Herbs for Cancer

 In the present era of modernization, the new generation differs from the lifestyle maintained in the ancient period. A few decades ago, it was a regular practice of major community, i.e., Early to bed and early to rise, where the body’s clock and nature's clock were more or less similar. During this period of modernization, there was a tremendous change in lifestyle, including daily activities. This results in an early facing of severe problems. Modern medicines very well deal with such issues, but long-term regular use of such medication can affect vital organs in the future. Medicinal herbs have been used worldwide as supportive treatment to minimize the toxic effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Many clinical studies have reported the beneficial results of herbs in combination with conventional therapeutics on the patients' survival, immune modulation, and quality of life. One such disease is cancer, wherein medicines have various side effects and immunity suppression effects. The present chapter deals with different herbs, their role in cancer treatment, and the side effects of their treatment. Here in this chapter, herbs are briefly reviewed that are used for treating various cancers. Different research work and clinical studies are mentioned here that showed the anticancer activities and their effect on various biological pathways. The use of a dietary regime along with medicinal herbs for better results is also a part of Ayurveda to be followed. The state of balance between doshas and dhatus is essential while using herbs in all aspects. This review may help to provide the utility of various herbs in various aspects of cancer and its treatment.

Keywords: Ayurveda herbs, Cancer, Chemotherapy, Radiotherapy.