“You aren’t sick because you have cancer –
You have cancer because you are sick.” Dr Lorraine Day

The Cancer Compass an Alternate Route blog was created to provide information for those who are struggling with a cancer diagnosis and are looking for alternative options.  Often cancer patients are rushed to begin the traditional therapies of surgery, chemotherapy or radiation and aren’t given the opportunity to investigate the alternative therapies that would be helpful for them.  There are many options available, but you will not hear about them from your oncologist, radiologist, or surgeon because it is illegal in the U.S. to use anything other than the aforementioned therapies to treat cancer.  There are two reasons for this.

1. Your doctor has not been trained in nutritional or alternative therapies so they will not be aware of how these therapies may be helpful to you.
2. Your doctor would risk losing their medical license if they mentioned anything other than the FDA approved methods of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation for the treatment of cancer.

The War on Cancer-  We are in the midst of a cancer epidemic, as one in two men and one in three women can expect to be diagnosed with cancer at some point during their lifetimes.  Cancer is expected to claim 585,720 American lives in 2014, along with 7.6 million people worldwide.  About 1,665,540 new cases are expected to be diagnosed in the United  States in 2014, and this estimate does not include figures for carcinoma in situ (which is a non-invasive cancer) of any site except for urinary/bladder, nor does it include basal cell or squamous cell carcinomas because they are not required to be reported to the cancer registries.

Even though research and treatment efforts have intensified over the past three decades, the annual death toll has continued to rise.  Researchers point out that this is because people are living longer than ever, and since cancer becomes more prevalent with age, it is unfair to just look at only the raw numbers when assessing progress.   Therefore, when mortality rates are calculated, they are adjusted to compare cancer fatalities by age group, over time.  Yet even when using this model for analysis, the percentage of Americans dying from cancer is about the same as it was back in the 50’s; and since our population has grown since then, this means that more people than ever are being diagnosed with cancer, more people than ever are dying from the disease and many of them are below the age of 50.  We must recognize that our current strategies are not working.

Billions of Dollars Spent-  The National Cancer Institute has an annual budget of 5 billion dollars and has spent about 90 billion dollars on research and treatments since the war on cancer was declared in 1971. Pharmaceutical companies spend about 8 billion dollars annually researching and developing cancer drugs, and there are about 260 nonprofit organizations in the United States that have  dedicated themselves to cancer that have annual budgets topping $2.2 billion.  All told, the money spent each year on cancer exceeds 16  billion dollars.  But one must question,  what has all of this money bought for us?  We hear regularly about new breakthroughs that are happening in the cancer arena, yet these treatments have only extended lives by an average of 2 or 3 additional months and this is often in a state of extreme suffering.

Ignoring the Obvious-  From a more historical perspective, cancer has always been a rare disease, that is, until the steadily increasing rates that have occurred within industrialized nations since the early to mid 1900’s.   Billions of dollars are being spent annually looking for genetic links to cancer, but are we ignoring the obvious….  The human genome has not changed significantly for thousands of years, so why would our genes suddenly go rogue and become the causes of death for millions of people?  The answer is that damaged and faulty genes are not the killers that they have been made out to be.  What kills a cancer patient is not the tumor itself, but the numerous reasons behind the cell mutations that have led to the development of the tumor in the first place.   You see, cancer is a symptom of an underlying problem that has been brought on by our modern lifestyle.  More specifically by eating a poor diet, having an overly-toxic body, partaking in risky behaviors, a lack of exercise, or through the constant emotional conflicts that can suppress the immune system such as holding onto resentments or experiencing feelings of guilt and shame– all of which can overwhelm and collapse the immune system and lead to the development of cancer. 

Genetics-  are said to only account for 5- 10 % of cancers.  Yet even those  5-10% have the potential for adaptation as new research reveals that our genes have the incredible ability to respond dynamically to the environments that they are exposed to– literally activating and deactivating the chemical switches that regulate how they will express themselves.  Those environmental factors also include poor diet, exposure to toxins, risky behaviors, and how we handle stress.    To prove his theories, Dr Dean Ornish did a study on prostate cancer patients which involved eating a vegetarian diet and incorporating stress relieving techniques.   The study revealed that over 500 genes were affected by these lifestyle changes.  In fact, certain disease-preventing genes were up-regulated, or turned on, and certain disease promoting genes, including the oncogenes involved in cancer were down-regulated, or turned off.   The study suggests that comprehensive lifestyle changes can induce positive changes in gene expression that can be beneficial to the general population as well as to those suffering from  cancer.  Read more about his study with this link.

