Guest mp Posted March 22, 2004 Share Posted March 22, 2004 Hi, My mother appears to have quite advanced lung cancer which she was told was unresectable by the surgeon who did her biopsy (through the chest... bronchoscopies and needle biopsies inconclusive/negative). We are awaiting the final biopsy results this week. Anyway, I am firmly of the camp that sees chemo/radiotherapy as counterproductive and unintuitive - that holistic treatment and improving basic health is more likely to provide a lasting positive outcome. However there are so many alternative treatments, the majority of which are diet-based, but I have not found any sign of corroborated follow-ups demonstrating the success or otherwise of these treatments. All I seem to find is "offical" documentation debunking alternative treatments and poo-pooing any follow-ups they have done. Is there a website for people who have survived (lung) cancer without having chemo/radiotherapy so that it is possible to get a real handle on what looks like it works and how many people are doing it? Also any references to reliable peer-reviewed studies on nutrition based approaches to lung cancer management would be wonderful. Of course I appreciate that these are likely very hard to find, if they exist at all Best wishes, Marc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elaine Posted March 22, 2004 Share Posted March 22, 2004 mp I don't know of any forums, but I imagine there is one--maybe not specific to lung cancer though. Let us know what your find. I am so sorry for the reason that your research has led you to this forum. But pls come back and share what you find and also let those here offer you and your mother any needed support. Elaine DX stage IV/IIIB inoperable NSCLC Feb 2004 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elaine Posted March 22, 2004 Share Posted March 22, 2004 mp I don't know of any forums, but I imagine there is one--maybe not specific to lung cancer though. Let us know what your find. I am so sorry for the reason that your research has led you to this forum. But pls come back and share what you find and also let those here offer you and your mother any needed support. Elaine DX stage IV/IIIB inoperable NSCLC Feb 2004 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 23, 2004 Share Posted March 23, 2004 Marc, there's quite a bit of information on nutritional/alternative cancer therapy. You can start with www.cancure.org. Click on Actual Cases of Cancer Victors. Also click on recommended books. Also review Clinics especially Oasis of Hope and Gerson Clinic. www.kushiinstitute.com. Quite a few testimonials from cancer survivors using a macrobiotic diet. This institute is located in West Massachusetts (Berkshires). Do a search on the following people: Dr. Matthias Rath (his NYC Speech on 9/29/2002 is especially interesting). www4.dr-rath-foundation.org Dr. Lorraine Day (who cured herself of Stage 4 Breast Cancer) Janet E. Vitt (cured herself of advanced Lung Cancer which spread to brain, liver, lymph systems) Dr. William Donald Kelley & Dr. Carol Morrison Kelley Cancer Magic (poweful site that lists many nutritional/alternative therapies) Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez (NYC) Patrick Quillin, Nutritionist John Robbins (son of the co-founder of Baskin & Robbins) Also, someone wrote a book on 50 Cancer Patients who cured themselves of cancer. The book is actually written by the cancer patients. I'll do a search and see if I can find it. Or you can telephone the Cancer Cure Foundation (www.cancure.org) and someone will give you the information. There are many alternative cancer therapies that seem very suspicious so one has to use logic and common sense. If it looks too good to be true it probably is. But there's nothing suspicous about nutritional therapy (Natures/Gods Medicine Chest). If one decides to use a nutritional healing approach (plant based diet - No Sugar either natural or refined) it's recommended that the patient consider a vegetable juice/water fast which removes all the poisons and toxins from the body. Should be at least 10 days. Second, cleansing the colon. The best method is colonics. Do a search on both FASTING & COLONICS. The diet should be plant based diet and supplements (vitamins, minerals, trace minerals and antioxidants). Also, supporting nutrients such as bee pollen, wheat grass, spirulina, chlorella, barley juice, chlorophyll, soy, green tea, etc. With conventional therapies the cancer is attacked by surgery, chemo, radiation and drugs. With nutritional therapy the plan is to starve the cancer and attack it with all natural foods and supplements. Someone taking the nutritional therapy road should consider spending some time at a strict vegetarian health resort. A resort where you're taught what to