Colorectal Cancer
Cancer of the colon, or large intestine, and rectum is the
most common digestive-tract cancer, striking more than
150,000 people a year in the United States. It generally
affects older people, and there is a genetic link in some
families. Colorectal tumors can grow quite large without
obstructing the bowel. Thus, they are often undetected
until they have spread.
The symptoms of colorectal cancer include changes in
bowel habits, vague abdominal pain, acid stomach,
muscular tension and twitching in the abdomen, and, most
notably, blood in the stool. Sometimes rectal bleeding
cannot be seen, but can be detected by a home test kit available
in drugstores. (Blood in the stool can be caused by several
intestinal conditions, so a doctor should always be
consulted in cases of rectal bleeding.) Polyps-small, stalk like
growths in the colon-also can cause bleeding. Polyps
should be treated promptly, even if benign, because they
can become cancerous as they enlarge. Colorectal cancers
often start as polyps.
Colorectal cancer is associated with a high-fat, low-fiber diet. Animal fat
reduces the amount of oxygen available to
the friendly digestive
bacteria that normally live in a
healthy colon. Without oxygen, these bacteria produce
toxins that can cause colorectal cancer. A lack of fiber
compounds this problem, since fiber is needed to increase the
rate at which these toxins, along with the rest of the stool,
pass out of the body. In societies in which people normally
eat a high-fiber diet, colorectal cancer is essentially
unknown. Other factors that have been associated with
colon cancer include heredity, calcium deficiency, and
continued constipation and/ or
diarrhea.
The body does have certain defenses against colorectal
cancer. One is gene p53, a "molecular patrolman" that
stops defective cells from multiplying. Other genes and
protective factors also slow or stop colorectal cancer. Some
genes protect cells from the "bystander effect," or genetic
damage that occurs when bacteria in the colon turn nitrates
from food and nitrites added as food preservatives into
harmful forms.
Several staging systems are used to classify colorectal
cancer based on how far the cancer has spread, usually to
the liver, lungs, or bones. Surgery is the main treatment. If
cancer occurs in the rectum, doctors use surgical techniques
designed to preserve normal bowel evacuation whenever
possible. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are also
used, as is immunotherapy, in which concentrated amounts
of the body's own immune-system chemicals, such as
interferon or tumor necrosis factor (TNF), are given.
Herbal treatments have been shown to work within the
context of conventional therapy. Always use herbs as part
of a medically directed overall treatment plan for colorectal
cancer.
Supplements and herbs
- Astragalus fluidextract. Take 1/4 - 1/2 tsp (1-2 ml) 3 times daily.
Stimulates two types of immune cells, T cells and LAK cells, to attack cancer.
Do not use astragalus if you have a fever or a skin infection.
- Barberry or
coptis or
goldenseal or
Oregon grape root tincture. Take 15-30 drops
in 1/4 cup water 3 times daily. Do not take any of these herbs daily for more than 2 weeks.
Contains berberine, which retards multiplication of cancer cells.
Do not use barberry. coptis, goldenseal or Oregon grape root if you are pregnant or have
gallbladder disease. Do not take these herbs with supplemental
vitamin B or with protein supplements containing the amino acid
histidine. Do not use goldenseal it you have
cardiovascular disease or glaucoma.
- Garlic enteric-coated tablets. Take at least 900 mg daily.
Inhibits bystander effect. Retards tumor spread.
Garlic counteracts the effects of bifidus and lactobacillus cultures taken as digestive aids.
Consult a doctor before using garlic on a regular basis if you are on an anticoagulant medication
such as wartarin (Coumadin). Discuss the use of garlic with your doctor before having any
type of surgery.
- Green tea catechin extract. Take 240 mg 3 times daily; or
tea bag, prepared with 1 cup water. Take 3-5 cups daily. To avoid dilution, do not use
within 1 hour of taking other oral medications.
Retards growth of nitrite converting Clostridium bacteria in the colon.
- Kelp as food. Eat any quantity desired, but limit this to once per week.
Accelerates passage of food through intestines, which removes toxins via the stool.
- Lentinan intramuscular injection, given by health-care provider.
Greatly increases effect of treatment with interferon or recombinant TNF.
- Maitake maitake-D. Take 2,000 mg 3 times daily, before meals.
General immune stimulant. Slows growth of new tumors.
