How To Avoid Chemotherapy During Cancer Treatment

When discussing treatment methods for different forms of cancer, the cost/benefit ratio must always weigh the likely gains of the treatment versus the side effects. Some individuals decide that treatment methods like chemotherapy, with its accompany fatigue and nausea, are not worth the cost. For them, avoiding chemotherapy suggests a number of options, including radiation, surgical removal of the cancerous organ, seeking alternative treatments or no treatment at all.

Instructions

• 1

  Consult with your doctor about your particular case of cancer and the viable treatment options you have available. There are many different ways to combat cancer, so do not assume that you are forced to accept chemotherapy as your only recourse without first having a frank discussion with your primary health-care provider to discuss the other feasible treatments.

• 2

  Seek a second (or even a third) opinion if your doctor expresses that chemotherapy is your only real treatment option. Doctors can vary substantially in their approaches to cancer treatment, so consult more than one physician to have the best chance of avoiding chemotherapy as a treatment.

• 3

  Consider radiation therapy as a potential alternative to chemotherapy. Radiation therapy is a more localized form of treatment that involves the application of high-intensity radioactive energy to the affected area. While many of the side effects can be similar to those experienced by chemo patients (such as fatigue and nausea), specific side effects are generally only confined to the area being treated, as opposed to the systemic side effects of chemotherapy.

• 4

  Discuss the viability of surgical removal or de-bulking (removal of just a portion of the cancerous mass) of the tumor with your physician. Surgical removal of the affected area is an option for cases of cancer that are still contained within a specific area of the body. While surgery carries its own set of risks (depending on the area to be operated upon), it represents more of a one-step treatment for cancer, as opposed to chemotherapy--where treatment can continue for months at a time.

• 5

  Research alternative treatment methods to combat cancer. Although many of these methods are as-of-yet scientifically unproven, they can still provide you with a way to avoid chemotherapy. Sample alternative treatments include oxygen therapy, biofeedback, and physical touch healing, but this is hardly an exhaustive list. Regardless, know that you have options outside the orthodox approach to cancer treatments if you feel that they can prove more effective than conventional medicine.

• 6

  Refuse treatment if chemotherapy is your only available option and you truly feel that strongly against it. Only you can make the decision as to whether the possible benefits of treatment are worth the price you will have to pay in side effects and other ancillary costs. Know that you are the final arbiter of your medical destiny, and no one can make you suffer through a treatment method that you do not want, even if it ends inevitably by costing your life.