Does Radiation For Cancer Work On Animals That Produce Their Own Antioxidants?

They're crucial to good health, but some vets feel they interfere with conventional cancer treatments. Find out why, and how an integrative approach with antioxidants can actually extend life expectancy.

Chances are, most of us will eventually have to bargain with a diagnosis of cancer in a beloved canis familiaris or true cat. Surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy are even so the most commonly used conventional therapies, but holistic veterinarians are seeing increased success when they combine these therapies with natural remedies – including supplements such every bit antioxidants.

In some cases, people may make up one's mind not to choose conventional cancer therapy for their animals, or the treatment may not even be available (for example, at that place are no conventional therapies to help many animals with liver cancer). Even if someone is willing to spend several thousand dollars on conventional handling, many animals with cancer have a survival rate of only vi to 12 months.

In contrast, most animals treated with an integrative therapeutic arroyo that uses natural therapies to back up the immune system, kill cancer cells, prevent farther spread of the affliction, minimize side effects from conventional therapies, and allow for detoxification of the patient, take a greater risk of living longer than the expected six to 12 months. In my own practice, cancer patients treated with an aggressive integrative protocol typically live 12 to 24 months or longer!

What are antioxidants?

But put, antioxidants are vitamins, minerals or supplements such every bit coenzyme Q10, quercetin, curcumin, resveratrol and others that remove complimentary radicals from cells. Free radicals form as part of the normal jail cell life cycle, especially during cell damage or expiry. Increased gratis radicals, if non removed by antioxidants (either supplied by the body or through supplements), will ultimately cause the patient's death.

Antioxidants are important in helping care for patients with cancer. Merely there is some controversy surrounding the utilise of these nutrients during traditional cancer treatment. I'll explain why – and provide yous with information you may not go from your conventional veterinarian.

Why the controversy?

Most conventional doctors feel (without any proof to back up their feelings) that antioxidants should be avoided during conventional cancer therapies considering the supplements might hurt animals by interfering with the handling.

Here'due south the reason for the controversy. Supplements, particularly antioxidants, inhibit cellular oxidation. Too much oxidation causes inflammation and jail cell injury that left unchecked can damage a cell's Deoxyribonucleic acid and cause it to transform into a cancer cell. The good news is that any supplements that dampen this process should be helpful to any patient, specially i with cancer. The bad news is that some conventional therapies cause extra oxidation in cancer cells to kill them. The theory is that if supplements inhibit this process, the cancer cells won't die. Could antioxidant supplements prevent chemotherapy and radiations from working properly and make the cancer even worse?

And so what's the truth?

There are no valid studies showing that supplements, when properly prescribed and used nether medical supervision, make cancer worse or interfere with conventional treatments.

1. While radiation therapy kills cancer cells by causing oxidation, well-nigh chemotherapy drugs do non. Therefore, with rare exceptions, there is no need to worry about supplements, particularly antioxidants, interfering with conventional chemotherapy.

two. In people, we know that and so-called cancer-preventing diets high in antioxidants (particularly natural sources such equally fruits, vegetables and natural supplements) are probable to minimize the formation of cancer. This is because antioxidants foreclose excessive cell oxidation leading to cell (DNA) harm, inflammation, chronic disease and/or cancer.

iii. Cancer cells exercise not behave like normal cells. If they did, they would never become cancerous. So in theory, what nosotros retrieve might happen to a normal cell doesn't happen to a cancer cell.

iv. Patients who are nutrient-deficient or take poor allowed systems do worse when treated with conventional therapies than patients who have stronger immune systems and ameliorate nutrient intake. In my ain practice, patients who are placed on supplements and a meliorate diet mostly do much better when treated with chemotherapy and radiation than other patients. Information technology's important to heave the beast'southward forcefulness, health and immune system to assist him better withstand conventional therapies and aid him stay in remission once those therapies are no longer needed. The greater the brute's debilitation, the greater the adventure therapy will neglect.

5. Finally, the merely reported studies that showed supplements (antioxidants) increased cancer growth are those in which individual synthetic vitamins were taken at high doses (in effect, the supplements acted similar drugs). At that place are no valid studies in either people or animals that testify the use of supplements and diets, when properly prescribed and used under medical supervision, made the cancer worse or interfered with conventional treatments. In fact numerous studies, besides as my ain clinical experience, show the exact opposite! In short, all the evidence we accept, both in vitro (test tubes) and in vivo (living patients), shows that properly prescribed antioxidants increase the decease of cancer cells and reduce their spread. In other words, most patients benefit from antioxidant therapy. Doctors should prescribe them for most if not all their cancer patients to improve their prognoses!