CANCER AND ITS AYURVEDIC MANAGEMENT

MODERN DISEASE EXPLANATION

Cancer, also called malignancy, is an abnormal growth of cells. There are more than 200 types of cancer, including breast cancer, skin cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, and lymphoma. Symptoms vary depending on the type. Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. Not all tumours are cancerous; benign tumors do not spread to other parts of the body. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal bleeding, prolonged cough, unexplained weight loss and a change in bowel movements. While these symptoms may indicate cancer, they may have other causes.


Cancers are a large family of diseases that involve abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. They form a subset of neoplasms. A neoplasm or tumor is a group of cells that have undergone unregulated growth and will often form a mass or lump, but may be distributed diffusely.

Tumors can be benign or malignant. Benign tumors aren't cancer while malignant ones are. Cells from malignant tumors can invade nearby tissues. They can also break away and spread to other parts of the body. Cancer starts when gene changes make one cell or a few cells begin to grow and multiply too much. This may cause a growth called a tumour.

All tumor cells show the six hallmarks of cancer. These characteristics are required to produce a malignant tumor. They include:

1. Cell growth and division absent the proper signals

2. Continuous growth and division even given contrary signals

3. Avoidance of programmed cell death

4. Limitless number of cell divisions

5. Promoting blood vessel construction .

6. Invasion of tissue and formation of metastases


DISEASE- AYURVEDA CONCEPT



Cancer originates due to metabolic changes. Vata dosha is responsible for cell division. Aggravation of vata dosha and suppression of kapha doshas or both the doshas interacting with one another may result in proliferation of cells. The classics clearly describes about bothgranthi (tumour) and arbuda (cancer). Theclassification of neoplasm depends on variouslakshanas (symptoms) in relation to tridoshas(vata, pitha, kapha) in Ayurveda.


The condition that can be named as malignant includes both arbuda and granthi, for example the raktarbuda mentioned in the classics can be correlated with leukemia, mamsarbuda as melnoma and mukharbuda (oral cancer), etc. Screning the classics it is easy to analyze cerain asadhya lakshanas (incurable) mentioned for certain diseases may be correlated as malignancy. For example tridosaja gulmas (abdominal Tumours) may be correlated with carcinomas of the stomach and liver or lymphomas and asadhya kamala (incurable jaundice) may be considered as malignant.



PATHOGENESIS OF ARBUDA (CANCER)





Cancer originates due to metabolic changes.Vata dosha is responsible for cell division. Aggravation of vata dosha and suppression of kapha doshas or both the doshas interacting with one another may result in proliferation of cells. However, the Ekadesavriddhi (growth at a specific part) is a part of abnormal cell division resulting in benign or malignant tumours. Acharya Susruta has explained about six stages in the pathogenesis of all diseases. They are Sanchaya, the early stages of localized neoplastic changes; Prakopa is transformation of primary growths into metastatic tumours; Prasara is metastasis; Sthana samsraya is complete metastasis and secondary growth. Vyakti is the clinical signs and symptoms observed. Bheda is the stage where differentiation of growth is understood on the basis of histopathology.


TREATMENT PROTOCOL

As a first line of treatment, internal medication will be prescribed and is termed as samana chikitsa. Later Sodhana chikitsa (purification treatment) to eliminate the vitiated doshas are practiced in the management of cancer. Certain poisonous plants, minerals and animal products are rendered non-toxic and are used as rejuvenating drugs (immunotherapy) in the treatment of cancer.


When the treatment does not show any good prognosis, then surgical management is followed in Ayurveda which include the principles of fomentation by means of external application, opening the tumour surgically for evacuation of its contents, cauterization to avoid recurrence and post-operative care for healing the wound.


Cauterization with ksharas (alkalis) and other surgical procedures are performed with herbal and mineral medicines. Arbuda (cancerous tumour) is excised completely from its deep root and cauterization is done to destroy any of the remnants of carcinoma.

CLASSICAL MEDICINES

1. KANCHANARA GUGGULU GULIKA

2. VARANADI KASHAYAM

3. VARANADI GRITHAM

4. GUGGULUTIKTHAKAM KASHAYAM

5. GUGGULUTIKTHAKAM GRITHAM

6.AROGYAVARDHINI VADI

7.SHANKARA VADI

           8.SAPTHASARAM KASHAYAM ETC...

AHARA VIHARAM


Many cancers can be prevented by not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, not drinking too much alcohol, eating plenty of vegetables, fruits and whole grains, vaccination against certain infectious diseases, not eating too much processed and red meat, and avoiding too much sunlight exposure.