What Is Cancer?

Despite its seeming chaos, cancer is inherently a rational process that can be defined and explained according to physiological and biochemical principles. Once you understand how the cancer process works, effective therapies can be marshaled to stop it, making life after cancer a medical reality.

Cancer is a disease process in which healthy cells stop functioning and maturing properly. These newly mutated cancer cells begin multiplying uncontrollably, no longer operating as an integrated and harmonious part of the body. In its simplest terms, cancer represents an accelerating process of inappropriate, uncontrolled cell growth. When examined under a microscope, cancer cells are abnormally shaped, inconsistently formed, disorganized, and contain misshapen internal structures -- the essence of biological disorder.

Cancer is the body's response to a continuous attack on its balancing and regulatory mechanisms by numerous contributing factors. In my book, An Alternative Medicine Definitive Guide to Cancer, I detail these 33 factors and discuss how their interaction can lead to cancer development. I then dissect the causes of cancer and show how preventive and alternative therapies, in conjunction with conventional medicine, can increase your potential success in preventing or fighting cancer. My information dense video, Cancer Conquest, features interviews with alternative medicine experts and documents the latest in cancer fighting techniques and technologies. Click the post title to visit my website and learn more.

Multimodal Approach Provides Success When Conventional Medicine Fails

Many patients don't consider the benefits of alternative medicine therapies until traditional medicine fails them. Ed Van Overloop waited until his prostate cancer metastasized into his bones, from hips to shoulders. "Now that I have reached stage 4 advanced prostate cancer, I have had to rethink some of my ideas on therapies, etc.," he wrote. His letter was written on his return from 3 weeks at a clinic he learned about on my DVD, Cancer Conquest.

"I am extremely happy with the therapy I received and the quality of medical care. My bone pain was gone in 3 or 4 days and current scans show that the bone metastasis is reduced by 90% with hope of total elimination in the next 90 days."

Ed attributes his miraculous results to the combination of chemotherapy and alternative protocols practiced at the clinic. Cancer has multiple, interacting causes. Many interdependent factors -- more than 33 -- in various combinations can contribute to the development of cancer in a given individual. I believe a multimodal approach to cancer treatment -- one combining conventional protocols with alternative therapies to attack the cancer on multiple fronts -- provides the best opportunity for success.

Another patient I worked closely with, Linda Stone, wrote to me about her experience with a practitioner I recommended. "His tremendous skill and intuition was truly inspiring." She said her friends "watched me start to heal before their eyes."

It is a personal joy to work with patients -- many of whom have given up hope when conventional medicine fails them -- and help them find a combination of therapies or a practitioner who brings relief, improvement, and the return of strength and hope to their lives.

Linda wrote, "You have a passion for healing. You are drawn to those modalities that do no harm. You have matched people with health issues to practitioners and modalities for so many years ... in many cases, transforming the lives of the people involved. Thank you!"

I have helped many patients like Linda and Ed. Through my consultancy services I am available for telephone counseling to work with you to select the therapies and practitioners that will give you the best opportunity for improvement and recovery. Don't continue suffering or wait until you lose hope, call me today.

Detoxification Essential To Cancer Reversal Or Prevention

One of the most essential practices in any cancer reversal -- or prevention -- program is detoxification of the body.

"The majority of people are dealing with a high body burden of toxins," says Chris Spooner, N.D., a research fellow at the Environmental Medicine Center of Excellence at the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, Arizona. In an article by Lorie Parch posted on alternativemedicine.com, he notes one study in which participants were tested for 167 toxic compounds. The average number of toxins carried by each person was 91. Not all toxins came from exposure to pesticides, heavy metals or other environmental substances, some were produced by the individual's own body as a result of poor digestion, tooth decay, etc.

"When it comes to detoxification, the liver is the workhorse. Then there's the gut, the kidneys, the skin and the breath," says Mark Hyman, editor-in-chief of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. To find out more about the detox supplements he recommends, click the post title to read the article at alternativemedicine.com.

Detoxification is an important element of the multimodal approach I recommend for cancer treatment and prevention. In my book, An Alternative Medicine Definitive Guide to Cancer, I provide specific detoxification treatments for various body systems and organs to restore your body to optimum function and vitality. I also cover this important subject in my documentary video Cancer Conquest. Visit my website at http://www.burtongoldberg.com/index.html for more information and a preview of my video.

