Mainstream treatments cause an explosion in second cancers
Never again.
That's the simple two-word promise that just about every cancer patient makes to himself.
You spent months -- maybe longer -- in hospital rooms and doctors' offices. You fought through the fatigue, the hair loss, the mouth sores and the joint pain. And you told yourself you'd do everything in your power to never go through an ordeal like that again.
But one of the mainstream's dirtiest cancer secrets is that once you agree to chemotherapy or radiation, a rematch with cancer may be right around the corner.
According to a new study, the number of Americans diagnosed with a second cancer has doubled in recent decades. About 20 percent of cancers in the United States now involve second cases -- and in the 1970s, that number was only 9 percent.
When I say second cases, I'm not talking about your original cancer coming back. This is cancer in a different part of your body -- and in many cases, the radiation and chemo that were supposed to save your life are the culprits.
Whether it's for breast cancer, prostate cancer, or some other type, studies show that people who undergo radiation therapy have significantly more second cancers.
It's no surprise that blasting cancer with radiation damages your DNA and can cause more tumors to form down the road. In fact, a study out of Europe about five years ago found that "radiation scatter" during prostate treatments can cause cancer in your prostate or colon -- something I've seen regularly with patients over the years.
But lots of people don't realize that chemotherapy can actually boost cancer growth, too. Many chemo drugs have alkylating agents that also cause changes to your DNA and have been linked to testicular cancer and certain types of leukemia.
And besides the risk of a second cancer, the other life-threatening side effects of radiation and chemo include cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Fortunately, if you've been through a mainstream therapy like radiation or chemo, there are some things you can do to protect yourself from cancer's return. Supplements like quercetin (which I wrote about in a recent issue of my Nutrition & Healing newsletter), curcumin and berberine have powerful anti-cancer properties.
And if you're diagnosed with cancer, you should always talk to your doctor about proven alternative therapies like intravenous vitamin C (IVC), which I use in my own practice.
Always get a second opinion and find a treatment plan that works for you.
They say that the first time you were diagnosed with cancer, you were scared of the unknown; the second time, you're scared of the known.
To Your Health,
Dr. Glenn S. Rothfeld, M.D.
Sources:
Second cancers on the rise; 1 in 5 U.S. cases is a repeat
(yahoo.com)
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