{"id":1041768,"date":"2010-10-18T21:13:25","date_gmt":"2010-10-18T21:13:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.immortalitymedicine.tv\/the-harmful-effects-of-chemotherapy-to-the-body\/"},"modified":"2024-08-17T16:51:35","modified_gmt":"2024-08-17T20:51:35","slug":"the-harmful-effects-of-chemotherapy-to-the-body","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/longevity-medicine\/the-harmful-effects-of-chemotherapy-to-the-body.php","title":{"rendered":"The Harmful Effects of Chemotherapy to the Body"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.immortalitymedicine.tv\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-o-matic\/cache\/324e3_2c052_Chemotherapy.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1589\" src=\"https:\/\/www.immortalitymedicine.tv\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-o-matic\/cache\/324e3_2c052_Chemotherapy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"284\" height=\"423\" style=\"padding-left:10px; padding-right: 10px;\"><\/a><p>A new study has found out that chemotherapy has adverse effects to a person&rsquo;s brain and cognitive abilities. <\/p><\/div><p>Chemotherapy is one of the  medically proven treatment options for cancer. It is basically the process of  introducing drugs into the body to kill and prevent the growth of cancer cells.  The primary objective of subjecting a cancer patient to chemotherapy is to cure  him completely and kill every single cancer cell in his body. Different methods  of chemotherapy have been devised through the years. The process can be  complemented with other therapies like surgery, and radiotherapy, or the  person&rsquo;s gradual and regulated exposure to ionized radiation.<\/p><p>Chemotherapy works by  interfering with the disorderly process of cancer cell reproduction. Unlike  useful cells in the body, cancer cells can grow out of proportion and occupy  more and more space as the disease develops. Chemotherapy drugs are introduced  directly into the bloodstream in order to launch an attack to the cancer cells.  The process impairs a cancer cell&rsquo;s ability to divide or to reproduce through  mitosis. It also inhibits the growth and multiplication of cancer cells by  targeting their food source and the other materials they need to grow. Specialized  chemotherapy drugs may also inhibit the growth of blood vessels that supplies  blood to the cancer tumors.<\/p><p><strong>Disadvantages and Side Effects of Chemotherapy<\/strong><\/p><p>The drugs used in chemotherapy  are toxic and they have proven adverse effects to the body. Supplementary  therapies like radiotherapy, though painless, can cause soft tissue to swell  and the skin to develop red rashes. Chemotherapy drugs have far worse side  effects. Though they have been formulated to only attack cancer cells,  chemotherapy drugs have the inevitable tendency to also attack non-cancer cells.<\/p><ul><li>Patients undergoing chemotherapy may develop  neutropenia, or significantly low levels of white blood cell count.&nbsp; White blood cells (WBC) play an  important role in the immune system, and if its numbers decreases, this will  render the patient more susceptible to infection.<\/li><li>The patient&rsquo;s platelet count may also drastically  fall after chemotherapy. Platelets are responsible for the blood&rsquo;s natural  ability to clot and platelet deficiency may lead to hemorrhagic bleeding or  excessive external bleeding.<\/li><li>The other known and common side effects of  chemotherapy include vomiting and nausea after a session; alopecia or hair  loss; ototoxity or long-term hearing loss due to platinum agents; anemia;  inflammation of the mucous membrane; and appetite loss. The procedure has also  been observed to cause damage to the brain.<\/li><\/ul><p><strong>Harmful Effects of Chemotherapy to the Brain<\/strong><\/p><p>Cancer patients who have  undergone chemotherapy treatment have been observed to experience impaired  cognitive functions. This has been recognized to be the most alarming side  effect of chemotherapy. A recent study conducted by the Melvin and Bren Simon  Cancer Center of Indiana University has put emphasis on the effects of  chemotherapy to a patient&rsquo;s cognitive functions, which is also referred to as &ldquo;chemobrain&rdquo;.  The researchers observed the changes in brain tissues in breast cancer patients  who are undergoing chemotherapy treatment.&nbsp; The results of the study were published on the October issue  of the Breast Cancer Research and Treatment journal.<\/p><p>Director of the Indiana  University Center for Neuroimaging (and also one of the researchers), Andrew  Saykin, said that the analysis suggested an anatomic basis for common  complaints of patients undergoing chemotherapy concerning impaired cognitive  abilities. Executive skills like memory, fast mental processing and  multi-tasking are greatly affected to a point of noticeable degrees. The team  studied MRI scans of the brains of breast cancer patients before and after  chemotherapy, as well as those of healthy control subjects to give them a reliable  basis of comparison. The procedure was repeated a month and a year after the  completion of their chemotherapy treatment.<\/p><p>The researchers observed a  decrease in gray matter in prominent areas of the brain causing cognitive  dysfunction. But the patients&rsquo; gray matter density eventually improved after a  year of their last chemotherapy. Dr. Saykin said that though the effects were  mild in most patients, it was highly observable in some to a point where they  became incapable of going back to work. The rest were still able to perform  multifunctional tasks but with a certain degree of difficulty.<\/p><p>The study was dedicated to  observing the effects of chemotherapy to the cognitive functions of 12 female  breast cancer patients with the participation of 18 breast-cancer free women  and is being replicated for further study by the IU Simon Cancer Center.<\/p><p><strong><em>The Natural Alternative to  Chemotherapy: The Naturopathic Approach <\/em><\/strong><\/p><p>Despite the many technological  and medical advancement in the treatment of cancer, it remains to be one of the  leading cause of death in the world. Chemotherapy, believed as the only  effective treatment for cancer, increases a cancer patient&rsquo;s mortality rate to  a small percentage and also creates unpleasant side-effects which can further  jeopardize the patient&rsquo;s health.