Cancer Treatment

Q. What kinds of services does Hope Clinic supply? What are the cancer therapies available?

Hope Clinic endeavors to provide the highest quality of care to patients. We tailor a cancer management course for each individual patient in order to improve his/her quality of life and extend his/her life. We try to create a great family atmosphere and make our patients feel as comfortable as possible.

We provide 8 modalities including Photo dynamic therapy, Holt radiowave & microwave therapy, Oxygen therapies, Electrotherapy, Neuro-Immunology, Insulin potentiation therapy, Autologous Vaccine and Sonodynamic Therapy (SDT) in our clinic. Some of these modalities can aslo be performed at home.

Our approach is devoted to the treatment and healing of difficult and complex conditions including cancer and other refractory or complex medical problems. The practice was founded in 1997.

We emphasize a no-nonsense approach to conditions or poorly responsive to conventional (previous treatments) medicine. Contrary to the current trend of managed care and protocolized treatment of patients, Hope Clinic considers each patient individually and customizes a healing program blending a variety of approaches with the patient's optimal health and recovery in mind. The Hope Clinic provides a wide range of programs to meet your needs. Our unique approach is devoted to the integration of methods in the difficult areas of cancer and other refractory or complex medical problems.

Our treatment advice includes sophisticated reviews of all of your treatments and diagnostic options, especially when there is a dliemma and you are having difficulty deciding what to pursue. There are complex cases where a patient may be in a bind because of conflicting advices from different professionals such as the surgeon recommends surgery and the oncologist recommends chemotherapy and it is not clear which is the best approach.

We will advise you on what we think is best for you since we do not practice surgery and radiation nor do we adminster chemotherapy. We are thus in a better position to give impartial advice on the efficacy and need for such treatments. Patients contemplating a drug trial may also need advice from us as to which trial may be best because we are not affiliated with the institutions that offer the trials, and frequently know what drug or combinations in which trials are working the best for a specific cancer or disease.

A number of agents have been implicated in causing cancer. A large proportion of cancers are caused by living habits and environmental carcinogens:

Tobacco: causes cancer of the mouth, throat (pharynx), voice box (larynx), food pipe (esophagus), lung, pancreas, kidney, urinary bladder, and uterine cervix. At least 90% of lung cancer deaths are due to smoking.

Alcohol: Increases the risk of cancers of mouth, pharynx, larynx and esophagus by increasing the permeability of the mucosa to various carcinogens especially tobacco.

Ionizing radiation: well established as an etiologic factor in the development of leukemia.

Environmental exposure: Asbestos exposure can cause cancers of the lung, pleura and abdominal peritoneum. Excessive exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation dramatically increases the risk for skin cancers.

Viruses and bacteria: Chronic carrier state of Hepatitis B virus increases significantly the risk of developing liver cancer. Viruses of the HPV & HSV family cause carcinoma of womb's mouth (cervix) and carcinoma of the oral cavity, the commonest cancer types seen in India. Helicobacter pylori is associated with increased risk of developing stomach cancer.

Chemical agents: A number of cancers are related to increasing use of potentially carcinogenic chemicals in various aspects of life. These chemicals get to our body through air, water, food, etc. Air pollution caused by various sources can increase the risk of cancer. Carcinogenic chemicals in air can come from automobiles and industries and affect the lung. Exposure to certain chemical agents like benzene increases substantially the chances of developing cancer esp. bladder cancer.

Dietary habits and body habitus: Obesity and high intake of fat, animal protein (particularly red meat), salt-cured foods, and nitrate/nitrite additives in the diet does seem to increase the risk of development of cancer.

The functioning of all parts of the human body at all levels is governed and controlled by the genes. The genes can be thought of as a large and elegant software or information store, which controls the development of human body and its normal functioning. The genes are responsible for cell multiplication, cell growth and cell death. Many cancers are caused by some abnormality in the genes. Abnormalities in the genes or mutations arise from damage caused by chemicals, radiation, viruses, etc. A lot of research is going on to find out the complete genetic basis of cancer and this is likely to lead to new treatment options in future.

Unfortunately, a lot of people don't think about prevention if the disease hasn't affected them. However, everyone should be aware of the possibility of cancer and take better care of their body, mind, and environment. The conversation about cancer prevention begins with asking people if they are able to relax, take time for themselves, stop everything, and have faith in themselves. From there, diet and nutrition should be evaluated, as well as frequency and types of exercise. From these basic but critically important forms of self-care, there can be a shift in the body's response to carcinogens and pathogens. The first form of assessment by your doctor involves looking at the patient, including their skin, presentation, and behavior, as well as getting to know their habits and lifestyle.

