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    Excessive tension, depression, excessive sex, unchecked drainage of vital elements because of sensual excitation, abnormal sleep (especially over-sleep), excessive laziness etc are some of the causes of abnormal variations in normal physiological and biochemical (including hormonal) functions which may lead, among other diseases and disorders, to cancers.

Cardiac problems (Heart Diseases), Cancer, Hypertension, Diabetes, Liver Psoriasis, Hepatitis, Tuberculosis, Encephalitis, and Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) are among the major diseases leading to death of a significantly large proportion of world population. Of these Heart Diseases and Cancer are among the most dreaded challenges to healthcare in the developing as well as the developed world today.  Although many effective medicines have been discovered and are available in the market to treat several kinds of cancer and the rate and possibilities of cure have also improved during the last two decades, the positive diagnosis of this disease continues to be traumatic for the patient and his near and dear ones.

The major bottlenecks are the lack of early diagnosis and the complexity of genomic variations and related biochemical reactions in the cause, proliferations and control of cancers. Because of the difference in genomic constitution and variations in the state of cell cycles when the carcinogenic mutation might have occurred or when the drug reaches the cells, etc, the same medicine might be very effective in certain kind of cancer in one person whereas it might be slow, ineffective or even have side-effects (including progression of cancer in some other organ, etc) in some other patient of the same disease.  

In modern medical terms the major types of cancers are malignant tumors, neoplasm and carcinomas. The synonyms in Ayurveda are arbudgranthi, adhimansa and karkaÚaburda. Unani medicine terms it as rasauli. In simple terms cancer is a transformation of some cells in the body, which have excessive growth rate and abnormal biochemical reactions. These cells proliferate like 100% compound interest and suppress the growth of normal cells. This transformation may occur due to various causes – prominent among them being mutations (due to eating chemically synthesized stuff, or eatables kept in reprocessed polythene, etc), reactions of certain chemicals (e.g. lead) -- especially pollutants in air and water, thickening of some internal tissues, unnatural exposure to ultraviolet radiations etc. Cancer can occur in any part of the body including internal organs, bones, glands, flesh, blood, etc.

The elements causing cancer are broadly termed as carcinogens. Many of the modern medicines are found to contain chemicals that prove carcinogens under certain conditions in-vivo.  Several antibiotics also cause malignant transformation of some tissues or organs. Hormone therapy is among prominent causes of breast cancer in women. Some kinds of fungus on wheat, rice, maze and groundnut etc are also identified as carcinogenic. Some toxic elements, which may not be dangerous poisons, are found to be mutagenic, many of these are causes of cancers. For example, the elements in aphlatoxin category are found to cause liver-carcinomas.  Some varieties of mushrooms are also found to have carcinogens. Excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides is increasing such risks in most of our vegetables and grains too.  The danger is higher in case of non-vegetarian food as the pollutants, mutagens, infections and genetic aberrations in the animals carry the disease or its cause in those who eat the animal’s flesh or organs, etc.   Tobacco or its smoke (in biDi and cigarette), betel leaf (pana), betel nut, gutka or pana masalas, chewing gum, alcoholic drinks, etc are high risk causes of cancers of the tongue, throat and GI-track. Breathing tobacco smoke and polluted air may cause cancers of thoracic region and lungs. Because of use of synthesized chemicals and preservatives etc, chocolates, toffees, cold drinks, pre-cooked tinned eatables and junk food, etc are also prone to cause cancers in different parts of the body.  Endocrine secretion of people working near or under high-grid power or high voltage circuits sometimes get so disturbed that the new or perturbed hormonal secretions lead to abnormal transformation of mental and bodily functions. The latter often lead to different kinds of cancers.

Ayurvedic experts give simpler, yet comprehensive description of causes of cancers. These include, infection in wounds, eating infected flesh or bones etc, indiscipline of snehan, vaman, virechan, persistence of dysentery, piles, urine infection, vomiting, untreated acnes, infections of genitals or uterus during pregnancy or in case of abortion, artificial diet (e.g. junk food, chemically synthesized or preserved food), excessively spicy and pungent food, smoking and consumption of alcohol, breathing impure (polluted) air, etc.  Medication not compatible with the prakrati (natural constitution in terms of vat, pitta and kapha) of the patient, repeated surgery of an acne or wound, incomplete removal of pus in a septic boil or its drying by use of chemicals or medicines, repeated forced control of urination or excretion, are also regarded in Ayurveda as among major causes of cancer.  Excessive tension, depression, excessive sex, unchecked drainage of vital elements because of sensual excitation, abnormal sleep (especially over-sleep), excessive laziness etc are described here as causes of abnormal variations in normal physiological and biochemical (including hormonal) functions which may lead, among other diseases and disorders, to cancers. As per Ayurvedic scriptures, it is also likely that some genetic abnormalities which occurred in the foetus get activated and expressed at a later stage when specific extra-cellular or intra-cellular environment is available and result in cancerous transformation of specific cells.  (This is significant in view of the latest research on cancerous phenotypes being very specific to one’s genotypes).

