Category: Chemotherapy

Good bye Ina – Rest in Peace

When I woke up on the morning of 2 April 2024, Im told me that she had a dream. Ina, our cancer patient and a good friend, came to her in a dream.

In my dream, Ina was wearing a bright dress with many colors, and

everything looked bright and cheerful. I felt happy.

Chris was busy working at his computer – his back facing us.

Ina and I were happily sharing something on another computer when

she took out a cartridge and inserted it into a gadget and told me that we may have duplicates of some pictures. She said: There is no need to make copies of everything. I said something (that I cannot remember).

Then she turned to the left and picked up two babies, one on each arm and showed them to me.

I told her not to strain herself. She smiled and said it is okay.

That was when I woke up suddenly. I looked at the clock in my room – it was 7:30 a.m. I felt very afraid – my heart was very troubled. For a long while, I dared not check my handphone for fear of receiving any bad news about Ina.

There was a message in our whatsapp:  Aunty  passed on early this morning.

To be honest, this sad news came as no surprise.  When you have metastatic cancer, we know that there is no cure. There will be a day when we need to accept that death will come. That is the final cure for cancer. But while we are still alive, let us pray that there is no suffering and we go in peace. This is the message I would like to share with you.

That same evening, Im and I went to pay our last respect  to Ina and got to meet some members of her family. Although the mood was sober no one showed any feeling of desperation – everyone in the family did their best and Ina’s time was up and she left without any suffering. Amazingly after (or before?) she left Ina visited Im in her dream.

There is no denying, this is a good death.

Let me recall what happened to Ina – whom I wrote about in our book Breast Cancer – Sharing our 25 years of experience.

Her Tango with Breast Cancer

Ina was 51 years old when she was diagnosed with Stage 2 left breast cancer with nodal metastases. This was 12 years ago – around July 2012. She underwent surgery to remove the cancerous breast but refused further medical treatment – no radiation , no chemo and no tamoxifen, etc. She opted for our therapy – i. e., herbs and change of diet.

Why did she not want to go for chemo, radiotherapy, etc.? Unfortunately, Ina came from a family with cancer problems. She once told me that 50% of her family members got cancer. Both her father and mother died of cancer and she saw how they suffered. No, she would not want to go through all those tortures.

For 8 years (2012 to 2020), Ina was doing well and led a perfectly normal life. She took care of her diet very well and was serious about taking care of her health. She once told me that she hoped to live for “another 30 years”.

But it was not to be. The world was struck by the Covid-19 epidemic. During this lockdown period we did not get to see much of Ina. She was out of our radar. During this time, something was brewing up.

  1. Ina had her Sinovac vaccination:
  2. First dose: 9 July 2021
  3. Second dose: 30 July 2021
  4. Booster dose: 12 December 2021
  • Her blood test results on 17 September 2022 showed “good health, nothing abnormal”, as below:

ESR = 10

Platelet count = 271

Liver function tests = all values within normal range.

Alpha fetoprotein = less than 1.3

CA 125 = 4.8 (normal)

CA 15.3 = 14.9 (normal)

CA 19.3 = 28.7 (normal)

CEA = 0.9 (normal)

  • Ina was infected with Covid-19 on 25 September 2022 – in spite of the vaccination received earlier.
  • Ina became breathless and came to seek our help. She was given Lung Tea. After taking Lung Tea she felt okay.
  • Blood test on 10 May 2023 showed deteriorating results:

ESR = 52 High

Platelet count = 275

CA 125 = 4.7

CA 15.3 =  65.5 High

CA 19.9 = 48.8 High

  • PET scan on 14 September 2023 showed more serious condition.
  • The metabolically active left lung mass with multiple neck, axillary and mediastinal nodes. Left pleura and bone lesions are likely due to primary lung malignancy.
  • However, metastatic breast cancer recurrence cannot be excluded.
  • Ina continued to take the lung herbs. In view of the above PET scan results (now suggesting that she might have lung cancer besides breast cancer!) I suggested that Ina seek medical opinion and help in addition to taking our herbs. Ina made it clear to me that whatever it is, she was not prepared to go for chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
  • Ina still managed to lead a normal life but many times she felt breathless to the point of  not being able to walk much. Another problem she faced was wind or gas in her stomach which made her uncomfortable.
  • One day in early 2024, Ina, her husband, son and daughter came to our house for consultation – What to do now? This was my advice to Ina.
  • Yes, by all means go and consult the doctor and see what the cancer expert(s) can offer you.
  • I have done my best for you –  for the pasts 12 years – and now, I don’t have any more herbs to make your problems go away.
  • Ina said the oncologist wanted her to do a biopsy and PET scan and most probably follow up with oral chemo or immunotherapy drugs.
  • To be fair to Ina, I told her I am not going to give my opinion on this – she will have to make that decision herself.  If that is the only route to take, just give it a try.
  • I may give my thoughts but you and your family must come together, discuss and decide what to do.
  • I asked Ina to take Lung Phlegm tea together with the Lung tea. This was to help her with the laboured breathing. It was indeed surprising that Ina told us she became normal again after taking this tea. I talked to her over the phone. Her voice was strong like any healthy person.
  1. I received these messages:
  • 28 March 20240:  Agreed to go for scan today. Letrozole + ribociclib. She still felt breathless the whole day. Couldn’t sleep the whole night again. I think she’s going to give it a try.
  • 29 March 2023: Started on Letrozole and abemaciclib tonight. Biopsy confirmed hormone positive breast cancer.
  1. 2 April 2023: Im and I visited the Funeral Parlor to pay our last respect to Ina. We were told the following by various family members.
  1. Before Ina went to the hospital for the biopsy and treatment she was still okay. She was in her shop giving instructions to her staff on what to do.
  • Ina was prescribed 2 oral drugs.
  1. Letrozole or Femara. This is a commonly prescribed oral drug for breast cancer patient. If you wish to know what this drug can do to a patient, click this link: https://cancercaremalaysia.com/2019/12/30/rotten-breast-suffered-after-three-weeks-on-letronat/
  •  A targeted therapy cancer drug (either abemaciclib (Yulareb or Verzenios) or ribociclib (Kisqali). I am not able to confirm which drug was being used. Anyway, these are new drug that are not readily available in most hospitals in Malaysia. This is the second time I have heard of abemaciclib being used on breast cancer patients. The first time was from a Indonesian lady. She had many cycles of this drug in Jakarta. Unfortunately, the result was disappointing. As for ribociclib, this is the first time that I heard of this drug.
  • According to Ina’s husband Ina was given a cycle of these drugs (plus other pills) and that costs RM90,000 (ninety thousand ringgit). The family was also told that should Ina needed to be admitted in the ICU, it would cost the family at least RM5,000 per day.
  • Ina took the targeted therapy drugs:
  • Day 1, Ina took 1 pill.
  • Day 2, she took 2 pills.
  • Day 3, she took 1 pill.
  • Ina developed difficulties and she died early morning the next day, about an hour after the family had left the hospital for home.

Comments

Probably the first question anyone may want to ask is:Why did Ina die so fast? Three days after swallowing these scientifically proven drug, she was dead.

Can this be due to the following?:

  • Her breast cancer which she had been living with for the past 12 years without any problem  suddenly turned aggressive and killed her within 3 days. Can this ever happen?
  • It is because of lung complications arising from her covid-19 infection.
  • It is because of the scientifically proven targeted chemo drugs that she took?
  • Oh, it is just her fate – just that her time is up.

I would not wish to give my comment on the above reasons. It is up to you readers to come to your own conclusion based on your belief. I cannot and would not want to change your belief system either. So be it.

By bringing up the above question, I am also not trying to ask you to find a scape goat either. The doctors did  their best based on the knowledge that they had learned. All family members gave advices, rightly or wrongly, in the hope that what they said might help Ina.

To me, by sharing with you Ina’s story, is to highlight some lessons we can learn from Ina’s experience. Do you learn anything after reading her story?

Let me tell you what I learned. I thought, throughtout these 12 years, I have done my best to help Ina. But I must admit, upon reflecting on Ina’s case again, I would say I could have done better. I did not prescribe her the covid herbs that we have – especially the tea to deal with long covid symptoms. Yes, I gave Ina the lung herbs to help her with her lung problems but I wondered, could the covid herbs be better for her?  To me,  I believe the problem that Ina was facing was not breast cancer – she had been living with this for the past 12 years!. Yes, the lung has breast cancer cells but what mattered most was that her lungs needed help – she had severe breathlessness, lack of energy or strength, etc. Could these be caused by the covid infection she had earler – the monster referred to as long covid?

To understand more, visit the NHS, UK website: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/covid-19/long-term-effects-of-covid-19-long-covid/

  • How long does fatigue last after COVID-19? Your recovery from COVID-related fatigue will likely depend on how severe your illness was. After a mild case of COVID-19 your fatigue may clear up after about 2-3 weeks. But if you had a severe case, it’s possible to feel sluggish and tired for months.

Ina “recovered” from her covid infection but her problems did not go away for many months. After recovering from covid, Ina took time off to visit South Korea. When she came home (according to her husband), she was still coughing.

More from the internet ….

  • Long COVID still worrisome 2 years after infection – even two years after infection with the virus, fallout from COVID-19 may persist.
  • COVID-19 can cause lasting lung damage.
  • Covid-19 continues to harm the body even months after a seeming recovery
  • Long COVID Has Caused Thousands of US Deaths: New CDC Data
  • COVID-19 can cause lasting lung damage.

What’s the link between coronavirus and lung cancer? COVID-19 disproportionately harms frail persons, including the elderly, and those with comorbid conditions, including cancer patients who are immunocompromised. 

Some people with cancer are at increased risk of serious illness if they get COVID-19, because their immune systems have been weakened by the cancer and/or its treatments.

What happens if cancer patients get COVID? Studies show that having a history of cancer may also increase your risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19.

Why is COVID bad for your lungs? After a COVID infection, the immune system can inflict remote damage on other organs by triggering serious inflammation throughout the body – and this is in addition to damage the virus itself has directly inflicted on the lung tissue.

Is there a problem with lung after COVID? If COVID-19 pneumonia progresses, more of the air sacs can become filled with fluid leaking from the tiny blood vessels in the lungs. Eventually, shortness of breath sets in, and can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a form of lung failure.

What organs are affected by COVID? The virus that causes COVID-19, can damage the lungs, heart, brain, kidneys, and blood vessels. Inflammation was first thought to be the main source of this damage.

Does Covid stay in your body forever? Scientists at the University of California San Francisco have discovered that remnants of the COVID-19 virus can linger in blood and tissue for more than a year after a person is first infected.

Does COVID weaken your immune system? In a small study supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), severe cases of COVID-19 were shown to cause long-lasting changes to the immune system.

What are long Covid lung symptoms?

  • Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath.
  • Cough.
  • Chest pain.
  • Fast-beating or pounding heart (also known as heart palpitations)
  • Trouble breathing.
  • Persistent pain or pressure in the chest.
  • Inability to wake or stay awake.

Death is Not a Failure

Many people often time believe that to die is a failure. This idea is notoriously perpetuated in medicine.

Dr. Robin Kelly (in Healing Ways) said: Fear of death is seen as a necessary part of modern medicine … This idea stems from a materialistic view about life.

Dr. Bernie Siegel wrote: I experienced being unhappy as a doctor. I was uncomfortable with the mechanical approach that we are taught in medical school. My success is measured by whether or not I saved your life. If I can’t save your life, I’m a failure. But now I don’t feel like a failure. I can help you live. After all you’re not going to live forever, no matter what I do.

Those who are spiritually orientated understand that life on earth is only transient and therefore view life and death in a different light. There is an Indian saying: When you are born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a manner that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice.

To me, this is the secret of how we can triumph and give meaning and beauty to our own death. We can leave this world with a sense of pride and dignity knowing that we have done our best to make it a slightly better place for those we leave behind.

I saw Ina lying in the coffin and was told that the white blouse that she wore was specially designed by her.  I believe Ina was well prepared for this day. I am sorry I cannot make her live for the next “thirty years” but she had done 12 years very well.  Being a business woman Ina had many customers who had cancer. They went through surgery, chemo, radiation, tamoxifen, etc. Many suffered from the treatment and some died.

I recall what Ina told me after she went to consult the oncologist for her problems. Ina said something to this effect: The doctor was surprised. He said: You have stage 4 cancer and you can walk into my office like a normal person! Generally, stage 4 patient come in a wheelchair looking very sick. You walk in like a healthy lady with no problem!

No, Ina’s death is not a failure.

Let me end with what Dr. Bernie Siegel wrote in Peace, Love & Healing:

  • It is important that we realize that we can never cure everything. We will never find … cure for all the diseases. Dying can be a healing, ending a full, rich life for someone who is tired and sore and in need of rest.