• Alcohol in moderation, say social drinking, one glass of red wine, five days a week, is permissible. However drinking along with smoking is very unsafe as it sharply increases the risk of cancer.

• Avoid direct exposure to noon sun; use hat, full sleeves, sun screen lotions and avoid noon sun bathing.

• A well-rounded diet, low in saturated fats and high in fresh fruits, vegetables and fiber starting as early in life as possible does have impact on reducing the incidence of cancer. Request a copy of our booklet on diet.

• Proper sexual hygiene and oral hygiene should be achieved along with regular examinations.

Q. Would you elaborate on dietary and nutritional recommendations related to cancer prevention?

Men, and women, can monitor their state of health, including their immune function, by noticing how often they pick up viruses, infections, colds, coughs, flus, rashes, herpes, and intestinal problems. A healthy immune system should be able to prevent most of those ailments. In addition, research shows that bacteria, fungi, viruses, infections, and parasites can support the growth of cancer. Even though science demonstrates this association, most people with cancer and those concerned about cancer prevention are not being tested for these conditions and prescribed effective therapies. Also, regular blood work is useful to provide a general overview of what is going on in the body, but the results don't always reflect disease. In addition, people should be tested for heavy metal toxicity and treated with detoxification protocols through diet modifications and supplements as a preventive measure.

Q. What are the cancer warning signals? If I feel something unusual myin body, what should I do?

Lump or swelling: A swelling or lump is a symptom of cancers in the superficial body parts such as skin, breast, muscles, bones, etc. For breast cancer, which is the commonest cancer in women all over the world, a lump in the breast is the symptom in more than 90% of cases.

A sore that doesn't heal: A wound, ulcer or sore caused by cancer does not heal on its own or with dressings. Ulcers in the mouth and in the back passage are especially worrying.

Recent change in a wart/mole: The features of this are a change in size, itching, bleeding, ulceration, etc.

Unusual bleeding or discharge: Cancer of deeper parts of the body can lead to bleeding or discharge. Cancers of the uterine cervix in women is a very common cancer in India. It causes dirty vaginal discharge and bleeding. Bleeding may be spontaneous or after intercourse. Similarly bleeding with urine and stools can be a sign of cancers of the urinary tract (kidneys, ureter or bladder) and intestines (large intestines, small intestines). Cancers of the lung often manifests with coughing of blood.

Changes in bladder or bowel habits: Difficulty in passing urine, poor stream, etc can be because of cancers of the prostate. Similary, constipation with or without episodes of diarrhea, passage of mucus with stools, etc can be a symptom of intestinal cancer.

Nagging cough or hoarseness: Nagging, persistent cough is common feature of cancers of the lung and larynx.. Change in voice is a common feature of cancer of the larynx and it can also occur due to lung cancer.

Difficulty in swallowing or dyspepsia: Difficulty in swallowing is a common feature of cancer of the esophagus (foodpipe) which is a common cancer in India. It starts with difficulty in eating solid food and progresses until it is difficult to swallow liquids or even saliva. Loss of appetite, heaviness after meals, nausea and vomiting are common features of cancer of the stomach. Presence of these signs should prompt the patients to seek medical attention. It is important to realize that no symptoms or signs of cancer are exclusive. Similar symptoms can be and are often caused by noncancerous diseases. However, whenever a possibility of cancer exists, the specialists should be consulted to exclude the diagnosis of cancer.

If you feel unusual, it is suggested that you see your doctor as soon as possible because cancer is easier to be treated in the early stages. Many patients are reluctant to see a doctor until the situation becomes more serious when it is more difficult to cure.

Detecting cancer at the earliest, especially at pre-cancer stage, is very likely to yield the best chances of lifetime cure, with shorter treatment time, less cost and less toxicity from the treatment.

Cancer can be detected in the early stages by screening and by seeking prompt medical attention for any worrying symptoms. Screening: refers to examination and investigation of persons without any symptoms or signs suggestive of cancer with a view to detect cases of cancer before they cause symptoms. It is expected that through this approach cancers can be detected at a very early stage and thus lead to a much higher chance of cure. Screening has been found to be effective in early detection of cancer of the breast and uterine cervix, the two commonest cancers in women. Screening has also been found to be effective in prostate cancer, a common cancer of elderly males and. cancer of the large intestine (colon or rectal cancer).

• Screening for breast cancer is by breast self-examination, annual clinical examination by a specialist and mammography (x-ray of the breasts done using a special x-ray machines) starting at an appropriate age. However MRI is a better scan for this purpose.