<\/p><p>The addition of naturopathic  treatment to conventional cancer treatments can improve and accelerate the  patient&rsquo;s recovery while at the same time alleviating the side-effects of the  drugs used in the procedure. Naturopathic treatment is very sensitive to a  patient&rsquo;s needs and it needs to be specialized according to his specific  condition. This is the reason why professional advice from a naturopathic  doctor is needed before starting out on any naturopathic treatment.<\/p><p>Good nutrition is one of the  best prevention methods a person can use against cancer. But nutrition is also  used by naturopathic science in the treatment of cancer. Together with the  appropriate physical activities, nutrition can be used to change the course of  cancer, stop progression and prevent reoccurrence. The principle of naturopathy  in the treatment of cancer stands on the fact that certain dietary behavior can  give cancer a favorable environment for it grow and develop.<\/p><p>Through lifestyle intervention,  naturopathy can be effective in curing cancer &ndash;&nbsp; by targeting their sources of food thereby starving cancer  cells;&nbsp; by enhancing the immune  system; and by giving the body it&rsquo;s much needed nutrients in order to survive  clinical treatments, reduce side effects and help it recover. Beside the  prescription of strict diet plan, naturopathic doctors may also recommend the  intake of dietary supplements like fractionated citrus pectin, glutamine and  eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA.<\/p><p><strong>Natural Methods to Alleviate the Side Effects of Chemotherapy<\/strong><\/p><p>The following methods can be  done in order to counteract the side effects of chemotherapy:<\/p><p><em><span>For Nausea and Vomiting<\/span><\/em><\/p><p>The use of caraway seeds,  fennel tea and ginger is advised. Caraway seeds made into a tea concoction can be  taken after the procedure.&nbsp; Another  option is to drink fennel tea, which is said to exert its effect on the  stomach, making it more relaxed thereby preventing nausea.&nbsp; Also, the use of freshly-sliced ginger  inside your mouth can help a patient deal with nausea and prevent vomiting.<\/p><p><em><span>For Alopecia (Hair Loss)<\/span><\/em><\/p><p>The use of Vitamin E before  starting the chemotherapy procedure can help. Also, it is said that the use of  ice caps helps slow down the loss of hair.<\/p><p><em><span>For Constipation <\/span><\/em><\/p><p>Increasing fiber intake is  naturally advised.&nbsp; Other options  would be the use of available enzymes such as buckthorn, sena, Epsom salts and  probiotics.&nbsp; However, it is best to  consult your physician prior to taking these substances.&nbsp; Also, refrain from being  sedentary.&nbsp; Try to walk around if  your strength permits you to do so.&nbsp;  This will greatly improve your intestines&rsquo; peristaltic activity.<\/p><p><em><span>For Diarrhea<\/span><\/em><\/p><p>A very simple way to control it  is through dietary modification.&nbsp;  Simply limit the amount of fatty intake present in your food.<\/p><p><em><span>For Anemia<\/span><\/em><\/p><p>The intake of shark oil, beet  juice and Vitamin B12 can help.<\/p><p><em><span>For Fatigue and Weak Immune System<\/span><\/em><\/p><p>Herbal supplements like menthe  piperita and the extract of African potato or hypoxis rooperi have been noted  to be beneficial to the immune system. Other herbal ingredients like schizandra  sinesis, viscum album and crataegus oxyacanthoides are known to increase a  person&rsquo;s energy levels and help protect the body from damage caused by the  toxins in chemotherapy drugs.<\/p><p><strong><br>Sources<\/strong><br><a href=\"http:\/\/communications.medicine.iu.edu\/newsroom\/stories\/2010\/iu-researchers-chemotherapy-alters-brain-tissue-in-breast-cancer\/?utm_source=twitterfeed&amp;utm_medium=twitter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">communications.medicine.iu.edu<\/a><br><a href=\"http:\/\/alternativemedicine.healthcommunities.com\/cancer\/naturopathic.shtml\">alternativemedicine.healthcommunities.com<\/a><br><a href=\"http:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/articles\/158401.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">medicalnewstoday.com<\/a><br><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nativeremedies.com\/ailment\/natural-treatments-chemotherapy-side-effects.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">nativeremedies.com<\/a><br><a href=\"http:\/\/www.cancure.org\/help_side_effects.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cancure.org<\/a><\/p><p><strong><\/strong><strong><strong><a title=\"Frank Mangano's forum\" href=\"http:\/\/www.naturalhealthontheweb.com\/forum\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Discuss  this post in Frank Mangano&rsquo;s forum!<\/strong><\/a><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A new study has found out that chemotherapy has adverse effects to a person&rsquo;s brain and cognitive abilities. Chemotherapy is one of the medically proven treatment options for cancer. It is basically the process of introducing drugs into the body &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/longevity-medicine\/the-harmful-effects-of-chemotherapy-to-the-body.php\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"limit_modified_date":"","last_modified_date":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1246678],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1041768","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-longevity-medicine"],"modified_by":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1041768"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1041768"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1041768\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1041768"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1041768"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1041768"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}