| Like many other major debilitating illnesses, is a | | | | the person undergoing the process. The most |
| serious, life-threatening disease that can cause the | | | | common physical side effect is nausea, but often |
| patient to feel extremely anxious and frightened | | | | other symptoms appear and linger, such as |
| about the direction of his or her health. Choosing the | | | | depression, rapid weight loss, diarrhea, vomiting, |
| appropriate healing regimen can be daunting since it is | | | | fatigue, general pain, and hair loss. |
| generally difficult to predict whether the benefits of | | | | Another reason why many people decide to take a |
| the system will outweigh the potential side effects. | | | | more natural route in regards to cancer therapy is |
| Many times the patient is encouraged to begin | | | | cost. Mainstream medicine is a multi-billion dollar |
| treatment even if he or she is not yet experiencing | | | | business, and the decisions and recommendations |
| any symptoms from the disease. | | | | that medical doctors make for the patient are largely |
| Many people are not aware that there are other | | | | influenced by the amount of money involved. |
| options for the treatment besides chemotherapy. | | | | Their practice is regulated by the FDA which |
| More and more people are opting for alternative | | | | promotes only approved pharmaceutical drugs, and |
| cancer medication and relying on natural-based | | | | their malpractice insurance will not cover their practice |
| therapy instead of synthetic, pharmaceutical | | | | if they use unapproved procedures or prescribe |
| medications and procedures to alleviate their | | | | unregulated drug alternatives. Many times the |
| symptoms, improve the functioning of their organs, | | | | judgment of the medical doctor is determined by |
| and diminish the disease that is infecting their body. | | | | specific guidelines and regulations instead of the |
| Why do many patients opt out of chemotherapy for | | | | overall well-being of the patient. |
| this type of regime? There are numerous reasons for | | | | Alternative cancer treatments generally refer to |
| this, but a primary reason is that chemotherapy is | | | | treatments not yet approved by the FDA and have |
| known to cause a variety of severe, and often | | | | not yet been accepted by mainstream society, but |
| painful, side effects. | | | | more and more people are realizing that these are |
| Although chemotherapy has shown to eliminate | | | | not necessary requirements for a successful cancer |
| cancerous cells by targeting rapidly dividing cells, the | | | | treatment, especially since many of these practices |
| medication and procedures associated with this | | | | are scientifically-based and shown to have effective |
| treatment also affect the normal, healthy cells that | | | | results. |
| exist in the patient's blood, intestinal tract, nails, nose, | | | | These healing practices are holistic in nature, meaning |
| mouth, and hair, causing a multitude of issues not | | | | that all aspects of the patient's well-being are taken |
| related to the disease. | | | | into consideration when formulating a regimen, |
| The severity of the side effects largely depends on | | | | including emotional factors, lifestyle habits, social |
| the amount of chemotherapy medication being | | | | aspects, psychological influences, and the person's |
| administered, as well as the health and endurance of | | | | mental state. |