Cervical Cancer: She died after surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

During this Chinese New Year 2024 – the year of the Dragon! – I had the opportunity to read two books  The Red Light Therapy and The Cancer Industry – Crimes, Conspiracy and the Death of My Mother. Both of them were written by Mark Sloan of Ontario, Canada.

Mark’s mother had cervical cancer. She died after surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Mark wrote:

  • (This) happened when I was 12 years old. My father called a family meeting in the living room and sat my sister and I down on the couch. We had no idea what he was about to tell us but he looked upset … and I knew at that moment something was terribly wrong.
  • Dad told us that our mom had cancer.
  • Doctors found a cancerous lesion on her cervix about the size of a baby fingernail. Dad told us they had detected it early and were going to rush her in for surgery followed by radiotherapy to ensure the cancer wouldn’t return. He assured us that treating her quickly would give her the best chance of survival, and we’ve got the best doctors in Canada working on her.

After surgery and radiotherapy …

  • Six difficult months passed … back into the hospital for re-assessment. The cancer had spread to her hip area and they wanted to do chemotherapy. 
  • The dramatic decline in her health immediately following chemotherapy was disturbing. Within days of her first treatment, her legs swelled up so badly that she could no longer walk. The poison injected into her veins reduced her jaw muscles to scar tissue so she could barely open her mouth to talk. Chewing food was out of the question so she was reduced to a liquid diet and we began bringing her smoothies.
  • My mom was able to return home shortly after chemotherapy treatments but her return wasn’t at all glorious like I had imagined. I remember laying in bed late at night and hearing her downstairs crying in excruciating pain. My mother went from looking like a healthy middle-aged woman to something approximating a prisoner of war who had been captured and tortured by the enemy.
  • The confusion began to set in and then quickly turned to anger: Why was my mother in pain? I thought we had some of the best doctors working on her giving her the best treatments available. She was supposed to get healthy but the treatments have made her worse!!!

A couple months later…

  • When I got downstairs, Dad was a mess; unable to hold back his tears and struggling to speak.
  • Dad told us that our mom was gone.

Time to Ponder and Ask Questions

  1. Cancer – surgery, radiotherapy and / or  chemotherapy, etc. The patient died. Does this happen often to cancer patients? Unfortunately, the answer could be yes or most likely.

For the following questions, I shall not answer the questions posed but rather quote what Mark Sloan wrote in his books.  

2. Can medical treatments cure cancer? This is what Mark wrote (pg. 44) in the Red Light Therapy:

    • It’s been almost 50 years since the war on cancer has been declared and yet more people are diagnosed and dying of the disease than ever before.
    • If you give somebody 50 years and around $500 billion dollars in research money to find a cure for cancer and they literally come up with nothing, what do you do? You fire them and find a new approach.

    Yes. Many people are being fed with the propaganda that cure is just around the corner! Really?

    3. Why can’t they find a cure?

    Mark wrote on page 45 of his book:

    • An industry that makes $126 billion dollars a year will never give us answers, if these answers would mean putting itself out of business.
    • It is up to us as individuals to understand what cancer is, and the most efficient ways to remedy it.

    4. What can be the reality of today’s medical treatments for cancer?

    Mark wrote on page 45/46

    • We’ve all seen at least somebody in our lives undergo surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy and then come out far worse than before. I saw it happen to my mother when I was 12 years old. As soon as she received chemotherapy, it was like she got hit by a truck. Instead of recovery, she died a few months later, and every moment from chemotherapy to death was spent in agony.
    • It is common sense that cutting a sick person with a knife, injecting poison into their bodies, and burning them with ionizing  radiation will make their health worse.
    • It is time to learn from history and take action instead of ignoring it.

    5. After much reading, did Mark learn anything?

    In his book The Cancer Industry – Crimes, Conspiracy and the Death of My Mother (page 107), this is what he said:

    • When human being is sick with cancer, they deserve the absolute safest and most effective medicines known.
    • Yet in this world, cancer patients are routinely rushed into oncology centers where doctors sentence them to death using treatments that make industrial animal slaughterhouse look humane.
    • My mother didn’t die of cancer. She was murdered-for-profit by an industry that cares more about making money than saving lives.
    • The monstrous $126 billion dollar cancer industry, hell bent on preserving its profits at any cost, continues its murderous rampage to this day.

    The above is Mark’s view. This is what he had learned. You may not agree with him. This is your right.

    Let me end by quoting what Dr. Richard Smith said below. Dr. Smith worked at the British Medical Journal for 25 years, serving as editor in chief of the BMJ. Don’t you think he knew “something” that you and I do not know?

    Stage 3B Colon Cancer Spread To Lung After Surgery. Chemo Failed.

    Harry (not his real name) felt breathless sometime in May 2021. An examination by the doctor in a private hospital indicated three of the heart blood vessels were blocked. In June 2021, Harry underwent coronary angioplasty – i.e., a procedure using a tiny balloon catheter that is inserted in a blocked blood vessel to help widen it and improve blood flow to the heart.

    While in the hospital Harry also suffered altered bowel habits and rectal bleeding. A colonoscopy was done and showed transverse colon (hepatic flexture) tumour and hemorrhoid.

    Harry underwent a right hemicolectomy and omentectomy on 28 June 2022.

    The histology report confirmed:

    • mucinous adenocarcinoma of colon with tubulo-villous adenoma at its edges.
    • Invasion of mesocolic fat, pT3 tumour.
    • Three of 8 lymph nodes are involved by metastatic tumour, pN1.
    • One microscopic focus of serrated  adenoma found at the tip of appendix.

    Comment:  The  combination of mucinous adeonocarcinoma, tumour in the right colon and presence of serrated adenoma in the appendix is uncommon.

    Stage 3B – T3N1M0

    Harry was told to undergo chemotherapy in the same hospital where he had surgery. However, he was not happy with what he had gone through in that hospital and decided to take a break and ask around for various  opinions. Two months later, he decided to go for chemotherapy at  another hospital.

    Before starting chemotherapy a PET scan was done. The PET scan report dated 9 September 2021 showed:

    • A focus tracer accumulation seen anterior to the third part of the duodenum (0.8 x 1.0 x 0.9 cm). This FDG avid lymph node likely represents metastasis.
    • Patchy ground glass opacity seen in the left lower lobe of the lung.
    • There is no evidence of metastasis to the brain, nodes,  neck, thorax, mediastinum, pelvis, thyroid, lung, stomach, liver, pancreas, spleen, adrenals and bones.

    Harry underwent 8 cycles of chemotherapy.

    He did not suffer any severe side effect except a little numbness of his hands.

    The chemo treatments was completed in April 2020. A PET scan done on 7 April 2022 indicated:

    • Comparing with the scan done on 9 September 2021, the present scan indicate complete metabolic response to the treatment. Problem solved!
    • Patchy ground glass opacity seen in the left lower lobe of the lung is unchanged in appreance.
    • No evidence of FDG avid lesion seen in any other parts of the body.

    Six months later, Harry did another PET scan. PET scan report dated 13 October 2022 showed:

    • Patchy ground glass/consolidative opacity seen  in the left lower lobe of the lung was grown larger.
    • New patchy nodular opacity seen in the anterior segment of the right upper lobe.

    Harry was told to undergo another 8 cycles of chemotherapy using the regimen – TS 1, Irinotel + Avastin. The estimated cost of this second round of chemo would be about RM 66K as outlined  below (a note given to by the hospital).

    Harry declined to undergo further chemotherapy.

    Chris: Why did you not want to go for more chemotherapy?

    Harry: I have done that before and it did not work!

    C: When you did the first round of 8 cycles of chemo, did you ever ask the doctor if the treatment is going to cure you?

    H: No. I did not know anything. I just followed what I was told to do.

    C: In all, including  your heart operation, how much have you spent?

    H: Roughly about RM200,000.

    Comment

    One big lesson we can learn from this case is that surgery and chemo did not cure Harry’s Stage 3B colon cancer.

    After the completion of chemotherapy, Harry had a PET scan which showed everything was clear – no more cancer! So the treatment was effective. But that was just a …. (put in any word you like)!

    About 6 months later, another PET scan showed that the cancer had recurred. Harry was asked to do more chemo.

    Ask these questions:

    1. What is the use of doing a PET scan when the result is so short-lived. A “success” had turned into a “disappointment” within 6 months.

    2. Harry was asked to go for another round of 8 cycles of chemo which is going to cost him another RM 66K at least. Is that going to be a good investment for him?

    Breast Cancer: Part 2. Chemotherapy rescued her!

    Part 1: Disaster – twenty months after surgery!

    Part 2: Chemotherapy rescued her.

    Part 3: After chemotherapy she opted for CA Care Therapy.

    Due to the massive metastasis as shown in the PET scan done on 10 December 2021, Lucy had no choice but to proceed with chemotherapy. Indeed the cancer had spread extensively.

    Lucy wrote:

    1. On 11 December 2021, I received the 1st cycle of chemotherapy. The regimen used was: Daxotel (taxotere), Endoxan (cyclophosphamide) and Herceptin.

    2. My  naturopath doctor advised that my diet needs to include fish, meat, melon, veggies, sea salt, brown sugar, good oil!

    3. On 31 December 2021, I had the 2nd cycle of chemo.

    4. On 21 January 2022, I had the 3rd cycle of chemo.

    5. On 11 February 2022, I had the 4th cycle of chemo.

    6. On 4 March 2022, I  had the 5th cycle of chemo. I suffered water retention.

    7. On 25 March 2022, I had the last or 6th cycle of chemo. Water retention was more serious.

    8. PET scan on 14 April 2022 showed good response indeed.

    Comments

    1. Amazing results of chemotherapy. Compare these three pictures –

    Left: After surgery Lucy was on alternative therapy, refusing to undergo chemotherapy. The result was extensive metatastasis (middle). Right: Lucy has no choice but to go for chemotherapy. The outcome of 6 cycles of chemotherapy was just fantastic! In my 25 + years dealing with cancer patients, I have never seen such a great outcome of chemotherapy. Salute the oncologist! You rescued her!

    In fact, the results were so unbelievable that one is tempted to ask if it is for real and not a fake? My answer is NO, detailed study of the PET scan results below are real! Study the images carefully – those before and after  chemotherapy.

    The one lesson I learnt is that while chemotherapy had earned bad reputation there are times that chemo did help and can save your life. So let us be open minded. There is no one rule for treating cancer.

    2. Is Lucy cured of her cancer? Even though PET scan showed complete response to the treatment, does it mean Lucy is cured? Unfortunately, the answer is NO. The cancer may come back after a period of time.

    Below is the blood test results over a period of time. It is indeed most baffling. Even when she was diagnosed with breast cancer her CEA and CA15.3 (these are the normal tumour markers for breast cancer) still remained within normal range. When Lucy suffered extensive metastasis her CA15.3 reading was also normal while CEA went up to 8.3 (normal value is 5.0).

    After 6 cycles of chemotherapy her CEA went down to less than 0.5 and CA15.3 dropped to 10.8. But 3 months later, in July 2022, the CEA had increased to 2.5, while CA15.3 dropped further to 9.2.

    Indeed readings like these are mind-boggling.

    3. More treatments needed. Since no one can predict if the cancer can recur or not, as a precaution the oncologist said Lucy will have to undergo treatment with Herceptin for life! This treatment is going to cost a tidy sum of money!

    Nancy said, Since I have used up all my medical insurance I declined further treatment from him.

     The oncologist (from the private hospital) then referred Nancy to the government cancer hospital for further treatment due to this financial constrain.

    Nancy wrote:

    1. On 19 April 2022, I was started on an oral drug Letrozole. This was prescribed by the oncologist from the government hospital.

    2. On 9 May 2022, the doctor in the government hospital said the use of Herceptin is optional. If I wish to use it I need to buy from the pharmacy. It costs RM1,500 per dose.

    3. On 2 June 2022, I was started on Zometa for bone metastasis. It costs cost RM200 per dose every 3 months.

    4. On 25 August 2022, I had the second dose of Zometa. My next appointment is in November 2022.

    The Tumour Shrunk but The Patient Died

    Documenting His 21-Day Chemo Experience

    On 25 March 2022, I received this email.

    Doctor, I need your help. My 15-year-old son has lymphoma, 4th stage. Diagnosed last year October (2021). I did NOT send him for chemo or radio in hospital. None at all.

    Currently he is taking some anti-cancer products. Initially it worked. But in the past two months, my son’s condition had worsened.

    • His face was swollen, starting 3 months ago.
    • There are a lot of tumors in the mouth.
    • The gums are swollen and painful.
    • His teeth are loose, and he can’t bite food.
    • He can only swallow liquid food for two months. 
    • These few days his right eye started to swell.
    • His ears can’t hear clearly.

