Mesothelioma
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- What is mesothelioma?
- Symptoms of mesothelioma
- Causes of mesothelioma
- Prevention of mesothelioma
- Risk factors for mesothelioma
- Complications of mesothelioma
- When to see a doctor about mesothelioma
- Diagnosis of mesothelioma
- Conventional treatment of mesothelioma
- Alternative/complementary treatment of mesothelioma
- Living with mesothelioma
- Caring for someone with mesothelioma
Alternative/complementary treatment of mesothelioma
People who have mesothelioma must talk to their doctor about any alternative / complementary strategies that they are thinking about undertaking, before doing so. Your doctor will be in the best position to advise you if these strategies will help you. Vitamins, herbs, minerals and other nutrients can have major adverse effects if taken in combination with some medications - so always be careful and ask before taking them.
Use these strategies here as a guide and work with your doctor (and possibly alternative health specialist) to find the best combination of medication and alternative/complementary therapy that can work the best for you.
At present, there is no cure for mesothelioma.
Herbs
There are a number of excellent herbs which may help to provide relief for symptoms:
- Echinacea - the herb echinacea assists the immune system to stimulate it to work more effectively at fighting off illness and infection. Check with your doctor if this herb is suitable for you
- Olive leaf - the potent mediterranean herb olive leaf is an anti-viral herb which has a supportive effect on the immune system. Check with your doctor if this herb is suitable for you
Vitamins
There are a number of vitamins which may help to provide relief for symptoms:
- Bioflavonoids - the antioxidant effects of the bioflavonoids work best in conjunction with vitamin C to provide a huge boost to the immune system, to help it function more effectively in ridding the body of free radical, viruses and bacteria and ensuring the cells in the body are healthy and normal
- Vitamin A - the antioxidant effect of vitamin A is needed to boost the function of the immune system to help it rid the body of free radicals, viruses and bacteria and ensuring the cells in the body are healthy and normal . Vitamin A is also needed to ensure the mucous membranes are supple, moist and healthy and this is important for people with mesothelioma
- Vitamin B3 - the antioxidant vitamin B3 (niacin) helps to provide a boost to the immune system to get rid of free radicals that are released from any activity in the cells. In addition to this, vitamin B3 (niacin) helps to reduce the toxicity of chemotherapy medications
- Vitamin C - the antioxidant effect of vitamin C works best in conjunction with the bioflavonoids to provide a huge boost to the immune system, to help it function more effectively in ridding the body of free radicals, viruses and bacteria and ensuring the cells in the body are healthy and normal. In addition to this, vitamin C helps to reduce the toxicity of chemotherapy medications
- Vitamin D - the hormone vitamin D is needed by the immune system for it to function properly. In addition to this, vitamin D is very effective helping the body uptake the benefits of the chemotherapy medication Thiotepa for mesothelioma in the lungs, by increasing the amount of cancer cells that are killed off
- Vitamin E - the antioxidant effect of vitamin E works to improve the function of the immune system, to help it function more effectively in ridding the body of free radicals, viruses and bacteria and ensuring the cells in the body are healthy and normal. Animal studies show that vitamin E help to kills off cancer cells in mice with malignant mesothelioma. In addition to this, vitamin E helps the chemotherapy/radiotherapy drugs kill off more of the cancer cells and it also helps to reduce the toxicity of the chemotherapy medications
- Vitamin K - it is important to have adequate intake of vitamin K as it help the blood clot properly and this is important when there are any injuries in the body. People who have surgery to remove the tumour may need extra vitamin K to help their body heal more quickly - discuss supplementation with your doctor prior to surgery. In addition to this, vitamin K, in conjunction with vitamin C, helps to kill tumour cells
Minerals
There are a number of minerals which may help to provide relief for symptoms:
- Calcium - the mineral calcium is very effective helping the body uptake the benefits of the chemotherapy medication Thiotepa for mesothelioma in the lungs, by increasing the amount of cancer cells that are killed off
- Selenium - the potent antioxidant mineral selenium helps the immune system function more effectively and may be a useful adjunct to conventional therapy to help boost white blood cell function in fighting the spread of the tumour. In addition to this, selenium helps to reduce the toxicity of chemotherapy medications
- Zinc - the antioxidant mineral zinc has excellent healing properties. It provides a boost to the body to heal more quickly from any infection, illness or injury because it greatly boosts the function of the white blood cells and the immune system
