Cancer and Herbs: A Hope for a Natural Cure

Cancer and Herbs: The hope for a natural cure.

Author: Rene M. Maldonado

Published by Rene M. Maldonado at Smashwords

Copy right.2020. Rene M. Maldonado

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

FOREWORD

The idea of this book came to me several years ago when I was working as a certified chemotherapy nurse. I wanted to create a book that would make the experience of cancer more manageable. I wanted to create a book that will bring hope and would be truthful. Here you have a book that will bring you more clarity about natural herbs and treatments for cancer prevention and management. I want to dedicate this book to my parents, who taught me to be thankful and to serve others. I have enjoyed working in nursing for over 15 years. Nursing is a serving profession, and I have enjoyed working with my colleagues and caring for patients from all ethnic backgrounds and with different values and beliefs. My father taught me not to be judgemental of others and to welcome everyone regardless of their beliefs. I am not sure in whose hands this book will land, but I hope you can feel my desire to help you increase your understanding of which natural herbs can be beneficial to you. We all walk on this earth with different challenges and struggles, and it can be challenging to stay positive and to stay loving, but when we find people that want to help us, our burden seems to lighten up. None of us is alone in this world, so we need to remember that there is always someone out there who cares about us.

I have put together a weekly newsletter with the purpose of bringing you weekly information, news updates, and wellness tips. I will encourage you to join now before you begin reading this book. It is free to join. I am also in the process of creating a podcast for bringing you wellness news and new information about treatments, managing symptoms etc. I hope you give me the opportunity to add value to you every week through my newsletter and podcast. Please email me to join me: Weekly newsletter(subject: join newsletter)

Table on contents

Chapter 1. Introduction

Chapter 2. The etiology of cancer

Chapter 3. The biology of cancer

Chapter 4. Prevention and detection of cancer

Chapter 5. Conventional cancer treatments

Chapter 6. Natural herbs and natural treatments

Chapter 7.Mind-body therapies

Chapter 8. The most promising natural herbs.

Chapter 9. A naturopathic perspective

Chapter 10. Diet quality for cancer survivors

Chapter 11. A clear perspective on cancer.

Chapter 12. Taking the next step

Cancer and Herbs: The hope for a natural cure.

Alone we can do nothing

But together our mind fuse into something

whose power is far beyond

The power of its separate parts.

The kingdom cannot be found alone,

And you who are the kingdom

cannot find yourself alone.

A course in Miracles.

************Chapter 1. Introduction

I have been a registered nurse for over 15 years, and over three of those years, I worked as a certified chemotherapy nurse. I have seen the pain that cancer can cause to those affected by it. I have also witnessed the joy of those that have fully recovered from cancer. One of the patients' biggest complaints is that they sometimes do not have enough information, particularly about alternative treatments. More and more people today are seeking alternative or natural remedies for their chronic conditions. This book aims to provide a reliable source of information about herbs and supplements that many people claim to help prevent or treat cancer. There are hundreds if not thousands of natural herbs that have been used over the ages to handle all types of illnesses, including cancer. Some herbs do work with at least relieving the symptoms of a disease, but very few herbs can cure an illness. The same goes for cancer; herbs are used by many individuals to treat some of the symptoms of cancer, while others help relieve the side effects of cancer treatment. At this point, there is no known single plant that can cure disease on its own. The good news is that more and more natural herbs are being recognized and used as anti-cancer agents. There are many natural herbs now known to kill cancer cells, or that can help conventional cancer drugs kill cancer cells more efficiently. It is clear that the side effects of cancer therapy can be minimized using specific natural herbs. The majority of natural herbs that have been claimed to cure or prevent cancer, for the most part, have been poorly studied. Scientists are now beginning to pay more attention to plant components to find natural cures for cancer that are more cost-effective and less damaging to the body.

In this book, you will find over one hundred and fifty natural herbs that many people have alleged can prevent or cure cancer. You will find that for most natural herbs investigated; there is no proven scientific evidence to back up those claims. On the other hand, there are a handful of naturals herbs that do show great promise in preventing cancer. Some types of herbs and supplements have great potential to be used in combination with conventional cancer drugs to treat cancer more effectively. At the same time, the patient experiences less harmful side effects. I hope you use the list of natural herbs listed here merely as a reference tool, not as a substitute for the advice of a qualified health professional. Whether you are looking for information to prevent cancer or to fight off cancer or simply be proactive with your health, I hope you find some useful information. I hope you use that information, particularly about prevention, and put it into practice to have a more fulfilling life. We have this one life, and I believe that we all want to be healthy and enjoy it. To stay healthy and full of strength, we need to do our part. We need to be proactive in doing the things that will lead us to excellent health.

