Documented for over two thousand years, the name Kombucha originates in Korea. A medicine man named Kombu treated the emperor with what is known know as Kombucha tea. Over the centuries this elixir of life has spread worldwide.

Is Kombucha a fungus or mushroom? Neither, it is a combination of bacteria, like the beneficial ones that aid in your digestion, and yeast. These two substances work together, and form a spongy little pancake that floats over the top of the nutrient rich tea.

How do we benefit from Kombucha tea? One of the best known qualities is the detoxifying assistance given to the liver through Kombucha tea. The alkaline levels of the body are also restored as the body is brought back into balance.

Kombucha also supports the healthy bacteria that live in our digestive tract, making it probiotic. It does not interfere with our normal body function, but instead aids our digestion. Last but not least, Kombucha helps restore balance on a metabolic level.

Can we improve our health through something as simple as drinking Kombucha tea? Many believe so, and conditions like acne and rheumatoid arthritis have responded to this simple drink. Studies continue around the world into the benefits of Kombucha for ailments as serious as cancer.

It is easy to include Kombucha in your daily diet, and the benefits can be seen in healthy hair and radiant skin. Our animal companions can benefit from this elixir as well. Over time many things are replaced by more effective methods, but Kombucha continues to serve as the elixir of life, even centuries later.

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There are theories that we all have it and it just takes something to start it off, but what is cancer? They cross over to other cells and sites of the body continuing to grow and divide.

The difference between a cancerous tumor an a benign one is that malignant tumors continue to grow whereas benign ones limit their growth an many of us live comfortably with them during out lives without even knowing. As you get older the risk of cancer increases. While smoking, chemicals and radiation for instance, can be the cancer trigger, it is the poison from these or other sources that transform body cells and create genetic abnormalities which grow and multiply.

For some people the problem lies not with any form of external poison although faults with their parents DNA or genetic makeup can result in a person being born with the diseased cells. It is still not fully understood why one person will contract the disease and another be free from it but it is believed that the interactions between any carcinogens and each person’s particular DNA is complicated.

Research into the cause of cancer continues around the globe and is the disease most frequently studied on a regular basis. More information is being gathered about all illnesses and why some people are more prone to certain conditions. We all want to know more about the causes of cancer what we can do to help prevent this illness from striking.

It is now believed by many that the food we eat could be responsible for many cases. A high calcium intake could possibly be responsible for cases of prostrate cancer in men.

No-one is immune from cancer. It can affect anyone at some time in a person’s life. The number of different types of cancer that can be treated has increased dramatically in recent years with so much intensive research being carried out. All this research is gradually leading towards more effective treatments for cancer and it is not always the terminal disease it used to be.

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A man’s vulnerability to prostate cancer increases with age. Most often, prostate cancer is detected very late and people who lose their lives do not die from prostate cancer, but die WITH prostate cancer. As the cancer develops, it eventually squeezes the urethra, which surrounds the prostate. This is when signs and symptoms begin to appear:

-Urgency in urination
-Difficulty in starting urination
-Dull, persistent ache in the lower pelvic area
-Painful urination, a very slow flow (almost like a dribble)
-Intermittent urine flow, and a sensation that the bladder is not empty
-Frequent urination, sometimes including blood
-Painful ejaculation
-Persistent pain in the bones, lower back, hip and thighs
-General ill health, loss of appetite, and decline in weight

If the cells from the cancerous prostrate break away, the cancer will spread. Most commonly, prostate cancer spreads to the lymph nodes, bones in the hips or the lower back, lungs, and sometimes even the brain.

Risk factors:
The risk of prostate cancer increases with age. As with almost any other cancer, heredity also plays a key role. For reasons unknown, African-American men seem to have a higher risk of prostate cancer. A fat-rich diet and sedentary lifestyle also contributes to the risk. Fat causes an increased production of testosterone, which may in turn lead to the development of cancer cells. High levels of testosterone mean higher chances of developing prostate cancer. Therefore men who suffer from hypogonadism, or have been undergoing long-term testosterone treatments are at risk. A vasectomy may also result in prostate cancer, though there is no conclusive proof of this.

A routine screening test may reveal the beginnings of prostate cancer. A DRE (Digital Rectal Examination), which involves inserting a gloved finger into the rectum, helps the doctor to examine the prostate. Any change in shape or size of the gland may mean trouble. A prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test analyzes a blood sample for the levels of PSA. If a higher than normal level is detected, a prostate infection or cancer may be suspected. A transrectal ultrasound helps to further evaluate the prostate using sound waves. If initial tests produce positive results, a prostate biopsy may be done to verify the presence of cancer. If cancer is confirmed, the next step is to investigate the spread of the cancer. A bone scan, CT scan, and Ultrasound scan may be used for this.