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Other nutrients
There are a number of other nutrients which may help to provide relief for symptoms:
- Coenzyme Q10 - the nutrient co-enzyme q10 is vital in helping the body produce and use energy within the cells more effectively. In addition to this, coenzyme Q10 helps to reduce the toxic side effects of chemotherapy medications
- Cysteine - the non-essential amino acid cysteine is beneficial for providing protection to the liver, brain and lining of the stomach. In addition to this, cysteine (in the form of -acetyl cysteine) specifically helps to protect the kidneys against damage from some chemotherapy drugs but it also helps to prevent side effects from chemotherapy and radiation therapy in general
- Fish oil - the omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil are beneficial in reducing inflammation in the body from all causes. People with mesothelioma have inflamed cells due to the malignant growth and so the omega-3 fatty acids may assist with reducing the inflammation. In addition to this, omega-3 fatty acids help to increase the effectiveness of the chemotherapy drugs and radiation therapy in killing off the cancer cells
- Glutathione - the powerful antioxidant amino acid-like substance glutathione is very effective in detoxifying harmful compounds in the liver which provides a protective effect on the body in general from the chemotherapy and radiotherapy medications. In addition to this, glutathione helps to specifically protect the kidneys against damage from some chemotherapy drugs
- Lipoic acid - the potent antioxidant lipoic acid help to boost the function of the other antioxidants. In addition to this, lipoic acid helps to reduce the toxic side effects of chemotherapy medications
- Pancreatic enzymes - there are a number of pancreatic enzymes which are useful in enabling proper digestion and absorption of food, which is really important in people who have mesothelioma (and any form of cancer) as proper nutrition becomes a huge issue for cancer patients. In addition to this, the pancreatic enzymes help the chemotherapy drugs (any type) to kill off the cancer cells more efficiently and improve survival
Dietary modifications
There are a number of dietary modification strategies which may help to provide relief for symptoms:
- Garlic, onions and ginger - fresh garlic and ginger especially, but also onions have potent anti-viral effects, provide a huge boost to the immune system and ensure that circulation is normal
- More fruit - the darker and more richer the colour, the more antioxidants the fruit contains and the more nutrients it provides. Only eat organic fruit from local farms as that will be the freshest and have the most nutrients
- More vegetables - the darker and more richer the colour, the more antioxidants the vegetable contains and the more nutrients it provides. Eat lots of dark green leafy vegetables in a salad every day to get the most nutrients (unless advised against this). Only eat organic vegetables from local farms as that will be the freshest and have the most nutrients
Lifestyle modifications
There are a number of lifestyle modifications which may help to provide relief for symptoms:
- Don't smoke - people with any form of mesothelioma must not smoke, especially if they have the lung form, as that will only make symptoms worse, progress the condition more quickly and make breathing even harder. People who do not smoke but live with smokers should endeavour not to be exposed to any second-hand smoke at all
- Exercise - some light exercise is beneficial every day. Exercise such as walking is gentle and can be handled by most people with mesothelioma
- Meditation - studies show that meditation not only improves mental function, but it can also help to boost and improve immune system function, which is very beneficial in people with any type of malignant condition
Alternative treatments
- Naturopath - a naturopath, in conjunction with the medical specialists (including oncologists) can be a good combination of therapies, as long as all are aware the medications you are taking in order to tailor an alternative plan with specific supplements to help reduce toxicity of the chemotherapy medications and to boost their function in killing the cancer cells
Always ensure that you notify your medical practitioner of any supplements that you want to take - it may interfere with other medication or conditions you have. Confirm with your doctor it is safe to take BEFORE you try it.
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< 9: conventional treatment 11: living with mesothelioma > Last reviewed: 3 January 2009 || Last updated: 8 January 2010
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NOTE: Mega doses of any type of vitamin, mineral, amino acid or herbal supplement cannot cure illnesses and in fact can be very dangerous and produce toxic side effects and interfere with medicine you are taking. Always ensure you consult your doctor before taking any type of complementary supplements.
Disclaimer: This guide is not intended to be used for diagnostic or prescriptive purposes. For any treatment or diagnosis of illness, please see your doctor.
