INTEGRATION OF UNANI MEDICINE IN CANCER MANAGEMENT
Farah Naaz* and Saad Ahmed
ABSTRACT
Unani medicine is the traditional art of healing recognized worldwide. Unani medicine has got answers to every disease and ailment which makes it parallel to modern medicine in providing healthcare services to mankind. Cancer is one of the fastest growing diseases, with an estimated worldwide incidence of 10 million new cases per year. The goal of cancer treatment is first to eradicate the cancer. If this primary goal cannot be accomplished, the therapeutic goal shifts to palliation, the amelioration of symptoms, and preservation of the patient‘s quality of life (QOL). Current conventional anticancer therapies are associated with adverse effects, drug resistance, and cancer recurrence. Therefore, there is still an urgent need for new therapeutic options for cancer. Current evidence, based on modern studies suggests that Unani system of medicine may provide alternative means to cancer treatment. This review offers an evidence-based perspective of integration of Unani medicine in cancer management. An effort has been made to understand the role Unani medicine can play in cancer management as adjuvant therapy as well as a substitute to conventional chemotherapeutic agents.
Keywords: Unani medicine, cancer, adjuvant therapy, substitute.
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