Industrial Toxins Increase Risk of Breast Cancer

In a small town in central Ohio 7 women living within 3 blocks of each other are fighting breast cancer. A friend's granddaughter has leukemia. Two brothers are battling prostate cancer. A neighbor had surgery for thyroid cancer. Everyone you talk to in this town has a family member or friend coping with cancer or its aftermath. What is the common denominator? A shuttered chemical factory squats at one end of town, not far from the hospital. For decades it belched poisons into the air from its multiple smokestacks. Now mountains of chemical sludge fill its vacant parking lots, oozing rivulets of noxious liquid into the soil and ground water. The people in this town don't stand a chance.

As breast cancer incidence rises at a rate of 1.3% annually in the U.S. and Canada, researchers have found that women with the highest levels of the industrial toxins DDE and PCBs in their fat, tissues, and blood were 2-3 times more likely to develop cancer, according to the Canadian Medical Association Journal (April 1996).

The Environmental Protection Agency has identified at least 55 pesticides that could leave carcinogenic residues in foods. In a single meal, a person can conceivably consume residues of a dozen different neurotoxic or carcinogenic chemicals, from salad to wine, main dish to dessert. The EPA has been woefully inadequate in protecting the public. When calculating permitted residue levels of a given compound, the EPA does not take into consideration individuals' repeated exposure to the same pesticide. Nor does it factor in the chemical cocktail syndrome, the exposure to multiple chemicals, for which it has no scientifically acceptable testing method. Yet studies of multiple chemical exposure have shown that chemicals act synergistically, that is, enhancing one another's effects.

In a classic study, a scientific team tested 3 chemicals on a group of rats, applying one at a time; no ill effects were observed. When they combined and administered 2 at a time, a decline in health was noted and when 3 chemicals were given at once, the rats died within 2 weeks.

The potential of pesticides and other chemicals Americans commonly encounter in their daily lives, alone and in combination, to cause and promote cancer should be of grave concern to all physicians and public health officials. I provide a detailed and thorough discussion of this alarming problem and how you can protect yourself and your family in my book An Alternative Medicine Definitive Guide to Cancer. You also may want to consult my video, Cancer Conquest, which provides information on the latest techniques being used to fight cancer, as well as interviews with the nation's top alternative medicine experts. Click the post title to reach my website for more information.

Alternative Medicine Practices Can Lower Risk Of Cervical Cancer

The FDA has just approved a new vaccine to prevent the strain of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) that causes cervical cancer, the second-deadliest cancer in women worldwide. In the U.S., 3,900 women die from cervical cancer each year, according to the National Cervical Cancer Coalition. The 3-shot inoculation is expected to cost $300 and is approved for girls and women ages 9 to 26. Since it is a preventive measure and will not kill HPV once a person is infected, the vaccine is effective only before the onset of sexual activity. Side effects, particularly in young girls, and long-term effectiveness are still unknown. While every parent wants to protect their child from danger and disease, the potential good must outweigh the risk, and not all HPV infections result in cervical cancer.

"Generally, the immune system can handle HPV, which is often symptomless, and outbreaks of the virus come and go like an unremarkable cold. But when the virus persists or comes from a high-risk strain, it can cause cervical dysplasia, . . . abnormally shaped cells in the cervix that can be a precursor to cervical cancer," says Diana Somerville in a recent article posted on alternativemedicine.com (click the post title to read the article).

Simple precautions, a healthy diet, and regular checkups can keep HPV under control. Foods that lower the risk of developing cervical dysplasia include lycopene, vitamin A, zinc, vitamin C, and folic acid, says Jane Guiltinan, ND, director of the Bastyr Center for Women's Wellness in Seattle. She recommends a diet rich in fish and organic whole foods.

• Regular Pap tests have reduced cervical cancer deaths by more than 70% in the U.S.
• A robust immune system can help combat HPV. Smoking, poor nutrition, and low antioxidant levels increase your risk.
• Starting sexual activity at a young age, multiple partners, and unprotected sex increase your risk to 90%.

If the infection has progressed to low-grade lesions, finding a practitioner who knows "when to treat and when to get cells removed" is critical, advises Tori Hudson, ND, professor of gynecology at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon. Hudson says troublesome tissues can be removed with a scalpel, a laser or by freezing, methods that are effective 90% of the time.

Through my consultancy service, I am available to advise you on preventive measures that can help protect you against HPV. Should it ever become necessary to treat cancerous lesions, I can assist you in finding the right practitioner through my extensive nationwide contacts. Visit my website for more information on the consultation services I provide. You also might want to preview my documentary video Cancer Conquest. This information-dense video showcases cutting-edge techniques and technologies to provide real insight into alternative treatment options and therapies that can change your life. For more information, visit my website at http://www.burtongoldberg.com/index.html.

