The following guide explains holistic treatments for skin cancer.
Skin cancer is characterized by uncontrolled rapid growth of malignant skin cells. The disease is mainly caused by sun exposure.
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun carries enough ionizing energy to break DNA strands in epidermal cells, causing mutations that can lead to any of the three types of skin cancer. These are:
- Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common skin cancer. It usually occurs as brown scaly patches or white waxy lumps around sun-exposed areas of the skin, such as the face, arms, and legs. BCC is not life-threatening because it rarely spreads to other parts of the body.
- Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) – SCC can appear as dark open sores, scaly red lesions, or reddish nodules on sun-exposed areas. This cancer can spread to nearby lymph nodes and internal organs.
- Melanoma – This is a highly invasive and dangerous cancer. It appears as brown patches or pigmented moles, usually around the upper back or lower legs. It develops rapidly and can spread to any organ in the patient’s body.
According to the Cancer Facts & Figures 2022 report, skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the US.
Fortunately, most skin cancers are highly curable, especially when detected and treated early. Conventional skin cancer treatments include excision, chemotherapy, cryotherapy, radiotherapy, and Mohs surgery.
However, skin cancer patients can also opt for various holistic therapies as either primary or supplemental treatments.
Holistic Treatments for Skin Cancer
Holistic therapy seeks to stimulate the body’s innate ability to heal itself. It gets to the root cause of the problem rather than only addressing the disease or its symptoms.
By taking this deeper approach, holistic treatments promote healing from within, improving the patient’s overall physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual state.
In practice, holistic treatments can be administered independently or alongside conventional treatments to boost the patient’s response to medication and suppress any unpleasant side effects.
Here are ten science-backed holistic treatments for skin cancer:
1. Vitamin C
Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, helps the body form muscles, ligaments, blood vessels, cartilage, collagen, and bones.
It’s also essential for maintaining cellular and skin health. When it comes to skin cancer treatment, vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that blocks harmful free radicals caused by radiation exposure.
Studies show a strong correlation between high vitamin C concentration in the blood and induced cytotoxicity against melanoma cells.
Brio-Medical, Scottsdale AZ explains the benefits of Vitamin C as it relates to cancer treatment in the video below.
2. Vitamin E
Vitamin E (ferulic acid) dissolves in fat and is stored in fatty tissues and the liver.
It’s a potent antioxidant that protects healthy tissues from the damaging effects of free radicals, making it helpful in fighting skin cancer.
Vitamin E is a common active ingredient in consumer skincare products for its UV protection and wound healing properties.
It can also be given orally or topically to treat skin cancer. A lab study found that topical Vitamin E treatment significantly reduced tumor load in a mice test sample.
3. Ozone Sauna
An ozone sauna is a special pod that bathes the body in hot steam and ozone gas.
The hot steam relaxes the skin and opens its pores, allowing the ozone to percolate deep in the skin tissues.
This type of ozone therapy rejuvenates the skin, relieves oxidative stress, boosts immunity, and checks inflammation.
4. Photo Biomodulation Therapy (Halo)
Photo biomodulation therapy blends the healing power of light with botanicals.
Violet LEDs shine light through transparent botanical vials filled with an assortment of natural extracts and herbs and onto the patient’s bare skin.
Once absorbed by the skin, the biomodulated photons stimulate healing, reduce pain, and promote hormonal balance. Various studies support Halo as a complementary cancer therapy.
5. Red Light Therapy (RLT)
Red light therapy works by shining a beam of red or near-infrared light onto the patient’s skin.
Cells within the skin absorb this light and convert it into healing and regenerative bio-energy.
In a 2012 study, researchers demonstrated that whole-body red therapy could safely reduce skin tumors in mice test subjects.
6. Nutrition Therapy
Nutrition therapy involves counseling and guidance on dieting best practices to supplement skin cancer treatment and help fight the disease.
It generally aims to incorporate known skincare nutritional components such as vitamins C and E, omega-3, selenium, zinc, and beta-carotene in everyday meal plans.
7. Hyperthermia
Hyperthermia is a heat treatment where the entire body or a select part is exposed to temperatures as high as 113 °F (45 °c).
Thousands of clinical studies prove hyperthermia’s effectiveness in improving patients’ response to traditional cancer treatments such as radiotherapy and chemo.
The therapy is commonly administered through radiofrequency ablation (RFA) to kill tumor cells selectively.
Whole-body hyperthermia also helps revitalize the skin and restore its natural glow and elasticity.
