Are Chiropractors Treating Cancer?

From Yahoo news comes an article titled: Spinal Surgery Can Relieve Cancer Pain

The article discusses a report from British researchers offering spinal surgery to relieve the pain caused by some forms of cancer.

The article states that, “in some breast cancer patients, tumors can spread to the spine, weakening bones and causing debilitating pain.” Discussed in the article and according to a study that was performed, some women that had been diagnosed with breast cancer had experienced bone pain at some time.

The researchers found that tumors from breast cancer were “more likely than any other cancer to spread to and destabilize the spine” and that this spinal instability can make “simple movements agonizing” in some cancer patients, according to the article.

It is important to note that the researchers found that the pain came from “bone deterioration and not the cancer itself” and therefore, the researchers noted that “cancer therapy cannot treat these symptoms” or the problem in the spine.

In order to address this problem, the researchers suggested that “these women need surgery to stabilize the spine and relieve compression of the vertebrae and nerves” according to the article.

One researcher in the article noted that taking care of these women that have cancer requires a “multi-disciplinary approach” and that “the goal involves more than killing tumors.” Most importantly, the researcher stated that another goal is to “give patients the best quality of life during the time they have left.”

Some questions to ask:
Are these spinal surgeons treating cancer?
Does treating the cancer address the problems in the spine?
Are spinal surgeons doing what they do best based on their knowledge and education, are they the experts in their field?
Are there other methods available to help stabilize the spine and relieve
compression of the vertebrae and nerves?
When a chiropractor adjusts a spinal subluxation in a person that has cancer are they treating cancer or are they addressing the problem in the spine?
When a chiropractor adjusts a spinal subluxation are they doing what they do best based on their knowledge and education, are they the experts in their field?
Is quality of life important?
How long should one wait before one decides to improve quality of life during the time they have left?

Click below to read the article:
Yahoo News: Spinal Surgery Can Relieve Cancer Pain