CANCER SUPPORT

Natural Medicine can be used to:

• Reduce your cancer risk

• Support yourself through medical treatment (chemo, radiotherapy, surgery)

• Nourish and calm the mind and body

To reduce your risk, there are some simple things you can do:

1. Watch your waist... a waist circumference greater than 100cm in men and 85cm in women, is associated with an increased risk of some types of cancer.

2. Some sunshine is good for you... 20mins of morning or afternoon sun can provide adequate Vit D for most (darker skinned people need more). This Vitamin may protect against prostate, breast, and colon cancer.

3. Eat your anti-oxidants... broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, berries, cooked tomato, green tea, are good anti-oxidants (cell protectors).

4. Watch your alcohol intake... 1 drink/day (e.g. 125ml wine), can increase the risk of breast cancer by 7-11%. Risk levels increase further, if you are taking HRT or the OCP (Oral contraceptive pill).

5. Choose personal and household products carefully... Parabens, BPA, TEA, can interfere with hormones in our bodies - bad news for cancers that feed off hormones (e.g. breast and prostate).

6. Quit smoking... patches, gum, laser therapy, hypnosis may be helpful.

7. Manage emotions such as anger, guilt, fear, unworthiness... counselling can show you how.

8. Check your breasts regularly... most lumps are picked up by these checks (more so than ultrasound or mammography).

9. Minimise your exposure to radiation... x-rays, mobile phones, microwaves, computers etc are suspected risk factors (likely cumulative effect, and high exposure).

10. Avoid smoked and well-BBQ'ed meats... the compounds produced (nitrosamines) are a source of free radicals (cancer causing substances).

Support throughout medical treatment: There is much evidence supporting the use of Complementary Medicine before, during, and after medical treatment. Many herbal medicines can improve responses to treatment, as well as reduce their negative side effects.

Chemotherapy can be devastating to the immune system - nutrients and herbal medicines can support a person throughout their treatment and minimise their risk of developing infections. Some natural medicines help to kill cancer cells, and others work by reducing blood flow and nutrients to cancer cells to inhibit their growth and spread.

Christine is happy to provide referenced reading material for patients and their medical oncology team, to help explain how natural medicines work.