As tumors or abnormal growth in any part of the body without pain or other manifestation happen to be most frequent cases of cancers, let us look at these in a little more detail. Modern (Allopathy) as well as ancient (Ayurveda) sciences of medicine classify tumors in two broad categories – Benign (ordinary) and Malignant (cancerous).  The benign ones are removed by surgery and except for some precautionary measures, there is nothing to worry. However, if left retained in the body, these may sometime turn malignant.  The malignant tumors, even in the initial stage, are dangerous as they proliferate at abnormally rapid rate and become extremely painful. Not only that, if left without any check, they may spread across the whole body and gradually destroy all normal functions.  Moreover, after a certain stage, no amount of surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy can uproot them completely.

The dangerous (viz, malignant) tumors are of two types: those generated by epithelium (referred as upakala in Ayurveda) are called “carcinomas” and those of the connective tissues (sanyoji utaka) are termed as “sarcomas”.   Usually normal tumors are termed according to the location or type of cells they are formed by. These include: Fibroma (tantu arbuda), Lipoma (vasa arbuda), Xanthoma (pita arbuda), Chondroma (upasthi arbuda), Osteoma (asthi arbuda), Myeloma (majja arubuda), Myoma (mansa arbuda), Myxoma (ïleÌma arbuda), Giloma (snayu arbuda), Neuroma (naDi arbuda), Odontama (danta arbuda), Papilloma (twagankura arbuda), etc.

Malignant connective tissue tumors i.e., sarcomas most often grow in the bones, majja (marrow), and skin and are named as Osteosarcoma, Myosarcoma, Fibrosarcoma, etc.  Some tumors are also named according to their visible forms, such as Adenoma.  Most dreaded of the malignant tumors are the carcinomas. These most frequently grow in the ïleÌma (phlegm or mucus) or outer sleshmic membrane of organs. Prominent locations of these are in the lips, tongue, mouth, small intestine, large intestine, stomach, liver, rectum, etc. Apart from these organs, the female organs more prone to carcinomas are breasts and uterus and the male organs having high risk are urinary organs (mutendriya) and prostate gland.   Usually people above forty-five years of age are more prone to these; however, the global records do show the numbers of youngsters suffering from carcinoma are not insignificant.  Not only the painful growth, the profuse bleeding from matured carcinomic tumors makes the patient’s condition most pathetic and miserable.

In linguist terms, the word meaning of cancer is crab, which is a creature of arthropod family of the animal kingdom.  Carcinoma is a word of Greek origin — a conjugation of “carcinos” (which means crab) and “oma” (which means tumor). This means a gaantha (tumor) which is protruded like a crab.  The protruded back of the crab consists of a web- like structure of veins. Similar is the appearance of a cancerous tumor. Crab spreads its paws in all directions and is unpredictable which direction it might move ahead. Similar is the case of the growth of a malignant (cancerous) tumor.   It can spread in any direction, no one can predict which one and how. Its roots are hidden deep inside.  More than forty types of carcinomas have been identified in modern medical research so far. The ancient texts of Ayurveda refer carcinomas as tridoÌaj gulma or mahagranthi (c.f. Charak Samhita) and sanghaatik arbuda or tridoÌaj arbuda (c.f. Shushrut Samhita).                      

As of today, in the modern approach, surgery is supposed to be most effective measure against cancerous tumors.  However, even if a single fiber or cell is left behind, there are 100% chances of recurrence. Pre- and post- operative radiation therapies are therefore necessary; however the side effects of these are no less painful. Moreover, this works only if the particular type of cancer is radiation-sensitive. In many cases, chemotherapy is therefore given as a necessary evil.

Leukemia or blood cancer is altogether different and more complicated type of cancer, treatment of which requires chemotherapy. In the bone marrow, spleen and other blood producing components start generating excess of white blood corpuscles (WBC). Unless the drug type and doses are compatible with the stage, type and cause of the disease and above all, the genetic configuration of the patient, complete cure cannot be assured. Now-a-days, some kinds of hormonal therapies are also tried but again, only few expert doctors and therapists can do wonders.

Anti angiogenerin drugs are prominently used in chemotherapy, which block the supply of blood and oxygen to the tumor cells. This way the tumor cells and hence the tumor itself is gradually destroyed.  Intensity modulated radio therapy, radio frequency ablation, stereo tactic radio-therapy, etc are among the advanced techniques used in treatment of cancers – especially in breast tumor, prostate tumor, neck tumor, brain tumor, heart tumor, etc. Hormone therapy is usually applied in treatment of breast cancer. This works on the basis of balancing estrogen and progesterone hormones. However, in spite of   significant advancements in all the modern methods, the expenses, the side-effects of killing of the normal cells and disturbance of metabolism, etc continue to limit their applicability at large. With the rise in the frequency of occurrence of varieties of cancers and complications in people’s life-style and mind-body balance, one needs to look at the support of alternative and complementary modes as well. Ayurvedic herbal therapy offers an effective solution here. We are introducing an effective method of yagya-therapy in this context in another article in this very issue of “Akhand Jyoti – The Light Divine”.

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