Tag: breast cancer

Rotten breast: You have three months to live!

Sixty-two year-old LAH came to seek our help after her breast turned “rotten.” As usual, my first question was, Who asked you to come here? Her reply, A staff working at a Buddhist healing centre. The reality is that LAH’s condition is beyond “repair.” The doctor said neither surgery nor chemotherapy is indicated. Her cancer has spread extensively to the lung, liver, bone and lymph nodes.

My initial advice to LAH is, Go home and think first. What do you want to do? LAH had already decided. She wanted me to prescribe her some herbs. Okay –  let’s try.

LAH was given Capsule A, C, D and M. In addition, she had to drink four types of tea: Breast-M, Lung + Lung Phlegm; Live-1 + PLM and Lympho + SAP. These teas have to  be brewed and they are not good tasting. LAH assured me that she would be able to tolerate their awful taste and smell.

To my surprise, LAH’s health improved after two weeks on the herbs (more detail to be discussed in the next posting). She was in a happy mood when she came to see us. Her radiant face showed it all. I did not expect she would benefit from our herbs so soon.  In fact, she told my wife that the breast wound had started to dry up. And she was healthy enough to came to our centre riding the motorbike by herself.

About a week later, LAH showed up at our centre again. And this time she came with her son. We came to understand that LAH had kept her cancer recurrence secret. None of her children know about this problem. One son lives in Kuala Lumpur. When he came home to visit his mother, he was puzzled to see so many herbs in the house. It was only then that he learned about her mother’s illness. So this son came to seek more information from us.

Watch this video:

The following are the gist of our conversation that morning. I hope many of you can learn something from this story.

  1. The doctor said I only have three months to live – cannot operate, cannot chemo.

In her excitement, before we could even settled in our seats, LAH said, The doctor said I only have three months to live. I must quickly get my affairs in order. This is something I often hear from patients. So I was NOT taken aback at all by such statement. Instead, I laughed aloud as if it is a good joke! My response: Very good!

LAH: Doctor said cannot operate, cannot chemo.

Chris: That is okay! Since you cannot operate, cannot chemo and you are going to die within 3 months; then you cannot blame me if you die after seeing me. What else can I do? (Both patient and Chris laughed).  I shall explain later why I behaved like this that morning.

  1. Will you die within three months?

C: Let me ask you. In your heart, do you believe that you are going to die within three months? I don’t think you will die within three months! But if you believe what the doctor told you, yes — you will die within three months.

There was one cancer patient from Sungai Petani. He was also told the same — you die within three months. He went home and put X, X, X in his calendar. This is a countdown to the day when he was supposed to die. And every he took note of the number of days he still have left. This patient came to seek my help but there was nothing much I could do to “break up” his belief. I never get to see him again after his first visit.

  1. The herbs have helped you. So continue taking them and be patient.

Chris: When you first came to see me, you were in bad shape — right? You were half-dead (more of this in the next posting).

LAH nodded in agreement.

C: Looking at your face now, it is different (laugh). You are much better off after taking the herbs. I don’t think you are doing to die within three months. I am not trying to mislead you by making you feel good so that you can continue to take my herbs. It is just that when I see your face, I feel happy. You look healthy enough. You are not going to die within three months.

LAH: The doctor told me so. I just listen.

C: Now that you are okay. Be patient – don’t be in a hurry trying to get well. Healing takes time. After the three months are up, then we can say we have won – you win, I win.

LAH: I want to live – waiting to see his (pointing to her son) child.

I have seen many patients who are like you. They were told they only have three to six months to live. But they don’t die as predicted.

Case Study 1: This was a man with metastatic bone cancer. Let’s call him Raju.  In spite of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, the oncologist told Raju to go home and get his affairs in order. He only had six months to live. At home he was unable to sleep. He had to take morphine many times a day due to the pain.

His son came to seek our help. After two weeks on the herbs Raju was able to come to our centre. When he got well he travelled to India to show his son the “property” he has there. Raju did not die within six months. He was still healthy after ten years.

Case Study 2: Nancy had lymphoma and underwent six cycles of chemotherapy. A few months after the completion of her chemo, she suffered a relapse. The oncologist told her to undergo a BMT (bone marrow transplantation) which would cost RM100,000. The oncologist told Nancy, If you don’t do BMT, you will die within four months! (that would be in December). Nancy refused further medical treatment because she said she almost died during her initial chemo treatment.

Nancy came to seek our help and was prescribed herbs. Three months later, I asked Nancy if she had picked a date in December to die, since this was what her doctor said was going to happen to her! Nancy blared out, No, no. I am not going to die yet! I was glad to hear that and replied, Wonderful that you have decided not to die yet. If you believe what you doctor told you, then you die in December!

