Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Breast Cancer

Although breast cancer is currently a pandemic (world wide epidemic) and is thought to be different from colon cancer or pancreatic cancer or lymphomas, etc..., they are all the same in that they are cells and tissues that are adapting to toxic overloads in the body.  It is when oxygen is no longer able to be used by the body in energy production to "burn" glucose (sugar = fuel), for energy that the tissue and cells adapt by changing there internal mechanisms into a "default" mode of energy production called glycolysis or fermentation.  That is when the changes that are required the energy producing functions of the cells result in changes in shape and relative sizes of the organelles (little organs within cells).  It is these morphological (shape and size) changes that are identified under a microscope by a pathologist to diagnoses" (name) the process, "cancer".

In summary, these apparently different cancers are merely different cells in the body undergoing certain changes to adapt to there new requirements for survival.  In effect, then....all cancers are the same, which is why a single term, "cancer" is used to describe them.

If one understands this, they do not become fearful that they have a "rare" cancer or an unusual cancer or an untreatable cancer....all cancers are basically the same process occurring in different parts of the body.  This is like the changes one sees in the skin whether it is a burn, for example, on the hand, the breast, the back, the face, etc...IT IS THE SAME PROCESS and therefore requires the same approach to deal with it or alleviate it.

Thomas Lodi, MD
Internal Medicine
Homeopathic Physician
Metabolic Medicine
Integrative Oncology
Certified Nutrition Specialist


Monday, September 5, 2011

Cancer

The word "cancer" was translated by Celsus (28 BC - 50 AD) from the Greek term, "carcinos".  Hippocrates first developed the word, "carcinos" to describe growths and chronic ulcers and it is not known if what he was describing at that time is the same as what we now call 'cancer'.

But, "cancer", like all diagnoses are only names of processes that the body is undergoing to maintain balance and health (homeostasis).  In fact, the chemicals (cytokines) produced by "cancer" and the chemicals produced by healing wounds are basically the same; they stimulate new blood vessel growth (angiogenisis) and tissue proliferation.  That's a really good and necessary process for healing wounds but it's not so good if it is a tumor or other forms of cancer.

This is the reason why "cancer" has previously been referred to as, "the wound that wouldn't heal".  The only reason that a wound will not heal is if whatever caused the wound to occur in the first place continues to occur or if the body is too overwhelmed to heal because of a lack of energy and raw materials (nutrients) to replace old cells and build new ones OR if there are too many different "attacks" on the body from trauma, poisoning and other environmental conditions.

Clearly, what we call, "cancer" then, is our body's extraordinary effort to keep us alive.  In fact, all that the body ever does is attempt to maintain balance and function.  With this in mind, one realizes that to "go to war against cancer" is to go to war against our body's attempt to resolve a problem.  It really makes no sense and, in fact, it is also clear that this method of dealing with cancer is based on the false premise (belief) that "cancer" is a "thing" that is in our body and that we must "kill" it.

What really must happen is that we must eliminate the reasons that are causing the body to go through these processes, provide the appropriate nutrition and eliminate tumor(s) in such a way that we don't harm the body's ability to heal.

Thomas Lodi, MD
Internal Medicine
Homeopathic Physician
Metabolic Medicine
Integrative Oncology
Certified Nutrition Specialist