Cancer Is a Class of Essay

, about 700,000 deaths per annum); Bone (Leukemia) (cancer of the blood or bone marrow and characterized by an abnormal proliferation of white blood cells); Lymphoma (Lymphatic) (cancer that begins in the lymphocytes of the immune system then presents as a solid tumor, many types, many treatments); Brain (Neuro/Nervous) (abnormal growth of cells within the brain, can be cancerous or non-cancerous, 50,000 U.S. cases per annum, 13,000 deaths per annum); Skin (basal/squamous cell carcinoma, or malignant melanoma) (malignant growth on skin in different levels and different sizes, at an early stage may be detectable and curable); any Endocrine (Pinial, Pituitary, Thyroid, Thymus, Adrenal, Pancreas (invasive cancer of the endocrine system, various types of cancer, dependent upon robustness);, and male prostate, testes or female uterous, ovaries) (cancerous growth on the ovary or testes, non-specific symptoms, earlier diagnosis results in higher survival rates) (Weinberg).

Typical Treatments -- Traditional Cancer treatments vary, dependent upon the type of cancer and its severity. The earlier the detection, the higher the survival rate. The three major cancer treatments are radiation (using radiation to kill cells in and near the cancerous tumor or mass); chemicals (using poisons that target cancer cells to aid in the reduction of cell division); surgery (removal of tumor or cancerous areas and mass, sometimes, as in breast cancer, the entire organ). These treatments are often used in combination, for example, using radiation to reduce the cancerous mass, chemicals to then kill any remaining cancer cells, etc. (Melli). Unfortunately, while medicine has come a long way in specificity of treatment, radiation and chemicals all destroy healthy tissue as well.

Side Effects from Traditional Treatments -- Both radiation and chemicals are poisonous to both cancer cells and regular cells. Effects of treatment vary, but include loss of hair, digestive issues, immune problems, susceptibility to other disease, and general discomfort.There are also a number of nutritional and non-invasive treatment recommendations available (Servan-Schreiber, 2008).

Cures in the News -- Suzanne Summers, for example, has turned her thinking about human disease into a crusade for changing diet and nutritional health as a cancer preventative ("Suzanne Somers on Cancer," 2009). Farrah Fawcett's long battle with cancer, though, demonstrates the complex and synergistic relationship between cancer, traditional and non-traditional cures, and personal attitude (Lerner, 2009).

Conclusion -- Natural Healing and Cancer -- There are a number of natural treatments for cancer, some with more research or veracity, others with more folklore and anecdotal evidence. Alternative cures may vary from specific foods to the use of magnets, electric currents, enemas, etc. The improvement of nutritional support and the detoxification of the liver are, of course, important concepts in any medical treatment, but it is the type of cancer, the immune support in the individual's body, and the timing of treatment that preclude the outcome ("Alternative Cancer Therapies," 2009).

REFERENCES

"Alternative Cancer Treatments." (2009). Cancer Tutor. Cited in:

http://cancertutor.com/

Jemel, A., et.al. (2008). "Cancer Statistics." Journal of Clinical Cancer Care.

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http://caonline.amcancersoc.org/cgi/content/full/58/2/71

Lerner, B. (June 26, 2009). "Farrah's Fictions -- What Stories Like Fawcett's Can

Teach Us About Cancer." Slate. Cited in:

http://www.slate.com/id/2221433/

Melli, B. (2005). Cancer Cures, Causes and Prevention. Nature Publishing, Inc.

Merlot, L., et.al. (2006). "Cancer as an Evolutionary and Ecological Process."

Nat. Review of Cancer. 6(12): 924.

Servan-Schreiber, D. (2008). Anticancer: A New Way of Life. Viking Adult.

Sompayrac, L. (2003). How Cancer Works. Jones and Bartlett.

"Suzanne Somers on Cancer." (October 22, 2009). The Post Chronicle. Cited in:

http://www.postchronicle.com/news/original/article_212263152.shtml

Weibnerg, R. (2006). The….....