Nancy lived for another two plus years. Later in this article, you will learn that Nancy died after indulging in a “bad diet”.

Case Study 3: Ama is a 59-year-old lady with ovarian cancer that had spread to her lung. She underwent chemotherapy. On completion of her treatment the doctor told her daughter. Your mother may die tomorrow, may be next week but at most she has three months. When Ama came to see me with her family, she was having difficulty breathing. I prescribed Ama some herbs and she took them without any problem. Surprisingly, Ama became well. It has been more than 12 years now and Ama is still very much alive and well. Her son came to collect Ama’s herbs last week. She is doing well!

Case Study 4.Henny was diagnosed with a sarcoma in her lung. This is indeed a rare cancer – the first of its kind that I ever encounter in my two decades helping cancer patients. Henny went to Singapore for consultation. The oncologist told her to undergo chemotherapy. Without chemotherapy you have only six months to live. If you undergo chemotherapy, you have two years to live. Henny did not see the wisdom of undergoing chemotherapy. She came to seek our help instead. After taking our herbs, Henny’s condition improved and she could lead a normal life.

Seven years later, in mid-2019,  we met up with Henny (arrow) in Surabaya, Indonesia. See, everyone was smiling!

Lessons we can learn from these stories:

  1. When you die – God decides not men.

You have three months or six months to live! I have heard this a thousand times. The truth is, no one of earth can tell you when you would die or how long you can live. So in CA Care we refrain from playing God. Medically and scientifically someone may be right to tell his/her patient that he/she is going to die soon. By saying that it makes you feel like a god who knows everything. What is the purpose of telling your patient such an “unhelpful and damaging” prognosis? Is that statement going to help or “destroy” the patient?

Sadly, many people don’t understand or learn about the nocebo effect. Search the internet and this is what it says,  Nocebo effect is said to occur when negative expectations of the patient regarding a treatment cause the treatment to have a more negative effect than it otherwise would have.

The doctor is not helping his/her patient by such negative prognosis. In actual fact, the doctor is causing more “damage” to his/her patient. My advice to everyone: If you have come to a stage where you cannot offer any more treatment to the patient, the last act of kindness or responsibility is for you to keep your mouth shut if you have nothing good to tell your patients.

When LAH told me about dying within three months, I made it out like it was a funny joke and we laughed it out together! My reason is this – we have to break that voodoo curse. If you believe in that curse, the patient may just die believing that what is said is true. So, when talking to LAH I related to her some extra-ordinary examples of patients who were similarly “cursed”. But they did not die as predicted. So my message is, Don’t believe in the prognosis.

  1. To live or to die – it’s your choice!

Patients have a choice. When December was around the corner, I asked Nancy (Story 2) if she had fixed the date when she was going to die. I did this to indirectly tell her that if she wanted to die as predicted, she better get prepared. But Nancy had a choice to live if she wanted to live. I was glad to hear her response, No, no, I want to live! That is it! Patients, if you want to live you will do whatever it takes to make you live. But if you say, it is no use helping myself because after all my doctor said I am already going to die already – so why take care of myself anymore? If you harbour that attitude you will die!

  1. Stay alive and continue to do what is right.

Don’t be kuai ku (trying to be funny) and start doing what you like, forgetting what I have told you!

I have seen cases of patients who started to go back to their old ways after becoming well. Some started to eat what they like. Some others stopped taking the herbs. If you do these, you are going to die!

I told you the story of Nancy earlier (Story 2). She was supposed to die within four months. After she took the herbs she led a healthy life for two plus years. In her third year, before the Chinese New Year (CNY) celebration, I warned Nancy about taking “bad food.” Nancy broke down and cried. She told me she had missed all the good foods the pasts two years – not being able to eat this or not. Now she said, for this coming CNY, I am going to eat. I am going to dig my grave with my fork and spoon. Sad indeed – a few months after this, I was told Nancy died.

  1. Don’t be afraid – everyone has to die.

I told LAH. By telling you all these, I am not promising that she is going to live for years to come. No, I am not implying that at all. But I want everyone one to realize that, We all have to die one day. So, don’t be afraid. At CA Care we remind all our patients to be grateful and be happy. As cancer patients, let us pray that while we are still alive, let us not suffer. If you can eat, can sleep, can move around and have no pain, please be grateful and don’t ask for me. No one lives forever.

