATIONAL HEALTH NEWS is published monthly by:
Hans R. Larsen MSc ChE, 1320 Point Street,
Victoria, BC, Canada, V8S 1A5

Phone:  (604) 384-2524        Fax:  (640) 383-1943
Internet:  health@pinc.com    Compuserve:  75444,227 (hans 
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ISSN 1203-1933    Copyright 1995 by Hans R. Larsen

INTERNATIONAL HEALTH NEWS does not provide medical advice.  Do 
not attempt self-diagnosis or self-medication based on our 
reports.  Please consult your healthcare provider if you are 
interested in following up on the information presented.
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