    I am from Penang Island. My son is now at home. Please advise me, what should I do to help him.

    I told the patient’s mother the best option to take care of the swelling is to go for chemotherapy. She flatly refused.

    Our herbs would not be able to cure her son’s lymphoma. However, since she still wanted to try our therapy, I prescribed herbs for two weeks and  we shall monitor the progress. If the herbs do not help her son, then he should stop taking our herbs and go to the oncologist for help.

    Patient was on our herbs for about 3 months. His problems did not go away.

    16  June 2022

    7:20 PM. Mother: He wants to go Hospital. Now at General Hospital

    Chris: Okay, let him decide. Doctors will chemo him and the lump may reduce in size.

    8:23 PM. M: Hopefully, thank you doctor.

    17 June 2020

    C: What did the doctor say or do?

    1:23 PM. M: In hospital, admitted since yesterday. Doctor still checking, most probably do chemo, high dose.

    6:46 PM. M: Doctor said lymphoma stage 4. Spread to brain, sinus and lungs. Other parts of body not sure, need further checking.

    C: Already long time went to lung. Brain? Something new. Usually he would have headache and even vomit in the morning if brain cancer.

    9:36 PM. M: Got vomit once, every day headache. Doctor said spread to brain behind his right eye. He can’t open his eye.

    9:52 PM. C: They are not going to start chemo yet?

    9:56 PM. M: This Sunday start. Today start oral medicine for chemo – Prednisolone.

    18 June 2022 (Saturday)

    C: That medicine is a steroid — trying to reduce the swelling

    11:29 AM. M: Last night only doctor inform me my son going for chemo tomorrow. 2nd dose will be a week later. They said better stay in the hospital until 2nd shot. . After that he will have chemo every 3 weekly shot.

    C: In the ward got many people stay?

    11:30 AM. M: Yes, full of chemo patients, all children. This is the children’s cancer ward.

    .19 June 2022 (Sunday)

    C: How is the chemo? Can he take it? How long it takes to finish the chemo? You know what drugs combination?

    3:16 PM. M: Viscristine 20ML /30 minutes.

     Mesna 100mg

    Cyclophosphermide 100ML/ 1 hour

    He feeling numbness – left hand and leg. Chest pain.

    Got another chemo injection to his back side.

    4:32 PM: Now on drip. Sodium chloride for 24 hours.

    20 June 2022 (Monday)

    11:19 AM. M: Doctor, 1st chemo normally ok. My friend said normally after 2nd chemo has a lot of side effects. What I should do?

    Doctor come over to explain the need to draw the bone marrow blood to check whether brain got cancer or not and mention injection of chemo at back to protect the brain.

    C: Good if they allow you to stay in the hospital. In case of emergency, they know what to do.

    Is  the condition in the hospital okay?

    11:55 AM. M: Yes, hospital ok.

    21 June 2022 (Tuesday)

    C: How is he today? Did you see if the lump gets smaller?

    3:12 PM. M: This morning fasting.  Doctor injected chemo to his back bone. Now not feeling well.

    C: You know what drug they use?

    3:49 PM. M: MTX (Methotrexate).

    C: Do you see if the swelling is smaller or not?

    3:51 PM: M: Got small a bit.

    22 June 2022 (Wednesday)

    C: Is he doing okay? Any pain anywhere? The chemo helps him or not?

    7:08 PM. M: Waist pain, because inject chemo from his back bone. His swelling face – size smaller.

    C: What about the inside of his mouth?

    7:19 PM. M: Smaller a bit.

    C:  Can see better, can hear clearly?

    7:22 PM. M: Cannot see better, cannot hear clearly.

    23 June 2022 (Thursday)

    C: How is he today?

    4:33 PM. M: Another IT injection.

    Swelling face reduced a lot.

    He wants to vomit.

    Eyes sights still not ok.

    Doctor said next week will give higher dose of chemo.

    Will be suffering.

    24 June 2022 (Friday)

    2:56 PM. M: Dr mention later do immunotherapy – Rituximab. Medicine to boost his own immune to fight his cancer cell. 

    C: What about the lump today — smaller? what about the inside of his mouth?

    5:30 PM. M: Small a bit, inside mouth also smaller.

    8:43 PM. M: Chemo 5 hours already.

    9:11 PM. M: GH doctor said after one month, want to do operation to put chemo pot. Currently cannot operations because my son’s nose blocked, cannot breathe.

    C: Chemo ports make it easier for him, but the danger is INFECTION.

    9:13 PM. M: Yes, many had infection. Yes, doctor said many died because of infection and fever.

    GH said my son need to stay till 4 July 22. Another 10 days.

    Today he feel very weak

    26 June 2022 (Sunday)

    12: PM. M: IT injection to his back. Tomorrow 2 am start fasting. 4 pm 2nd chemo

    Yesterday he vomit, stomach pain, can’t eat much

    7:39 PM. M: Past 2 days already stomach pain.

    The son of my wife’s friend ….kena skin problem. Now doctor also gives MTX

    27 June 2022 (Monday)

    1:03 PM. M: Fixed PICC line for this afternoon chemo.

    C: For first chemo also like that? PICC?

    2:35 PM. M: 1st chemo not like this.

    Dr said last week they do the check and found the cancer already spread to brain, kidney and lungs (lung got see 2 big lump insid.).

    C: Now what drugs are they giving him?

    5:10 PM. M: Vincristine -20ml.

    Rituximab – 420ml.

    Methotrexate –  500ml.

    28 June 2022 (Tuesday)

    9:43 AM. M: This morning he diarrhea 2 times.

    Tired

    Swelling smaller — outside and inside. Both sides.

    4:15 PM. M: Chemo again Cyclophosphamide – 100ml

    Doxorubicin – 50ml.

    5:01 PM. M: Doctor said will do IT on Wednesday and Friday. Next week Monday only can go home.

    C: Now they give him R-CHOP,  normal chemo for lymphoma. R-CHOP stand for R – rituximab. C – cyclophosphamide. H – doxorubicin (hydroxydaunomycin) O – vincristine (oncovin).

    8:00 PM. M: Diarrhea, vomit.🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

    C: Anyway, by Monday next week, he can go home already. We see what happen in the next few days.

    8:10 PM. M: Thank you Doctor

    29 June 2022 (Wednesday)

    1:12 PM. M: This morning fasting, on drips, diarrhea nonstop. Now very weak.

    Doctor said will do blood test whether the chemo toxic got too high in his body or not.

    His urine acid.

    2:57 PM. M: Now he has fever.

    Just done IV injection.

    IV chemo — Methotrexate + cytarabine + hydrocorp

    3:30 PM. Ok. No fever already.

    His stomach very pain.

    8:28 PM. Doctor said he diarrhea because of methotrexate toxicity.

    Now inject medicine to reduce the toxicity.

    10:24 PM. No lao sai (diarrhoea) already,The rice + red dates water really work. Doctor gave medicine also helps.

    C: What you prepared the rice and red dates — brought to the hospital?

    10:56 PM. M: My aunty cook.

    C: Very good. I hope he is not suffering too much.

    10:57 PM. M: Ok, thank you very much

    My son’s body feels a bit heaty.

    How to prevent vomit?

    C: Aya. Fever is a bit difficult. I have tea forAppetite & Fever …also good…but it is a bit messy. How to drink in the hospital? If at home okay.

    .30 June 2022 (Thursday)

    4:41 PM. M: Now start chemo Cyclophosphamide – 100ml for 1 hour

    Today he feeling ok

    Doctor said this Monday will do CT scan to compare with the 1st CT scan. His face tumor size reduce 68.7%.  His lungs tumor size smaller than that day.  Kidney tumor smaller than that day. Blood test results – everything normal. But still need to take bone marrow to check when he ok

    C: Very good. We wait and see the CT scan again.

    5:25 PM. M:  My son sore throat, tonight chemo postponed.

    8:57 PM. After chemo with cyclophosphermide – 100ml for 1 hour, had diarrhea nonstop again.🤦🏻‍♀️

    C: Aya, not good. Drink rice water again!

    1July 2022 (Friday)

    10:04 AM. M: Whole night lao sai (diarrhoea)  nonstop till now🤦🏻‍♀️

    C: Hope his lao sai improved?

    9:20 PM. M: Nope, very serious.

    Today whole day nonstop, and sore throat, ulcer

    C: Did you give him the rice water?

    9:23 PM. M: Gave. Can’t help.

    2 July 2022 (Saturday)

    3:34 PM. M: Today every hour lao sai, mouth ulcer

    C: The doctor cannot help? What did they say?

    6:30 PM. M: Wait for his stool results

    C: Has the lau sai improved compared to yesterday?

    6:30 PM. M: More serious.

    C: I hope he gets over this problem.

    11:44 PM. M: Hopefully.

    3 July 2022 (Sunday)

    12:04 AM. M: Doctor gave him morphine to reduce his pain.

    He has fever.

    Doctor gave antibiotics.

    His white blood cells drop to 0.5.

    Doctor gave stronger antibiotics.

    12.20 Injected strongest antibiotics.

    Inject anti-vomiting drug.

    Inject medication to increase white blood cells.  

    12.45 PM.  Give oxygen.

    12:52 PM. Blood pressure drop to 77/42.

    1:39 PM. Going to ICU, waiting for bed in ICU.

    C: Has he gone to the ICU? His condition getting worse?

    3:19 PM. M: Yes.

    His heart beat too high.

    Blood pressure too low.

    White blood cells 0.

    Every hour diarrhea .That’s why sending to ICU.

    C: Okay, better in ICU. If you have a chance to talk to any friendly nurse, ask what they say about this?

    3:24 PM. M: They said don’t worry. In ICU 1 nurse taking care 1 patient.

    9:27 PM. Just now doctor injected 3 dose to increase his heart beat. His blood pressure suddenly down after diarrhea.

    4 July 2022 (Monday)

    11:25 AM. M: Last night doctor called to say it is critical. His heart beat stop. Doctor did CPR for nearly 5 minutes. Now still in ICU.

    C: Is he recovering? Is he conscious?

    7:28 PM. M: Nope. Unconscious.

    Need support

    His condition very serious.

    5 July 2022 (Tuesday)

    C: Is he recovering and is conscious?

    1:20 PM. M: No.

    Diarrhea stopped.

    Now he needs oxygen support.

    Needs heart medicine support.

    Needs blood support.

    C: What did the docter/nurse say? Your son can recover or not?

    8:21 PM. M: His heart already weaken. No power or unable to contract and expand fully to pump blood to sustain the blood pressure. Currently use medicine to force the heart to pump at high frequency 167/min,. Will try another medicine these few days. Doctor mentioned the only chance is to try.

    6 July 2022 (Wednesday)

    Is he improving today? better than yesterday?

    1:03 PM. M: His eyes turned yellow. His liver got problems already

    Doctor said his pulse stopped few days ago course his liver could not function properly.

    C: Are they giving him any treatment?

    4:20 PM. M: Not yet.

    They use nutrition use drip directly to his blood.

    Stomach empty.

    Unconscious.

    Cannot move his hands or legs.

    Cannot open his eyes at all.

    C: I am sorry. What about the swelling in his face — has it gone smaller?

    4:37 PM. M: Yes, smaller.

    7 July 2022 (Thursday)

    C: How is he today? Any improvement?

    4:20 PM. M: Still need all the support. A little bit improvement.

    8 July 2022 (Friday)

    2:12 PM. M: His internal organ weaken.

    Got bleeding.

    They added blood.

    9 July 2022 (Saturday)

    2:44 PM. M: My son passed away at noon today.                                                                                        

    C: I am sorry and sad to know this news.

    Part 1: Lymphoma: Chemotherapy Failed.

    Sold a house to pay for medical expenses. Last hope – CA Care!

    (Emails translated from Bahasa Indonesia)

    Greetings Dr. Chris,

    I am DT from Indonesia. I want to consult about my mother – 71 years old. This is her medical history:

    1. In 2007 she had lymphoma. A biopsy was done and the result was a Stage 2 cancer. She underwent treatment at Hospital No.1 (not real name) in Singapore by a renowned oncologist, Dr. No.1 (not real name).

    I do not have her medical reports because these were kept by the Singapore doctor. A chemo port was installed and she received a total of about 10 cycles of chemotherapy.

    The doctor did not tell us the name of the chemo drugs used. After chemotherapy my mother suffered loss of appetite and hair.

    2. In 2012 during a routine PET scan in Singapore, my mother was found to have Stage 1 breast cancer.

    Mom underwent 5 radiation treatments in addition to surgery to remove the tumour.This treatment was done at the same Hospital No.1 in Singapore.

