Complementary cancer therapy during radiation therapy

Interview with #Beckmann on the ARD program "I'll make you healthy!" Charlatans and false healers on 03/23/2015 | 8:15 p.m.

"Cancer is a huge market for charlatans"

Doctors should not be afraid of gentle therapies, says radiation therapist Dr. Stoll. The diagnosis of cancer can completely throw a person off course. Some of those affected come across unscrupulous traders and dubious "healers" in their fear and despair. Dr. Peter Max Stoll, radiation therapist and radiology specialist, warns of charlatans who promise miraculous cures for cancer patients.

You are a radiation therapist with the additional title of naturopathic treatment. How do you connect these two fields?
Dr. Peter Max Stoll: I believe that when treating diseases, it is essential to focus on the whole person. I consider the approach of treating only one illness to be far too short, especially in the case of very serious illnesses that involve a high level of stress on the body and soul. Of course, sometimes you seem like an exotic to others if you take care of the proverbially different end of medicine, i.e. the natural healing methods, in a highly technical area like radiation therapy. On the other hand, this is precisely an opportunity because you have a wide range of options. In addition, radiation therapy has traditionally been a subject in which you work very closely with colleagues from many other areas. Reputable and as efficient as possible therapy methods with the aim of getting the best out of the sick person - even a "high-tech doctor" should not be afraid of the gentle therapies.

Can naturopathic procedures support cancer therapy? What are the procedures? Are there any studies on this?
Dr. Peter Max Stoll: In principle, serious cancer therapies are always developed on the basis of extensive studies. Cancer therapy, which consists of the three pillars of surgery, radiation therapy and system therapy, in the broadest sense therapy with medication, has been able to improve the healing success in recent years, in some cases exorbitantly. However, we still lose patients to this condition and so all therapeutic options must be used to further improve the results. It is known that, for example, many "natural" substances, such as mistletoe extract or enzymes, or various relaxation methods can have a positive effect on the course of cancer. The assessment as to whether such procedures are used individually should, however, be reserved for experts who can assess the respective disease and all therapeutic options, otherwise you risk the success of the therapy. An institution that has long been concerned with the value of various naturopathic treatments is the Institute for the Evaluation of Naturopathic Treatments in Medicine» at the University of Cologne. There are similar facilities but now in many large medical universities.

When will alternative treatments become dangerous for the patient? Do you know of cases in your practice in which someone came to you too late with their cancer?
Dr. Peter Max Stoll: It always becomes dangerous when it becomes ideological. If there is also a mixture of ignorance, unscrupulousness and greed for money, it becomes fatal and not uncommonly criminal. In the almost 20 years of my work, I have had such cases again and again and had to see some people die senselessly. One of my first cases was a young man, as old as I was then, who came to us with a theoretically very curable testicular tumor - but he came in the metastatic end stage of the disease. We lost it before our therapy could even work. Afterwards it was said: "Conventional medicine couldn't do anything either." Until then, he had only been "treated" with singing bowls for months. Don't forget that. I have always found it particularly shocking that those who do this to people often get away with it.

Why do people turn away from "conventional medicine" and trust at least questionable methods that no health insurance company pays?
Dr. Peter Max Stoll: This is related to the general crisis of confidence in which Western societies, which used to be very progressive and technologically, have gotten in recent decades. Broken down on the doctor, one could say: He used to be the god in white, but today he is often met with suspicion. You will notice this especially when you are treating with rays. The vacuum created in the very special relationship between doctor and patient is full of promising and often exotic offers, which very often only serve the need to want to believe in something really authentic and truthful. It is a deeply human and important need; important especially in cancer therapy! How can I hope for healing or relief if I don't trust my doctors?

How are their views further strengthened? What role do the companies that sell the products play here?
Dr. Peter Max Stoll: There are many reasons for this. In the past, we physicians certainly didn't listen to our patients enough and often didn't take their wishes and concerns seriously enough. However, rethinking has been taking place for some time, although it is difficult to implement this in view of the systemic constraints. How can you, for example, gently reveal to a fellow human being that he has cancer if working hours have to be billed every minute? On the other hand, unfortunately, you, the media, also play an often fatal role by inciting mistrust of cold conventional medicine. If the consequences become visible, as is now the case of the measles epidemic in Berlin, the situation is quickly reversed. But then it is often too late. In addition, the topic of cancer is a huge market, which of course also attracts dubious providers - no one has the money more loosely in their pockets than someone threatened with death who is promised a cure.

