“Declare the past, diagnose the present, foretell the future; practice these acts. As to diseases, make a habit of two things — to help, or at least to do no harm.” -Hippocrates, Epidemics, Bk. I, Sect. XI.

Cancer is the most dreaded disease. Many of us have it — some don’t know it yet. Most of us fear getting it. Yet few of us know what it is, and even fewer of us have any idea of what causes it or how to cure it. So-called “modern medicine” has taught us to believe that the only treatments for cancer involve cutting it out or poisoning it (along with the patient) with chemicals or radiation. In my opinion, nothing could be further from the truth. Convincing scientific and anecdotal evidence is mounting that these rather barbaric treatments are, for the most part, inappropriate and unnecessary. Hopefully, someday soon they will become outdated. With the use of statistics, we have been convinced that poisoning the patient so they go through living hell is in some way an appropriate road to regaining health. Doctors talk of post-treatment survival rates or remissions, not cures. And we all know statistics can be misleading and self-serving. Unfortunately, the medical industry gets paid whether the patient gets better or not. Hippocrates, who lived 500 years before Christ, is known as the father of medicine and author of medicine’s professional code of ethics called the Hippocratic Oath. In his writings he states that first and foremost a physician should “do no harm” when effecting a cure. He also states that a physician should “use diet as a means of cure” and only turn to drugs as a last resort. It seems that many modern physicians have lost sight of their oath and these ancient words of wisdom when it comes to cancer. As little as 100 years ago leukemia was unheard of and lung cancer was a rarity in the United States. Today it is a leading cause of death. There are cultures in which some cancers don’t exist, while in other cultures they flourish. In primitive cultures the incidence of cancer increases in direct proportion to that culture’s acceptance of western habits. These are real and significant clues as to what causes cancer. Science shows that a fundamental cause of almost all cancers, and most chronic degenerative diseases, is a deep-seated imbalance or toxicity of body chemistry disrupting metabolic, immune and crucial liver functions that over time result in the physical symptoms of inappropriate cellular growth and activity. This imbalance is caused primarily by the typical Western diet — devitalized, demineralized and over-processed foods, excessive intake of coffee, alcohol, table salt, refined sugar, and meat — combined with the modern life-style of high stress and little exercise. Any treatment that does not include radical dietary and behavioral changes is palliative at best, and doomed to fail in the long run. Modern medicine pays little attention to these matters. Fighting cancer, especially if it’s a life-threatening variety, is an uphill battle. It requires a relatively sophisticated battle plan. The cancer battle plans that “do no harm” are nutritionally based, natural, holistic therapies. Nutritionally-based therapy requires radical changes in diet rather than radical surgeries. It requires eating raw organic foods, especially raw and juiced greens. It requires taking vitamin and mineral supplements and removing salt and meat from the diet. It employs non-invasive methods such as massage, behavioral modification, meditation for stress reduction, positive visualization, fasting, cleansing enemas, and exercise. For any natural cancer battle plan to work, the person with the cancer must be willing to break deep-seated food and behavioral habits. The question becomes, “Would you rather save your life, or continue old unhealthy habits that are killing you?” If you are the friend or loved one of someone with cancer, please get involved. Cancer is scary, and fear confuses the thinking. Cancer sufferers need to assimilate a lot of new information. They need help changing habits. They need physical daily assistance and encouragement. You will find that by helping them, you will understand more about your own health. It’s a chance for you to improve. A natural cancer battle plan takes great courage and tenacity; it takes serious help from friends and loved ones. It is not easy, but it can work. I believe that through very specific and radical changes in diet and behavior one can beat any form of cancer if it has not progressed too far. People at home and in clinics are doing just that all over the world and writing about it. Terminal end-stage cancer cases sometimes show dramatic improvement rather quickly. If you improve the body’s health enough, it will beat the cancer for you. Fortunately for us there are many courageous individuals and practitioners who have blazed the trail and have the exact recipes for these battle plans. Unfortunately, medical doctors practicing medicine today in this country can lose their licenses and actually be put in jail for treating cancer patients with nutritional and natural therapies alone. However, so far, no one can stop individuals from choosing to try these therapies. You can develop your own “cancer battle plan that does no harm.” Start by asking at your local health food store, or searching on the Internet for books on natural cures for cancer. Read them, and have your family and friends read them. There are hundreds of books on the subject written by people who have beaten cancer, by medical doctors, by educators, by cancer clinics and others. For a good strategy, read A Cancer Battle Plan by David and Anne Frahm. For encouragement, read Love, Medicine and Miracles by Bernie Seagal, M.D. The Gerson Institute of Bonita, California, founded by Max Gerson, M.D., is a nutritionally-based cancer clinic. Visit their web site at www.gerson.org. These contacts will lead you to all the information you will need to formulate the right “cancer battle that does no harm” for you. David Schemberger, M.D. is a retired physician and natural health trainer who lives in Riverwest.