    3. After that mom was on tamoxifen for about 5 years.

    4. Every 3 to 6 months mom went for routine check-up in Singapore and did a PET scan every year.

    5. In 2020 after a PET scan, the doctor said my mother had lymphoma again.

    Because we couldn’t afford to undergo more chemotherapy with Dr. No.1 of Hospital No.1, we switched to another oncologist.

    6. We went for treatment at Hospital No.2, also in Singapore. The oncologist, Dr.No.2 advised us to go for more chemotherapy.

    After some negotiations, Dr. No.2 arranged that the expenses for chemotherapy could  be paid by instalments.

    Dr. No.2 also advised my mother to undergo chemotherapy in Indonesia to save costs, but using the regimens she prescribed below:

    • Day 1 Gemcitabine + Carboplatin.

    • Day 8 Gemcitabine + Zometa.

    Mom underwent chemotherapy using the drugs Gemcitabine and Carboplatin from 31 January 2021 to 11 April 2021.

    These treatments were carried out in a clinic in Indonesia as recommended by Dr.2. Mom had a total of 10 cycles of the above treatment.

    7. While undergoing chemotherapy, my mother’s condition became weak and her platelets count often dropped to a low level. She had to have blood transfusions.

    Lately, my mom had been feeling dizzy and she felt like she was “floating” because of the side effects of chemotherapy.

    8. A PET scan done on 2 Sept 2021 at Siloam Hospital Jakarta slowed that the lymphoma did not go away.

    Dr.No.2 suggested a change of chemo drug.

    Mom had to continue with more chemotherapy.

    9. Dr. No. 2 suggested using Brentuximab 100 mg or Adcetris. This is a new drug specifically for relapsed lymphoma cancer. The price for each cycle is 100 million rupiah (RM30,000).

    10. Mom underwent treatment with Adcetris from 19 September 2021 to                                       14 November 2021. She had a total of 4 treatments.

    The treatment was also carried out in Indonesia undergo the direction of Dr.No.2.

    On 15 December 2021 a CT scan was done. The treatment results were not satisfactory. There were still new tumours developing.

    11. We were at a loss. If we were to undergo more chemotherapy using this new drug, the financial toll would be very heavy indeed. The final cost could run to hundreds of million rupiahs.

    We were not able to afford it. We had already sold a house to pay for the costs of the earlier treatments.

    The above is a brief outline of my mother’s medical history. And if my mom wants to take herbs from Dr. Chris, what should we do?

    Best Regards / God Bless You All.

    Following Our Therapy is Not Easy!

    Below was our initial reply to DT.

    Please read the following first. After that, ask if you want or can follow our therapy?

    1. CANCER CANNOT BE TOTALLY CURED

    a) Most of the patients who came to seek our help had undergone medical treatments and they were still not happy. For some patients, the treatments failed or did not cure them.

    b) So, if you come here expecting me to cure you, know that I can’t cure your cancer either. From my experience, no one on earth can cure cancer – cancer will generally come back after “sleeping in your body” for some years.

    c) But if you want me to help you – that is, to give you another option and to have a better quality of life – maybe it is possible. But it all depends on YOU alone. Because your health is your responsibility. Are you willing to help yourself? Are you willing to change your lifestyle, diet, etc. to heal yourself?

    2. OUR HERBS ARE BITTER

    a) In addition to the unpleasant taste and smell, you will need to boil the herbs several times a day – it’s a lot of work!

    b) You need to take two, three or four kind of herbal teas every day.

    3. YOU MUST TAKE CARE OF YOUR DIET – abstain from taking “unhealthy food.”

    a) Can’t eat things that walks – that is, can’t eat meat, eggs, milk, etc.

    b) Don’t take white sugar.

    c) Do not take oil or fried food and table salt.

    4. TRY OUR THERAPY FOR 2 to 4 WEEKS FIRST

    a) For the first week or two after taking the herbs, you may feel more sick, more tired, etc. This may be due to healing crisis, so don’t stop taking the herbs.

    b) You may feel much better after this initial healing crisis.

    c) If your condition does not improve after 4 weeks, then you may wish to find someone else to help you and stop following our therapy. But if you feel better, then continue with what you are doing.

    My Mom Wants to Follow Dr. Chris’ Therapy

    Good Evening & Healthy Greetings Dr. Chris,

    First, I wish to say a thousand thanks to Dr. Chris for replying my email.

    After some discussions, our family decided to follow all the things that Dr. Chris had suggested in the email. My mom was also ready to follow Dr. Chris’ instructions as in Dr. Chris’ email.

    So, when can my mom start this therapy? Now my mother’s condition is rather worrying since new tumours have started to appear. So she would like to undergo the therapy from Dr. Chris as soon as possible.

    Best Regards. GBU All.

    Comments

    Patients are told that if they have cancer, the only scientific and proven method to “cure” or “fight” cancer is by undergoing surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. Lately to make things more impressive patients are told to undergo targeted therapy,  immunotherapy, etc.

    In this case study, this 71-year-old lady believed her doctors. So she went to the best doctor in the best hospital in Singapore. She received about 24 cycles of chemotherapy using the scientifically proven drugs. Her treatments failed. The cancer did not go away. More tumours grew.

    What say you now?  Some would say: Wah, don’t be bias, this is an exceptional or rare of failure. There are many others who are cured by such treatment. She was just unlucky.

    There is no need for me to argue if your have been ingrained with this perception. Anyway, in this case – a failure is a failure. And this case study is a true story, written by the patient’s daughter. There is no reason for her to bluff.

    From the story we can learn three things:

    1. Chemotherapy did not cure the patient.

    2. The treatment made the patient’s life more miserable – suffering from the side effects of the chemo.

    3. This proven and scientific treatment cost a lot of money (but did not work). The family had to sell a house to pay for the medical bills.

    Are these conclusions true? You decide.

    Let me conclude by presenting you with a few quotations to reflect on.

    Not all chemo drugs are effective!

    Glaxo-SmithKline is one of the world’s biopharma company. Ask this question: What made the vice-president of Glaxo-SmithKline made such damaging statement?

    How scientific is chemotherapy? What about the side effects?

    Dr. Warner was an unconventional oncologist. Read what he wrote:

    Read what Dr. Cynthia Foster, a medical doctor wrote in her book:

    Costs of medical treatments for cancer

    Let me end this article with this quotation:

    The Cancer Industry: Hype vs. Reality

    Cancer medicine generates enormous revenues but marginal benefits for patients

    BIG PROBLEM, BIG BUSINESS, BIG HYPE

    By John Horgan on 12 February 2020

    Source:  https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/cross-check/the-cancer-industry-hype-vs-reality/

    Basic Facts

    • Cancer is the second most lethal disease in the U.S., behind only heart disease.
    • More than 1.7 million Americans were diagnosed with cancer in 2018, and more than 600,000 died.
    • Almost four out of ten people will be diagnosed in their lifetime.

    Big Business

    • Cancer has spawned a huge industrial complex involving government agencies, pharmaceutical and biomedical firms, hospitals and clinics, universities, professional societies, nonprofit foundations and media.
    • Total research spending since Richard Nixon declared a “war on cancer” in 1971 exceeds a quarter trillion dollars.

    Big Bluff

    • Cancer-industry boosters claim that investments in research, testing and treatment have led to “incredible progress” and millions of “cancer deaths averted,”
    • Cancer experts and the media often describe new treatments with terms such as “breakthrough,” “game changer,” “miracle,” “cure,” “home run,” “revolutionary,” “transformative,” “life saver,” “groundbreaking” and “marvel.”
    • There are 1,200 accredited cancer centers in the U.S. They spent $173 million on television and magazine ads directed at the public in 2014.
    • 43 of the 48 top spenders “deceptively promot[ed] atypical patient experiences through the use of powerful testimonials.” A 2014 studyconcluded that cancer centers “frequently promote cancer therapy with emotional appeals that evoke hope and fear while rarely providing information about risks, benefits, costs, or insurance availability.”

    Little Net Progress After 90 Years

    What’s the reality behind the hype?  Azra Raza, an oncologist at Columbia, in her book The First Cell: And the Costs of Pursuing Cancer to the Last wrote:

    • No one is winning the war on cancer, Claims of progress are mostly hype, the same rhetoric from the same self-important voices for the past half century. 

    Azra Raza, an oncologist at Columbia. She  has watched too many people die from cancer — her patients and her husband, also a cancer specialist.

    New Treatments Yield Small Benefits, Big Costs

    • Pharmaceutical companies keep bringing new drugs to market. But … 72 new anticancer drugs approved by the FDA between 2004 and 2014 prolonged survival for an average of 2.1 months.
    • Most cancer drug approvals have not been shown to, or do not, improve clinically relevant end points, including survival and quality of life … the FDA may be approving many costly, toxic drugs that do not improve overall survival.
    • Costs of cancer treatments have vastly outpaced inflation, and new drugs are estimated to coston average more than $100,000/year.
    • More than 40 percent of people diagnosed with cancer lose their life savings within 2 years.

    Immunotherapy

    Immune therapies, which seek to stimulate immune responses to cancer, have generated enormous excitement.

    Drugs firms aggressively market immune therapies, and patients are “pushing hard to try them, even when there is little to no evidence the drugs will work for their particular cancer.”

    Oncologists Nathan Gay and Vinay Prasad estimated that fewer than 10 percent of cancer patients can benefit from immune therapies, and that is a “best-case scenario”.

    Immune therapies trigger severe side effects, and they are also extremely expensive, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.

    Subsequent hospital stays and supportive care can drive the total costs to a million dollars or more … If widely prescribed, immune therapies could bankrupt the American health-care system.

    Corruption In The Cancer Industry

    The American approach (to cancer treatment) fosters corruption.

    Many cancer specialists accept payments from firms whose drugs they prescribe. This practice leads us to celebrate marginal drugs as if they were game-changers. It leads experts to ignore or downplay flaws and deficits in cancer clinical trials. It keeps doctors silent about the crushing price of cancer medicines.

    Top officials at Sloan Kettering Cancer Center “repeatedly violated policies on financial conflicts of interest, fostering a culture in which profits appeared to take precedence over research and patient care.

     

     

     

    Chemotherapy Spreads Cancer

    Chemotherapy spreads cancer!  You get the message? Is it a joke of some kind? And in this present age, is it fake news? Many people would argue — if chemo is that bad as implied by the title of this article, why then governments all over the world endorse such treatment? Chemotherapy for cancer is supposed to be proven and scientific, right? Why do doctors give chemo to their patients if it is that bad? Do I need to answer such questions?

    Here are some facts presented by scientists.

    On 30 December 2018, a group of medical researchers from the School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland; Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA and Department of  Developmental and Molecular Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA, wrote an article in the Nature Cell Biology journal: Chemotherapy elicits pro-metastatic extracellular vesicles in breast cancer models https://www.nature.com/articles/s41556-018-0256-3.

    Below is the abstract of this research report:

    • Primary tumours release extracellular vesicles (EVs), that can facilitate the seeding and growth of metastatic cancer cells in distant organs.
    • Two classes of cytotoxic drugs broadly employed in pre-operative (neoadjuvant) breast cancer therapy, taxanes and anthracyclines, elicit tumour-derived EVs with enhanced pro-metastatic capacity.
    • Chemotherapy-elicited EVs are enriched in annexin A6 (ANXA6), a Ca2+-dependent protein that promotes NF-κB-dependent endothelial cell activation, Ccl2induction and Ly6C+CCR2+ monocyte expansion in the pulmonary pre-metastatic niche to facilitate the establishment of lung metastasis.

    Don’t blame yourself if you don’t understand what these researchers are talking about. You and me are just laymen — how are we to understand such scientific language? Moreover, some of us don’t read English!  How to understand if you only learn your native language in school? Such is our world today.

    Let me try to explain what these researchers are trying to tell us by reproducing what others wrote about this particular research results. Perhaps it is easier to understand if it is written in layman’s language.

    On 1 January 2019, the Science Daily posted this article, Tumors backfire on chemotherapy.  https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190101094531.htm.  There is another article in the Daily Mail, UK –   Chemotherapy may cause breast cancer to SPREAD: Two commonly used drugs encourage the disease to develop in the lungs. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-6542277/Chemotherapy-cause-breast-cancer-SPREAD.html

    If you have breast cancer, chemotherapy is often given before surgery. This is called neoadjuvant therapy. The idea in this case is  to shrink the tumour and make  it easier to remove. Or the chemotherapy is given to “weaken” the cancer. After chemo, the patient’s remaining tumor is removed by surgery.

    Unfortunately, the treatment does not always shrink the tumour. If the growth resists neoadjuvant therapy, the cancer is more likely to spread to other parts of the body.

