A comprehensive approach to cancer treatment

At the physical level, nutritional deficiencies and the accumulation of environmental toxins play a big part in the uncontrolled multiplication of cancer cells and growth of malignant tumors.

by Dr. Charles Schwengel — 

Cancer is a complex process to understand and treat. There are many types of cancer, each with its own set of predisposing factors, growth rates and treatment options. What is common to all is the uncontrolled growth of malignant cells which endangers healthy tissues and functions. These uncontrolled growths of abnormal cells, or “cancerous tumors,” represent the body’s final attempt to cope with the constant physical, mental and emotional stressors that compromise our immune system and health.

At the physical level, nutritional deficiencies and the accumulation of environmental toxins play a big part in the uncontrolled multiplication of cancer cells and growth of malignant tumors. At the mental, emotional and spiritual levels, unresolved conflicts, traumas and stress often greatly contribute to the inability of the body’s cells to function normally. Without a coping mechanism such as the development of tumors, the body would actually die much sooner under the accumulated weight of these stressors.

When normal cells become old and their life-cycle is complete, they die and are replaced in an orderly manner. This physiological process of preprogrammed cell death and replacement is called apoptosis. Cancer cells, however, avoid apoptosis. They divide and grow uncontrolled, ultimately forming malignant tumors.

The conventional view has long been that cancer is a “foreign invader” that attacks the body. This view also holds that if the initial tumor, called the primary tumor, is found quickly and eliminated by radiation, surgery or chemotherapy, the person can be cured. However, the frequent recurrences of cancerous tumors at the same site or elsewhere in the body pose some serious questions about the validity of this view.

Today a growing number of healthcare practitioners are aware that:

• Every person produces thousands of cancer cells every day. A strong, healthy immune system is able to control and dispose of these cancer cells as fast as they are formed, maintaining our balance and health.
• Cancer flourishes and becomes clinical when the cells begin to multiply uncontrollably. In this case, the immune system fails to respond and can no longer eliminate the cancer cells properly.
• Cancer is not just a collection of tumors found in various organs; cancer is systemic, meaning it affects the whole body.

A healthy body is a body at ease, all parts functioning harmoniously with each other. When the body’s balance or harmonious functioning is disturbed by our life’s stressors, dis-ease becomes manifest. Manifested dis-ease is a symptom of the body’s effort to become whole and healthy again.

In order to regain health, all components involved in the development of cancer must be addressed, and all factors required for healing must be brought into play. Combining the best and most effective therapies from conventional and alternative medicine provides a comprehensive and personalized treatment plan of total care for the body, mind and spirit.

Cancer can be viewed from a unified field. This provides a means of perceiving people and their environments (physical and social aspects, etc.) as integral parts of the whole. That means that we are not separate from each other or our environment, and that one aspect of our existence influences all other aspects.

This interaction is dynamic and constantly changing. Therein lies the hope for healing, for if we are willing to release and change aspects of our existence that are detrimental to us, other aspects also will change.

Dr. Charles Schwengel, D.O., M.D.(H), is licensed as an osteopathic physician and surgeon and a homeopathic medical doctor. He is the director of Rhythm of Life Comprehensive Cancer Care, where he works with his wife, Malonie, to help people with cancer. 480-668-1448 or www.rhythmoflife.com.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 25, Number 3, June/July 2006.