Ayurveda - Third Dimension in Cancer Therapy - Anti-Oxidants Written by Kapil Thakur

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Ayurveda - Third Dimension in Cancer Therapy
Rasayana Drugs (Immunomodulators / Adaptogenic Drugs)
Anti-tumor Plant drugs
Anti-Oxidants
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Anti-Oxidants

One more important aspect I would like to point out over here is regarding use of an anti-oxidants. There are very many Ayurvedic drugs, which contains anti-oxidants, which are necessary for fighting against various degenerative disorders. Anti-oxidants are those, which fights against free Radical Reactions.

Free Radical is any species capable of independent existence that contains one or more unpaired electrons. Free radicals are today a part of normal physiology. If excessive free radicals are generated which will overcome the normal defense mechanism, or if the defense are compromised or both, the consequences can be enormous. Free radicals are known to produce adverse changes throughout the body (27). By snatching an electron from a neighbour, it (free radical) can set off a chain reaction that wrecks widespread havoc on the cells, eating away at their membrane and damaging their genetic material (28)

Excessive amount of these free radicals and the Oxidative stress they generate, can lead to many disease states (29) some sources of free radicals can be referred to – Prostaglandin synthesis, Phagocytosis, Ezyme activities etc as resulted by cellular metabolism, whereas Drugs like (Bleomycin, Doxorubicin-Anticancer drugs), Pesticidies, Air pollutants, smoke, Radiation can be examples of environmental sources, Free radicals which crop in our bodies with every breath we take are implicated in some 60 age related afflictions including Cancer & Heart diseases (28).

Living organisms have two principle means of protecting themselves from the potentially injurious effect of free radicals…… !

One is via enzymes such as Glutathione Peroxidase and Catabase which contains specific trace elements (selenium, copper and zinc) and second is by means of Antioxidants especially Vitamin C, E & Carotenoids which quench the reactive oxygen species, singlet oxygen (29). Countless stresses from smoking to ageing can accelerate oxidative damage that is where the antioxidant vitamins come in (28).

Once again it reminds about rasayana DRUG concept, Amalki and various metallic preparations Bhasma Kalpana – (Zn) Jasad Bhasma (Cu) tamra Bhasma & cows ghee, sesame oil to our mind. Can we think of making use of these groups of drugs as an anti-oxidants to prevent possibility of getting cancer?

Of course one even important task is to be carried out and ie whether we are going to equate the term cancer with Arbuda? And then to give specific drugs like Hirakabhasma or many more on any stage of Cancer/ Arbuda?

There are certain references available in the contemporary Ayurvedic literature indicating the utility of Hirakbhasma in cancer patients, but I think there should have been a planned controlled randomized studies to undertake to revalidate these claims. The most important question which most of the time being asked is, can Ayurveda really Cure the cancer ? The answer is no, in all cases , but yes in certain specific cases, especially in early stages of specific cancers ,viz. Breast cancer , I have seen a very good regression of the disease, but the same is not possible with advanced stages of the same Breast cancer or there are known prognostic criteria’s for various types of cancers , viz. lung cancers, uterine cancers etc., the chances of complete recovery is much more difficult.

What as an Ayurvedic physician, we can do in such cases , we can try to make patients condition better than what he is, to control the various ill effects, unwanted effects of the chemotherapy or radiation therapy he is suffering with. By giving the appropriate Ayurvedic therapies one can certainly help, tackle problems of severe hyperacidity, nausea, vomiting , burning sensation, loss of appetite in such cases.

Another point we must do is , that we must educate the patient , that with the help of? Ayurvedic therapies we are building his (patients) resistance in a much better way. We must reassure him, but should not give entirely a wrong or false hopes, but let us give him & his family members a new approach towards looking at this situation.

The more the anxiety, the more the stress, there is going to be a more chances of his immunity being fired, & this is not just an imagination, it has been proved beyond doubt that stress can affect your immune axis. There is going to be more of vitiation of Vata (Vataprakopa), which will in turn lead to increase of pain. So advise him to do some forms of meditation along with the medication. Some sort of breathing techniques, a chanting of mantra or just pranava omkaara, as a form of daivavyapashraya Chikitsa, which will prepare him to face the problem in a much better way.