    Basically these are what can happen when patients undergo chemotherapy:

    • The commonly prescribed chemo drugs: paclitaxel (or Taxol) and doxorubicin (or Adriamycin) cause breast tumours to release small fluid-filled sacs called exosomes.
    • Chemo-treated tumours makes exosomes that contain a protein called annexin-A6. Annexin-A6 is not found in sacs released from untreated tumours.
    • Once released from tumours, exosomes circulate in the blood until they reach the lungs.
    • They then give out annexin-A6, which stimulates lung cells to release another protein called CCL2.
    • CCL2 then attracts immune cells called monocytes, which fight certain infections and help other cells remove dead or damaged tissue.
    • This immune reaction can be dangerous, because those monocytes can facilitate the survival and growth of cancerous cells in the lung, which is one of the initial steps in metastasis.

    Is this the only research showing the chemotherapy spreads cancer? NO – there are many more researchers in the US who have also reported the same message — chemotherapy spreads cancer!

    On 6 August 2012, researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, USA, published their research results in Nature Medicine. https://www.nature.com/articles/nm.2890. These are what they said:

    • Cancer cells inside the body live in a very complex environment or neighborhood. Where the tumorcell resides and who its neighbors are influence its response and resistance to chemotherapy.
    • In the laboratory, you can “cure” almost any cancer — you just give a huge dose of toxic chemo-drug to the cancer cells in the petri dish and the cancer cells are destroyed. But you can’t do that to patients, because the high dose would not only kill cancer cells but also healthy cells. The dose you would need to give the patient to wipe out the cancer would also kill the patient. So in real life, if you want to kill all cancer cells, you can also kill the patient at the same time!
    • So chemo treatment of common solid tumors has to be given as smaller doses paced out in cycles, to give healthy cells time to recover in the intervals. But the drawback is that this approach may not kill all the cancer cells. Those cancer cells that survive can become resistant to subsequent cycles of the chemotherapy.
    • Normal, non-cancerous cell, the fibroblast, that lives near cancer tumors are important for healing wounds and producing When their DNA is damaged, by chemotherapy, fibroblasts can release a broad range of compounds that stimulate cell growth. So you see, in the process of trying to kill cancer cells, chemotherapy may also spur healthy cells in the neighbourhood to release a compound that stimulates cancer growth, eventually leading to treatment resistance.
    • The researchers examined cancer cells from prostate, breast andovarian cancer patients who had been treated with chemotherapy. They found that when the DNA of fibroblasts near the tumor is damaged by chemotherapy, they start producing a protein called WNT16B in the microenvironment of the tumor.
    • When the protein reaches a high enough level, sometimes increased by thirty-fold. This protein, WNT16B, when secreted, would interact with nearby tumour cells and cause them to grow, invade, and importantly, resist subsequent chemotherapy.

    Read these articles:

    1. Can chemotherapy before surgery fuel breast cancer metastasis? https://www.facingourrisk.org/XRAYS/neoadjuvant-chemotherapy-and-metastasis

    2. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy induces breast cancer metastasis through a TMEM-mediated mechanism. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28679654

    3. Chemotherapy could cause cancer to SPREAD and grow back even more aggressive, new study claims

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-4669152/Chemotherapy-cause-cancer-SPREAD-new-study-says.html

    1. Can chemotherapy before surgery fuel breast cancer metastasis?

    https://www.facingourrisk.org/XRAYS/neoadjuvant-chemotherapy-and-metastasis

    Scientists at New York’s Albert Einstein College of Medicine, US,  have found evidence that chemotherapy is only a short-term solution  and can be dangerous. In their study they investigated chemotherapy-induced cancer cell dissemination in breast cancer.

    • While chemotherapy may shrink the tumors, chemotherapy could causecancer to spread and become more deadly.
    • And once cancer spreads to other organs it becomes almost impossible to treat and is often fatal.
    • Three standard chemo-drugs used in neoadjuvant treatment for breast cancer are: paclitaxel (Taxol), doxorubicin (Andriamycin) and cyclophosphamide. They are shown to increase the number of microscopic structures in breast tumors called tumor microenvironment of metastasis (TMEM), as well as the number of tumor cells circulating in the blood.

    How chemo spreads cancer: Scientists believe that in order for metastasis to occur, three types of cells must come in close contact with each other on a blood vessel wall:

    1. tumor cells, that produce high levels of a specific protein.
    2. immune cells called macrophage, and
    3. endothelial cells (cells which line organs such as blood vessels).

    These spots, called “tumor microenvironments of metastasis” or “TMEMs” are found on blood vessels within tumors.

    To enable the cancer cells to spread, the macrophages in a TMEM loosen the normally tight connection that exists between endothelial cells, creating a temporary opening in the wall of a blood vessel for the tumor cell to squeeze through and enter the bloodstream, facilitating its spread to other parts of the body.

    Watch this video. Hopefully it can  help you better understand the complicated process. https://www.youtube.com/embed/IvyJKrx5Xmw?feature=plcp&rel=0&showinfo=0&autoplay=1

    This article, Is an anticancer drug helping cancer to spread? https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318846#1

    reported the work of  another group of scientists at the Ohio State University (OSU) led by Tsonwin Hai, a professor of biological chemistry and pharmacology at OSU. They studied the effects of the commonly used chemo-drug paclitaxel (Taxol) on the spread of  breast cancer cells to the lungs. Taxol is also commonly used as a frontline medication in treating ovarian and lung cancer (besides breast cancer).

    How a chemo drug can help cancer spread from the breast to the lungs? You can get the answers by reading these two articles: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-08/osu-hac080417.php, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318846.php#1

    • Paclitaxel may activate Atf3 (Activating Transcription Factor 3) gene: In those who had received chemotherapy, the gene Atf3is overexpressed, compared with patients who were not administered chemotherapy. ATF3 is overexpressed in a large fraction of various cancers including solid tumors in the breast, lungs, pancreas, and colon. ATF3 is hyperactivated in most cells in Hodgkin’s disease. Overexpression of ATF3 in cancer cells have been proposed to promote proliferation and inhibit cell death.
    • According to the OSU researches, the findings suggest that paclitaxel may have a carcinogenic effect by activating this gene. This gene seems to do two things at once:
    1. essentially help distribute the ‘seeds’ (cancer cells)- increasing “the abundance of the tumormicroenvironment of metastasis, and 
    2. fertilize the ‘soil’ (the lung – by improving “the tissue microenvironment (the ‘soil’) for cancer cells (the ‘seeds’) to thrive” at the level of the metastatic lung. 

    These changes, include increased inflammatory monocytes and reduced cytotoxicity.

    Prof. Hai says: What is surprising to us is the multitude of pro-cancer effects that paclitaxel has! It not only enhances the escape of cancer cells from the primary tumor but also facilitates the preparation of distant sites (lung in our case) in such ways that when the cancer cells arrive, they can set up shop and grow.

    Chemotherapy is ‘a double-edged sword: Paclitaxel seems to set off a molecular chain reaction, the end result of which is the creation of a cancer cell-friendly environment in the lungs. Prof. Hai ventures a possible explanation for the study’s findings. She says, I think it’s an active process – a biological change in which the cancer cells are beckoned to escape into the blood – rather than a passive process in which the cancer cells get into the bloodstream because of leaky vessels.

    Summary

    • Researchers found that the use of chemotherapy — extremely toxic class of drugs — can trigger the onset of new tumors in other parts of the body.
    • Chemotherapy drugs in breast cancer results in production of specific proteins. These circulate in the blood and, upon reaching the lungs, cause the release of further proteins and immune cells that can facilitate the development of metastatic cancer cells.
    • It is like, chemo makes the cancer tumor produce more seeds. These seeds are then carried away to other parts of the body. The chemo also makes the soil so fertile and conducive for the seeds to grow!

    Why condone and still “selling” such therapy?

    • Through its continued sale and promotion of toxic chemotherapy drugs for cancer, the pharmaceutical industry is thus ensuring that, far from eradicating the disease, it continues to exist.
    • Small wonder, therefore, that the size of the global oncology market is expected to reach an eye-watering $200 billion annually by the year 2022.
    • The World Health Organization estimates that cancer is now responsible for 9.6 million deaths per year. Breast cancer and lung cancer are the most common forms of the disease, with each seeing over 2 million cases per year.
    • The total annual economic cost of cancer is equally startling, amounting to more than $1 trillion each year. Not only is there no sign of this decreasing, but with the price of some new so-called monoclonal antibodies or biosimilar molecules for cancer now reaching $700,000 per patient per year.

    Cancer Drugs Are The Most Profitable For Big Pharma

    https://www.dr-rath-foundation.org/2020/02/cancer-drugs-are-the-most-profitable-for-big-pharma/

    Drugs for cancer have been the largest business sector of the global pharmaceutical industry for several years now. This is the real reason why cancer still exists.

    With annual revenues from the disease exceeding $123 billion a year, drug companies have no interest in preventing the disease. Instead, they prefer to profit from it by selling patented chemical treatments that don’t address its primary cause.

    For more information you can read our previous articles

    Chemotherapy Spreads Cancer and Makes It More Aggressive: Articles From the Internet

    Compiled by Yeong Sek Yee & Khadijah Shaari  

    https://cancercaremalaysia.com/2013/05/14/chemotherapy-spreads-cancer-and-make-it-more-aggressive-articles-from-the-internet/

    Chemotherapy SPREADS and MAKES cancer more AGGRESSIVE

    https://cancercaremalaysia.com/2013/03/09/chemotherapy-spreads-and-makes-cancer-more-aggressive/

     

     

     

     

    Colon Cancer: Surgery and chemo did not cure them – ended up in a more dire situation.

    One morning in November 2019.

    Two Indonesians came to seek our help. One of them is from Medan and  the other from Jakarta. Both of them had colon cancer. They had surgery followed by chemotherapy. The treatments did not cure them. Let us examine each case in detail. And let us hope we can learn something from their experiences.

    Case 1: SPW is 53 years old. He is from Jakarta. About eight months ago, SPW passed out blood-stained stools.

    A colonoscopy indicated tumour in his colon.

    A CT scan done on 20 March 2019 showed gallstones, in addition to a tumour in the colon.  SPW underwent surgery to remove the mass in his colon and the gallbladder stones.

    Pathology report confirmed cancer,  adenocarcinoma, pT3NxMx.

    After the surgery, SPW was sent home without further treatment.

    About two months later (Jun 2019), a PET scan was done. The result showed the cancer had recurred at the previous operation site. There was NO spread to the liver, lung, lymph nodes or bone.

    PW underwent 6 cycles of chemotherapy, at a private hospital in Jakarta. The chemo was given every two weeks. The regimen used was FOLFOX-4, consisting of  Eloxatin (or oxaliplatin) + 5-FU + Leucovorin (folinic acid).

    About five months later, in November 2019, another PET was done. The results were disappointing.

    1. The doctor suspected the cancer had spread to the liver.
    2. Metabolic activity of the recurrent mass in the colon was less intense but the cancer did not go away.
    3. PET scan showed reactive lymph node.

    The oncologist asked SPW to undergo more chemotherapy but he refused further treatment. Why?

    SPW said he suffered severe side effects during the chemo.

    • He lost 15 kg of body weight within that few months of treatment.
    • He was depressed.
    • He suffered severe fatigue.
    • He lost his appetite.
    • He could not sleep at night, and had to take sleeping pills.
    • His fingers were numb.
    • He had difficulty walking.

    Current condition: He has to urinate four times during the night.

    Case 2: Wongso is a 67 year-old from Medan. In March 2018 he passed out stools with blood. A colonoscopy was done in a hospital in Medan. There was a mass in his colon.

    Wongson underwent an operation to remove the tumour in his colon in April 2018. The pathology report confirmed cancer – adenocarcinoma, pT4N1Mx. One of the two lymph nodes was affected. A CT scan on 9 May 2018, showed the cancer had spread to his liver.

    Wongso underwent chemotherapy at the government cancer hospital in Jakarta. He received 6 cycles of chemotherapy. The regimen used was FOLFOX-4,  consisting of oxaliplatin, folinic acid and 5-FU.

    A CT scan on 5 September 2018 showed that the tumour in his liver had shrunk from 2.49 cm to 2.06 cm. But it did not go away.

    Wongso was prescribed an oral drug – Xeloda. He took the pill for two weeks followed by a week of rest. This constitutes a cycle. Wongso took a total of 12 cycles of Xeloda. His CEA was initially at 2.6 but this increased to 79.8 in November 2019.

    CT scan on 29 October 2019 showed:

    • Mild ascites around the liver.
    • Multiple cyst in both lobes of liver.
    • Fractured compression at L4 vertebrae.

    In spite of this failure, the oncologist still insisted that Wongso continues to take the Xeloda. Wongso was still on Xeloda when he came to seek our help. His complaints were: stomach pain, probably due to “wind”. He moved his bowels 3 to 4 times a day. He had to urinate 3 to 4 times each night.