• Screening for cancer of the uterine cervix involves examination by a doctor and a test called the pap smear test which is a very simple test with little discomfort.

• Screening for prostate cancer involves rectal examination by the specialist, a blood test for prostate specific antigen (PSA), and TRUS (transrectal 3D colour ultrasound of the prostate). See our special section on prostate cancer.

• Screening for cancer of the large intestine involves examination of stool samples for any presence of blood (occult blood testing) and examination by a specialist performing endoscopy.

Q. Could you please introduce the stages of cancers briefly? What are the recovery rates in the different stages?

Cancer staging systems describe how far cancer has spread anatomically and attempt to put patients with similar prognosis and treatment in the same staging group. Since prognosis and treatment depend quite a bit on the stage, you can see how important it is to know what stage you have! At the same time other factors, including your general health, your own preference, and the results of biochemical tests on your cancer cells will contribute to determining the prognosis and treatment. So while the stage is important it is not everything.

The concept of stage is applicable to almost all cancers except for most forms of leukemia. Since leukemias involve all of the blood, they are not anatomically localized like other cancers, so the concept of staging doesn't make as much sense for them. A few forms of leukemia do have staging systems which reflect various measures of how advanced the disease is. For most solid tumors, there are two related cancer staging systems, the Overall Stage Grouping, and the TNM system.

In Roman Numeral Staging system, cases are grouped into four stages denoted by Roman numerals I through IV, or are classified as "recurrent." In general, stage I cancers are small localized cancers that are usually curable, while stage IV usually represents inoperable or metastatic cancer. Stage II and III cancers are usually locally advanced and/or with involvement of local lymph nodes. Actually, these stages are defined precisely, but the definition is different for each kind of cancer. In addition, it is important to realize that the prognosis for a given stage also depends on what kind of cancer it is, so that a stage II non small cell lung cancer has a different prognosis from a stage II cervical cancer.

New information and improvements in treatment changes the prognosis or treatment of various subgroups, and as a result, the staging system for individual cancers must be revised from time to time. Patients should consult an up-to-date staging manual because of the frequent revisions.

Lie down. Flatten your right breast by placing a pillow or towel under your right shoulder. Place your right arm behind your head. Examine your right breast with your left hand.

Use the pads, not the tips, of the middle three fingers on your left hand. With fingers flat, press gently using a circular, rubbing motion and feel for lumps. In small, dime-sized circles without lifting the fingers, start at the outermost top edge of your breast and spiral in toward the nipple.
Press firmly enough to feel the different breast tissues, using three different pressures. First, light pressure to just move the skin without jostling the tissue beneath, then medium pressure pressing midway into the tissue, and finally deep pressure to probe more deeply down to the ribs or to the point just short of discomfort.
Completely feel all of the breast and chest area up under your armpit, up to the collarbone, and all the way over to your shoulder to cover breast tissue that extends toward the shoulder.
Gently squeeze both nipples and look for discharge.

After you have completely examined your right breast, examine your left breast using the same method with your right hand. You may want to examine your breasts or do an extra exam while showering. It's easy to slide soapy hands over your skin and to feel anything unusual. You should also check your breasts in a mirror, looking for any change in size or contour, dimpling of the skin, or spontaneous nipple discharge.

A large proportion of cancers are life-style related. The chance of developing cancer depends upon choice of foods, smoking habits, drinking habits, personal hygiene standards and exposure to certain agents at your workplace environment. (One should visit for medical counseling by a cancer specialist for investigation and identify whether one belongs to high-risk group of people likely to suffer from cancer.

Q. How patient and family should act once a family member is detected having cancer?

All issues of treatment strategies should be settled before starting any one therapy. Hasty start after consulting only one specialty, being under investigated, leaving treatment midway, undergoing inappropriate surgery, lesser radiation sittings and low dose chemotherapy, can definitely compromise chances of permanent cure. Such a hasty start may allow patient and attendants to feel falsely secure and may yield initial temporary cure, or no response at all.

Before the start of anti cancer treatment it is imperative to know the extent of cancer spread and its origin. One should also be aware of the benefits and risks of treatments and possible consequences if no treatment is taken. It should be clearly known that what will happen if no treatment is taken and how the given treatment choices will change the natural history of cancer. It should be clarified that how long the patient is going to live with or without treatment. Patient should know cost effectiveness of various treatment possibilities, planned breaks and follow up schedule. It is wise to seek a second opinion from an oncologist before proceeding with surgery, chemotherapy or radiation.

Frequently asked questions:FAQ's