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| Stage 3: Cytotoxic Therapy |
| Gene-repairing, enzyme-inhibiting, and cytotoxic herbs |
| Herbs that can alter the action of hormonal receptor-type cancers |
| See Herbal Classifications and Strategies beginning on page 96 for information about specific herbs that may be appropriate at each stage of therapy, depending on the individual being treated. |
| Herbal Medicine and the Immune Response |
| The Basics |
| This section explains some of the mechanisms by which herbs can be useful in the treatment and prevention of cancer. |
| Just twenty years ago, scientists had only fragments of information about how the many cells of the immune system interact to protect against disease. Through advances in cancer research, scientists now believe there are more than 100 million immune cells. There seems to be an immune cell specifically designed to hunt down and destroy every virus or bacterium. This relatively new understanding is leading to new ways of looking at defense mechanisms that can be used against diseases like cancer. With the use of advanced technologies, scientists are developing drags and techniques that modify the body's immune responses. However, herbal researchers and traditional herbalists already know many herbs that work in harmony with the immune system in an equally remarkable way. |
| The immune system is the body's way of defending itself against invasion by foreign substances (pathogens). The immune response involves the coordinated efforts of several types of white blood cells. Invaders like viruses, bacteria, fungi, and protozoa all invoke and activate our immune system through a complex process to rid the body of pathogens. Once a pathogen causes the immune system to react, it is considered an antigen. Antigens are endogenous or exogenous substances that are alien to the body and induce an immune response that eventually leads to the formation of a specific antibody. Antibodies are soluble proteins produced by B-lymphocytes that bind to specific antigens. |
| The immune system is a complex array of organs, cells, and molecules distributed throughout the body. Each part of the system contributes to the growth, development, or activation of lymphocytes, the sophisticated white |
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