Thoughts on Visualization for Cancer Patients

I feel that we can take advantage of real life guided imagery when working with our clients and various health issues. In regards to helping our patients with cancer, I believe we should utilize the idea of shutting down the blood supply to the tumor or tumors.

There are a class of drugs that are called anti-angiogenic therapeutics, (this includes the drug Avastin) because they target the numerous small blood vessels that supply tumors with oxygen and nutrients and therefore ensuring their continued growth. Anti-angiogenic drugs target a protein that plays an important role in the formation of new blood vessels in tumors. These drugs are called targeted therapeutics because they have far fewer side effects than chemotherapy drugs because they spare healthy tissues and can zero in on the cancer cells they seek to destroy. You may see patients in your practice recieving these drugs.

Avastin, which was developed by Genentech, works well in combination with chemotherapy for a number of reasons. The reason is because the blood vessels in tumors normally do not allow the chemotherapy drugs to diffuse into the tumors. What the drug Avastin does is that besides choking off the tumor blood supply, it also makes the remaining blood vessels healthier which enables them to diffuse the chemo drugs into the tumor better.

Utilize these physical factors if your clients find such an approach appealing to them. Try to find out what vusualization works for them.