Alternative cancer treatments
I know this is a broad, heavy topic for vegweb but I'm asking anyway. My mom was just diagnosed with neuroendrocrine cancer :'( It was found in her ovaries but it can show up in several other places as well (intestines, lungs, liver). She has to have chemo treatments for 6 weeks. I hate the thought of chemotherapy. I'm doing some research online but what I'm looking for is anyone who has experience with or knows anyone who used alternative cancer treatments. I've heard "miracle" stories with the master cleanse and other cleansing diets but has anyone ever really known someone who used it for cancer and knows the results? Has anyone done any academic research on this? Again, I know this might not be the best place to ask but I searching everywhere now. I'm going to try some cancer forum websites as well. Thanks in advance.
Oh, bio. I have no experience with alternative treatments. But I just wanted to tell you I am so sorry, and sending healing energy your way.
I'm not sure about alternative treatment either, but i too am thinking of you and your family. I DO know lots of love and laughing helps people feel better and has medical benefits--so be sure to love on her and maybe tell her a good joke or two, too. Hey, it might help you feel better as well! ;) Reach out when you need us for support, okay?!
My S/O had lymphoma. We looked into alternative treatments as well. But, when they couldn't explain to us HOW these treatments worked, and what the percentage rate of success was ... we passed. In terms of chemotherapy, we got ALL the information - how it worked, why, all the side effects, and the success rate. In his case, the success rate was 98%.
We thought 98% sounded much better than the "we don't know" of alternative treatments. He went through it.
It's been 4 or so years and the cancer is still gone.
I am the first person to suggest alternative medicine, holistic medicine, homeopathic, etc. ... but not in cases like this. In terms of the greatest chance of survival and beating the cancer for your mom - chemotherapy is it.
I know this is a broad, heavy topic for vegweb but I'm asking anyway. My mom was just diagnosed with neuroendrocrine cancer :'( It was found in her ovaries but it can show up in several other places as well (intestines, lungs, liver). She has to have chemo treatments for 6 weeks. I hate the thought of chemotherapy. I'm doing some research online but what I'm looking for is anyone who has experience with or knows anyone who used alternative cancer treatments. I've heard "miracle" stories with the master cleanse and other cleansing diets but has anyone ever really known someone who used it for cancer and knows the results? Has anyone done any academic research on this? Again, I know this might not be the best place to ask but I searching everywhere now. I'm going to try some cancer forum websites as well. Thanks in advance.
I sorry. My uncle has cancer and he's doing both chemo and natural treatments. The natural treatments are through a center in Mexico (TJ, I think). It includes only natural salt, no caffeine, etc. My college roommates dad had pre-cancerous cells and altered his food and it seemed to help. Personally, if I had cancer I would still do chemo & radiation, but add in the natural elements. My friend and chemo and radiation for breast cancer and found accupuncture to help with the side effects.
I have nothing to add except I'm so sorry to hear that. Sending some positive vibes your way.
I am very sorry also. I hope you can all get through this hard time and move on to better, healthy times!
I would do a lot of research. While chemotherapy works well for some cancers, it does not work well for other. If I am ever diagnosed with cancer, I will only go through chemotherapy if there is a significent larger precentage of remission.
Best wishes and hugs to you and your Mom!
About that person who wrote of the "98%" cure rate - please consider who you're dealing with! For starters, I've read that the med establishment considers a cancer patient as "cured" as long as they can keep that person alive for 5 years - doesn't matter if they lose their hair, or their tongue, a limb, etc. Moreover, the leading cause of death and illness in this country are med establishment induced disorders. (A.k.a. iatragenic disorders.) 100,000 to 200,000 people die each year after taking prescribed dope - as prescribed! That's all easy for me to believe. One thing I do find hard to believe is the # of innocent animals used by the med (and perhaps the cosmetic) establishment - 20 million - U.S. 100 million worldwide for "experiments", such as locally, by a chiropractic outfit, a cat w/ its tail cut off, and a rat w/ its hind legs cut off - to see how it might operate as a bi-ped animal(!) (Perfomed often to recieve "grants"). These are some things I've read, you do not have to take them as facts. You were asking for someone w/ some personal experience - I've personally been to the dreaded h-word place. In my opinion they often destroy people and their lives - remorselessly - to the tune of two trillion dollars per year. Knowing how "doctors credibility is largely based on peoples ignorance, I'm here to educate/enlighten most anyone w/ any questons. (Gladly!!) For further information, I might suggest some books by Harvey Diamond, and/or Kevin Trudeau. More authors/information upon request. May you remain strong in your search and in healing!
When I wrote the 98% cure rate ... I did not mean to say that was for ALL cancers and ALL situations. I don't want anyone to misinterpret that!