    Comments

    The standard treatment recipe for colon cancer is: surgery, chemotherapy and oral drug such as Xeloda. Sometimes patient is also asked to go for radiotherapy before surgery. This is the cases where the tumour is too large.

    If you have cancer, you have to go through these treatments no matter where you are – in the most famous  and expensive hospital or in just any ordinary cancer hospital. Yes, you need to undergo this so called proven method of treatment. But, the question you need to ask is: does this proven and scientific method of treatment works for you? I cannot answer that question! But if you come to see after being diagnosed with colon cancer, my only advice is to go for surgery to remove the tumour, that is if the cancer has not spread extensively elsewhere. If there is a widespread metastasis, the value of surgery is questionable. So, that is as far as I would go. In fact, after I met with the two patients above, the next day, there was another Indonesian who also had colon cancer. He has not undergone any treatment yet. My advice to him was: Go and have the tumour removed. Go to this surgeon X in Hospital Y in Kuala Lumpur. He is a good doctor. I think he would be able to help you.

    Looking back over the past twenty plus years helping colon cancer patients, I could recollect many sad experiences. In the early years, I have a few patients who underwent chemotherapy with 5-FU after surgery. At that time the only drug deemed effective was 5-FU. One patient went all the way to Sydney for his 5-FU treatment.  He died while undergoing the treatment. Then there was this building contractor. He too had colon cancer and underwent chemotherapy after his surgery. He did not make it. Before he died he told his daughter to not forget CA Care and she should try to help us whenever we need to do any renovation work. Over the years, I lost many good friends.

    Now, the chemo regimen for colon cancer has been “updated.” In the case of SPW and Wongso, the oncologists treated their colon cancer using FOLFOX-4 regimen, which consists of a combination of  fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin.

    In fact, besides FOLFOX, there are other variations such as:

    • FOLFIRI – consisting of folinic, 5-FU and irinotecan.
    • CAPOX – consisting of capecitabine or Xeloda and oxaliplatin.
    • XELOX – consisting of Xeloda (trade name) and oxaliplatin.

    If you study the above carefully, these are merely different combinations of the same five drugs below:

    • 5-FU.
    • Folinic acid or
    • Oxaliplatin
    • Irinotecan
    • Capecitabine or Xeloda.

    One important question which most patients want to ask is: Can chemotherapy cure colon cancer? Or What is the success rate of chemotherapy for colon cancer. I tried to search the answers from the internet and these are what I got.

    • Chemotherapy is used after surgery in many colon cancers which are stage 2, 3, and 4. It has been shown that it increases the survival rates. This is not the case in stage I cancers, and therefore chemotherapy is rarely used in this setting. The vast majority of stage I cancers are cured with surgery alone.
    • Although clinical trials have demonstrated that adjuvant chemotherapy improves survival for stage-III colon cancer, the benefits remain controversial for stage-2 lesions. Stage-2 colon cancer patients receive adjuvant chemotherapy despite its uncertain benefits.
    •  Surgery is the primary curative modality in 70–80% of colon cancer patients who present with a non-metastatic disease. However, recurrence is common and is seen in nearly 30% of stage 3 cases after 5 years.
    • Nearly a quarter of all colon cancer cases are stage 3 at diagnosis.
    • Chemotherapy does not cure metastatic colorectal cancer, but it can improve symptoms and prolong life. 
    •  Upon diagnosis, 20% of newly diagnosed colorectal cancer patients present with metastatic disease (Stage 4) with no curative treatment options currently available. 
    • The overall five-year relative survival of colorectal cancer patients in the US is 64% and in England it is 50.7%.
    • Below is the survival rate in England, based on the stage of disease at diagnosis.
    Stage at diagnosis Number of cases 5-year relative survival (%)
    Dukes A / Stage 1 26,727 93.2
    Dukes B / Stage 2 74,784 77.0
    Dukes C / Stage 3 72,806 47.7
    Dukes D / Stage 4 28,377 6.6

     

    • The above data are obtained with patients in the US and England. We need to take note that survival rate does NOT mean cure. Unfortunately many patients are told that if they can live five years and more you are considered “CURED”. Unfortunately this is a wrong advice.
    • Take note also that the above result need not apply to you. You may respond differently from these people. The above result should be treated as just an indicator of what can happen to you.
    • In summary, if you are diagnosed with advanced or Stage 4 cancer, you chance of survival is probably 10 to 15%, no matter what you do. On the other hand, if you have a Stage 1 cancer, you don’t need chemotherapy at all after surgery. Even for Stage 2 cancer, chemotherapy is of doubtful benefit.
    • Overall, that data tells that for colon cancer, you have a 50:50 chance with chemotherapy if your cancer is at Stage 3.

    Most patients believe that surgery and chemotherapy can cure their cancer. Unfortunately this is often not the case. In the case of SPW and Wongso, were they ever told the truth about their chances? Unfortunately, they had to learn the hard way.

     

     

     

     

    Pancreatic Cancer: Can Chemo Cure You? or Can the Treatment Kill You or Bankrupt You?

    SH is a 62-year-old Singaporean. Many years ago, his father had lung cancer. He underwent chemotherapy and according to SH’s wife, “it was very fast, within a year he died. He had chemo.”

    Fast forward to early 2018.  SH had difficulty moving his bowels which led to pains in the abdomen and loss of appetite. The problem persisted for some six months.

    Sometime in June 2018, SH went to a government hospital and did a colonoscopy. There were some polyps. USG showed “air bubbles” in the intestine. Nothing was done and SH was asked to go home. Not satisfied, SH went to a “well known” private hospital (in Singapore). A CT scan was done, followed by a biopsy.

    SH was told he had pancreatic cancer, Stage 3. The cancer might have spread to the small intestine.

    On 1 July 2018, SH sent me an email:

    Dear Dr. Chris,

    I am SH from Singapore I want to check with you how can I come and consult you in Penang?

    I have done a CT scan and  found to have “abdomen/pelvis: mass in neck of pancreas, encroaching the portal vein causing portal obstruction with cavermosum formation. Also abutting hepatic artery and SMA”.

    May I know how to make an appointment to see you? I look forward to your reply.

    My reply: Go and see the doctors first and find out what they can do for you.

    Dear Dr. CHRIS,

    Thank you for your advice. I will discuss with my doctor first. I understand that he recommends chemo followed by surgery. I will come back to you once I have gone through the treatments and assess my health condition.

    From 11 July 2018 to 9 July 2019, SH underwent chemotherapy. This was done at the clinic of a “famous Singapore oncologist”.

    In total, SH received 11 cycles of chemotherapy using the drugs, Gemcitabine + Abraxane. This is the standard recipe used to treat advanced pancreatic cancer.

    This treatment was stopped after 11 cycles because, according to SH, the treatment was not effective. For this treatment alone, SH spent about SGD100,000.

    In November 2018, SH underwent treatment with HIFU – high frequency focused ultrasound.

    Then from end of July 2019 to end of August 2019, SH received 28 cycles of radiotherapy. This treatment cost him SGD20,000.

    On Jan 19, 2019, I received this email from SH.

    Dear Dr. Chris Teo,

    I am SH from Singapore. I contacted you in July 2018. You asked me to see my oncologist first. I did that. I would like to visit you to seek alternative herbal treatment. I have completed 13 chemo sessions for treatment of my pancreatic cancer. Please advise how to make appointment to see you?

    On Nov 4, 2019 SH again wrote:

    Dear Chris Teo,

    Can I come to see you in November (date to be confirmed)? My chemo treatment is not working for me. I will not hold you responsible. I am desperate to seek alternative treatment. Can you agree to see me? Thanks.

    When SH came to seek our help in November 2019, he said he had learned from his father’s bitter experience about chemotherapy. From the beginning he was not happy to undergo chemotherapy but he had no choice. In the end, he decided to give up chemotherapy because of the severe side effects.

    Did chemo and radiation treatments cure his cancer?

    Take a look at the CA19.9 values during the course of his treatments:

    SH was scheduled for a third cycle of chemo in mid-November 2019 but he decided to give up further medical treatment.

    In fact SH was told that if he was to continue with chemotherapy, the drugs to be used would be changed to: 5-FU +irinotecan or 5-FU + irinotecan + oxaliplatin.

    Alternatively, SH could opt for targeted therapy using Olaprarib.

    If you check the internet, Olaprarib is a drug used to treat ovarian and breast cancer!!!!!!!

    How much does Olaparib cost? In the US, the cost of Olaparib (internet information) is estimated to be USD3,000 per month!

    SH’s blood test results on 5 November 2019 is a follows:

    RBC 3.14  low
    HGB 9.3    low
    Platelet 86     low
    eGFR More than 60 high
    Alk phos 55
    AST 32
    ALT 24
    GGT 50

    Below are the results of the PET scan done on 1 October 2019 (top row) compared to the one done on 15 July 2019 (bottom row). It is obvious that his cancer did not go away in spite of the treatments given.

    My Comments

    One question I asked SH (and his wife). Before you undergo the chemotherapy, did you ever ask the oncologist if the treatment is going to cure you? Yes, they asked that question. And the answer was, “No, cannot cure. It is just to prolong life or to promote quality of life.”

    Is that what patients want — no cure but prolong life? Ask these questions — prolong life for how long? And at what cost in terms of suffering or money?

    What about chemo promoting quality of life? Someone must be joking! SH said, “spend money is okay” but it is the suffering that he could not endure.

    At the end of it all, ask yourself, Is it worth it? I can’t answer that question – only the patient who suffered the consequences would know better.

    I always tell patients, understand that the decrease of tumor markers (in this case CA19.9) is meaningless! But many patients don’t want to understand this. To them if the tumor marker comes down, it means the treatment is effective! So patients like to go for blood test or do a CT scan soon after each or a few shots of treatment. Some even do the most crazy thing — doing a PET scan every month!

    Let us look at SH’s case.

    1. On 5 July 2018 before chemo, SH’s CA19.9 was at 5,248. That was high! Okay, after a shot of chemo, his CA19.9 went down to 1,658. Hooray, the chemo worked! That was what SH thought and it was probably what his oncologist also thought and wanted SH to believe — the chemo was very effective!

    So go for more and more chemo — good, isn’t it?

    1. By 28 February 2019, SH’s CA19.9 went down to its lowest level, at 206. Wonderful achievement.

    But was that really wonderful? Don’t be fooled. If you have enough experience or if you are observant enough, know that this decrease of tumour marker may not last. It could be just an illusion; a temporary relief and a good start to make patients excited and spend their money. But it may not last. I have seen enough cases like this happen.

    1. See, from the lowest CA19.9 level of 206 in February 2019, SH’s CA19.9 started to increase again. By July 2019 it went up to 500 – 600. That was just within five months.

    It was at this point that the doctor told SH that the Gemcitabine + Abraxane concoction did not work anymore!

    SH needed to be given another “magic” concoction of Oxaliplatin + 5-FU (or + irinotecan).

    1. By October and November 2019, even with the new concoction, SH’s CA19.9 shot up to 4,329.

    Remember before SH was started on chemo in July 2018, his CA19.9 was at 5,2438. After spending more than SGD120K for the treatment, he was back to square one — that was just 15 months later.

    1. SH suffered severe side effects. In spite of not seeing meaning benefit, the oncologist would not want to give up yet. If SH had already developed a phobia for the needle, he can go for a “high sounding name treatment called Targeted Therapy”. This is to take an oral drug called Olaprarib. This is the first time I have heard of this drug. So I goggled to find out more about this. I learned that this drug costs a bomb — USD3,000 per month in the US?!? I have no idea how much this cost here.

    But what is most bewildering about this drug is that it is meant for ovarian or breast cancer!!!!  Has someone forgotten that SH has pancreatic cancer? That being the case, how good can this new drug be for SH?

    So let’s go back to the title of this post — Can chemo cure you? Can the treatment kill you? or Can the treatment bankrupt you? I would not be able to answer that question. Patients, you answer that question!

     

     

     

     

    Neuroendocrine Cancer: Magic? Fluke Shot? Hocus pocus? or God’s Blessing?

    Jim (not his real name) is a 29-year-old Indonesia. He is an engineer – a graduate of one of Australia’s prestigious universities. He and his wife, Grace (not her real name) came to seek our help. Let me briefly relate to you his story.

    Some time in January 2019, Jim went out with friends for a drinking session. He vomited blood.  Later, he passed out blood in his stools. Jim has a history of gastric ulcer.

    Jim went to a private hospital in Melaka and did an endoscopy and CT scan. The result showed:

    • Enlarged liver with multiple solid nodules in both lobes. The largest in the right lobe is about 6 x 6 cm.
    • There is an enlarged perigastric node about 2 cm.