Uterine Fibroids May Indicate Cancer Precondition

One in 5 women in the U.S. has some evidence of fibroid tumors, which most often occur in women in their 30s and 40s. Uterine fibroids (uterine leiomyomata) are noncancerous tumors comprising fibers or fibrous tissue that arise in the uterus. Less than 1% of uterine fibroids are cancerous. Since these tumors develop following the onset of menstruation, enlarge during pregnancy and decrease, and often disappear after menopause, fibroids are thought to be estrogen-dependent (i.e., estrogen stimulates their development). For this reason, Dr. Tori Hudson, a practitioner and professor of naturopathic medicine since 1984, says it is possible that estrogen-like compounds in the environment may contribute to the development of uterine fibroids.

While in itself a fibroid does not usually lead to cancer, it does indicate a potentially serious imbalance in a woman's reproductive and hormonal system. Systemic imbalances can create an environment favorable to the emergence of precancerous or actual cancer conditions, says Dr. Hudson, who specializes in women's health. For this reason, preventive steps and early intervention are highly advisable. Dr. Hudson generally recommends avoiding birth control pills containing estrogen and estrogen-replacement therapy for menopause symptoms.

"Diet and lifestyle should be oriented toward keeping estrogen at more moderate
levels," says Dr. Hudson. For example, reducing consumption of animal proteins and foods grown with pesticides can lower estrogen levels. The phytoestrogens in soybeans may actually block estrogen binding and, in effect, protect the uterus.

An estimated 200,000 hysterectomies are performed every year to remove fibroids. Naturopathic protocols can often eliminate the need for this surgery , says Dr. Hudson. These natural approaches can also prevent serious health complications often associated with hysterectomies.

To learn more, consult my ground-breaking, two-hour documentary video, Cancer Conquest, or refer to my book, An Alternative Medicine Definitive Guide to Cancer. For more information, visit my website at http://www.burtongoldberg.com/ or click the post title.

Prostate Tumors Respond to Preventive Measures

Fewer than 10% of all doctors who recommend surgical removal of the prostate (prostatectomy) even discuss watchful waiting as a viable option with their patients. This profit-driven situation persists despite excellent data supporting the practice of watchful waiting and despite the fact that incontinence, impotence, and other side effects too frequently follow prostate surgery.

Too many U.S. men are being overtreated for a prostate condition that may never become life threatening. Preventive measures can arrest the growth of prostate cancer. In concert with careful monitoring by your physician, these measures are considered appropriate for men in their upper 60s and older who have a high PSA reading or positive result on the digital rectal exam, but are likely to die of another cause before their prostate tumor becomes life threatening.

A thorough explanation of watchful waiting and key findings that can help you and your physician develop a preventive plan are detailed on my video Cancer Conquest and in my book Alternative Medicine Definitive Guide to Cancer, both available on my website at http://www.burtongoldberg.com/ (or click the post title). I am also available to work with you and your physician to develop a preventive plan tailored to your personal lifestyle and needs. Visit the consultancy portion of my website at http://www.burtongoldberg.com/consultancy.html for information on how I can help you.

Botanical Medicine Used In Cancer Treatment

Botanical medicine is playing an increasingly vital role in cancer treatments. Dr. Michael B. Schachter, M.D. of the Center for Complementary Medicine in New York uses single herbs for specific purposes, such as improving digestion or speeding up detoxification. However, he has found many patients respond most favorably to herbal combinations.

FlorEssence is an herbal tea that many claim has merit in treating cancer. Although research is limited, Dr. Schachter believes there is enough anecdotal evidence to support its use. He generally recommends using twice daily, sipping slowly on an empty stomach.

Dr. Schachter often uses FlorEssence in combination with Vitae Elixxir, an herbal-mineral combination. Taken orally as drops or mixed with food or drink, the dosage is gradually increased over several days. He cautions that it is best to use both FlorEssence and Vitae Elixxir under medical supervision to monitor response to treatment.

More extensive information on Dr. Schachter's treatment protocols and other alternative methods to combat cancer are given full discussion on my video Cancer Conquest and in my book An Alternative Medicine Definitive Guide to Cancer. Visit my website for more information and an opportunity to preview this important documentary video (or click the post title).

Alternative Medicine Attacks Cancer On Multiple Fronts

With cancer claiming so many lives each year and bringing sickness and disability to so many more, conventional medicine has funneled untold energy and resources into the search for a "magic bullet" that will cure cancer. Unfortunately, cancer is a disease that attacks on multiple fronts making the goal of a single cure a medical mistake, as I explain in my book An Alternative Medicine Definitive Guide to Cancer.

