Hepatoma is the most common type of liver cancer, and is usually seen in individuals with chronic infections of the liver, long-standing cirrhosis and certain type of infections with food fungi. The symptoms of hepatoma commonly include abdominal pain, weight loss, and a large mass in the right upper side of the abdomen. The modern treatment of hepatoma usually includes surgery and chemotherapy.
Ayurvedic herbal treatment for hepatoma includes treatment of the primary tumour, treatment for preventing the spread of the tumour to other parts of the body, and giving treatment to boost the immune status of the affected individual. Medicines which are usually used to treat uncontrolled growth and multiplication of the body cells - a hallmark of cancer - are used in high doses. In addition, medicines which have a specific action on the liver as well as the parts surrounding the liver, are also used so that treatment is targeted specifically at the hepatoma. Since hepatoma is an aggressive tumour with significant morbidity and mortality, high dose treatment on an aggressive basis needs to be given in order to control the tumour and help the affected individual get a remission from the condition.
In addition to the above-mentioned treatment, Ayurvedic herbal medicines are also used which act on the liver, the spleen, as well as the blood and the lymphatic circulation, so as to prevent the cancer cells from spreading to other parts of the body. This is especially significant in individuals affected with hepatoma, since the liver has a very rich blood supply as compared to other parts of the body. If the affected individual presents with some known metastases, these secondary tumours have to be treated with Ayurvedic herbal medicines which have a known specific action on the affected organs.
Treatment is also given to boost the immune status of the affected individual, so that the body is assisted in its fight against the cancer. Ayurvedic immunomodulatory herbal agents are used in high doses in order to bring about a rejuvenation of the immune system of the affected individual. This helps in maintaining the patient with sufficient strength and stamina to fight the cancer, as well as to carry on day-to-day activities. Most people affected with hepatoma need aggressive Ayurvedic herbal treatment for about six to nine months, in order to treat the cancer and cure it completely.
Ayurvedic herbal treatment can thus be judiciously utilised in the treatment and management of hepatoma.
The writer, Dr. A. A. Mundewadi, is available as an online Ayurvedic Consultant at www.ayurvedaphysician.com