    Jim went to Hospital A in Singapore for a second opinion where an endoscopy was again done followed by a PET scan and a biopsy. The results showed:

    • The 1.8 x 1.3 cm lesion in the gastric fundus, represent the known primary neuroendocrine neoplasm.
    • Pericoeliac and paracaval lymph nodes are likely nodal metastases.
    • Numerous lesions in the liver, representing metastases. The largest lesion is approximately 6.8 x 5.9
    • There a several 0.2 to 0.4 cm nodules in both lungs. Lung metastasis remain a consideration.

    After being told that he had neuroendocrine cancer, Jim and his family decided to go to Koh Samui, Thailand to undergo a 11-day detox program. This cost him SGD5,000.

    On his return from Koh Samui, Jim decided to seek further treatment in Hospital B in Singapore. On 12 February 2019, he did a PET gallium dotatate scan – an imaging procedure specially for neuroendocrine cancer.

    Note:  A small amount of a radioactive drug called Dotatate is given by injection before the PET scan. Dotatate attaches to neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) and shows up on the PET image as bright spots.

    Below are the results:

    On 13 February 2019, Jim was started on chemotherapy. The drugs used were: Cisplatin + Etoposite. In addition, he was also given Denosunab,  an injection for his bone.

    (Note: Denosumab (trade names Prolia and Xgeva) is a human monoclonal antibody for the treatment of osteoporosis, treatment-induced bone loss, metastases to bone, and giant cell tumor of bone).

    Jim continued to receive another shot of chemo with Cisplatin + Etoposite. But for the third shot, the drugs were changed to Irinotecan + Temodal.

    (Note: Temozolomide or Temodal is used to treat brain tumour – glioblastoma multiforme or recurrent  anaplastic astrocytoma. It is sometimes used to treat bone cancer that has come back. This drug is usually used with irinotecan).

    So from the third to eighth chemo, Jim received Irinotecan + Temodal.

    Together with chemo, Jim also received Neulastim Booster.

    (Note: Neulastim Injection is used for boost production of white blood cells, to help with fever due to low WBC in patients undergoing chemotherapy).

    After the seventh chemo Jim’s started to have problems. He developed skin rashes, intially under his arm and parts of the body.

    On 29 June 2019, Jim received his first shot of hormone injection called Lanreotide Autogel. Thiis cost SGD4,000 each injection and he had this twice.

    (Note: Lanreotide lowers many substances in the body such as insulin and glucagon (involved in regulating blood sugar), growth hormone, and chemicals that affect digestion. It is used to treat acromegaly (increased level of growth hormone), carcinoid syndrome and a certain type of pancreatic or digestive tract tumor that may spread to other parts of the body).

    (Note: Carinoid syndrome – signs and symptoms of carcinoid tumors in the digestive tract include: Abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and inability to pass stool due to intestinal blockage (bowel obstruction), rectal bleeding, rectal pain and redness or a feeling of warmth in your face and neck (skin flushing).

    After the eighth chemo Jim started to have more rashes. They spread throughout the body from head to toes and hands.

    On 12 July 2019, Jim was give another type of hormone injected called Sandostatin.

    (Note: Sandostatin is given to control symptoms such as diarrhea or flushing in patients with tumors such as carcinoid, pancreatic islet cell tumors, gastrinoma, or vasoactive intestinal peptide-secreting tumors.It is also used to treat acromegaly, when the body produces too much growth hormone, and the hands, feet, face or head grow too large).

    On 12 Septermber 2019, Jim decided to give up medical treatment and he and  wife Grace flew to Penang seeking our help.

    Take a quick look at the time line Grace prepared for this article.

    1 4 &5 Sep-17 Endoscopy Melaka Hospital
    2 10-Jan-19 Gastric pain, cold sweat, throw out blood & black stool
    3 19-Jan-19 CT Scan, Blood test, Endoscopy & Biopsy Melaka Hospital
    4 23-Jan-19 Re-do Endoscopy & Biopsy Singapore Hospital
    5 23-Jan-19 PET Scan Singapore Hospital
    6 29-Jan-19 Positive Biopsy report Singapore Hospital
    7 29-Jan-19 Detox program for 11 days Resort, Koh Samui
    8 8-Feb-19 Consult to Dr. X for another Singapore Hospital Singapore Hospital B
    9 12-Feb-19 PET Gallium Dotatate Scan ( special for Neuroendocrine ) S’pore Hospital B
    10 13-Feb-19 1st Chemo (Cisplatin & Etoposite) 3 days/cycle + Neulastim Booster S’pore Hospital B
    11 13-Feb-19 1st Bone Injection Denosumab (xgeva)
    12 5-Mar-19 2nd Chemo (Cisplatin & Etoposite) 3 days/cycle + Neulastim Booster
    13 26-Mar-19 3rd Chemo (Irinotecan & Temodal) 5days/cycle + Neulastim Booster
    14 27-Mar-19 Insert Port a cath Surgery Centre, SG
    15 1-Apr-19 Hydration 1day S’pore Hospital B
    16 12-Apr-19 Hydration 2 days & Albumin IV S’pore Hospital B
    17 15-Apr-19 4th Chemo (Irinotecan & Temodal) 5days/cycle + Neulastim Booster
    18 17-Apr-19 Start taking herb 2x a day Herbalist Singapore
    19 6-May-19 5th Chemo (Irinotecan & Temodal) 5days/cycle + Neulastim Booster S’pore Hospital B
    20 20-May-19 Hydration 1 days 1 L Hospital in  Melbourne
    21 27-May-19 6th Chemo (Irinotecan & Temodal) 5days/cycle + Neulastim Booster S’pore Hospital B
    22 17-Jun-19 7th Chemo (Irinotecan & Temodal) 5days/cycle + Neulastim Booster
    23 26-Jun-19 Skin rashes started come out at under arm & body side
    24 29-Jun-19 1st Hormone Injection Lanreotide Autogel (1 month dose 1 syringe) S’pore Hospital B
    25 29-Jun-19 Hydration 1day S’pore Hospital B
    26 2-Jul-19 Albumin IV 4 days S’pore Hospital B
    27 3-Jul-19 Kidney USG S’pore Hospital B
    28 8-Jul-19 8th Chemo (Irinotecan & Temodal) 5days/cycle + Neulastim Booster S’pore Hospital B
    29 8-Jul-19 Hydration & Albumin IV 5 days S’pore Hospital B
    30 12-Jul-19 Rashes spread to head , toes, palm hands
    31 12-Jul-19 3days Hormone Injection Sandostatin ( 3x injections daily ) S’pore Hospital B
    32 16-Jul-19 Hydration 2 days S’pore Hospital B
    33 29-Jul-19 Hydration & Albumin 3 days S’pore Hospital B
    34 30-Jul-19 1st Consult Dermatology Dr. Y S’pore Hospital B
    35 31-Jul-19 2nd Bone Injection Denosumab (xgeva) S’pore Hospital B
    37 31-Jul-19 2nd Hormone Injection Lanreotide Autogel (1 month dose 1 syringe) S’pore Hospital B
    37 12-Aug-19 Very tired, almost black out, skin getting worse, water retention
    38 20-Aug 2nd Consult Dermatology Dr Y S’pore Hospital B
    39 21-Aug Hydration & Albumin 3 days S’pore Hospital B
    40 2-Sep Hydration & Albumin 4 days S’pore Hospital B
    41 9-Sep 3rd Consult Dermatology Dr Y, Steroid Injection S’pore Hospital B
    42 11-Sep Did IgG Food Sensitivity test Diagnostic, Singapore
    43 12-Sep Consult with Dr Chris Teo, taking herb CA Care Penang
    44 19-Sep Consult Dr Z for blood test Melaka Hospital
    45 3-Oct Shingles Infections Skin Clinic Melaka
    46 7-Oct 2nd consult with Dr Chris Teo CA Care Penang
    47 16-Oct Low Albumin, IV 100ml a day x 3days Melaka Hospital

     

    Was Jim cured by those highly scientific, up-to-date medical treatment in Singapore?

    You make your own conclusion after seeing the photos below. By the way, for all the adventure in Singapore Jim spent no less than SGD100,000 (that is 0.3 million ringgit).

    Feb 2019 before chemotherapy ——– Feb 2019 to Sept 2019, after chemo and hormone injection. SGD 100,000 gone. Ended up bald, severe skin peeling, severe diarrhoea, swollen feet, etc. Worth it?

    Jim said the severe peeling of the skin  was indeed a very painful experience. His skin peeled and peeled for about 10 to 13 times. It addition, he suffered severe diarrhoea – about 20 times a day to the extent that he said he virtually fell “asleep” in the toilet. Jim will share his experience in the next posting.

    Let us look at the results of his PET scan.

    Comparison of scan results: 29 July 2019 (top row) vs 12 February 2019 (bottom row)

    Comparison of scan results: 29 July 2019 (left row) vs 12 February 2019 (right row)

    Something wrong with the bones? Scan on 29 July 2019 (left column) seemed to be more serious than scan done on 12 Feb 2019 (right).

    Did the cancer go away after all the treatments?

    Again, ask this question: From the above, do you see any improvement? And what had  scientific, modern medicine done to him? Study what the reports carefully and you will know the answers.

    My comments

    Most patients who come to see us are like Jim and Grace. They have come to the end of the road as far as medical treatments are concerned. Where else can they go to for help? Yet the medical world sees alternative medicine as hocus pocus. They call people like me snake oil peddlers!

    When I first saw Jim in such a  pathetic condition, I was really upset. Here is a young man being subjected to such torturous treatments in the name of “science.”  But deep in my heart, there was a feeling that I would be able to help him — no, not to cure him but to help and make his life a lit bit better.

    Each morning, as I prepare to come to the centre to see patients, my prayer to God, the Almighty Healer is always  this — God show me your way. Teach me what I have to do to help people in need. This is what I call  asking for God’s blessing for whatever happens after that!

    In the next posting I shall present  you videos of our conversation. You will learn about the traumatic experience that Jim went through.

    I prescribed Jim some herbs and was very concern if the herbs would help him or not. Below are some of the emails for you to evaluate.

     Sun, Sep 15, 2019:  Hi Dr Chris,

    Currently Jim’s face & toes got water retention due to lack of albumin. This has happened 5 to 6 times  already since the past 4 months. This water retention is followed by tiredness, swollen & not feeling well.

    Doctor at SG will give Albumin IV usually 2 bottles for 5 days. But it will become low again after 1-2 weeks & he need another albumin again. Which is not helping at all.

    Last time you said you have herb for swollen face & toes. Please advice what herb to overcome this? Please advice.

    Sat, Sep 21, 2019: Dear dr chris,

    The past few days, 10 minutes after drinking the herb, Jim will need to go to the toilet. One day he can pass motion for around 7 times. Do you mind if we send you picture of the poop?

    Lately, he is also feeling a bit tired. Is it the side effect of the herb? Should we be worried about it?

    Also, we just started on Edema today. Will let you know how it goes in the next few days.

    Tue, Oct 1: Hi Dr,

    Thank you for your reply. After taking Lower Edema for 10 days until today, his leg still swollen, but not getting worse. And he still pee 6-7x a day (last time when his leg swollen he only pee 2-3x a day. Means all liquid intake become water retention. During that time we have no choice & did Albumin IV 10bottles 5 days in a row, then slowly his albumin level going up & he starting to pee 7- 8x per day & his water retention gone. But It will recurrence every 2 weeks time which make us worried.

    Do you think this swelling due to his liver not good or what else?

    The first 2 weeks he feels tired, skin still worse, sometimes nausea, & more bowl movements more than 5x. Every time he drink herbs, 10 mins later confirm go toilet.

    But now after taking herbs for 3 weeks time, he is much better now. The skin, the energy, mood are better and can go out to do some activity which we are very happy to see his condition now.

    Now only his leg swollen & still having lack of leg power (since few months ago).

    He took the herbs regularly & diets following your cook book. Totally no meats except fish sometimes.

    Please advice on this current condition.

    Mon, Oct 21: Dear Dr Chris,

     I compiled Jim’s medical record since his first symptom until now.

    – Medical Timeline (excel)

    – All scans & Endoscopy

    – Each month blood test

    – Histopathology report

    – Photos of his peeled skin

    We are very happy if you can help us look through these file for your further analysis. His current conditions is much better after taking your herb, and we are very happy & thank you and auntie for your kind help.

    Tue, Oct 22, 2019 : Dear Dr,

    Thank you for your kind reply. He feels good, can do some activities & he continues  using the machine also. Overall the energy is good can go out around 5 hrs a day.

    Thank you for your help.

    Wed, Oct 23, 2019: Dear Dr,

    We are the one should thank you because you help us through this struggling time. We are fine with the pictures, sharing with others.

