Beyond Cancer

Introduction - Pathological changes in the cells, tissues and organs fulfill a number of vital objectives for the sick economy. They relieve the Organism of the dual action of the Miasmas with the Life Force (creative action). Dr. Allen says ‘the real objective of the pathology is to relieve the organism of the dual action (of the miasma with the life force). The pathology is necessary as false, eliminative centers; indeed lesions in whatever nature or in whatever form they may appear are eliminative points of disease products. They all bring relief to the organism threatened by the internal workings of the miasma.” In certain critical situations, it is safe for the organism to be relieved by some superficial pathological lesion rather than through a physiological eliminative process that in time becomes pathological. Any pathology including a tumor acts as a safety valve for the sick organism. No lesion or pathological condition is the first cause of any disease. The disease process precedes them all and the true cause always lies within i.e. the disturbed life force. A tumor is an inhibitory point due to perverted life action. It is a miasmatic correlating process and is constructive. An abscess is an outward process. It throws out the disease and is destructive.

Cancer is a constitutional state, when the miasmatic affliction is highly evolved and has reached the tertiary stage. When one studies the life and family history of the affected individual, it is extremely common to find at least one other afflicted first or second degree relative with cancer. If the sycotic miasm inherited by the fetus gets active in utero, then the product of conception, if not aborted shall be born directly with the cancerous or pre-cancerous disorder. Few examples in clinical practice are Retinoblastoma, Wilms tumor of the kidney, malignant melanoma and others.
Exciting Factors – The medical terminology designated for the exciting and maintaining factor(s) for cancer is Carcinogen. Broadly they are –

A] Emotional Trauma- Ailment from shock, grief, suppressed ambitions, wounded honor, etc.
B] Chemicals –Alkylating agents, Anti-cancer drugs, Betel nuts, nicotine, Benzene, etc.
C] Oncogenic Viruses -HTLV-I, Human papilloma virus, Cytomegalo virus, etc.
D] Radiation – ionizing or non-ionizing.
E] Others – Vaccination after, sustained physical trauma e.g. Ill-fitting denture, etc.