eat, how to shop for the food and how to prepare it. There's an excellent one on the East Coast of Florida below Ft. Lauderdale which takes health very seriously and it's reasonably priced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mp Posted March 23, 2004 Share Posted March 23, 2004 Thanks for all the names/references. I will spend some time on them tomorrow. We're in the UK but that doesn't make a difference apart from getting to places For what it's worth, I myself am 100% vegan and have been for over 2 years ,vegetarian for 8yrs before that - so the plant based diet is a no-brainer to me. However it is not easy getting my 57 yr old mother to change her diet drastically enough. She is getting better at it already, but it's a hard sell if you can't produce a catalogue of victors! It helps that her first grand daughter, who has just turned 1yr old is a life long vegan and is one of the most amazing children she has every seen! Personally I'm not so sure about the Gerson therapy, having read a bit about it already and got a book for my mother. The enemas sound a bit dodgy, and the apparent complete lack of reliable follow-up on people taking the regimen does not inspire confidence. I just don't think my mother has what it takes to keep up the high amount of work required. Anyway, I just need to help my mother make her own decision about treatment she can have faith in. She trusts me, but she needs to trust her choices. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karenl Posted March 23, 2004 Share Posted March 23, 2004 Marc Hi, and sorry to hear about your mum. My mum is stage IV and is also very interested in alternative treatments, although she is having some chemo at present. We have been frustrated as you have, by the negative attitudes towards 'natural healing' by the medical profession, with so many doctors not even interested in discussing the potential benefits of dietary changes. My mum has adopted a mostly vegetarian, raw food diet. She follows some of the basic principles of the Gerson Therapy, although as you say, it is very strict and difficult to follow. She is also likely to try some laetrile in the not too distant future. If you have done research, then you know that there are so many different diets recommended for cancer patients. It seems that there are some common factors such as no sugar, no salt, raw vegetables and fruit, no/little meat, plenty of freshly made vegetable juice. She also takes alot of supplements. She is doing pretty well and has had some shrinkage, but of course, we don't know what has produced the good response!! Anyway, I wish you the best of luck in your search for a diet that your mum can tolerate. Karen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeanCarl Posted March 23, 2004 Share Posted March 23, 2004 Try what you will, but I have a warning drawn from experience ... an almost fatal experience ... when it comes to using suppliments. My wife almost died a little under a year ago due to the fact that, since they are considered food products and not medications, suppliments have NOT been subjected to the rigirous types of testing that drugs have. She was diagnosed as bein peri-menopausal. Since she takes some fairly heavy duty psychotropic medications (one of which being lithium) she, and her doctors, were a bit leary about trying any treatment that included hormone replacement therapy. So she, WITH THE GO AHEAD FROM HER G.P. AND HER PSYCHIATRIST, decided to try some herbal supplements that had shown some positive effect for menopausal and peri-menopausal women. One of the supplements suggested was Black Kohosh Root. She began taking it as directed on the bottle. A week later I had to call the ambulance as she was completely confused and very weak, unable to stand on her own. When they did the blood work in the ER they found her lithium level was over 2 times the normal level. Lithium toxicity can kill ... and in this case almost did. Gay had suffered complete kidney failiar. The docs gave her only a 50 percent chance of making it through the night. They weren't sure that, once they got the lithium level back down that her kidneys would "restart". Well, they did and she came out of it ok. So what had happened? Turned out the Balck Kohosh Root affectes the kidneys which is where lithium is matabolized! The supplement caused the lithium to build up which caused the kidneys not to matabolize the lithium as well which caused the lithium to build up more. A positive feedback loop that darn near killed her. Now understand ... NOWHERE on the bottle or in any of the "front line" liturature for Black Kohosh Root did it have ANY warning about possible interactions with drugs that matabolize in the kidneys .. or any OTHER warnings for that matter. I had to dig REAL deep to find