Homeopathic Treatment of Cancer: General Considerations

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients,  August, 2001  by Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman,  Robert Ullman

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Treating the Patient, Not the Cancer

Homeopathic medicine, by definition, treats the whole person. Although the precise mechanism by which homeopathy acts has not been verified, the effects are clear: an overall balancing of the organism resulting in an alleviation or improvement of many or all symptoms. The correct homeopathic medicine, known as the simillimum, will produce cure. Exactly what is meant by cure, of course, depends on the individual. Although homeopathy, by itself has been known to "cure" cancer in some cases in the homeopathic medical literature, this is not a promise that most homeopaths would make today, for reasons to be discussed. However, many practitioners will recommend constitutional homeopathic treatment as an adjunct to other modalities, conventional and/or alternative. In the State of Washington, in fact, the naturopathic licensing law mandates that NDs can treat patients with cancer but not the cancer itself. In the case of homeopathy this is no problem since it would be impossible to treat a malignancy without taking into account the individual as a whole, at least in classical homeopathy. Our discussion is limited to the use of one medicine at a time, prescribed for the whole patient based on an in-depth interview, rather than any other type of therapy choice or using homeopathic medicines in some other way.

A homeopath would say that cancer does not arise in a vacuum. There must be susceptiblity or fertile ground regardless of whether the cause appears to be genetic, environmental, psychogenic, or other. If an organism were fully in balance, the cancer could not take hold. The prolific spread of undifferentiated or mutated cells characterized by cancer could not occur. To only cut out or irradiate the cancer with no other treatment or lifestyle change may or may not be effective. If the organism continues to provide a hospitable environment for the cancer cells, a recurrence is possible, depending on many factors. If, however, the organism is brought into equilibrium, the likelihood of a recurrence is decreased.

Who is Treatable and Who is Not?

This is relative depending on the goal of treatment and which other therapies are being used. If the goal is the elimination of the cancer and the tumor is operable, most homeopaths will recommend surgery in addition to homeopathic treatment. The medicolegal atmosphere, as well as common sense in the case of those cancers known to respond well to conventional treatment, make it risky and often unwise, for any alternative practitioner to promote stand-alone treatment of cancer.

Homeopathy, thanks to its gentle, nontoxic properties, cannot damage a patient with cancer, at least not to our knowledge. It can be used in conjunction with any other approach, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, although the goals are very different. Homeopathic treatment seeks to strengthen and bring into equilibrium the vital force of the cancer patient, in contrast to the conventional approach which attempts to kill or otherwise remove the cancer but may, unfortunately, weaken the patient.

Although the best prognosis for cure comes with the earliest intervention possible, homeopathy may be of benefit at any stage of cancer. In addition to constitutional treatment of the patient with cancer, homeopathic medicines can reduce side effects of conventional treatment and, in the last days of life, can decrease pain and anxiety so as to allow a more peaceful transition. Bob was fortunate to treat his mom during her last days prior to her passing from lung cancer. Homeopathic medicines eased her digestive discomfort, allowed her to relax and be more comfortable, and, during the final hours, offered her a brief period of lucidity (a respite from a comatose state), in which she could go to the bathroom one last time and make direct eye contact with her loved ones. To begin constitutional treatment in the case of a patient with advanced or widely metastasized cancer may not be productive, for the patient, the practitioner, or the family. However symptom management to ease ones s passing and, possibly, red uce or eliminate the need for medications that may dull the senses, can be quite helpful.

Casetaking, Case Analysis, Medicine Selection, and Prescription

It is important to take a very thorough homeopathic case in anyone dealing with cancer. The mental and emotional state and symptoms are often highly significant and just as important, if not more so, than the physical complaints. As with any homeopathic case, it is essential to discover the unique symptoms of that individual. It is the unusual, uncommon, and differentiating aspects that lead a homeopath to find the right medicine and not those that are characteristic of most patients with that particular type of cancer. It is important to elicit the untreated symptoms as they were prior to any intervention, conventional or otherwise. In a patient with non-metastasized breast cancer, for example, who has had a mastectomy, for example, the cancer is gone. Yet the breast cancer is still taken as a symptom, of course, because it would still be present if it were not for surgical intervention. Cases of patients with cancer need careful attention and study, taking into account the striking symptoms, modalities, co ncomitant symptoms (if any), miasms (cancer or other), kingdoms, families, and state along with family history, dreams, and absolutely anything else that can lead to an effective prescription.