Cancer is a symptom--  it is time that we look at cancer as a symptom of a sick body, not as the problem. If we took this approach first, we would address the deficiencies and the toxicity of the body that triggered the production of unhealthy cells in the first place. Think of it this way…if your check engine light came on in your car, would you take the car in to the mechanic and say, “this light came on, can you turn it off for me?” The mechanic turns off the light without bothering to find out why it came on in the first place.   This is what happens when patients use conventional cancer protocols that cut, poison and burn the body in order to “heal it.”  Then, if patients are fortunate enough to achieve remission, the Dr sends them on their way and says to go and live their life exactly as they had before.  6 months, 2 years, or 5 years later the cancer comes back…why? Because the underlying cause of cancer was never addressed to in the first place, and they took an already compromised immune system and damaged it further with toxic treatments.

The Immune System – the simple fact is that our bodies are continually developing cancerous cells throughout our lives.  A healthy immune system is able to identify and destroy these cells before they are able to grow uncontrollably.  It is only when the immune system fails at this most basic function that cancerous cells are allowed to grow and reproduce at uncontrollable rates, thus creating a life-threatening situation.  For this reason, all cancer healing protocols should recognize that a breakdown of the immune system is a primary concern, and then work to build it back up- not tear it down further as is the norm when having conventional medical interventions.  Start by addressing your nutritional deficiencies as well as clearing your body of toxicity, and you will begin to address the true cause of cancer.

Change your internal terrain:

• By nourishing your body with whole foods that are rich in enzymes and nutrients
• The health benefits of juicing and blending fruits and vegetables
• Understanding acid/alkaline balance
• Eliminate the sugars that feed cancer, and artificial sweeteners that are linked to its development
• Eliminate the nutritionally depleted processed and fast foods from your diet; we are overfed and under-nourished
• Read about enzyme therapy
• Remove the unhealthy fats that interrupt cell function
• Include cancer-fighting foods, supplements and herbal therapies.
• Incorporate various detox strategies to cleanse your internal and external environments

Eliminate the toxins

• Hormones and antibiotics in conventional dairy and meats that promote the growth of cancer
• Chemical additives, preservatives and colorings
• Removing commonly used toxic chemicals such as fluoride and chlorine from your drinking water
• Why Genetically Modified Organisms are harmful to your body and the environment
• Removing pesticides, herbicides and fungicides
• Taking a closer look at vaccines
• How to make your own natural products.

Informational resources:

• Learning relaxation therapies such as yoga, meditations and other stress relieving exercises.
• Documentaries, book-lists and a library of websites to provide an in-depth look at alternative cancer therapies.
• Information for breast health and breast cancer.
• Articles about corruption in our current health system that relies solely on pharmaceuticals that are doing nothing to cure diseases because they don’t address the underlying causes of our health issues.
• A growing collection of doctors and clinics who are using alternative methods to treat cancer.
• Search tools to locate holistic healthcare in your area.
• A collection of various alternative therapies for cancer.
• An extensive and growing collection of personal testimonials from those who have used alternative methods to heal cancer.

Disclaimer:

• The information contained in this website is intended, and shall be deemed to be, for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for the diagnosis, treatment, or advice of a qualified licensed professional.
• None of the statements regarding alternative treatments for cancer have been evaluated by the FDA, and many of the therapies that are written about have not been approved by the FDA.
• I am not a doctor and the content contained on this website consists of my own personal commentary and opinions, and is therefore protected under the laws of free speech.
• I assume no responsibility for inaccuracies of my source materials.
• If you elect to implement, or use any of the information contained in this website, it is done so at your own free will and discretion, and this website is not liable for how this information is interpreted or used by the reader.
• I assume no responsibility relating to Google Translator’s inability to depict the materials as they were intended.
• This page is in no way affiliated with Cancer Compass.com which is an informational message board that is sponsored by Cancer Treatment Centers of America.
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