The mode of treatment directly depends on how aggressive the cancer is. For most men, a combination of treatments (surgery, radiation paired with hormone therapy, chemotherapy) may prove effective.

The best way to reduce the risk from prostate cancer is to eat a diet rich in fiber and low in fat. Regular exercise also helps.

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Every day, more and more of us are becoming fed up with conventional medicine’s way of doing things; I mean, let’s face it … Western medicine’s focus is managing a disease once it occurs. Many alternative methods can be used as preventive instead of management. Once I started thinking about it, I knew there just had to be a better way. That’s when my alternative journey began.

The many different avenues of alternative medicine, can be overwhelming and there are many with which I do not have personal experience. But, this is your starting point … a broad overview, not all-encompassing, by any means, of breast cancer alternative medicine. Some of these methods are palliative (help manage pain and discomfort of cancer and its treatment), some are complementary (to be used in addition to conventional), some are intended to be preventive, and others look promising as adjuvant treatments.

Manual Healing and Physical Touch
This is a huge category that includes acupuncture, chiropractic, massage, and Reiki, to name a few. Acupuncture is derived from Chinese medicine and involves inserting tiny needles through the skin into specific energy pathways on the body. This method interrupts the energy that flows through the body and is based on balanced Qi. There is lots of controversy surrounding whether acupuncture can be used as a method of treating cancer, itself, but it is thoroughly documented to alleviate pain and nausea from cancer and its treatments.

Chiropractic is the correction of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system. It is achieved by adjustments to the spine and neck. There are traditional chiropractors who adjust the entire spine and then there are Direct Non-Force Technique chiropractors who alleviate neurotransmitter interference, throughout the body, by specific, targeted adjustments. The thinking, here, is that the body has the means to heal itself and seeks to maintain balance within itself. Correcting the musculoskeletal disorders helps to regain the balance that has been lost.

Massage has been found, by recent studies, to provide more alertness and less depression, stress, anxiety, and pain. There are many different forms of massage, ranging from deep tissue to a basic relaxation massage. Many health care providers are proponents of massage therapy in addition to conventional treatment.

Reiki is a Japanese word that means universal life energy. This is a method that is typically performed in person but can be performed from a distance. The thinking behind Reiki is that, when the energy pathways of the body are blocked, it results in disease and/or pain. A Reiki practitioner can unblock these pathways, resulting in less pain and muscle tension, and increased ability for the body to heal itself.

Herbs, Minerals, Vitamins, Diet, and Nutritional Supplements
This is one of the roads I’ve chosen, for myself, based on careful research and consideration. There is evidence that shows that what we eat plays a big role in cancer prevention and it’s in the news all the time. In the evolution of our society, our foods have become more and more processed, and less and less nutritious. Farmers use pesticides to keep the bugs from getting our produce. They use hormones to grow our chickens, cattle, and pigs larger faster, so they can make money off them sooner. Of course, it doesn’t occur to them, or maybe they just don’t care, that those substances are then consumed by us. I didn’t even realize those things were used until after I had been diagnosed. You mean I’m eating estrogen in my meat???? Wow, was that ever a wakeup call.

Most practitioners don’t endorse the use of nutritional supplements simply because they haven’t been approved by the FDA … this premise amazes me because there have been many drugs, that have been approved by the FDA, that have caused serious injury and/or death. There are many nutritional supplements that show serious promise in the prevention, and possibly even treatment, of breast cancer. The studies are out there, if you know where to look.

Naturopathy
Naturopathy is another technique that uses the body’s innate ability to heal itself. It is based on the concept that everything, within the body, is related and that if you have pain or illness, that is an alarm your body sets off to get your attention and let you know something is wrong. The naturopathic way of thinking is that your body begins to let you know something is out of balance … perhaps you aren’t digesting your food correctly, or you have some hormones out of balance … and it begins a snowball effect, throughout your organs, until it gets your attention. Everything is related and, if there is a problem in one area, another area tries to take up the slack and becomes overworked, and so on. Naturopaths use natural means, such as homeopathic remedies, natural agents, manipulation, or electrical treatment to obtain balance so that the body can heal itself.

Homeopathy
This is the practice of using minute doses of active ingredients to produce the body’s own defense and healing process. It, like naturopathy, strives to achieve homeostasis (balance) so the body can heal itself. Homeopathic remedies work much like a vaccine does to our bodies and is based on the premise of like fixes like. Homeopaths prescribe substances that would cause symptoms, in a healthy person, for the purpose of healing those same symptoms in a sick person. For example, a homeopath would prescribe minute amounts of thyroid to someone whose thyroid was overactive for the purpose of the thyroid building a defense to this and slowing itself down.

