Advice from nurses: Alternative breast cancer treatments that make a difference

After receiving that dreaded breast cancer diagnosis, it’s often hard to know what the right next step is. Chemotherapy? Radiation? Something totally different? In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we asked our Facebook fans, including many cancer survivors themselves, if they had experience with an alternative healing method or treatment that seems to be working for their patients. Read on for their responses, and share your own thoughts in the comments below.

1. Touch. I’m a CNA as well as a breast cancer survivor. Healing touch is something that does wonders.
—Jennifer Spalding Lehman

2. The best thing I have found is to take the time to encourage them…actually take a few minutes throughout the shift to spend with them, make them laugh and feel like a person instead of ” just a patient.” Sometimes I run across a few challenging people who have a high wall, but I love when I see that wall finally break! And also, I put tasteful pink highlights in my hair. It’s a great conversation starter!
—Christina Lasater

3. I work in the Health and Wellness Institute, we are seeing AMAZING results using high doses of vitamin C and immunotherapy. We have a patient with Stage 3 breast cancer who stared seeing us in March. Her cancer markers are well within normal range now, and she hasn’t had to use chemo or radiation.
—Amanda Wagner 

4.  I advise patients to stay away from sugar, because sugar feeds cancer cells, and to eat veggies like crazy once they’re done with chemo to detox.
—Leslie Flanigan

5. Warm sea saltwater gargles and swishes do wonders. Way better than Magic Mouthwash for mouth and throat sores. I learned this firsthand as a cancer patient.
—Jessica Lowery 

6. Prayer and a hug. Let them know you are there and you care…sometimes it just takes them knowing you care about them.
—Sherri Carvin Roache 

7.  I am a LVN. For me, I think what helps the patients fighting not only breast cancer but any kind of cancer should be a positive environment and prayer. Encourage the patient to continue to do what they did before cancer. Positive thinking and good spirits can help with the anxiety they can have! And just listen to the patient…don’t ignore them or brush them off because you’re having a bad day. Be someone’s inspiration.
—Kristie Tovar

Have you seen an alternative healing method or treatment that seems to be working for your patients?