Herbal Support for the treatment of Cancer

Since Man first stumbled out of the swamps all those years ago, he has relied on plants to nourish, clothe and shelter him and to help heal him from illnesses, agues and external wounds. Any plant, which has a medicinal property, may be described as a herb and many familiar plants today from the mushroom to the oak tree, from stinging nettle to honeysuckle have their medicinal uses.

The recorded history of herbalism has its roots 5000 years before Christ in India, with Ayurveda. Reputedly, Tibetan and Chinese Herbalism developed from Ayurveda, which means ‘science of life’. Our own herbal history goes back through the great 17 century herbals of Culpeper, the monastery herbalists and the still current law of Henry VIII in favour of herbalists, into the mists of time and legend and the Druids and their use of mistletoe and other sacred herbs. Herbalists lost ground to the scientists in the 19th and 20th centuries as new and more powerful pharmaceutical drugs were developed, often from active ingredients isolated from whole plants to replace the natural herb and profit as much as philanthropy became the driving force in medicine.

Today, herbalism is being rediscovered by patients wishing to try a gentler healing path and to take more control and responsibility for their health. It is worth remembering that about 50% of the world’s population still rely, as we in the ‘enlightened’ West once did, on plants as their first or only choice of medicines. Herbalists today are trained in all aspects of plant lore, preparation and usage as well as in anatomy and physiology, pathology and disease. They are also trained in a wide range of diagnostic skills and they are taught to take an holistic view of the patient. In common with other complementary therapies, herbalists give their patients time – and they listen!

Chinese Herbal Medicine

For the person choosing the alternative route, there are many herbs available to move, heal and balance the body. The Chinese have an approach called Fu-Zhen therapy, which supports all the organs in the body so that they may regain optimum health and thus throw off dis-ease. However, most people use herbs as a support therapy for allopathic treatment and there are many plants that can be utilised to support the body, mind and spirit whilst living with cancer and receiving orthodox treatment such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery.

Chemicals in our foods

In these days of fast food, pre-prepared and pre-packaged foods, our bodies are exposed to increasing amounts of growth hormones, additives, colourants, preservatives, pesticides and other chemicals. We then ingest chemicals in the form of anti-biotics, contraceptive pills, Hormone Replacement Therapy, headache and stomach-ache pills, smoking and alcohol etc... Then we add the chemicals in our food packaging, our deodorants and shampoos, aftershaves and cosmetics. This is before we start on the treatments that doctors offer. Our bodies and, in particular, our livers, are under constant assault and when a degenerative dis-ease like cancer occurs on a physical level, it is often because the immune system has become depleted, trying to deal with everyday problems. Changing to a diet based on fresh, preferably organic, food becomes important. Reducing packaging is also important as is avoiding tap water. Protein obtained from meat products and dairy is generally heavy in saturated fats and is difficult for the body to assimilate. This energy could be better used elsewhere. Unless the produce is organically reared, the chances are that it contains growth hormones, which may feed cancerous cells. So cut down, if not out, protein from this source. Farmed fish, such as salmon, may also contain growth hormones and colourants; wild and deep sea fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines are better and contain important oils to lubricate your body. Good sources of protein are beans and pulses; soya, particularly fermented (eg Miso) and nuts, especially almonds and brazil nuts.

Helpful Vitamins, minerals, supplements and foods

Vitamins A,C,E are powerful free radical scavengers are found in most fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Beta-carotene is found in yellow-orange vegetables such as carrots, cayenne pepper, pumpkin and yams. Dark-green leafy vegetables are high in chlorophyll; the cabbage family contains high amounts of anti-cancer constituents - indoles and isothiocyates. Garlic and onions contain anti-carcinogenic sulfur compounds including allicin. These are destroyed by lengthy cooking, so adding your garlic just before dishing up is appropriate, or taking garlic as a supplement may be more breath-friendly! Mushrooms are high in minerals especially potassium and Maitake, Shiitake and Reishi have all been subjects of extensive research in Japan and Russia and show valuable properties in the fight against degenerative diseases. In Japan, Lentinan, the polysaccharide found in Shiitake, is an approved drug used together with chemotherapy to treat patients. ( NB it may be wise to avoid mushrooms if you have candida) Fruits such as apples, grapes (with pips, apricots, peaches and berries all have cooling anti-inflammatory properties and are best eaten in season. The kernel from fresh apricots is bitter almond and contains laetrile. Wholegrains such as rice, quinoa, buckwheat provide complex carbohydrates as does wholemeal and wholegrain bread.