How can you counteract the distrust of these people?
Dr. Peter Max Stoll: In principle, we just have to put ourselves in the role of the other and ask ourselves what we would want from our doctor or patient if we were in his place. As a patient with a serious illness, I want to have a professional and sensitive doctor who takes time for me as much as possible and does everything to help me. And as a doctor, I want to have a patient who trusts me without being uncritical. If that's too theoretical for me: For example, I had good experiences with a consultation on "Cancer and Naturopathy". Everyone can come and ask their questions and if I do not know a therapy, then I make myself - often enough together with the patients - and then we talk about it. So he sees that his doctor doesn't know everything either. But he also sees that his doctor takes his worries and questions seriously. But one thing should not be forgotten in all of this: In Germany - perhaps with a few exceptions - the costs for all cancer therapies, the benefits of which have been proven reliably, are still borne by the health insurance funds. Patients should therefore be extremely careful when paying for expensive therapies out of their own pockets.

Source: ARD / #Beckmann

We advise you individually, competently and comprehensively with regard to the opportunities, risks and benefits of holistic healing methods for cancer. Thanks to our expert knowledge, we can tell you exactly which therapy is right for you.

Nutrition plays a central role in cancer. For a cancer patient, it is therefore of immense importance to adapt the diet to the illness or therapy-related circumstances.

With the right nutrition, you can make a decisive contribution to strengthening your immune system and helping your body fight cancer better. Our doctors and therapists create individual diet plans based on the knowledge of Western nutritional science and traditional Chinese medicine.
 

Acupuncture has been proven to treat the side effects of cancer therapies such as chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. It can help reduce pain, nausea, digestive problems, feelings of weakness, exhaustion, dizziness, insomnia, night sweats and similar symptoms.

It is not just about reducing the symptoms in the short term, but above all about strengthening your body in its vitality and ability to regenerate. Numerous studies show that acupuncture can significantly improve the quality of life during and after cancer therapy.

Cancer is a complex event that affects all areas of human beings. Therefore, in addition to the treatment of the physical aspects, the mental aspect also plays an important role in the treatment. Many acupuncture points have a pronounced psychological effect and can help to process the illness and its consequences better mentally.

Craniosacral therapy is a gentle treatment that brings about a beneficial deep relaxation.
It is a body-oriented, manual form of treatment that has developed from osteopathy.
The active principle of this therapy is that the therapist senses the pulsations of the brain and spinal fluid and harmonises them. This releases tension, pain or restricted movement and strengthens the immune system.

Craniosacral therapy is a holistic form of treatment that affects both body and soul. This activates and strengthens the self-healing powers.

Craniosacral therapy can be used alongside at:

• Cancer and chemotherapy
• Operations and injuries
• Chronic and acute pain
• Burn-out and exhaustion

This therapy helps people with cancer to gain access to their own healing powers and to recover more quickly from surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.

With the help of microkinesia therapy, areas in which vitality has been lost, for example due to scars, can be palpated with the hands and the body can be stimulated to regenerate through manual stimulation. It is a very gentle treatment on the clothed body. Microkinesia therapy can be used sensibly both during radiation therapy and for prevention and aftercare.

Areas of application are:

• Support in the treatment of cancer
• Strengthening the immune system
• Aftercare of operations
• States of exhaustion
• Acute and chronic pain conditions
• Vegetative complaints
• Acute and chronic complaints of the musculoskeletal system

This is a light therapy with a Monolux pen. With the Monolux therapy system, special points and areas are treated simultaneously with light, color, vibrations and magnetic field. This gentle form of therapy can be combined well with cancer therapies and has proven itself in the treatment of pain, scars and organ dysfunction.

In so-called cupping, small glass hollow vessels are placed on the skin areas to be treated, in which a vacuum was created. The suction pressure creates a strong stimulus on the underlying tissue and - through reflex mechanisms - on the internal organs.

Patients find cupping therapy, especially cupping massage with essential oils, very pleasant.

Phytotherapy is the treatment of diseases and complaints with the help of medicinal plants.

There are about 20,000 plants that are used in phytotherapy. This is a very old therapy method in which teas, envelopes, baths, wraps, but also capsules, tablets, drops or suppositories are made from various medicinal plants and are used very successfully against a wide variety of complaints.

In addition to the direct effect of some plants on cancer cells, the positive effects in the treatment of side effects of cancer therapy are also used. A great advantage of phytotherapy is that the medicinal plants have a broad therapeutic spectrum with often fewer side effects than synthetically manufactured medicines. We create individual therapy plans that take into account both the symptoms and the compatibility with other therapy methods and support the implementation professionally.

The diagnosis of cancer often changes everything. Many sufferers feel that the ground is being pulled from under their feet and that their lives are slipping away in part. In this situation, it can be very helpful to find ways to help you better diagnose cancer.

We have been looking for someone who is as empathetic as it is competent for our patients - and finally we found Stephanie Kaiser.

Ms. Kaiser has worked in the medical field and in nursing for many years, taking care of many seriously ill patients in particular. She specializes in the psychotherapy of people with cancer and the development of individual coping strategies.

If necessary, she comes to our practice and conducts a free initial interview, in which you get to know each other and see whether further meetings are useful.