Unani system of medicine is the most ancient system of the world, originated in Greece, the land of Alexandar the Great. Hippocrates the Father of the Medicine postulated his world famous Humoral theory. All the four humors (Blood, Phlegm, Yellow Bile & Black Bile) remain as evenly distributed in the body, which keeps body and mind healthy whereas unevenly (imperfect) distributed humor causes various diseases.
Cancer in Arabic word means Sartan resembling a crab. Although there are four types of body humors, but Sartan (Cancer) occurs due to excessive production and accumulation of Black Bile(Khilte Sauda). The Great Unani scholar Ibn Sina stated that the tumor of Sartan arises from the burning of Khilte Sauda.
Breast Cancer (Sartan-e-Saddi) is the most common type of cancer in females effecting 2.1 million women each year globally and also causes maximum death (nearly 6,27,000 yearly). Breast cancer is the most common disease in India reportedly 1 in 30 women. High risk factors for Breast Carcinoma are – nulliparity, obesity, late menarche, early menopause, prolonged use of oral contraceptive pills, smoking, alcohol consumption, intake of high calorie diet, animal fat, first degree relative women of breast cancer and females being late mother. Treatment of breast cancer through modern system with surgery, radiography and chemotherapy causes various complications and thus affects the general health and comforts of the patient.
Less toxic and beneficial alternative therapy should be integrated into the main cancer care system to give the soothing healing touch to the patient to improve their quality of life. So in Unani system of medicine the principle management of Sartan-e-Saddi is totally to emphasize on prevention with well-balanced diet, adequate exercise, modifying life styles and uses of herbal immune modulators approaching comprehensively for treating each patient as a person with cancer rather than treating only cancer in a patient. Health care system and WHO should jointly launch a venture to control the outbreak of the atrocious disease on the global basis.
Keywords: Unani system of medicine, Humoral theory, Breast cancer, Sartan-e-saddi, Unani management, Prevention.