Understanding Cancer: Expanding the Horizon Through Applying the Collective Wisdom of Ayurveda and Conventional Medicine

Abstract

Despite much advancement in its understanding, cancer is still one among the leading causes of death. Poor prognosis of cancer is primarily attributed to its silent course of pathogenesis not allowing any prediction about impending threats unless it becomes clinically obvious. Unfortunately, this obviousness in cancer appears very late and hence leaves little room to act effectively afterward. Early diagnosis therefore is crucial from the prognostic perspectives of cancer. Cancer prevention is equally difficult in most conditions barring few, for lack of clearly attributable causes with oncogenesis. Seeing the pervasive presence of cancer, this may be hypothesized that the cause of cancer must be related closely to our lifestyles and environmental exposures. Ayurveda, an ancient health-care wisdom from the Orient, presents its own biological principles to understand the cause of disease and health. It identifies various generic and specific attributes leading to the state of health and disease. Following the right path, one can choose to remain healthy and even can revert to health if a disease has arrived due to some deviations from the recommended path of healthy living. These principles of health and disease are ipso facto applicable to every disease including cancer.

This chapter presents a comprehensive view of general principles of health proposed by Ayurveda and attempts to see their applicability in the field of cancer treatment and prevention. This attempt, however, is made essentially in tune to see the translational appeal of various Ayurvedic principles referring to the field eventually to enrich the contemporary understanding about cancer and also to know what best can be done through a collective wisdom of Ayurveda and modern health care in the field of oncogenesis.