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Cancer is basically the unrestricted growth of cells.
I'm not sure how it all works, but cells are programmed to grow a certain way and divide a certain amount of times(most). Cancer cells ignore this, and make their own rules and create new blood vessels to feed themselves.
The traditional treatments(chemo and radiation) use the theory that cancer cells are weaker and bombarding everything will destroy them first. The drawback is that the "good cells" and rest of body also endure this barage.
Angiostatins work on the principle of shutting off cancer's food supply(blood) by preventing new blood vessels from forming. Without an expanding food supply, the cancer can't compete with existing slow-growth cells. Like a camel and a racehorse in the desert.
There are other unproven and AMA unaccepted methods of treatment by herbs to strengthen the natural systems and suppress unrestricted growth. I saw a film on the Hoxey Method(from his father treating horses) where it claimed exceptional results on topical cases. Those chemicals he used are actually being used in some of the newer pharma treatments.
Again, alternative treatments are unproven and usually not even given clinical trials, but given the historic survival rate of traditional and very expensive treatment methods they may have some medical merit.
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