This is, by no means, an exhaustive overview of alternative therapies, but is, as stated, an overview. For more in-depth discussions on this as well as conventional breast cancer treatment please visit our website below

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Diseases of the prostate gland:

1. Prostatitis: This is the inflamation of the prostate gland due to bacterial infection.

2. Benign enlargement of the prostate: This is a non cancerous tumour of the prostate seen after the age of 50.

3. Cancer of the prostate: This is the 4th most common cause of death from malignant diseases in males.

Cancer of the prostate.

Cancer of the prostate is directly linked with the male sex hormones(androgens).If the levels of sex hormone increases the growth rate of cancer also increases.It is found that after the removel of testes there is marked reduction in the size of tumour.

Site of tumour:

Prostate cancer is seen mainly in the posterior lobe.Non cancerous enlargement is seen in other lobes.

Changes in the gland in cancer:

The gland becomes hard with irregular surface with loss of normal lobulation .Histologically prostate cancer is an adeno carcinoma(cancer of the epithelial cells in the gland)

Growth :

Growth rate is very fast in prostate cancer .The tumour compresses the urethra and produce difficulty in urination.

Spread of tumour:

Metastasis in cancer of prostate is very early.

1) Local spread:

From the posterior lobe the cancer cells go to the lateral lobes and seminal vesicles.Tumour cells also move to the neck and base of the urinary bladder.

2) Lymphatic spread:

Through the lymph vessels cancer cells reach the internal and external illiac group of lymph nodes.From there cells move to retroperitonial(Behind the peritonium) and mediastinal lymph nodes(in the chest)

3) Spread through the blood:

Spread of cancer cells takeplace through the periprostatic venous plexus and reaches the vertebral veins while coughing and sneezing and finally enders the vertebral bodies of the lumbar vertebrae.

Signs and symptoms of prostate cancer:

Signs and symptoms depend upon the stage of the cancer. The following symptoms may be seen.

1) No symptoms:

Tumour is small and only in the posterior lobe. This is diagnosed accidentely.

2) Slight difficulty in urination:

Here the tumour is enlarged and urethra is slightly compressed.Shortly there will be frequent urge for urination with difficult urination.

3) When the tumour spread to all nearby areas including neck of bladder and urethra there will be painful urination with bleeding.Urine comes drop by drop.

4) Retention of urine:

When the urethra is completely compressed there will be retention of urine.This can lead to hydronephrosis, renal failure ect.In this condition patient may get convulsions due to renal failure and finally coma.

5) Signs of metastasis:

Some patients come with the signs and symptoms of metastasis.

a) Lumbo sacral pain due to spread of cancer cells to lumbar and sacral vertebrae.

b) Fracture of spine due to cancerous growth in the spine.

c) Swelling, pain and fluid collection in the abdomen due to lesion in the abdomen.

d) Respiratory complaints due to cancer of mediastinal lymphnodes and lungs.

e) General weakness due to spread of cancer to different parts of the body.

f) Anaemia due to involment of bone marrow and increased destruction of RBCs.

Clinical examination :

Includes per rectal examination to feel the prostate gland,palpation of abdomen to feel the swelling in kidneys and any tumours.Patient is examined from head to foot to find out any lesions.

Investigations:

1) Complete blood investigations: RBC,WBC,Platlets,ESR,bleeding time ,clotting time ect.

2) Urine analysis: Microscopic examination to detect pus cells,occult blood,casts,Crystals ect.

3) Renal function tests: Blood urea level,serum creatinine level,electrolyte level ect.

4) Serum acid phosphatase: Increased in cancer of prostate.

5) x-ray of the spine: To detect any tumour or fracture.

6) Ultra sonography: Gives idea about prostate,bladder,kidney ect.

7) C T scan: More detailed information about organs and tumour.

MRI of the spine: Gives detailed information about spine ,disc and nearby soft tissues.

9) Lymphangiography: Gives idea about lymphatic spread of cancer.

10) Biopsy to confirm cancer: Biopsy is taken from the tumour and is send for histopathological examination under the microscope.This will detect the presence of cancer cells.

Treatment:

1) If there is retention of urine catheterisation is needed.
2) Dialysis if kidney failure.
3) If there is coma monitoring of all vital functions along with parentral nutrition and electolyte supply.
4) Specific treatment is prostatectomy(removal of prostate)

Partial prostatectomy : Here only the affected lobe is removed.

Radical prostatectomy : Total removal of prostate along with nearby lymphnodes.

5, Hormone therapy : Stilbestrol is given to reduce tumour growth.Since this treatement increases the chance for cardiovascular disease phosphorylated diethyle stilbesterol is used nowadays.

6) Chemotherapy: Drugs like cyclophosphamide, cisoplatim ect are given.

7) Radiotherapy is also done for some cases.

Homoeopathy: Homoeopathic drugs like carcinocin, conium, sabal, crotalus, thuja, iodum, selinium, staphysagria, sulphur ect can be given according to symptoms.Constitutional homoeopathic medicine will give great relief and can increase the life span.

9) Yoga and meditation is also healpful.

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