I was speaking, specifically, about my partner when he was diagnosed and what the doctors told us was his chance of remission if he went through chemotherapy. But, that was specific only to HIM. Doctors have never called him "cured" ... they use "in remission." He still has cat scans and blood tests every year, just in case.
Definitely, definitely each individual cancer patient has to get their own information and statistics from their doctor. Those will depend on the type of cancer, the stage that it's at, the individual, etc.
I'm definitely not one to say western medicine is the best. I would simply go with the treatment which gives a person the BEST chance of survival. For us, that was chemotherapy. I wager this is true for a lot of cancer patients. But, I do agree with those who say it can be combined with a holistical approach. That's the best of both worlds.
Definitely do your research, and whatever your mom chooses ... I hope she makes it through, clear and in remission.
About that person who wrote of the "98%" cure rate - please consider who you're dealing with! For starters, I've read that the med establishment considers a cancer patient as "cured" as long as they can keep that person alive for 5 years - doesn't matter if they lose their hair, or their tongue, a limb, etc. Moreover, the leading cause of death and illness in this country are med establishment induced disorders. (A.k.a. iatragenic disorders.) 100,000 to 200,000 people die each year after taking prescribed dope - as prescribed! That's all easy for me to believe. One thing I do find hard to believe is the # of innocent animals used by the med (and perhaps the cosmetic) establishment - 20 million - U.S. 100 million worldwide for "experiments", such as locally, by a chiropractic outfit, a cat w/ its tail cut off, and a rat w/ its hind legs cut off - to see how it might operate as a bi-ped animal(!) (Perfomed often to recieve "grants"). These are some things I've read, you do not have to take them as facts. You were asking for someone w/ some personal experience - I've personally been to the dreaded h-word place. In my opinion they often destroy people and their lives - remorselessly - to the tune of two trillion dollars per year. Knowing how "doctors credibility is largely based on peoples ignorance, I'm here to educate/enlighten most anyone w/ any questons. (Gladly!!) For further information, I might suggest some books by Harvey Diamond, and/or Kevin Trudeau. More authors/information upon request. May you remain strong in your search and in healing!
Do you really believe in Kevin Trudeau? He is the one that advertises on tv right? I want to hear your opinion on him.
visit www.curezone.com
they have tons of different forums on alternative health of actual people who have done many different things. They have a search feature to help navigate. Awesome site!
(((biodancer)))
Sending lots of positive healing energy.
Stay strong, stay positive.
Hello,
I will start by sending you LOVE. I looked after my mother for over 6 years. I hope that this heartens you (rather than disheartens) but my mother survived for over 6 years when most others in her situation don't last a year. She went vegan - and I insisted she had no sugar, no preservatives, no chemicals, no alcohol, no smoking (she didn't anyway), no caffeine, nothing at all bad. We checked all cosmetics, personal hygiene, soaps, moisturisers, shampoo etc to make sure that they were completely natural - what you put on your skin goes into yourblood. (I still live like this - I believe in natural living being the only way.)
She had a Champion Juicer to make a carrot, celery, spinach, ginger, tumeric (anti-metasticising) a bit of apple and other green things like brocolli EVERYDAY.
She meditated everyday.
She maintained an absolutely positive attitude and NEVER accepted defeat - even at the very end.
She did have chemo for most of that time and had terrible troubles with side-effects.
If I could go back and do things dfferently we would have started teh Gerson Therapy straight away - I really recommend you look into that and even go to their clinic. I would definitely do that. If I was every in that situation that is what I would choose.
Ian Gawler is a survivor of an 'incurable' cancer and has great books - we read them all and did his meditation CDs everyday.
Here are the links.
http://www.gerson.org/
http://gawler.org/html/s01_home/home.asp
Other books we found great were (off the top of my head);
Remarkable Recovery - Caryle Hirshberg
The Gerson Therapy Books
Getting Well Again by the Simontons
Ian Gawler
Caroline Myss
Louise Hay
Bernie Siegel
Dr Sandra Cabot's Liver Cleansing Diet
Please understand that this is still a very tender thing for me and I am still in the grief of it but I have never stopped believing that you can get better - nothing is incurable. I believe that my Mum did not do everything possible to heal herself even though she did AMAZINGLY. She is a truly unique soul but had some emotional trauma that she never really dealt with (she buried it and we honestly believe that is why she got sick). So, I recommend some looking inwards to see why she is ill. What has she not dealt with - if anything.
Mum also did hypnosis.
it is very important to find joy everyday. Do things that bring joy. Find things that bring joy. Focus on healing and relaxing and take all the negativity possible away from her life. Don't let people cry and say crap to her - ensure that everyone knows she IS going to recover and let them be involved in the HEALING not mourning someone who isn't dead!