anything. Once again, the problem is that supplements are classified as food by the FDA and, therefore, the manufacturers do NOT have to provide ANY warnings or cautions for their products beyond what any other food product, such as a box of cereal, does. If you are going to go this route do so with EXTREME caution. In this case what you don't know (and what the supplement manufacturers try their darndest to keep from you) CAN kill you. Dean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elaine Posted March 23, 2004 Share Posted March 23, 2004 MP Here is a website that might be of interest to you in your search. http://www.caringmedical.com/ Elaine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karenl Posted March 24, 2004 Share Posted March 24, 2004 Marc I forgot to mention in my post yesterday about Ian Gawler. He is a veterinarian who was diagnosed with osteosarcoma when he was 25 years old and had his leg amputated. Later that year, inoperable secondaries were confirmed in the right inguinal and mediastinal lymph nodes. He was told conventional treatment offered no hope and that he had 3-6 months to live. He turned to diet and meditation, initially following the Gerson diet, but found it too rigorous, so maintained a vegetarian, organic diet. He also began meditation with Dr Ainslie Meares, an Australian psychiatrist who believed that prolonged meditation could reduce cortisol levels, improve immune function and so lead to recovery. In the next six months, while his general health improved and he felt well and healthy, the cancer continued to spread and grow; he had massive secondaries on his sternum, left lung, lumbar spine and lymph nodes. He continued his diet and meditation regime, and had one round of chemo (the chemo did not appear to have an effect on tumour size), and some palliative radiation to his spine. Two years later, all visible lesions had subsided, and he had no evidence of active cancer. He credits his survival to the diet and meditation and the total support of his wife. Twenty five years later, he is alive and well, and continuing to assist others living with cancer to enhance their quality and quantity of life. Ian has written several books, and I strongly recommend the new edition of "You Can Conquer Cancer", as well as "Inspiring People" Website: www.gawler.org Hope you find this as inspiring as my family has. Karen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karenl Posted March 24, 2004 Share Posted March 24, 2004 Marc I forgot to mention in my post yesterday about Ian Gawler. He is a veterinarian who was diagnosed with osteosarcoma when he was 25 years old and had his leg amputated. Later that year, inoperable secondaries were confirmed in the right inguinal and mediastinal lymph nodes. He was told conventional treatment offered no hope and that he had 3-6 months to live. He turned to diet and meditation, initially following the Gerson diet, but found it too rigorous, so maintained a vegetarian, organic diet. He also began meditation with Dr Ainslie Meares, an Australian psychiatrist who believed that prolonged meditation could reduce cortisol levels, improve immune function and so lead to recovery. In the next six months, while his general health improved and he felt well and healthy, the cancer continued to spread and grow; he had massive secondaries on his sternum, left lung, lumbar spine and lymph nodes. He continued his diet and meditation regime, and had one round of chemo (the chemo did not appear to have an effect on tumour size), and some palliative radiation to his spine. Two years later, all visible lesions had subsided, and he had no evidence of active cancer. He credits his survival to the diet and meditation and the total support of his wife. Twenty five years later, he is alive and well, and continuing to assist others living with cancer to enhance their quality and quantity of life. Ian has written several books, and I strongly recommend the new edition of "You Can Conquer Cancer", as well as "Inspiring People" Website: www.gawler.org Hope you find this as inspiring as my family has. Karen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karen335 Posted March 25, 2004 Share Posted March 25, 2004 Hi All, Thanks for sharing all this information. It really makes us all aware of what is available for all of us... God Bless, Karen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest American Me Posted April 9, 2004 Share Posted April 9, 2004 Hello, I found the following site while searching for information for a friend of mine. I hope this site helps someone in this forum www.survivingsmallcell.com Good luck to all......... P.S. My friend will be using this hospital soon.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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