Pre operation herbs (cancerous tumor removal)

Hi Dr. Sherry:

Are there any herbs that people can use when they are going to be operated on to remove cancerous tumors?

Paul

Hello Pavel,

I missed this question and someone just notified me it was here unanswered. Sorry, I missed it.  It would be unsafe to  answer this question without additional data and oncology is not an area I have expertise in. Plus, I can't treat cancer legally or make suggestions for cancer. No one but an oncologist can. Those are the laws in the state and country I live in.

It would be good to talk with your gas passer if you are planning on taking herbs or other supplements prior to the operation to make sure there aren't any interactions with the sedative.  

Sending you good thoughts for a speedy recovery.  

When you go into surgery, you want to be sure to discuss anything else you do with your surgeon also. The anesthesiologist, surgeon as well as oncologist should be involved. For example, if you take an herb that causes decreased clotting that can be an issue during surgery. You might be on other drugs before, or during the surgery that could interact with the herbs you take and cause an issue in a variety of ways. Unless, they are necessary, I generally recommend people stop all drugs and supplements ten days prior to surgery, to decrease chances of interactions and bad outcomes. Sometimes there are situations where people need to take an herb or supplement before surgery, but all herbs and drugs need to play nicely together and the herb/supplement can't cause a negative reaction during surgery. We don't even know all the interactions for many herbs/supplements.  You need your whole team involved in this, and need to work with someone who already knows the full story behind the health situation. Getting quick advice from someone who does not know the full story is a recipe for disaster.