Cancer

Today, pets live closely with humans. They are family members, friends and even partners. If a pet suffers from cancer, we are struck hard by this diagnosis because we relate it to the beloved animal’s death.

Frequently, the disease is diagnosed at a late stage and the pet’s owner is put under pressure when the vet recommends quick action. However, despite all the horror the diagnosis entails, we should take sufficient time to balance the risks and benefits of the treatment recommended. Numerous questions are to be considered: is a biopsy really necessary? What difference does a “reassured” diagnosis make, and is it worth the risk of metastases? Is it reasonable to expose the pet to chemotherapy – and all the side effects it involves? And how successful is treatment likely to be? For an animal, the focus must be on maintaining or restoring their quality of life.

Cancer does not grow overnight – it probably took years. In humans, the first cell degeneration to a micro-tumour growth takes about six years.

Day by day, the animal body produces millions of new cells, a few of which degenerate every day. Whether or not these degenerated cells turn into cancer depends on numerous factors.

Chemical substances (cigarette smoke, feed additives, mould toxins), viruses, radiation (UV or X-rays), non-species appropriate food and even antibiotics can encourage cancer growth.

However, the animal body has also been equipped with various emergency systems to protect itself from cancer. First when all these systems fail, and subject to unfavourable circumstances, will cancer develop from a degenerated cell.

Cancer cells grow out of control and proliferate faster than normal cells. Tumour cells encourage vascular cells to build new blood vessels in order to supply the tumour with nutrients it requires to grow. They can enter the blood or lymphatic stream to proliferate at other spots – metastases development ensues.

Inflammations encourage cancer growth. Inflammatory reactions release numerous growth factors in order to accelerate the repair processes that are needed. Cancer cells use them to grow. This is the reason why tumours preferably grow in inflammatory tissue.

In terms of metabolic processes, cancer cells differ significantly from regular cells. Cancer cells depend on glucose – they require very large amounts of glucose. Glucose deprivation prepares cancer cells for treatment and can even kill older cancer cells.

The surrounding tissue is over-acidified by laevorotatory (counter clockwise turning) lactic acid. A supply of dextrorotatory (clockwise) lactic acid is thus required to regulate the pH value.

At the very latest when animals are diagnosed with cancer, their diet should become strictly species-appropriate. For carnivores such as cats or dogs this means their food should be free of cereals and starch and without easily digestible carbohydrates. Sugar and carbohydrates feed the tumour.

An additional administration with the antioxidant OPC is recommended for cancer treatment, since OPC has strong anti-inflammatory properties and keeps healthy cells from degenerating into cancer cells.

An important mushroom in the non-orthodox treatment of cancer is ABM. It suppresses the formation of blood vessels (angiogenesis) so that the tumour will no longer be sufficiently supplied with nutrients. It triggers voluntary tumour cell suicide (apoptosis) and regulates the immune system to facilitate the improved identification and elimination of degenerated cells.

Maitake inhibits tumour growth and metastases. Like ABM, it promotes the voluntary tumour cell death and reinforces the cellular defence functions.

Coriolus can be implemented to prevent cancer. It reduces the production of blood vessels, promotes the tumour cell suicide program, inhibits the spreading of cancer cells and strengthens the cellular defence. It is used inter alia in the treatment of hormone-related tumours.

Treatment of cancer should be on an individual case basis and according to its severity. It should be adapted to the condition of the animal any orthodox treatment methods it may have received.

For personal advice, please don’t hesitate to contact your animal therapist or the Mykotroph Institute.

Note

The effects described are based on the ingestion of medicinal mushroom powder which is prepared from the whole mushroom. Please seek advice from your animal therapist before using.