The following article covers holistic treatments for brain cancer.
Brain cancer is one of the most frightening diagnoses a patient can receive. It’s critical that patients with malignant brain tumors fight the disease with every weapon in their doctors’ arsenal.
Those treatment options now include holistic treatments for brain cancer.
Holistic Treatments for Brain Cancer
This post will discuss 10 of the most effective natural treatments.
1. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
A 2019 study explored the benefits of hyperbaric oxygenation therapy (HBOT) for brain tumor patients. In this retrospective analysis, the researchers looked at the outcomes for 132 brain cancer patients who had undergone surgery for their condition. Seventy received conventional anticancer drugs, while 62 received hyperbaric oxygen therapy. The study measured the levels of two substances in their blood serum, TNF-α (a tumor necrosis factor) and IL-6 (which plays a critical role in cancer development). In addition, the researchers evaluated the patient’s ability to perform activities of daily living and their neurological function deficit (NFD) to evaluate the patient’s condition. The results showed that the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 of the patients treated with HBOT “were significantly lower than those in the group that received conventional medications.” The patients also had higher scores on their ability to perform tasks of daily living and had less neurological function deficit than the control group. Since brain cancer – or any cancer, for that matter – relies upon a lack of oxygen to stimulate the formation of new blood vessels and cause tumors to expand and spread, HBOT is a potent ally in the fight against brain cancer.
2. Quercetin
Holistic medicine can offer a non-toxic option for patients with glioblastoma, the most aggressive of all brain cancers. Whether as an adjunct treatment to traditional cancer therapies or as a standalone treatment, quercetin, a bioflavonoid found in many foods, can inhibit glioblastoma cell migration and angiogenesis, a 2017 glioblastoma study showed. Without the formation of new blood vessels to feed a tumor’s new growth, cancer cell proliferation slows considerably as cell death occurs. Quercetin IV therapy is only one of a wealth of integrative and alternative cancer treatments Brio-Medical provides, offering hope to glioblastoma patients who are out of other options.
3. Mistletoe
A 2018 study points out that doctors have used mistletoe extracts to treat cancer for over 100 years. However, with today’s technology and knowledge of cellular processes, mistletoe has reemerged as a potent weapon in the fight against brain cancer. The study, conducted on mice and mouse glioma cells, examined the effect of three medications containing a mistletoe lectin called ML-1 on animals with glioma, a type of brain cancer. The researchers found that cells they treated with ML-1 medications “enhanced the expansion of cancer cell-specific T-cells, as well as T-cell-mediated tumor cell lysis.” That’s not all. Mice who received the medications in conjunction with radiotherapy and chemotherapy enjoyed prolonged survival rates – even with aggressive gliomas – than those without the medication. For that reason, mistletoe shows excellent potential as a complement to other anticancer therapies.
4. Curcumin
Natural treatment options for brain malignancies have come to the forefront of many studies over the last few years. Curcumin, an extract from turmeric, shows great promise in that area, especially as an adjuvant therapy to other treatment options for glioblastoma and gliomas. A 2016 literature review in Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity details several of those studies. Curcumin’s anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, and antioxidant properties, along with its low toxicity, make it an excellent candidate for an alternative cancer treatment. The studies featured in the review revealed that curcumin has several anticancer properties, including slowing cellular proliferation, encouraging apoptosis (cellular death of cancer cells), stopping angiogenesis, and decreasing invasion and metastasis. In addition, the review cited several other studies that showed tumor proliferation in medulloblastoma cells as well.
5. Hyperthermia
Hyperthermia therapy, whether in the course of integrative cancer treatments or as a standalone approach, uses heat to raise a patient’s body temperature, leading to increased neutrophil production and infiltration of the neutrophils into the tumor, a 2020 literature review on brain tumors’ response to hyperthermia therapy shows. Furthermore, the review says tumor tissue is more sensitive to heat than normal tissue and, thus, more likely to suffer damage from the heat, often leading to cancer cell death. In addition, hyperthermia therapy “can enhance the effect of chemotherapy through increased substrate delivery and by rendering malignant cells more sensitive to chemotherapy.” Similarly, hyperthermia can augment radiation therapy as well by making the cancer cells more sensitive to radiation, making it an effective complement to traditional brain cancer therapies as well.
6. Natural Immunotherapy
Recent developments in brain tumor research have opened the door to using natural immunotherapy to treat various brain cancers. Earlier, doctors thought that with the brain’s protective blood-brain barrier and no lymphatic drainage, it would not be susceptible to “systemic immune surveillance,” a 2019 review of immunotherapy studies reports.
However, researchers now have found that introducing blood-borne immune cells into the central nervous system gives doctors an opportunity to develop immunotherapies to fight both primary and metastatic brain cancers. As a standalone treatment, not enough evidence exists on immunotherapy’s effectiveness against brain cancer. However, as an adjuvant to radiotherapy or other anticancer treatments, it has proven effective.