Alternative medicine presents a far more useful clinical model that addresses the multiple interactions and interdependent factors that contribute to cancer. By addressing each of these factors, you can strengthen your body's resources to prevent occurrence or, if you have cancer, avoid the toxic side effects that accompany conventional treatment. Alternative medicine includes a wide range of treatment options of varying approaches, all based on a common philosophy that:

• empowers you to accept responsibility for the task of recovery and future health maintenance
• emphasizes the importance of nutrition
• considers living a balanced lifestyle (proper exercise, sleep, relaxation and emotional tranquility) a prerequisite for optimum health
• ensures the efficiency of your body's organs and systems through detoxification, nutritional supplements and related whole-body approaches
• recognizes that your musculoskeletal system provides a vital link between nerve transmission and energy pathways that directly affect internal and emotional states
• treats YOU rather than your symptoms

In an outstanding 2-hour informational documentary, Cancer Conquest, I provide a comprehensive explanation of alternative medicine and how it can help you prevent or fight cancer. Visit my website at http://www.burtongoldberg.com/promo.html to view a sample of this life-changing video. Visit my website at http://www.burtongoldberg.com/ (or click the blog post title) for more information on alternative medicine and how it can help you.

Alternative Medicine Therapies Arrest Teen's Cancer

"Our daughter Valerie, age 17, for over a year had suffered extreme pain from nerve and bone damage from what was diagnosed later as Ewing Sarcoma cancer," writes her father, Don Mason. Diagnosed and treated as sciatica by her Texas physician, the cancer in her pelvis had grown to softball size and spread to the base of her spine causing paralysis and nerve damage to her left leg. After his daughter nearly died from a single dose of of traditional drug therapy, in desperation Don searched the internet for a better answer to save his daughter and found my website. "Upon talking to Burton," Don writes, "he told me to run not walk to Dr. Forsythe's office in Reno, NV."

After only 9 days on Dr. Forsythe's system of integrated medicine using Poly MVA and Salicinium, her father says, "Valerie's cancer was completely gone in both her lungs and the cancer in her back and spine was so much reduced that she not only could walk again but she was in no pain at all!"

Valerie's incredible improvement in just 3 weeks amazed her Texas oncologist who agreed to continue Dr. Forsythe's protocol. "From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for my daughter's life," Don writes. To read his entire story, click on the post title or visit my website at http://www.burtongoldberg.com/ and click the Consultancy tab.

An expert in the field and author of 18 best-selling books on the topic of alternative medicine and cancer, I can guide you to a greater understanding of therapies, treatments, clinics, and physicians using alternative and integrative treatments. To find out more about my mentoring and consultancy services, go to http://www.burtongoldberg.com/consultancy.html. Please contact me. If I can help and guide you, like I did Don and Valerie, I would be delighted.

Breast Cancer More Deadly In Young Black Women

Young black women with breast cancer are more likely to develop a particularly deadly and hard to treat tumor type than either whites or older blacks, according to a study published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The reason perplexes researchers but a genetic component is suspected. Basal-like tumors are the most common kind found in Africa, according to Dr. Larry Norton, a breast cancer expert at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

"Among premenopausal black women with breast cancer, 39% had the more dangerous kind, called a 'basal-like' subtype, compared with only 14% of older black women and 16% of non-black women of any age," writes Denise Grady in The New York Times. (Click our post title to read the entire article.)

While chemotherapy can help, basal-like tumors are more likely to be fatal because they do not respond to tamoxifen, raloxifene or herceptin, the standard drugs used to fight breast cancer. As I detail in my video, Cancer Conquest, the battle must be fought on multiple fronts. Alternative medical treatments can enhance traditional medical protocols, the combination often succeeding where drug therapy alone fails.

By using pharmogenomics, an exciting cutting-edge cancer treatment, personal genetics are used to determine individual treatment regimens. Visit http://www.burtongoldberg.com/promo.html for more information on my video, pharmogenomics, and other new alternative and integrative cancer therapies.

Diet Can Improve Prostate Health

A tiny gland the size of a walnut poses the greatest threat to men's health in America. "More than half of men age 40 to 59 have enlarged prostates," according to an article posted on alternative medicine.com. With age, testosterone drops while estrogen and dihydrotestosterone hormone levels increase, causing enlargement of the prostate. "Doctors diagnose 234,000 new cases of prostate cancer annually."

To increase prostate health, stay active, avoid saturated fats, and increase these powerful nutrients in your diet:

• Lycopene: Found in tomatoes, apricots, guava, watermelon and pink grapefruit, this antioxidant is a powerful preventative and may reduce the size of existing tumors. Opt for real food, tomato sauces, and cooked tomatoes for maximum benefit.
  