Pathogenesis – As mentioned, quite often the cancerous changes in any part of the body are TRIMIASMATIC. Initially, it is the Psora, which produces inflammations in the target organ. If the maintaining factor continues then the inflammation becomes recurrent. Subsequently, depending upon various environmental factors, the other two organic miasms become operative. In the pathogenesis of cancer, Sycosis plays a dominant role. But mind you, Cancer is not synonymous with sycotic miasm. Rather it is an evolutionary process of all the four miasms. It is a miasm of unlimited, directionless, purposeless, useless, construction at the expense of normal tissues. Under sycotic influence, the attributes of the target cells are transformed. They lose their responsiveness to normal growth controls. They replicate indiscriminately oblivious to the regulatory influences that control the normal cell division, growth and multiplication. The speed of multiplication depends upon the sensitivity of the operating stigmata. If Psora is dominant, then elimination may occur somewhere and the process of growth slows down resulting in hyperplasia, metaplasia or dysplasia. But pauses in the form of a well-encapsulated benign tumor with well differentiated cells that resemble their normal cells of origin.
If after some time, the miasmatic evil is again stimulated due to an exciting factor, the tumor forming process is re-activated. Now the cells start multiplying at a faster rate. Mitotic figures appear within some of the cells. Dysplasia turns to anaplasia (undifferentiated cells). Anaplasia is the most extreme disturbance in cell growth found in the spectrum of cellular proliferation and is a sure marker of cancer. The process of multiplication continues unhindered even at the expense of the surrounding tissues. Either it infiltrates the surrounding tissues or the swelling (produced due to the growth) compresses the healthy tissues or the organs as the case may be. To this revival and activation of the pathological process – the term CANCER is given. When the growth becomes cancerous the capsule breaks and the malignant cells spread to the surrounding tissues. If the influence of the promoting /maintaining factors continues the miasmatic evil gets more and more sensitized /evolved. Now metastasis occurs. The dissemination may be by any of the following ways –
1. Seeding within the body cavities
2. Lymphatic spread
3. Haematogenous spread
An interesting observation as regards metastasis is that mere anatomic location of the growth and the attending vascular drainage (arterial, venous or lymphatic) do not wholly explain the distribution of the spread. For example, Lung Cancer has a greater propensity to spread to the brain and adrenals. Cellular receptors on the cancer cells appear to influence the spread. But anyway, it just remains a matter of prognosis and is more a subject of research.
In some patients the Syphilitic evil may also becomes active. Under its influence, there occurs cellular destruction, ulceration and finally necrosis even gangrene, until the whole organ and the surrounding tissue are eaten away. At this stage many clinicians including me, have observed the appearance of maggots, particularly in the oro/nasopharyngeal carcinomas.
STATISTICAL STUDY – At present there are 97 cases of different cancerous states, undergoing follow-up in the department of Homeopathic Medicine of The National Academy of Homoeopathy, India at its Central Secretariat – Shaad Homoeopathic Hospital Complex & Research Centre, Nagpur as well its subcentres at Nagpur, Gwalior, Raipur and Chandrapur. Of them 14 are of Ca Breast, 4 of Hodgkins Lymphoma, 9 Non Hodgkins Lymphomas, 7 Ca Cervix, 11 Ca Endometrium, 2 Osteosarcoma, 19 Gliomas & Glioblastomas, 3 Testicular Cancer, 3 Prostatic Cancer, 6 Rhabdomyosarcoma, 19 Others (1-2 cases of different cancers). 14% are cured, 56% patients are showing a positive improvement and rest 30% are status quo.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF MANAGEMENT - Assessment of such patients always starts with a rational homoeopathic approach directed purposefully towards a better and clearer understanding of the patient, the underlining disorder and the environment surrounding him. It rests on the fundamental bedrock of an incisive clinical history and meticulous physical examination along with holistic investigative means. Elucidation of pathological symptoms from the case history is of supreme importance to arrive at a correct antimiasmatic remedy or a block remedy in a chronic case.
10 POINT SOLUTIONS - In our clinical set up we have learnt quite a few lessons in managing cancer patients. The 10 Point Solutions are:
1. The management has to be strictly individualized for every patient. It will be foolish to treat the nosological labeling of say Hepatoma or Pagets disease in homoeopathy, since our therapy deals with the patient and not with the disease.
2. Patients have to be prepared for receiving homoeopathic care. This is done by educating them (and their care takers) regarding the mode of therapeutics, disciplining the lifestyles so as to eliminate the possible maintaining causes.
3. Avoidance of self medications should be explicitly outlined to the patient.
4. Associated problems as electrolyte imbalance, seizures, anaemia etc. need simultaneous attention.
5. Unfortunately, majority of already diagnosed patients who come to a Homoeopath have already undergone surgical intervention or are on chemo / radio therapy or other allopathic, ayurvedic or unani medicines. When these patients demand homoeopathic care, then gradual tapering of the above drugs with replacement of so called specific dynamic remedies (acute palliatives and complimentaries) should be followed.
6. In the treatment of such disorders one should keep drug relations in mind. Lack of this knowledge lands the physician in failures or in spoiling the case with frequent antidoting of the inappropriately given drugs.
7. It is worthwhile to consider ‘Ailments from’ which frequently give a clue to start the line of treatment like A/F Vaccination, mental shock, etc.
8. Daily diary maintenance of routine events is a compass for selection of the second prescription.
9. Deep acting nosodes or constitutional anti-miasmatic therapy should be administered only when the disease is in the remission state.
10. Millisimal potencies work wonders in acute conditions and can be repeated often. But they should be used with care since it is generally seen that shifting back to centisimal or decimal scale of the same medicine in the same patient when called for, fails to give desired results.

Homoeopathic Postgraduate Winter School