It has been observed in various studies , that if there is a positive approach, positive attitude towards looking at the problem & if one has immense will power, then these patients can service much longer than as predicted by the oncologist or oncosurgeons.

One must pay attention towards the MIND of the patient, apart from his body or apart from his cancerous cells. Many patients ask us, "Doctor, I have never smoked, neither took a sip of beer nor had non veg throughout my life. Then why; why me? Why am I getting this ( more emphasis on this , that means cancer ) disease ?" At that point of time even we do not have an answer to what he is saying, but again you may take help of Ayurveda & can say that , dear certain times certain disease , why they are precipitating , we really don’t know, even our ancient masters have mentioned that

Swabhavam eeshwarm kalam yadritchha niyati tatha |

that means it’s the nature of that disease , its destiny that decides that it should happen on that time , to that person….!

But we will have to accept it as it is & we must fight with it & get rid off from it !!

In my small experience of last 10 to 12 year of Ayurvedic practice, I could get an opportunity to treat number of cases of malignancies of various origins. Although this number does not exceeds in hundreds of cases, still was quite a good number. Most of these cases were with concomitant contemporary allopathic therapies, viz. chemotherapy or radiation therapies.

There were few patients who were strongly against of taking these chemo or radiation therapies. They were only on our Ayurvedic therapies. Usage of siddha gritham & rasayana kalpam were found out to be really of great use in many cases. There has been a studies published on Chyavanaprash avaleham, about its utility in combating ill effects of chemotherapy.

At times we have to refuse to treat case only with Ayurvedic therapy. I recall one case history, there was one family came to me from far off distance to show their one year boy baby. They showed me his first birthdays snaps. In all these snaps one could see a greenish glue, a golden green glue at the site of his both pupils (in eyes). As if it was cats eye seen in the dark!

When clinically examined I could see Cats Eye reflexes in both his eyes. When checked his vision, we could realize that he could not actually see, but due to sound he use to look towards that direction. I told his parents, please ask his mother & granny to wait out, granny refused & stayed in, I told them, " look if my diagnosis will go wrong then I will be really happy, but I think this seems to be a case of Retinoblastoma, a cancer of retina."

His granny said , "Yes, doctor sab, we knew it." She showed me 4 papers of different leading ophthalmologist from Mumbai with the same diagnosis. All of them have suggested for removal of one eye & radiation to other. I said, "Well, unfortunately, that was destined, so please go ahead with surgery." That old lady said , " No doc, we wont go for Allopathy, please you only treat him with Ayurveda, Cure him."

It was a really though time , a very difficult task for me to convince them? that in such case a role of Ayurveda is nil at that moment, they must enucleate the eyeball, otherwise cancer would spread in a great way & they might loose their child as well ! I suggested them not to waste as single minute & rush up to the Tata Hospital.

Finally they went to Tata Cancer, & got him operated, The child was saved. We gave Ayurvedic therapy when he was been kept on radiation therapy. I am very happy to say that even today also he is well. Now he is 9 years old, able to see with one eye, other eye has been provided prosthesis.

What I am trying to say over here is as an Ayurvedic Consultant we must know definitely our scope & limitations. I really don’t know how one can say with confidence that, ‘I can Cure all kinds of cancers’, & that to without examining the patients, without going through their reports. How come only one wonder drug or group of drugs can Cure all types of cancers? Think people; patients themselves or their relative should understand; should think about it very seriously. In fact these things brings about bad name to entire pathy, Ayurveda.

I am sure with sincere pulled efforts of many devoted Ayurvedic physicians, modern medical Oncologists, Once surgeons, Pharmacologist., experimental biologists, with a holistic approach, with a multidisciplinary approach we may find out an appropriate solution for this disease, cancer. We can then proudly help the rest all world with a unique therapy of cancer which has been tested on the basis of evidence based medicine.