On the other hand, what is the use of being alive but becoming a “vegetable”. There is no meaning if we have to suffer – can’t eat, can’t talk, can’t walk, can’t sleep and always in pain. You want that?

  1. Don’t take this drug!

Chris: The doctor said he would not give you chemo. Neither would be recommend that you go for surgery. So what did he want you to do?

LAH: The doctor wanted me to take this oral drug — Letronat.

(Note: This is a letrozole, a non-steroidal aromatase inhibitor. Many patients know it as Femera or Tamoxifen).

C: Oh no. I don’t think you should take this drug. I have patients who suffered badly after taking Tamoxifen or Femara. So if I were you, I would not take this oral drug. You could suffer many side effects.

  1. Be careful. Don’t simply listen to the advices of those around you.

Friends and family members want to help you. I can understand that. Unfortunately, before you get cancer, they know nothing about cancer. But now that you have cancer, all of them become  “professors” overnight – they will tell you to take this and to take that. Be careful. Don’t simply follow everything they say. I also have patients, after becoming well, will forget what we told them. They start to go for this supplement and that supplement just because their friends recommend them to take them. Well, that is their choice!

  1. Take care of your diet!

This is my plea to all patients. Please take care of your diet. You cannot eat anything you like even if you think you are already well or “healed.” Of course, if you are already tired and want to “go home” sooner, go ahead and eat what you like. Enjoy your food to the fullest. And go in peace!

I recalled the case of a colon cancer patient whom I called Penang Hill uncle. After his surgery, he refused chemo and took our herbs. His doctor had no objection because Uncle was already old – past his 80s. He was well for more than two years. Then he started to join the company of his old buddies. They frequented the coffee / eating shops every morning. Uncle started to eat fried bee hoon, and chicken rice (according to him he took on the rice, not the meat). He suffered a relapse. The cancer spread to his lungs and he died. I can tell a hundred more stories like this. So be careful with your diet.

  1. My final advice: You are now on the right path – continue to do what make you well.

I told LAH, You have taken the right path and you are doing well. Continue to do what you are doing. Take the herbs and take care of your diet.

This advice appears logical, right? You don’t need to have much “brain” to understand why I give this advice. In my next posting, you will learn that this is not the case with LAH and other patients like her! Sad.

 

 

 

 

Rotten breast: Paying the Price of Ignorance?

LAH is a 62-year old lady from Penang. In January 2017, she felt a lump in her breast. She went to see a doctor and did a mammogram. The result was not good. LAH was referred to the general hospital for further management. A biopsy was done and confirmed it was cancerous.

On 24 April 2017, LAH underwent a mastectomy to remove her right breast. Histopathology report confirmed an invasive carcinoma. Two of 2 nodes removed were positive for cancer. Immunohistochemical study confirmed  the cancer was strongly positive for oestrogen and progesterone receptors. It was also positive for c-erb B2 oncoprotein.

After the surgery, LAH was told to undergo chemotherapy or take oral drug. She refused further medical treatment. LAH went to a Chinese sinseh instead. She was prescribed herbs which cost her RM100 per month.

I asked LAH, Did the sinseh read your medical report and understand what had happened to you? LAH said the sinseh read the report and told her to take care of her  diet. But he did not give any detail about what food to eat and not to eat – the advice was: take care of your diet.

After one and a half years consuming the herbs, LAH said she did not “feel anything”. After her condition started to get worse, the sinseh asked LAH to see his friend who sells a certain supplement for cancer. This product is from the United States costing about RM500 per month.

This is what happened to LAH when she came to seek our help one morning in September 2019.

The medical report dated 6 September 2019 stated the following:

  • Patient clinically asymptomatic.
  • Local recurrence with infiltration – mass in right chest wall.
  • Nodal, lung, pleural, liver and bone metastasis.
  • Uterine lesions.

Unfortunately, at this stage the doctor said there is nothing much he could do. Another operation or chemotherapy is not indicated.

Watch this video:

 

The following are what I told LAH that morning. I hope others can learn some lessons from reading this case study.

  1. No rush. Go home and think first what you want to do now?

Most patients who come to us are like LAH! They have failed to find their “cure”. They have no other option. I have to  be absolutely honest with all of you. What can I do for you? Do you expect me to do magic? I shall try to help you the best I know how but I cannot promise to cure you!

I am not going to mislead or cheat you by asking you to buy this or buy that. I am also not going to threaten you in anyway so that you feel compelled to do what I want you to do. No, we don’t do such thing at CA Care.

So, listen to what I have got to say. There is no need for you to rush to make your decision. Go home and think first, what do you want to do? That was what I told LAH.