• Zinc. Pumpkin seed, barley, chicken, oysters, crab, and wheat are excellent sources of this mineral.
  
• Black & Green Teas. The antioxidant polyphenois found in black and green teas was found to help men in early-stage prostate cancer ward off more advanced stages in a 2004 University of California study. For maximum concentration, steep tea in 8 ounces of water for 5 minutes.
  
• Selenium. A daily 200-microgram doze of this mineral -- found in seafood, liver, brown rice, oats, and Brazil nuts -- is enough to decrease cancer risk according to a 2003 study published in the International Journal of Cancer.
  
• Healthy Fats. Cold-water fish and flaxseed oil are good sources of the Omega-3 fatty acids that greatly improve prostate health.

To read the entire article, click our blog post title. For a comprehensive look at the causes of prostate and other cancers and the actions you can take to decrease your risk, visit my website at http://www.burtongoldberg.com/. The information-dense documentary Cancer Conquest: The Best of Conventional and Alternative Medicine is your best source for cutting-edge new treatments and medical technology to prevent and combat cancer.

Treating Depression In Teens and Children

The number of children diagnosed with depression has exploded in recent years, with millions prescribed antidepressants each year, according to the article When Kids Can't Cope by Rob Waters at alternativemedicine.com. Dissatisfied with the results of these drugs and alarmed by reports of adverse effects, including suicide, an increasing number of parents are turning to alternative approaches to help their children.

"When you see a kid who's depressed, you have to ask, 'What's the cause?'" says Michael Cantwell, MD, MPH, a pediatrician at the Institute for Health and Healing at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. "Holistic medicine tries to look at causes a little more closely, not to just take depression and say, 'We have a pill for that.'"

Simple changes, like getting kids off high-sugar diets and making sure they get enough sleep, can lead to rapid improvement says Cantwell. Most children require a combination of approaches including dietary change, relaxation techniques, biofeedback, and a form of counseling or talk therapy. He recommends taking the following steps toward successful treatment:

• Assess the problem. Detailed information about eating habits and foods, sleeping patterns, what's happening in the family and at school-- all factors in depression-- can help pinpoint depressive triggers.
  
• Diet: Check it, then change it. Protein intake is often a problem with children. Most kids, particularly teens, don't get enough, especially in the morning when they need it most. "Inadequate protein can contribute to depression because neurotransmitters are made of amino acids, the primary ingredient of protein necessary to make these mood-enhancing chemicals," explains Cantwell. Mid-morning or late afternoon sleepiness or crabbiness are indicators of protein deficiency. Cantwell continues, "There is mounting evidence that a high-sugar, low-protein diet can boost insulin levels and deplete serotonin" leading to depression in many people. Unfortunately, most American children eat a breakfast loaded with sugar and highly refined carbohydrates but little or no protein. Growing children need about one gram of protein for every two pounds of body weight but Cantwell doubles that amount to treat depression. He suggests keeping a diary of the foods your child eats with notes on behavior and activity to aid in determining causal relationships.
  
• Exercise. There is good evidence that exercise cuts cortisol levels and boosts serotonin in adults. While studies have not been conducted with children, many experts feel it has the same beneficial effects.
  
• Omega-3 fatty acids. Depressed people have unusually low levels of omega-3s, found mostly in cold-water fish. "I almost always recommend omega-3s for both children and adults because it's really deficient in our current diet, " says Cantwell.
  
• Mind-body techniques. Yoga and meditation can help children slow down and relax. But kids need choices because they may not be interested in or be able to use some techniques. By giving kids choices, they usually can find one or two techniques that work for them, including diaphragmatic (belly) breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, visualization, and biofeedback.

Take a pill to cure your ills has been the American medical community's answer to depression for years. Our children are highly over-medicated. Healthier alternatives that strengthen the the child physically and mentally can improve emotional health without chemicals. For a comprehensive explanation of the problem and treatment solutions, view my video Curing Depression, Anxiety and Panic Disorder. A professionally-produced, two-hour documentary, this compelling DVD describes natural, safe and effective alternative treatments for these disorders without the use of antidepressants. Connect to my website to view a 7-minute introduction to this indispensable video at http://www.burtongoldberg.com/ or click the blog post title.

To read the whole article, When Kids Can't Cope, go to: http://www.alternativemedicine.com/common/
news/store_news.asp?task=store_news&SID_store_news=129&
storeID=02AD61F001A74B5887D3BD11F6C28169).