Cancer: medicinal plants not always help
Many cancer patients use in addition to the modern medicine, a natural remedy to relieve side effects. However, under Umstäthe köcan herbal medicines in cancer therapy beeinträmighty
Beware: In some Fäcases führt is the taking of herbal medicines to lower effects of chemotherapy
It is a diagnosis that läfor the promotion of SMEs. Lässt, the doctor, the word cancer fü fall, ;patients feel helpless. Physicians suggest them, depending on the type and stage of the disease, surgery, chemotherapy and / or irradiation prior to – often also combined. Alternatives? Actually, no. The emotions that arise, then, knows Professor Sven Becker: "Natüof course, the Patient may decide, but in the end üthe Gefü berkommt him maybe;hl, he must do it. He füohnmä feels;powerful."
Füthe Director of the gynecology of the University hospital of Frankfurt, it is therefore vöcompletely verstäof course, that the Diseased are asking: "And what can I do against cancer?" This Bedüto be rfnis, active, hält Becker, in principle, für well. So whether it is the cancer möresembled, a Stück far "to nehmen" his fate in the Hand;.
Herbal remedies köthe cancer therapy interact
Difficult, Yes, even gefädangerous it can be, if patients without the Knowledge of the attending physician Nahrungsergälike a very simple concept, or herbal medicines, so-called phytopharmaceuticals. Just the Latter köcan with the approximately 200 cancer agents that are on the market, inter-&ndash act; either the effect of abschwäor these so-verstästrengthen health gefämay be infected. Goal directed, herbal medications, however, quite capable of Lücover the konvenconventional cancer therapy to schließto relieve en and side-effects of the treatments.
About the Hähalf of all cancer patients, engages in addition to chemotherapy or radiation treatment to herbal Drug or Nahrungsergänzungsmitteln, schäJutta Hü tzt;bner. She is a Professor für Integrative Oncology at the University hospital of Jena, and is trying to be Concerned in their search for meaningful Ergänzungen to the herköto help conventional therapy. When it comes to the zusäadditional intake of natural remedies go, be "the breast cancer patients Weltmeister", so Hübner. There, the rate was 90 percent.
Alternative healing methods alone erhöhen the risk of death
Most of the time it is just to relieve the strong side effects of radiation or chemotherapy: Ünausea, Erschöpfungszustände or Nervenschäendings. Only a small part of the cancer patient rejects the conventional therapy and sets ausschließon herbal products. "When I see the list of side effects, wüI would me also ask: Is the with less?" Hübner shows Verstäunderstanding. But who are the modern Medicine rejects and is the only angebavailable Alternative builds, playing with his life.
The impressive evidence of a current study by the Yale School of Medicine. In the case of breast cancer patients, the ausschließon alternative healing methods, was the risk, in the nänext füto die in five years, fünfmal höas in patients with a herköconventional therapy received. "Who is the scientific überprüshops Standards from harm in the most Fällen", expert Becker says.
Taking to the Chemo reduces interactions
The field is not wrong Healing slips of the tongue to üleft to die, to offer some German hospitals in the meantime, ergäshiny for tumor therapy in a naturopathic consultation. Physician, Becker is happy that there is also in his clinic is a naturopathy clinic. There is to be determined: What are the drops, teas or plant extracts köcan might help to alleviate side-effects? Köit could be to come interactions? For example, can increase a mistletoe therapy is the well-being of the patient?
Just wäduring very intensive phases of Treatment recommends Becker, however, with natural remedies zurückzuhalten. "I’m trying to set the timing of the intake behind the chemotherapy, since such interactions can best be avoided." Some of the herbal extracts köalso wä can;during the treatment be given. So ginger is reduced, for example, according to a großen US study the Ünausea, which can occur in chemotherapy. In the case of rather small complaints, it may be an Option.
In the case of strong Ünausea help herkötraditional medicines well, so-called 5-HT3 antagonists. Due to möacute interactions dümay you never be combined with ginger. Studies have shown that ointments containing Marigold (Calendula) are useful to Hautschäto reduce the due to irradiations. With the black cohosh mö can;it is possible that hot flashes reducing breast cancer patients wäwhile hormone therapy plagues.
St. John’s wort reduces the effectiveness of drugs
Some plants, however, cancer patients should be sure to have the Finger. A Depression is, is gladly resorted to St. John’s wort. Professor Hans-Peter Lipp rät. The chief pharmacist of the University hospital Tübingen has reviewed the study location and weiß, which herbal supplements can cause interactions with cytotoxic drugs. In General, the organism medicine recognizes as Fremdköbody. Üabout pump systems or enzymes in the liver and in the intestine it degrades the foreign substances.
Pharmacist Lipp: "We know, however, that St. John’s wort, the amount of the enzymes strongly erhöht. The excretion of certain cancer agents is greatly accelerated." Colon patients, which the cytostatic drug Irinotecan, and St. John’s wort at the same time revenue had only the Hähalf of the medicinally active substance of SN-38 in the blood plasma. The festival presented by researchers from Holland. "If we see a 50 percent eye lose, gestellt" the success of the therapy in question;, warns Lipp.
Caution in Grüntee, Echinacea root, and Ginseng
Since time immemorial, grü is;nem tea is said to have a healing effect. Patients at one of the hämost common Tumortypes of the bone marrow (multiple myeloma), should, however, the übermäßigen enjoyment of the Getränks do without. These patients get häoften the active ingredient Bortezomib is prescribed, a boron containing drug. "The tannins of the grünen teas capture the boron, and thus the effectiveness of the substance can be lost gehen", Lipp says.
Many Cancer patients want to your immune system stäTurks to defeat the cancer. In the case of the purple coneflower root (Echinacea), however, it is a äsimilar trend in combination with anticancer drugs like St. John’s wort, if "clearly schwächer", erklärt pharmacist Lipp. Ginseng PräPat has him in the veröpublished case report, a patient startled, had taken the active ingredient, Imatinib, of the lymphocytic Leukämie is given. "Zunäfirst, hatshe tolerated it well, then the Ginseng was added, and something happened with the liver."
Ergäcomplementary therapy discuss with the doctor
In case of doubt, there was a Benefit-to-risk-Abwäaside. A General immune stimulation is in many Fäcases not at all helpful, since some cancer cells block the immune system. "There is also Echinacea Prä then;parate nichts", Lipp says. Für is less of a problem Ä keep;doctors taking Nahrungsergänzungsmitteln such as vitamins and trace elements. Because of the person but in General, its needs üabout the food covers, says Oncologist Hübner: "Take nothing, if no defect exists." A blood level measurement is essential.
Grundsäin addition, the following applies: Without Rücksprache with the attending Ädoctors should cancer patients not zusätzfunds are taking. It is not going to ban something, stresses Becker. But schädto prevent exchange effects. He appealed to the patients: "Please tell us what you zusäaddition to take."
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