  1. No cure for cancer – don’t be misled! Surgery did not cure her, herbs / supplement did not cure her either!

From my years of experience, I learned that there is no cure for cancer. When you come here – desperate – do not have the impression that I do not want to help.

LAH’s case is not a unique case. There are many others who are in the same situation like her. After surgery they do not want to do anything else. They think their cancer is already gone after the breast is removed. And that they are cured. Perhaps because of that they refuse to undergo chemotherapy as suggested by their doctors. Some other patients have heard from friends and relatives that chemo do more harm than good. So they “fear” chemo and prefer to go for herbs or take supplements.

I told LAH about a lady who had a lump in her breast. She went to a herbalist for help. The herbalist told her not to go for surgery – just use his herbs which cost RM5,000 per month. After one and a half years, the lump grew bigger and burst. It was only then that the herbalist told her to go and see a doctor to remove the rotten breast. A lesson to learn: don’t be misled by such people!

  1. LAH’s cancer had spread extensively. She had taken the wrong path!

The medical report says LAH’s cancer has spread extensively – to the lymph nodes, liver, lungs, bone, etc. But surprisingly she appeared to be alright, although not in perfect health. This is a serious case. There is not much I can do. Yes, I can help but I told LAH up front that I cannot cure her.

To all patients who come here. Take note that you need to take many types of tea for your cancer. You may want to ask, Can the herbs cure you? The answer is, No. Then the next question you want to ask is, Why take the herbs if these cannot cure! The teas may help you with your quality of life. It is for this reason that I asked LAH and every patient who come and see us to go home and think first – what do you want to do now?

  1. Please take care of your diet.

This is my advice to all patients who come and see me – Take care of your diet! I have written about this in our books — Food & Cancer and Healthy Cooking. Cancer patients cannot eat what they like! There are certain foods that you can eat and there are certain foods that you must avoid. So take care.

I know many people do not agree with me on this – they will say. Eat anything you like. Cancer has nothing to do with your diet. Well – over the past twenty over years, I have been reading and seen how what you eat will affect your well being as a patient and how diet helps in the healing of cancer. And I stand by what I said.

I also know that this advice is the most unpopular among cancer patients. But what can I do?

There was this lady who told me, If I cannot eat laksa, life is not worth living. I told her to go and eat as much laksa as she liked. It is not worth dying over a bowl of laksa. That’s her choice.

There was another lady who told me, How to take care of my diet? I have to clean my apartment, and do all the house chores, etc. etc. I have no time to cook my own food. Again, what can I do?  This is my message to all patients. You need to learn how to take care of your health. Your health is your responsibility. If you don’t want to take care of yourself, there is nothing much I can do to help you.

  1. Ladies, why do you allow your breast to rot?

I have seen many cases of rotten breasts. So LAH’s case one of the many. I just wonder why these ladies allow such thing to happen? Why allow your breast to rot like that?

To all ladies, please remember this:

  1. a) If you happen to find / feel a lump in your breast, go and see a doctor to find out exactly if it is cancerous or not. There is no two ways about it. Don’t go to any sinseh or alternative healer. They cannot give you that answer. Don’t let such people take you for a ride. The medical imaging procedure is more definitive. Don’t ever believe that by taking his herb or supplement the cancerous lump will go away. Don’t gamble with your life!
  2. b) If the lump is cancerous, have it removed by lumpectomy or mastectomy. No two ways about this. I would not see you if you come to me with a cancerous lump and do not want to remove it. Period.
  3. c) After the surgery, your problem becomes more tricky. The doctor will ask you to go for chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. In addition you may have to take oral drug. That is the standard recipe.

But some patients, due to bad (even fatal) experiences of friends and relatives, would NOT want to go for further medical treatments. I have helped many such patients. I understand your concern. If you need my help, we shall work this out together.

Of course, if you want to follow your doctor’s “prescription”, go ahead and do what he wants you to do. You need to make the decision yourself. And one day, if the medical treatments failed and you need my help, then come.

  1. d) Know that even if you have undergone surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and take drug like Tamoxifen or Femara, there is no guarantee that the cancer is cured and never come back again. I have seen many patients who failed to find their cure after spending RM100K to RM500K on their medical treatments. Money gone and patient dying. That is the reality. And it is at this point that these people come to seek our help. OK come and if I can help you, I will help.
  2. e) As for the case of LAH, after surgery, she refused chemo or oral drug and decided to take herbs. Yes, I have patients who are LAH. They come to seek my help after their surgery, don’t want chemo or radiation.

