Highlights of Evidence-Based Supplements in Cancer Care

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

COURSE OVERVIEW

There is a rich tradition of anticarcinogenic herbs and phytonutrients, and fortunately many of these now have evidence to back up their traditional effects.

The prevalence of cancer has grown many-fold in the last half-decade. Many of the conventional treatments are standard treatments that have been utilized for many years (many of the chemotherapy drugs, radiation, surgery), and although morbidity from cancer has decreased, it is still the second leading cause of death worldwide. 

Many of the treatments are toxic and are accompanied by severe side effects, often drastically affecting the person’s quality of life and causing lingering effects even months after termination of active treatment. There is a rich tradition of anticarcinogenic herbs and phytonutrients, and fortunately many of these now have evidence to back up their traditional effects.

This preliminary lecture will touch on the basics of today’s theory of carcinogenesis (this will be gone into in greater depth in the full course) which has changed over the years, and will delve into the role of natural supplementation and what guides the selection of supplements in a patient with cancer.

Natural supplementation fits into different categories when related to cancer: addressing the different aspects of carcinogenesis to prevent the formation of cancer and/or prevent spreading or recurrence of cancer; supplements that have anti-tumor effects and can directly affect the tumor via various mechanisms of action; supplements that boost the immune system and enhance the body’s ability to

fight cancer – it is important to understand the role of the immune system during different phases of carcinogenesis; supplements that are synergistic with and enhance the effectiveness of conventional treatments; supplements that alleviate the side effects of conventional treatment and augment and maintain quality of life and probably the most important aspect – the safety of natural supplementation concurrently with conventional treatment. 

In this preliminary course, we will cover these principles in short with several examples. In the full series, these principles will be explained in detail and we will cover accepted supplementation for cancer that is evidence-based, including herbs.

Provider: TCM Academy