8. Weber Laser
Weber Laser is a unique tool used in low-level light therapy (LLLT), a type of photodynamic (PTD) treatment.
Unlike the high-powered lasers used in cancer surgeries to destroy tumors, Weber Laser supplies cells with the energy they need to heal and regenerate.
A 2011 study points out that low-dose PTD presents several therapeutic advantages over laser surgery, chemo, and radiotherapy, including lower long-term morbidity and faster recovery.
9. Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is a general term referring to various techniques that boost or optimize the body’s natural immune system to fight cancer.
These include immune checkpoint inhibitors, targeted antibodies, adoptive cell therapies, oncolytic virus therapy, and immune system modulators.
This publication by the American Cancer Society dives deeper into the biology and effectiveness of various immune-based therapies.
10. Mind-Body Medicine
Holistic medicine balances the being as a whole; it deals with more than just the physical manifestation of disease.
Any ailment takes a heavy toll on the patient’s mental and emotional well-being, so soothing the mind and soul is just as important as treating the body.
Several wellness practices can ease the patient’s mind while relieving agony and allowing other cancer treatments to work. Such methods include emotional counseling, acupuncture, meditation, and therapeutic massages.
Holistic Skin Cancer Treatment with Brio-Medical
Brio-Medical is an alternative cancer treatment center in Scottsdale, Arizona, helping patients to lead quality lives through self-healing and wellness.
The healthcare professionals at Brio-Medical combine conventional and holistic therapies in treating cancer, Lyme disease, autoimmune disorders, and other chronic ailments.
Reach out to Brio-Medical for personalized holistic care and treatments that truly work.
Schedule a Consultation with Brio-Medical
References:
- American Cancer Society. “Cancer Facts & Figures 2022 report.” The American Cancer Society, Atlanta, Georgia. 2022.
- Yang, Guang, et al. “Vitamin C at high concentrations induces cytotoxicity in malignant melanoma but promotes tumor growth at low concentrations.” Molecular carcinogenesis vol. 56,8 (2017): 1965-1976. doi:10.1002/mc.22654
- Burns EM, Tober KL, Riggenbach JA, Kusewitt DF, Young GS, et al. “Differential Effects of Topical Vitamin E and C E Ferulic® Treatments on Ultraviolet Light B-Induced Cutaneous Tumor Development in Skh-1 Mice.” PLOS ONE 8(5) (2013): e63809.
- Elvis, A M, and J S Ekta. “Ozone therapy: A clinical review.” Journal of natural science, biology, and Medicine vol. 2,1 (2011): 66-70. doi:10.4103/0976-9668.82319
- Clavo, Bernardino, et al. “Modulation of Oxidative Stress by Ozone Therapy in the Prevention and Treatment of Chemotherapy-Induced Toxicity: Review and Prospects.” Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 8,12 588. 26 Nov. 2019, doi:10.3390/antiox8120588
- Hamblin, Michael R. “Photobiomodulation or low-level laser therapy.” Journal of biophotonics vol. 9,11-12 (2016): 1122-1124. doi:10.1002/jbio.201670113
- Myakishev-Rempel, Max, et al. “A preliminary study of the safety of red light phototherapy of tissues harboring cancer.” Photomedicine and laser surgery vol. 30,9 (2012): 551-8. doi:10.1089/pho.2011.3186
- Katta, Rajani, and Danielle Nicole Brown. “Diet and Skin Cancer: The Potential Role of Dietary Antioxidants in Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer Prevention.” Journal of skin cancer vol. 2015 (2015): 893149. doi:10.1155/2015/893149
- Cihoric, Nikola, et al. “Hyperthermia-related clinical trials on cancer treatment within the ClinicalTrials.gov registry.” International Journal of Hyperthermia: the official journal of European Society for Hyperthermic Oncology, North American Hyperthermia Group vol. 31,6 (2015): 609-14. doi:10.3109/02656736.2015.1040471
- Agostinis P, Berg K, Cengel K, Foster T, Girotti A, O. Gollnick, Hahn S, Hamblin M, Juzeniene A, Kessel D, Korbelik M, Moan J, Mroz P, Nowis D, Piette J, Wilson B, Golab J. “Photodynamic Therapy of Cancer: An Update.” CA Cancer J Clin. 2011; 61(4): 250–281. doi:10.3322/caac.20114.
- The American Cancer Society. “Immunotherapy for Melanoma Skin Cancer.” Treating melanoma skin cancer. Last Revised: March 22, 2022. Accessed: August 9, 2022.
