Each aspect of the Hummingbird programme seeks to reduce the stress on the patient. Not seen elsewhere in Cape Town, the centre is offering something that a great many doctors, cancer survivors, and cancer organisations support.
Janie Du Plessis of People Living with Cancer (PLWC), says, “As a cancer survivor myself I know the importance of an approach like this, but it's very difficult to find it, because normally you are dealing with independent doctors in various locations, and not often talking to each other. This is different. The patient is assessed, tested from many aspects of their physical, psychological and emotional being, and this information, and their ongoing development, is shared among many practitioners who meet daily to discuss their progress.”
Far from a threat to traditional oncology, radiotherapy, and surgery, Hummingbird sees itself as an adjunctive and fully complimentary additional and valuable pillar in the healing from cancer and the building blocks of a patient’s immunity.
“We make no promises and challenge no-one - with our sole focus on helping patients and their families,” says Dr. James La Porta, Hummingbird's integrative medical practitioner. “We simply offer a much-needed service that many cancer survivors will tell you was critical to their improvement. We do not take away, we only add to, so if patients want to pursue Hummingbird as their solution, or continue their current treatments with Hummingbird, that's entirely respected.”
Together with optimising nutrition and psychological optimism, the centre utilises the latest research in botanical isolates, supportive Phytotherapy and Photo Dynamic Therapy - historically PDT has successfully been used to treat skin cancer, however, new advents in technology now enable this treatment to penetrate deeper under the skin and into the body. Patients entering the Hummingbird programme can expect a focus on a range of minimally invasive, resilience building treatments.
Dr. La Porta concludes, “With any patient, one cannot know which of the elements will give them that added boost physically, emotionally or emotionally, but together they provide a robust framework of ingredients to tackle a very tough fight. All we can do is do our very best, and patients are at the very centre of everything we do - it's the way we've built every aspect of our treatment. The one thing we know is that many cancer survivors agree that an integrative approach is better than fighting the dragon with just one sword.”
For more information, visit
thehummingbirdcancercentre.co.za.