7. Ozone IV Therapy
Doctors face a dilemma when treating brain cancer with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Tumors become hypoxic – a state in which they don’t get enough oxygen. To feed their growth, the tumors grow new blood vessels, which in turn stimulate new growth. Even without conventional therapies, tumors often become hypoxic, driving growth.
Ozone therapy, however, delivers ozone – which has three oxygen atoms instead of regular oxygen’s two – to the bloodstream, bringing oxygen to the tumor. A pilot study in 2004 discovered that IV therapy conducted on cancer patients for three alternate days over a week’s time significantly reduced their tumors’ hypoxia, thus making it less likely for the tumors to grow. Ozone IV therapy is a must-have for people who have undergone chemotherapy or radiotherapy and a helpful intervention for patients who have chosen other treatment options.
8. High-Intensity PEMF
Patients who seek a non-toxic alternative to treat their brain cancer can explore the benefits of pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy. It’s non-invasive, safe, and has little to no side effects. A 2016 literature review of PEMF’s effectiveness in treating cancer revealed that PEMF therapy was a helpful adjuvant treatment for patients who chose traditional treatments, such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Additionally, since the studies that the researchers reviewed showed that PEMF inhibited proliferative activity in cancer cells and blocked the formation of new cancer-feeding blood vessels – slowing cancer’s growth – PEMF therapy is an excellent alternative for people who have opted for natural cancer treatment.
9. Alpha-Lipoic Acid
A natural antioxidant found in various vegetables, grains, and meat, alpha-lipoic acid is another promising natural treatment for brain cancer. A 2018 study published in Medicines examined the effects of several antioxidants, including alpha-lipoic acid, on glioblastoma cells. Alpha-lipoic acid performed exceptionally well, reducing cancer cell proliferation as a stand-alone treatment and as an adjuvant to temozolomide, a potent anticancer drug. Since alpha-lipoic acid can cross the blood-brain barrier, it can easily access tumors well inside the brain.
10. Detoxification IV Therapy (Chelation)
While iron is a necessary mineral for feeding the red blood cells responsible for oxygen transport, too much of it can cause several diseases, including cancer. A 2013 study looked at the potential for iron chelation (removal of excess iron) therapy in treating cancer, finding it effective in reducing tumor growth and causing cancer cell death.
If you’ve just received a diagnosis of brain cancer, there is hope. These therapies – and many more – are available at Brio-Medical, a cancer center that offers alternative and integrative treatments with roots in both nature and science. Learn what we can do for you or your loved one with a free consultation.
External references:
Hou, S., Wu, G., Liang, J., Cheng, H., Chen, C. “Hyperbaric oxygen on rehabilitation of brain tumors after surgery and effects on TNF-α and IL-6 levels”. Oncology Letters 17.3 (2019): 3277-3282.
Liu, Yue, et al. “Low concentration of quercetin antagonizes the invasion and angiogenesis of human glioblastoma U251 cells.” OncoTargets and therapy vol. 10 4023-4028. 11 Aug. 2017, doi:10.2147/OTT.S136821
Schötterl, Sonja, et al. “Adjuvant therapy using mistletoe-containing drugs boosts the t-cell-mediated killing of glioma cells and prolongs the survival of glioma bearing Mice.” Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine: eCAM vol. 2018 3928572. 27 Aug. 2018, doi:10.1155/2018/3928572
Klinger, Neil V, and Sandeep Mittal. “Therapeutic potential of curcumin for the treatment of brain tumors.” Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity vol. 2016 (2016): 9324085. doi:10.1155/2016/9324085
Skandalakis, Georgios P et al. “Hyperthermia treatment advances for brain tumors.” International Journal of Hyperthermia: the official journal of the European Society for Hyperthermic Oncology, North American Hyperthermia Group vol. 37,2 (2020): 3-19. doi:10.1080/02656736.2020.1772512
Sevenich, Lisa. “Turning ‘cold’ into “hot” tumors—opportunities and challenges for radio-immunotherapy against primary and metastatic brain cancers.” Frontiers in oncology, vol. 9, 2019, doi: 10.3389/fonc.2019.00163
Clavo, Bernardino, et al. “Ozone therapy for tumor oxygenation: a pilot study.” Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine: eCAM vol. 1,1 (2004): 93-98. doi:10.1093/ecam/neh009
Vadalà, Maria, et al. “Mechanisms and therapeutic effectiveness of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy in oncology.” Cancer medicine vol. 5,11 (2016): 3128-3139. doi:10.1002/cam4.861
McConnell, Diane, et al. “Do anti-oxidants vitamin D3, melatonin, and alpha-lipoic acid have synergistic effects with temozolomide on cultured glioblastoma cells?” Medicines, vol. 5, no. 2, June 2018, p. 58. doi:10.3390/medicines5020058
Bedford, M.R., et al. “Iron chelation in the treatment of cancer: a new role for deferasirox?.” The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, vol. 53: 885-891. 2013. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcph.113