    Thu, Oct 24, 2019: Hi Dr Chris, 

    After reading the story you wrote, I felt happy because now we are on the right track. After chemo  so many side effect & no improvement. We were really down at that time and luckily we came  to see you. Hopefully this story will help others patients too. We really appreciate your kindness & help.

    Thank you Dr Chris!

    He is doing quite well now, but I understand he can’t over do. So we trying to manage it.

    1. Now no more diarrhea problem. Only during 3rd to 8th chemo (Irinotecan side effect), diarrhea 15-20x a day (even after atrophine injection 1-2x a day). After stop chemo no more. Currently 4-5x a day. Not painful.
    2. His last Albumin IV on 16 Oct for 3 days. After that blood test shown still border line 33 L (range 35-50). But last 4 days we soaked his toes on warm water + Epsom salt. It’s help reduce the swelling. Now looks normal already. Hopefully will stay normal because it happened so many times already & no solution until now.
    3. Now, skin no more peeling off, only dry in some area (near lips, thigh). After taking herb about 2 weeks his skin does not peel off anymore.
    4. He can sleep well now, no more melatonin / sleeping pill this past one month until now.
    5. His shingles is gone, leaving scars only.

    AFTER TAKING THE HERBS

     

    Let me conclude by asking you to reflect seriously these words of advice:

       

    Acknowledgment: Thank you Grace (not her real name) for your help in providing us with all the pictures and medical reports to enable us to write this story.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Surgery, 27 times radiation and 16 cycles of chemo failed. Oncologist shrugged and said, “Do more chemo. Try but at same time, just pray.”

    More chemo and pray

    LW is a 63-year-old lady from Indonesia. This is her sad story.

    LW went for a Pap smear every year. Everything seemed okay. In 2014, she was told there was an infection but she need not have to worry!

    Not satisfied LW consulted another doctor. She was told she had cancer of the cervix. Immediately she underwent an operation but refused follow-up chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

    One year later, a check-up showed that the cancer was still there — meaning the operation did not cure her.

    In early 2015, LW came to a private hospital in Penang and underwent 5 cycles of chemotherapy. She also had 25 sessions of radiotherapy and two times of brachytherapy (internal radiation).

    In June 2016, examination showed LW still had cancer. She underwent another 6 cycles of chemotherapy. This time radiotherapy was not indicated.

    After completion of the treatment, a PET scan on March 2017 showed the cancer did not go away. Again LW underwent another 6 cycles of chemotherapy. The treatment was completed in mid-December 2017.

    A PET-CT scan on 9 January 2018 showed the following:

    • Metabolic active lymph nodes in both hila, subcarinal and middle mediastinum — slight decreased in size, measuring 1.6 cm.
    • Metabolic active lymph nodes at para-aortic and para-caval region and bilateral common iliac region — slight increase in size.
    • Metabolic active left cervical lymph node at level 2 — measuring 1.2 cm.
    • Metabolic active left cervical lymph node at level 4 — measuring 1.8 cm.

    In simple language, the chemotherapy and radiation treatments thus far did not cure LW.

    Chris: Did you ask your oncologist why he cannot cure you?

    The oncologist shrugged and could not answer. He only suggested that LW undergo more chemo! Kita berusha saja sambil berdoa (we try and at the same pray!).

     

    Comments 

    What can cancer patients learn from this case — i.e. if you want to learn!

    • Ken Murray is a Family Medicine doctor. He said, Poor knowledge and misguided expections lead to a lot of bad decision. 

    Kathleen Phalen in her book, Integrative Medicine, she wrote, We’ve been misguided into thinking that our doctors … are deities capable of performing the greatest of miracles. 

    Dr.Edward Creagan (in How NOT to be my patient) said, The doctor does not always know the best … some (patients) still believe that the doctor knows best. We don’t … You can guard against being an innocent victim.

    In simple language I would say, Read, educate and empower yourself. It is you and you alone who suffer the consequences of whatever treatments you undergo. Here again, I must say straight and blunt, Cancer patients do not read! They prefer to be led by the nose.

    • Three rounds of chemotherapy (in addition to surgery and radiotherapy) did not cure her cancer, yet LW was asked to more of the same. Is that logical? When will you stop putting poison into your body?

    Remember what Albert Einstein said, Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

    • Think back, when chemo after chemo failed, did your doctor ever admit that what he was doing for you is wrong? No? And did he try to find a scapegoat? And why are you so dumb and “insane”?

    An Indonesian lady had surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and Tamoxifen. After five years she was told by her oncologist that she was cured! One year later a bone scan showed extensive metastasis to the bones. The oncologist told her it was no fault of anyone, “it is just your luck.” Ho, ho, bad karma? 

    Another Indonesian lady had similar treatment for her breast cancer. She had chemos after chemos for almost three years, yet the cancer did go away. Doc., why am I not cured? The oncologist said, Ibu, ini tidak bisa sembuh (Mama, this cannot be cured). This “confession” came after 3 years of chemo and the patient having to sell a piece of land to pay for the RM300,000-treatment. The question to ask, Why is the truth not told at the very beginning, and not after all treatments had failed? 

    A young Malaysia lady had breast cancer and her husband brought her to a very famous oncologist. The oncologist told the husband and the patient, No problem the lump is small, Stage 2. I can cure her. Do chemotherapy right away — this afternoon.

    The husband trusted this oncologist so much that in his heart he felt God had sent him to this “great” doctor and this doctor is the one who is going to cure his wife — not God. 

    This young lady had chemo after chemo — and after spending RM500,000 — she was not cured. Within a year, the cancer spread to her brain. The husband asked the oncologist why? His reply, I am not Jesus. How do I know it will recur.

    George Lundberg was fired after 17 years being the editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Reflect seriously what he wrote in his book, Severed Trust, Physicians’ ego is enormous. The god image has been around for ages. They don’t like to make mistake. It’s even hard for them to acknowledge that they are capable of making mistakes. 

    In his book, Second Opinions, Jerome Groopman, professor at Harvard Medical School wrote, Physicians are not used to admitting when they are wrong and plainly stating to the patients and family that an error was made … or an incorrect drug prescribed.

    Harold Kushner is a Jewish rabbi who I have great respect for. In one of his books he wrote, Many people use God like an aspirin and some use God as antibiotics! 

    • There is no cure for cancer! I have been helping cancer patients for 20 plus years. I have come to the conclusion that there is no cure for cancer! It will come back — 5, 10,or even 20 years later, even after an “apparent” cure!

    Let us not fool anyone. So when patients come to CA Care, the first information dished out to you is, If you come to us hoping to find a magic bullet to cure your cancer, then this is the wrong place. We don’t have any magic bullet. We want be honest and truthful from the very beginning.

    No cure does not mean you are going to die soon. Far from it. We shall try our best to help you. I have patients who come to us after their doctors said they only 3 to 6 months to live! The reality is some of these patients are still alive after 3 to 10 years! What more do you want?

    In this video, this is exactly what I told LW. Everyone has to die one day — it does not matter if you get cancer or not. For each day that you are alive, learn to be grateful to God for being able to see another day. Unfortunately not many patients have this sense of gratitude.

    Yes, I believe in the power of prayer. I believe God heals you — not my herbs. I want to be careful not to use God as an aspirin or antibiotic. At CA Care we want you to learn to trust your God — whatever God you believe in, that’s okay with me (even though I am a Christian).

    When you pray, ask God to give you the wisdom to do what is right. Ask Him to guide you and show you the correct path to good health. Don’t only ask, you need to WALK that path! Do something positive for yourself.

    I think the key to any healing is to realize that good health is your responsibility. You decide whether you want to get sick or to be healthy. God is fair. Don’t blame God for your sickness or failures.

     

     

     

     

     

    Part 2: What did you get out a failed, RM150,000 treatment?

    zebra

    We felt sorry for SF, her hope crushed. After 12 cycles of chemo and spending RM 150,000, she was told the tumors had shrunk and she was cured! (Or did she misunderstood her doctor’s message?). But after one month at home, she had bleeding and came back to her doctor again. Her tumour had grown back to its original size. It was a failure. Her doctor did not have time for her and hurriedly told her to for surgery.

    With wounded feelings she and her husband left the hospital and sought the help of another oncologist in another hospital. She was started on radiotherapy to be followed by chemotherapy. We felt SF should just continue with her medical treatment and not take our herbs yet. We sent set her away without any herbs.

    SF and her husband came back to see us again after a few days. We spent almost 2 hours talking. It was a “heart-breaking” morning for me. I laid out my advice as clearly, honestly and bluntly as possible.  But I was mindful not to cause panic or to instill fear in her. Many times during our conversation,  I asked her and her husband to think clearly and deeply the implications of what she wanted to do. She should then make her own decision based on what her heart wanted, after considering various points I raised.

    What did you get out of your failed RM150,000 treatment?

     

     

    1. Diarrhea after radiotherapy

    Patient: I had diarrhea after the radiation.

    C: Did you have any diarrhea before you went for radiation?

    P: No, the diarrhoea started 2 days after the radiation (note: it continued as of this writing — already 3 weeks).

    C: I really cannot tell you what else can happen after this. Did you ever ask the doctor if these treatments — radiation and chemotherapy — are going to cure you?

    P: No, we never ask.

    C: You should ask before you undergo all these!

    1. Tumor shrunk after the first round of chemotherapy!

    P: After 6 cycles of chemo, I was told the tumour had shrunk. And I needed another 6 more cycles. The doctor said I was cured. I requested the doctor to do a CT scan for me to confirm the result. The doctor said, No need, you are already cured. Go home.

    C: What? He said chemo cured you?

    P: He asked me to come back after 2 months for review. But one month at home, I had bleeding and we brought forward our travel and came back to see the doctor again.

    Husband: The tumour had grown bigger (back to its original size, see table below).

    pelvic-mass

    C: Did you ask the doctor why? Only last month he said you were already cured. Now, what happened.

    P The doctor was angry.

    C: Har?

    H: We were confused. We returned to see the doctor one day before he was to go on leave. It seemed he was “uncomfortable” and told us crudely — You just go for the operation! We then went to see another oncoloogist in another hospital.

    1. Elevated liver function parameters

    C:  Let’s look at your liver function results (table below).

    liver-function

    On 8 June 2016, after finishing 6 cycles of chemo, your liver function was still okay. But you see what happened after you did 12 cycles of chemo. All the liver enzymes values were elevated. Your liver was going downhill. Okay, some people may want to rationalize that it is normal after chemotherapy. The liver function enzymes will go back to normal again after you stop chemo. Well, I don’t know if you want to believe that or not.

    You are going to be given more chemo. I cannot tell you what is going to happen to your liver after this. I don’t know how many more cycles of chemo they are going to give you, and what drugs they want to use. If they give you the more toxic or aggressive drugs, what is going to happen to your liver?

    They want to give you more chemo because they hope to shrink the tumour before they proceed with surgery. You have already done 12 cycles of chemo in Hospital A before. The tumour shrunk and grew back after a month. Think carefully, what do you hope to achieve this time with chemotherapy? Shrink the tumour again?

    1. Lung nodules disappeared

    P: The doctor told me that the nodules in my lungs were all gone after the chemotherapy. At least, my lungs are free of cancer.

    C: Wrong Ibu (mama)! Yes, the lung nodules were completely gone after the chemo but in the October 2016 scan, there was again a 0.6cm nodule in your lung. So the impression you had was wrong.

    P: I did not know this. I did not understand all this. Only now that you have told me this.

    lung-nodule

    1. Chemotherapy means sufferings

    C:  Two days ago, a lady came to see me on behalf of her elderly father who had lung cancer. She consulted the same oncologist (the second oncologist, not the first oncologist in Hospital A) that you went to. This oncologist told the lady that her father needs chemo but chemo is going to cause many side effects and he would suffer. The oncologist also said that the father could go for oral drug. But oral chemo-drug can also cause sufferings.

    On hearing this, the daughter “ran away” and would not want any more medical treatment for her father! At least we should be glad that this oncologist was honest to tell us this.

    Patients are an ignorant lot!

    C: This episode really make me sad. For years I have been trying to “educate” patients. I wonder if I have failed miserably? I understand all that you have said and gone through. You put your full trust in your doctors — they are your gods — and the gods failed you!

    docs-are-gods

    Also, unfortunately some of these gods are not honest. They don’t tell you the whole truth that you need to know.

    doctors-lie

    P: Indeed I don’t understand all these.

    C: You came to see me twice. I have explained to you what I know and I ask you to think carefully what you want to do.

    H:  Before this I believed that after the surgery — the tumour gone —  all problems would be solved! That was what I thought. I did not know all these before your explanation. Now, I understand and realise the implications.

    P: I was hoping that after the chemo, I would be cured. I did not want to go for surgery!