- Polysaccharide kureha (PSK) tablets. Take 6,000 mg daily.
Reduces tumor spread to lymph nodes, peritoneum, lungs, and liver.
- Quercetin tablets. Take 125-250 mg 3 times daily between meals.
Deactivates enzymes that trigger tumor growth.
Do not use quercetin if you are taking cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimunne) or nifedipine
(Procardia).
- Bromelain tablets. Take 125 mg 3 times daily, between meals.
Increases absorption of quercetin.
People who are allergic to
pineapple may develop a
rash from bromelain. If itching develops,
stop using it.
- Reishi tablets. Take 3 gm 3 times daily.
Stimulates production of immune-system chemical interleukin-2.
- Soy isoflavone concentrate tablets. Take 3,000 mg once daily.
Contains daidzein, which inhibits colon cancer cells.
- Turmeric curcumin tablets. Take 250-500 mg twice daily, between meals.
Activates gene p53.
HERBS TO AVOID - People who have colorectal cancer should avoid
aloe.
Additional things you may do
- To avoid recurrence of colon cancer, eat fiber-rich
products at every meal as soon as possible after treatment. The
minimum amount of daily fiber needed to protect against
developing colorectal cancer is 20 grams, which can be
obtained by eating a minimum of six to eight servings of
fruits, vegetables, or legumes (such as peas, lentils, or
beans) each day. Do not eat extra fiber if an active tumor is present.
- Supplement your diet with omega-3 fatty acids by
eating two to three servings of cold-water fish (such as
salmon, mackerel, or tuna) weekly, or by taking
flaxseed
oil, MaxEPA fish oil, or vegetarian DHA (such as Neuromins) as directed on the label. Borage or
evening
primrose oil also are helpful.
- Eat two to three daily servings of low-fat dairy
products enriched with vitamin D. The kidneys turn vitamin D
into a hormone that attaches to and deactivates colon
cancer cells. Even modest amounts of vitamin D can hasten
recovery from stage I colon tumors and produce a 50
percent reduction in the risk of developing new cancers. If you
don't eat dairy foods, get twenty minutes of exposure to
sunlight or full-spectrum light daily. Do not use sunscreen
during this twenty-minute period, since the PABA types of
sunscreen block the kind of ultraviolet light that the body
needs to make vitamin D.
- To help maintain healthy levels of vitamin D, take 500
to 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C daily.
- Take 1,200 milligrams of calcium daily. Calcium
supplements reduce the risk of cancer development by 75 percent.
Calcium combines with toxins to form insoluble soaps.
These soaps are repelled from the lining of the digestive
tract and are eliminated through the stool. Always take
calcium supplements with magnesium to avoid creating an
imbalance between the two minerals. Take twice as much
calcium as magnesium, measured as "elemental calcium"
and "elemental magnesium" on the label.
- Take a complete mineral supplement containing
copper but not
iron. Copper slows down the formation of
"aberrant crypts," or cell abnormalities within the furrows
normally found in the anal canal but iron supplements
and iron-rich foods, such as organ meats, accelerates colon damage.
- Avoid red meat. A study published in The New England
Journal of Medicine found that the relative risk of colon
cancer in women who ate beef, pork, or lamb as a main
dish every day is two-and-a-half times that of women who
ate such foods less than once a month. Processed meats and
liver were also associated with increased risk, whereas
eating chicken without skin and fish were related to decreased risk.
- Aspirin slows the production of inflammatory
prostaglandins. However, aspirin use can cause stomach
bleeding, so a doctor should always be consulted before using
aspirin therapy during treatment for cancer.
- Sulindac, a common prescription medication for arthritis
pain, may act against pre-cancerous conditions of the colon
and rectum. Use of the medication has been associated with
lowered risk of developing new polyps after colorectal surgery.
If you have had colon surgery, or if you have desmoid
(slow-growing) colorectal cancer, speak with your
physician about treatment with sulindac.
- Recent studies have found that, at least for men, simply
drinking more water greatly reduces risk of developing
colorectal cancer. A study in Taiwan found that men
between the ages of thirty-three and eighty who drink more
than eight glasses of water a day have a 92 percent lower
risk of developing colon cancer than men who drink fewer
than five glasses of water a day, even when all other factors
are taken into account.
Other beneficial herbs
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