Ayurveda for colon cancer

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​Colon caner alone accounts of 9% of the the cancer related incidents. Moreover, it is the third most common cancer world-wide and fourth most common cause of death from cancer. In the following article Dr. Vibhuti Rao is going to explain brief on role of Ayurveda in Colon cancer. As the world is progressing towards natural and traditional medicines to search for the answers for such dreadful health problems, they are looking up to Ayurveda with high expectations to help them recover. I see patients coming to our clinics asking for Ayurveda treatment for cancer such as colon cancer. I am writing this article only for creating awareness about Ayurveda and not to treat anything. 

The word cancer itself make people go frighten and hopeless. Cancer can mean death for many and such fear do not let them overcome form this and try to manage this condition. But if they have enough will power, strong mind, support from family and friends, good doctors and medicines, they too can live a better healthy and long life. I knew someone very close who had colon cancer and I also know how that person strongly came out of cancer-free.
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What we know about Colon cancer and its management-
Colon cancer is basically a food related cancer. Colon cancer can be preventable if you have a healthy food habits. Moreover, if you are in early stage of colon cancer, you can very well manage it. So stop those bad dietary habits and jump on to healthy foods. You need to create a healthy anti-cancerous environment in your body specifically in your intestine to help grow healthy bacteria.

The cancerous growth in colon, the upper part of the large intestine is called as colon cancer. Colon cancer has five stages and early diagnosis can help the patient to even recover completely and prevent its spreading to other parts of the body. For this reason, it is necessary to get screened for colon cancer regularly after the age of fifty, especially if the risk factors are high in your case. So if you are in early stage of colon cancer, your survival rates are higher. So do not loose hopes. 

Common treatment options for colon cancer are surgery, radiation therapy, and Chemotherapy and Targeted drug therapy. In the early stage of colon cancer, surgery is preferred to remove the cancerous parts. Surgery and chemotherapy both can be given to some patients, where drugs are given to reduce the size of the cancerous part and then remove it surgically. Chemotherapy refers to the use of drugs to destroy cancer cells.

Chemotherapy is chosen if the cancer spreads to surrounding tissues and organs in later stages. Next is radiation therapy which is either used in the late stages of the cancer or in combination with surgery. Powerful rays like x rays are used to kill and shrink cancerous cells which can then easily be removed by surgery. In the final stages of colon cancer targeted drug therapy can be given but they do not always work. These drugs target the defects that allow the cancer cells to grow and multiply.

Know about your treatment options, basically patient with cancer think of three ways to get help- first with modern medicines ,second to take herbal, Ayurvedic, homeopathy etc, and third to take modern and herbal combined. Due to promising results and depending upon the patient’s condition and their decision, many chose Ayurveda for their cancer management.

Ayurvedic management for colon cancer
Ayurveda take holistic approach to manage cancer. Ayurveda believes in healing the person at physical, mental and spiritual level.  Arbuda is the term used in Ayurvedic text books to describe cancer. Typically colorectal cancers are caused by the accumulation of doshas (either vata, pitta, or kapha), or by intestinal obstruction (which is how four of the eight are described).

It is clearly stated that abdominal disease arises from a weak digestive agni (power of digestion) and a resultant increase of malas (waste products). If food is unwholesome, as are processed, frozen, rancid, or improperly cooked foods, doshas accumulate, affecting prana (life force), apana (downward force), and agni (digestive force). Waste products build up, energy becomes depleted, and the passages of prana going up and malas (waste) going down and out becomes obstructed.

General Ayurvedic Anti-cancer herbs

• Amlaki
• Ashwagandha
• Haridra
• Shatavari
• Manjistha
• Dashmaoolas
• Triphala

Herbs to improve Agni

• Ginger
• Trikatu
• Avipattikara powder
• Herbs for good elimination
• Triphala
• Yastimadhu​

Ayurvedic Diet for colon cancer

Follow Ayurvedic diet according to your needs as an individual. Generally avoid all processed foods, refined sugars, avoid food filled with chemicals and additives. 1. Reduce red meat intake.
2. Go vegetarian
3. Have Garlic in your food (one clove daily)
4. Have onions in you food.
5. Eat variety of colorful vegetables- cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, spinach, tomato, apples, etc.
6. Using fresh Turmeric is must.
7. Using olive oil for cooking or salad dressing
8. Have citrus fruits, amla, grapes,
 
Word of caution
Please a consult your cancer specialist and a qualified Ayurvedic doctor before you start taking herbal Ayurvedic things. Do not self-medicate yourself.
Namaskara, 
Vaidya Vibhuti Rao

References:
1. Cancer preventive properties of ginger: A brief review- YogeshwerShukla, MadhulikaSingh
2. Curcumin in Cancer Chemoprevention: Molecular Targets, Pharmacokinetics, Bioavailability, and Clinical Trials