Alternative cancer treatments - not a 'one or the other' choice.

According to Statistics Canada, the cancer rate is on the rise. To be fair, we are better able to diagnose many forms of cancer now, and we are living longer than ever before, so more people are living with cancer.

The article that I read in the Montreal gazette quoted Heather Logan, spokesperson for the Canadian Cancer Society, as saying "that although the research is valuable, healthy living — such as not smoking and maintaining a healthy body weight" and that "about 50 per cent of cancers could be prevented if we applied what we already know and made as many of those healthy choices as easy as possible to implement".

This is where Naturopathic Doctors using Naturopathic Medicine fit it brilliantly. We provide our patients with the time needed to implement these healthy choices. We take a holistic approach and work with our patients to reach their goals. It's one thing to tell your patients to eat more fibre, it's an entirely different thing to sit with them and educate them about how to do that.

More than half of all cancer cases were in the form of breast, prostate and colorectal cancer. We know that these forms of cancer are hugely related to how we live and eat.

Naturopathic Doctors can not only help on the prevention side of cancer (that is where we shine though), but also on the treatment side of cancer. If a diagnosis of breast cancer, colorectal cancer, or prostate cancer has already been given out, that does not mean that it's too late to see an ND. We are well versed with what natural treatments are safe and effective to use with chemotherapy and radiation. In fact, there are many natural remedies that actually augment the response to specific chemo's and reduce the likelihood of side effects.

A common misconception about Naturopathic Medicine is that it is not based in science. This is especially untrue with respect to natural cancer treatments. There is a growing body of evidence to support the use of natural medicine while undergoing more conventional treatments.

Educate yourself, and find an ND that is right for you. While I respect Oncologists and Radiologists for their body of knowledge, I also respect that natural medicine is my specialty. It's what I know, it's what I do, and I do it well.

Yours in health,
Kerri Fullerton ND