Originally published July 24 2005
Treating cancer as a whole-body disease
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
David Rakel, MD, and Lucille Marchand, MD, of UW Health's Integrative Medicine Center understand that most cancer treatments try to destroy the cancerous part of the body, without treating the entire person. That's why they focus on nourishment, movement, meaning, and peace in their cancer treatment.
That's not very useful for cancer patients, which is why David Rakel, MD, and Lucille Marchand, MD, of UW Health's Integrative Medicine Center define it in a more broad and personal way.
For these two physicians, cancer is many things - a turning point, a strong motivator for change, a personal journey of exploration.
And because it is so varied, treatment requires a multifaceted approach.
At a discussion Wednesday at UW Hospital and Clinics, Drs. Rakel and Marchand told an audience of health care providers, cancer specialists and cancer survivors that patients cope with cancer most effectively when they acknowledge and address the many internal and external influences that affect their health.
In "Life after Chemotherapy: Empowering Positive Action to Prevent a Recurrence," the pair said factors such as nutrition, stress, social support, spiritual connections and environment-born toxic exposure have profound consequences for patients undergoing chemotherapy or dealing with its aftermath.
And adopting a recovery plan that involves personal empowerment and nourishment and recognizes the mind-body connection in all of us can lead to more positive outcomes.
Early in its evolution, the medical profession tended toward a genetic understanding of disease, said Dr. Rakel.
For that they subscribe to an epigenetic approach, which takes into account variables such as environment, diet, anxiety, and a person's self-conception and state of mind.
All of these factors, Dr. Rakel and Dr. Marchand insist, play a role in recovery.
And, unlike the patient's genetic makeup, they can be controlled and used to benefit the healing process.
"Coping style is not something we're born with.
It has to do with how the patient interacts with the world and includes elements of the mind, body and spirit.
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