Cancer patients are immunosuppressed; their immune system has been compromised and in many cases rendered non-functional. Cancer itself is able to suppress the immune system and does so as a protective mechanism. The immune system is programmed to destroy tumor cells. However, the immune suppression seen is in large part due to other pre-cancer conditions.  It is this immune suppression which has allowed the cancer to arise and survive. Any rational cancer therapy must take this immune suppression into consideration and restore immune function, if the cancer is to be adequately treated. Both alternative cancer therapy and especially integrative cancer therapy make immune restoration the keystone of their cancer treatment protocols.

Most cancer patients show similar patterns of virus and heavy metal burden. Primary among the viruses are Epstein-Barr (ebv), cytomegalavirus (cmv), herpes simplex (hsv-6), papilloma virus (hpv) and, more rarely, coxsackie-B (csv).  Conventional medicine often ignores or even fails to screen for these as causative agents, and cancer therapy only consists of treating the cancer, which is in reality a symptom of a chronic condition. Alternative medicine usually offers a more rational approach with chelation therapy to reduce heavy metal burden, but this is only a partial solution.  The virus burden remains, and if left untreated, will severely compromise the immune system. Thus, integrative medicine also treats the virus. Combined anti-virus and heavy metal reduction are the prerequisites for immune restoration. This allows the immune system to begin an assault on the cancer. When this is combined with cancer therapy using conventional medicine and alternative medicine the potential for an effective cancer treatment increases.