Herbs that can help

There are herbs to nourish the body, those that have an anti-inflammatory action, those that act as astringents and tonics, those that calm and sedate. Many herbs are not given singularly but are combined to offer a balanced approach for the particular patient’s needs. Herbs in a formula are carefully chosen to perform different functions or actions on the body but work in harmony with each other. You may find it beneficial to discuss your particular requirements with a herbalist. Herbal products bought over the counter will not always be organically grown and may not be appropriate for your particular needs. Most tablets and capsules also contain other ingredients – fillers such as magnesium stearate – so read the labels! You may have read about St John’s Wort (Hypericum perforata) and how it may help ‘lift the sprits’ but you may not know that the plant may encourage photo-sensitivity which means you may burn more quickly in the sun or with radiotherapy treatment. Adjusting your diet is important and will help your body and mind to be strong and fight illness. Many Herbalists both in the past and present, feel that a healthy digestive system is the key to a healthy body. If you have neglected your body by over-indulging in chocolate, coffee, alcohol, fatty and rich foods etc., you may need herbs to cleanse and tonify the blood and all the major organs but, in particular, the Liver. Blood cleansers include Red Clover, Burdock Root and Pau d’Arco. Liver cleansers include Dandelion, Milkthistle and Bupleurum. Most Herbalists are also in favour of colon cleanses to gently clear away the stuck debris left by inadequate diet although, happily, the 19c approach of ‘puke and purge’ has gone out of fashion! The immune system may need to be directly supported by the use of such herbs as Echinacea, Cat’s Claw, Ginseng and Astragalus. A number of herbs may be combined in a formula geared to your needs by an herbalist. Essiac. One formula, which has an increasing following of supporters, is Essiac (aka Four Herb, Caisse Tea, Objibwe Herbal Tea, etc).

Essiac

As is usual in these cases, the background to this tea is littered with claims and counterclaims, intrigue and the involvement of both the medical profession and the pharmaceutical industry. This four herb formula appears to have originated with the Ojibwe Native American tribe in Canada. It was given to a lady with an aggressive breast cancer by an Ojibwe medicine man, to put her body back in balance with the Great Spirit. She in turn, some twenty years later, passed the recipe on to nurse Rene Caisse who, with the permission of her doctor, administered the tea to a favourite aunt for whom the medical profession could do no more. Her aunt had stomach and liver cancer and had a life expectancy of six months. After drinking the tea, she lived for another 21 years!! Rene Caisse and Dr R O Fisher began to experiment with the herbs and people begin to turn to them for the tea.. In the 1920’s, administering medication by inoculation was fashionable and Rene Caisse began by injecting the tea directly into the site of the cancer as well as giving oral doses. Over the 50 years, off and on, that Rene Caisse treated cancer patients, many patients visited her. It is said that over 80% of the patients recovered from cancer and that many more had a better quality of life in their last days. For years, Miss Caisse was harassed and hounded by the Canadian Cancer Commission and the medical profession for years and was only allowed to administer to patients if they had a letter from their medical doctor confirming that their illness was terminal and that there was no more that could be done for them. In 1938, a bill before the Ontario Parliament to enable Rene Caisse to treat cancer patients, was defeated by 3 votes. Throughout the 1960’s and 1970’s, she approached several pharmaceutical companies in an effort to have the herbal treatment validated but no one was interested. She was also secretive about the formula and refused to release it to anyone without a guarantee that it would remain available to whoever needed it. There were no takers. Towards the end of her life, Miss Caisse sold her formula to the Resperin Corporation for $1.00. She also gave the formula to two friends, Mary Macpherson and Gilbert Blondin, who had helped her in her clinic and to Dr Charles Brusch, former physician to John F Kennedy. Dr Brusch claimed to have cured himself of lower bowel cancer by taking Essiac and was convinced that Essiac was ‘ a cure for cancer’. Partly because of Miss Caisse’s secrecy and partly because she did adjust the formula as necessary, there are now several differing versions on the market, some claiming to be the only true formula. The truth is that all versions are beneficial. They all have Burdock Root, Sheep Sorrel, Slippery Elm Bark and Rhubarb Root in varying proportions. Miss Caisse added very small parts of Kelp, Red Clover, Blessed Thistle and Watercress; other herbalists add other herbs like Echinacea or Dandelion. At the end of the day, Essiac – by any name – is just one herbal mixture, which appears to benefit people living with cancer. Many people say that they feel better for taking the tea, their energy levels increase and they sleep better. Other people report that the side effects from chemotherapy treatment, like nausea, loss of appetite and fatigue, are reduced by drinking the herbal tea. Topical Applications. The basic four herbs are also successfully combined with organic soya protein by Katie May of Yin Yang to provide a cream, which has been successfully used by patients, not just with skin conditions such as melanoma, eczema and psoriasis, but also with discomfort from inflamed tissue, including surgery scarring. Katie also used the same base to which she added pure powdered Wild Yam tuber. A number of oncologists have recommended this cream for patients suffering with the hot flashes and sweating associated with hormone treatment; in particular in the treatment of breast cancer, where the patient is taking Tamoxifen, and in the treatment of prostate cancer, where hormonal-based injections are part of the therapy. Aloe Vera with its cold action has long had a deserved reputation in the treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Urinary Tract inflammatory infections. It also has gained popularity in alleviating overheated and blistered skin associated with radiotherapy. It is also worth mentioning that fresh Ginger tea has proved helpful in alleviating the nausea associated with Chemotherapy; other herbs such as Nutmeg and Cinnamon may also help.

Taking responsibility for your own health is a powerful tool. Herbs can help you to recreate the balance between mind, body and spirit. Remember Hippocrates: ‘ Let medicine be your food and your food be your medicine’.

Books Available. ESSIAC: A Native Herbal Cancer Remedy. 2nd Edition. Cynthia Olsen This book gives a complete account of the recipe, the doses and of Essiac’s uses, and chronicles the experiences of patients who have attained relief or regeneration from this remarkable herbal preparation.

Optimum Health Price: £10.99

NB: The details in this article are the author’s opinion and are intended for information only. Consult your Herbalist, Physician, Therapist if you need guidance on the use of herbs.