Cancer, the second-leading cause of the death in the United States, according to the National Cancer Institute, begins in the cells of the body. It occurs when normal cell growth accelerates without control. These cells form cancer tumors, which may also break apart and infect other parts of the body. Traditional treatments for cancer include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and other therapies. There are also alternative anti-cancer treatments, but the National Cancer Institute cautions that alternative therapies should not take the place of traditional cancer treatment.
Therapeutic Touch
The website of the American Cancer Society indicates that therapeutic touch may be used for alternative healing purposes in cancer treatment. Practitioners of therapeutic touch, also called energy field therapy or biofield therapy, move their hands over the body, but no actual contact takes place. The hands direct energy from the body in order to heal the cancer by rebalancing energy fields. No scientific evidence exists to support this claim, but its use may lessen anxiety in cancer patients.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture, the use of thin needles applied to precise pressure points on the body, claims to increase blood cell count and enhance immune response, which can have positive benefits as an alternative anti-cancer therapy. According to the National Cancer Institute, acupuncture may also treat symptoms associated with traditional cancer treatment like nausea and vomiting, as well as weight loss, anxiety and gastrointestinal symptoms. Acupuncture unblocks the normal energy flow that may influence the body's health.
Hypnosis
BreastCancer.org lists hypnosis as an alternative anti-cancer therapy. According to Stanford University Cancer Center, there is no scientific evidence to indicate how hypnosis affects cancer cells or the immune system. BreastCancer.org reveals that hypnosis may relieve anxiety and pain, as well as nausea, vomiting and stress. The potential to reach a hypnotized state varies from person to person, and some people do not have the ability to be hypnotized at all.