I'll just say again that I would pursue the Gerson Therapy for myself. I would go to the clinic initially and then continue it at home myself. It is full on - so many juices a day etc and enemas, but the results are worth it. I believe in natural for myself.
You also have to think about what your Mum needs though. My Mum felt safe with her doctor and chemo and so did the alternative stuff on top of that. She got more and more into the alternative but initially I struggled to even get her to read the Galwer books.
I also think spirituality is really important. And having something to look forward to and to live for. I'm not convinced my beautiful Mum felt she had anything other than my brother and I - she didn't have anything just for her to look forward to.
Anyway, I hope that has helped even though it is long. I have so many years of research under my belt. VEGAN and natural are essential though!
My prayers and blessings and go out to you and your family. (I think you need to look after you too - I didn't and ended up with chronic fatigue syndrome. I really recommend counselling and JOY for you too. Do the healthy stuff with her)
Lots of Love,
Tamara xxx
PS Healing White Light imagery meditations (and other healing imagery mediations) are fantastic. Ian Gawler has one on CD. Lots of survivors talk about the visualisation of cleansing their bodies of illness. Meditation is proven to be very powerful - I spent hundreds of (Australian) dollars on books and CDs - do whatever it takes and whatever SHE wants to do because she has to believe in her own treatment!
Blessings xxx
Biodancer,
Sorry to hear about your mom. I went through several years of dealing with my own mom having cancer and sadly she lost her battle earlier this year. I too did a good deal of research and wanted to mention one of the sites that sydney.vegan just posted. I was watching one of the independent news channels one night and saw the documentary on "The Gerson Institute". By time I saw it, it really was too late to do any good for my mom, but I have to say...I SO wish I had seen it much earlier on when she was first diagnosed with her cancer.
They have the full documentary posted on their site. I do hope you'll watch it....I also hope you'll watch it with your mom. Here's the link for the video: http://www.gerson.org/videos/default.asp
Sending good vibes....
-dave
Biodancer, I am so sorry that you and your mother have to go through this.
I should probably preface this with the statement that I have a biased opinion. I'm applying to medical school right now, and I have a great deal of belief in Western Medicine. Chemotherapy is the normal course for cancer treatment because it has the best chance of success (as measured in cases of remission).
The Lance Armstrong Foundation provides a lot of help in the supporting of cancer patients:
http://www.livestrong.org/site/c.khLXK1PxHmF/b.2662949/k.73BB/Get_OneonOne_Support.htm
To answer your question, the academic studies on alternative medicines have not been favorable. I haven't read much on supplementary diets, but I can't imagine that there'd be anything wrong with a diet high in whole grains and fresh produce. The medical community has been pushing balanced diets to fight obesity for years.
An article from The Oncologist (Impact Factor in 2005: 3.962, not too bad... top 10% of Cancer journals)
http://theoncologist.alphamedpress.org/cgi/content/full/11/7/732
There's a very interesting discussion of the perceived dangers of western and alternative medicines about 1/3 of the way into the article. Some alternative medicines can be harmful, e.g. "hepatotoxicity" and "neurotoxicity."
The New England Journal of Medicine had an editorial in '98, but it isn't available for free online (it actually costs $10). Here's a link to the abstract:
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/extract/339/12/839
Maybe you can go to the public library and dig it up? It's old, but NEJM is also the most well respected journal in clinical medicine period. It has an impact factor of 51...!
P.S. Impact factor is pretty much the average number of times each article in the journal is cited. It's a loose estimate of a journal's importance.
I'm sorry to hear that someone else has been going through what I have DaveDrum. I hope that you are alright and getting lots of hugs from your MANY dogs. They make such a difference in life don't they - I wouldn't have gotten through this without mine.
I have been thinking about what I wrote last night and I hope that it sounded positive. I have an absolute belief in the human ability to heal. I honestly do not believe that anything is beyond hope - you just need to want it and find what it takes for you (we are all different) to heal. LIke DaveDrum, we found the Gerson Therapy in the last weeks and my brother and I were just about to start it with Mum - we never gave up hope.
As for Dienekes88, I hope that you will make a wonderful doctor! Of course medicine plays an important part in our world but don't even get me started on the pharmaceutical companies the commercialisation and profit mongering that it is all about - we paid thousands of dollars for chemo (every 3 weeks) because they wouldn't change what it was listed for. Anyway, there is also not enough evidence that chemo is worth the pain.
The most important thing to know is that IT ONLY TAKES ONE PERSON TO PROVE IT CAN BE DONE - and there are many more than only one who have made full recoveries from so called incurable illnesses. Ian Gawler's story is AMAZING. So, Biodancer, watch the Gerson video with your Mum and let yourselves be thoroughly inspired and try to ensure that she is really proactive in her treatment deicision.
Best of blessings to you all xxx