Every person in this world faces serious health challenges at one point or another during their life time. Personal health challenges can come at any time during an individual's life-span. Chronic illnesses like cancer seem to show up when one least expect them, or one seems less ready. Most likely, the majority of people who receive a cancer diagnosis feel that life is unfair. Why them? Why now? There is no doubt that going through the experience of cancer diagnosis and cancer treatment can be very challenging and trialling for anyone. The way people respond to this challenge is critical particularly during the time cancer patients are receiving treatment. In my clinical experience, those individuals who readily accept their diagnosis, and readily accept the challenge of cancer seem to be less affected by it. The side effects of treatment do not seem to bother them as much. There is no right way to approach cancer. Every patient is unique, so is their experience with cancer, and their path through treatment and recovery. All challenges no matter how difficult they maybe, become less burdensome if a person takes the time to learn about what is ahead. When the person understand what she or he most go through then every difficulty, every setback is not a shocking surprise. The person has more control of the situation. The other part of learning about your challenge is that it gives you the opportunity to act. Now you have a little bit of say on how you will face this challenge. Therefore, never stop learning, and never stop doing.

I believe that by taking the time to learn about cancer and cancer treatments, people are opening the door to better possibilities, and likely better outcomes. I congratulate you for showing the desire to wanting to learn about natural herbs and natural treatments that do work or do not work to cure cancer. Your desire to learn shows that you are taking the initiative to prevent cancer if you do not have it or to find a cure if you are already dealing with cancer. You are taking control of your body and your choices. More people than ever before are living longer and more productive lives after a diagnosis of cancer. You can be one of them as long as you are willing to do your part in learning and doing the things your medical team ask you to do. Try to learn from the experiences of other cancer survivors whenever you meet them. Try to learn how they act and think. What is their life motto? Be positive! Be proactive! and live a well lived balanced life, you are in control. It has been said that any big challenge is an opportunity to grow to a higher spiritual level, where gratitude gradually replaces remorse. Every fall has within it the potential to move us to a higher place.

The spiritual path wrecks the body and afterwards restores it to health. It destroys the house to unearth the treasure and with that treasure builds it better than before. - Rumi.

The topic of cancer is enormous, and vast volumes of books and articles have been written, and many more new articles come every day, and more new information comes every day from further research. The amount of information that a book like this can cover is minimal compared to all the information that is out there. Nevertheless, I hope what you find here will be helpful to you in many ways. I have also created a free weekly newsletter that you can follow to get many tips and information about cancer prevention and treatments. I hope you will join my Newsletter, so please sign up so that we can stay connected, please follow the link to sign up:

I believe that it is essential to have a basic understanding of how cancer begins in the body. So let us get started with a fundamental understanding of cancer. Then we will move on to the list of natural herbs, followed by alternative cancer therapies, and finally, we will discuss some of the natural products that have shown the highest potential to fight off cancer.

**************Chapter 2. The etiology of cancer

There is a belief that all multi-cellular organisms have the potential to develop cancer at some point in their lifetime. Cancer is a group of more than 200 diseases characterized by the unregulated growth of cells. It can occur in persons of all ages and all races, and it is a significant health problem in North America and across the world in general. Some cancers, such as cancers of the stomach, uterus, have decreased in incidence in recent times, whereas lung cancer has increased in frequency. Melanoma, a type of skin cancer, has been steadily growing over the years. The rate of cancer can be affected by lifestyle changes. For example, a decrease in the rate of stomach cancers can is due to better screening tools and a better understanding of what constitutes a healthy balanced diet. The increase in the incidence of lung cancer can be attributed to a higher rate of cigarette smoking and increasing air pollution. The excessive use of alcohol is to blame for the rise in some liver cancers can.

Cancer can now be controlled for long periods due to the significant advances in cancer research. It is estimated that about 55 percent of people who received cancer treatment are cancer-free five or more years after diagnosis. The fact that people now live longer cancer-free is due to several factors, such as a greater understanding of cancer, better screening tools to detect cancer, and more advanced treatments and drugs to treat specific types of cancer. Many new cancer drugs target particular types of cancer cells, causing less damage to the rest of the body. At the same time, there are now better drugs to help deal with the side effects of cancer treatment. There is also a more significant shift towards prevention, focusing on lifestyle changes that can help prevent cancer from ever occurring. Since many types of cancer are so difficult to treat, there should be more focus on prevention by eliminating chemicals known to cause cancer and providing the public with a better education. In general, government and health agencies are more aware of cancer-causing chemicals; efforts have also been made to prevent their production and use.

Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the United States (heart disease is number one). One of every five deaths is caused by cancer, with half of these deaths occurring before the age of 65. In 2018, an estimated 1.73 million new cases of cancer were projected to occur, adding 14.5 million cases in the United States. At some point in their lifetime, 39 percent of Americans, most of whom are over the age of 55, will be diagnosed with cancer. Each year, billions of dollars are allotted for cancer research in the United States, funding clinical innovations that aim to screen, treat, and potentially cure cancer. The death rate from cancer has been steadily decreasing, except for an increased rate of deaths from lung cancer in women. It is now more evident than ever before that many types of cancers can be prevented with moderate lifestyle changes such as improving your diet, including an exercise routine into your daily schedule. It is also beneficial to avoid cigarette smoking altogether and avoiding excessive use of alcohol. All these lifestyle changes are achievable, and now more than ever, we readily have the knowledge and the tools to make these lifestyle changes happen. Ask your doctor to help you find reliable resources to make positive lifestyle changes in your life.

**********Chapter 3.The biology of cancer.

Cancer is a group of diseases with multiple causes. It can arise in any cell of the body. There are two significant dysfunctions present in the process of cancer known as cellular proliferation (growth), and defective cellular differentiation.

Defective Cellular Growth

In general, body tissues of the human adult contain a population of predetermined, undifferentiated cells known as stem cells. Predetermined means that the stem cells of a particular muscle or organ will ultimately differentiate and become mature, functioning cells of specific tissue and only that tissue. All cells of the tissue are controlled by an intracellular mechanism that determines when cellular growth or proliferation is necessary. In normal conditions, a state of dynamic equilibrium is continuously maintained (i.e., cellular proliferation or growth equal cellular degeneration or death). Cellular growth is activated only when new cells are needed, such as when you cut your finger. The cellular growth mechanism is activated to replace the damaged or dead cells of your injured finger. Some cells are activated when there is a physiological demand for more as when you develop an infection or the flu; then, there will be an increase in white blood cells to help fight off infection.

Healthy cells respect the boundaries and territory of the cells surrounding them. They will not invade a region that is not their own. The neighboring cells inhibit the cellular growth through physical contact of the surrounding cell membranes. The respect for the boundaries of other cells is known as contact inhibition. Physical contact with another cell will stop the growth of a normal cell. Cancer cells do not adhere to contact inhibition; they invade the space of cells in the tissue they live in and may end up invading other tissues.

The rate of growth can be different in each healthy body tissue. For instance, cells in your hair and your gut have a rapid rate of growth. In some tissues such as your neurons(brain cells) and your cartilage, cellular growth does not occur, meaning that when those neurons or cartilage cells die, they are not replaced. Cancer drugs have a stronger effect on those rapidly growing cells. There is a faulty understanding of the characteristics of cancer cells because the rate of cell growth is more rapid than that of any normal body cell.

In most cases, cancer cells grow at the same rate as the healthy cells of the tissue they originated. The difference is that cancer cell growth is indiscriminate and continuous. They continue to grow for the sake of growing not to replace dead or damaged tissue as healthy cells would do. Cancer cells have no regard for cellular boundaries. They thrive on top of one another and top of healthy cells.

Cellular differentiation

Cell differentiation usually is an orderly process that progresses from a state of immaturity to a state of maturity. Because all body cells originated from fertilized ova, all cells have the potential to perform all body functions. However, once a cell is differentiated, that mature cell is capable of performing only specific duties of the tissue it came part of. Healthy cells are stable and will not dedifferentiate. A differentiated cell never turns back to a previous undifferentiated state).

Even after many years of cancer research, the exact mechanisms that control cellular differentiation and proliferation are not entirely understood. The essential regulators of normal cellular processes are genes that are known as proto-oncogenes. Genetic changes or mutations can change the expression of these genes, or their products can activate proto-oncogenes to function as oncogenes(tumor inducing-genes). They induce the unnecessary division of cells and prevent the differentiation of cells.

The proto-oncogene is the genetic lock that keeps the cell in its mature functioning state. This lock can be unlocked when exposed to carcinogens(cancer-causing agents), oncogenic viruses, genetic alterations, and when mutations occur. Cancer-causing agents or carcinogens are generally environmental or as the result of lifestyle choices such as tobacco and alcohol use, exposure to poisonous chemicals, excessive exposure to sunlight, food preservatives, etc. Some cancers occur as the result of genetic predisposition to a particular type of cancer. Some families are at a higher risk of developing some types of cancer compared to the average population. Therefore, many chronic diseases today can be prevented by understanding family bloodlines and adopting an appropriate lifestyle with the aid of trained health professionals. It is also important o know that not all tumors are cancerous. Tumors can be benign or malignant. A benign tumor is well-differentiated(e.g., the same shape), whereas a malignant tumor may range from well-differentiated to undifferentiated(e.g., different shapes and sizes). The ability of cancerous tumor cells to invade and metastasize(move from one tissue type to another) is the significant difference between benign and malignant cells. According to some researchers, cancer cells that can more easily divide and invade other tissues are most dangerous.

Cancer development

The cause and development of each type of cancer are likely to have many influential factors. It is not know how many tumors