I have made it plainly clear to all patients, herbs cannot cure (just like chemo / radiation do not cure). While you are taking our herbs, you must also take care of your diet, change your lifestyle and personal attitude towards life. We would monitor your progress by blood test (or USG or mammography if you like). Sometimes, we encourage you to go back to your doctor for routine check-up. Some doctors will be “mad” at you because you don’t follow their advice. But I know of doctors who do not object you taking herbs. So, my advice is avoid those who are “hostile” to what you are happily doing. Remember what Dr. Susan Love said:

In the event that the herbs fail to help you, you should stop taking the herbs. There is no dilly dallying here. At the first sign of recurrence, it is best that you see a doctor and find out what it is. Sometimes it could be just a non-cancerous growth or keloid scar. Or it could be a cancerous recurrence. If it is a recurrence, this is the time you need to face reality and try chemotherapy. You don’t wait for one or two years until your “breast rot beyond repair” before you admit that what you have done is not effective. So patients, don’t be dumb and in denial for too long. Learn to call a spade a spade early.

Let me end by reminding you this. When you go  to medical doctors and undergo all the treatments that they have suggested, it is called scientific and proven method of treatment. Never mind if patients die during or after the treatment. That is medically accepted norm. Remember, before you undergo these treatments you are asked to sign a bunch of papers. Do you know what these are?

If you go to the herbalists, sinsehs or alternative practitioners – these people are called quacks or snake oil peddlers. Their methods are considered pseudo-scientific, and not proven. Your health insurance does not cover such expenses.

So, think carefully what you want to do! For more than twenty years, I have helped cancer patients. Almost all of them who come to us are those who have undergone the so called scientific medical treatment but failed. To most of them, we are the last stop for hope. May be at times, the world needs quacks as well.

 

 

 

 

 

Breast Cancer recurred four years after surgery. DVT of right leg. Herbs helped her!

Ria is a 53-year-old lady from Jakarta. About four years ago she was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a right mastectomy at a private hospital in Penang.  Since she did not bring the medical report of her surgery, I was not able to tell you how serious her breast cancer was. Anyway, Rias was asked to undergo follow-up treatments — chemotherapy and radiotherapy. She refused. She was not on any medication either.

Ria was okay after the surgery and did not bother to come back for any check-up after that. About three months ago (i.e. about four years after her mastectomy), Ria became breathless. She was admitted to a hospital in Jakarta and was told there was fluid in her lungs. The doctor wanted her to undergo chemotherapy. She refused.

Ria came back to the same private hospital in Penang where she had her surgery. She was referred to the lung specialist. A CT was done and showed the following:

  • There is a 5.5 x 5.1 x 3.5 cm mass in the manubrium sterni with an extension of the mass into the prevascular space of the mediastinum.
  • There is moderate to large right pleural effusion (fluid in the lung).
  • Collapse-consolidation of right lower lobe.
  • Right and left main pulmonary arteries and their lobar branches are consistent with pulmonary embolism (PE).

 

Ria’s right leg was swollen and USG confirmed it was due to extensive deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of the right common femoral, superficial femoral and popliteal veins.

The lung specialist was not able to offer Ria any help and referred her to the oncologist instead. Ria was told to undergo 6 cycles of chemotherapy with Taxol and Epirubicin. She refused chemo.

From the pictures above, her breast cancer must have spread to her lungs, bone and liver. In addition she suffered DVT of the right leg. The doctor wanted Ria to be admitted into the hospital right away, to treat her DVT.  She also refused.

Ria came to seek our help instead.

What can I do with such a case? Listen to our conversation that morning.

Three Weeks After Taking the Herbs

Ria came back to see us again. She was full of energy and was happy. Her swollen leg was almost (70 percent) healed. Before the herbs her right leg was “hot”, hard and painful. After taking the herbs, it was back to normal.

When Ria first came three weeks ago, I did not believe that I could do anything to help her. This was because I had a bad experience with DVT before. When we first started CA Care twenty plus years ago, I remember of a young man, an engineer, who had cancer and underwent chemotherapy. He developed DVT (deep vein thrombosis) in his thigh. His wife came to our house well after mid-night asking for help. I could do nothing for him. He immediately underwent an operation for his DVT and died.

I told Ria. “I am really surprised. When you first came three weeks ago, I did not write anything about your case history. See the blank page. This is because I thought your condition was so serious that you could die anytime. I did not expect you to live. I am glad that you are well now. God really loves you!”

Then jokingly I told Ria. Now that you are okay, why don’t you go for chemotherapy for your recurrent breast lumps. Ria replied, “Itu racun — that is poison”! What a surprising answer. Ria is not an educated lady. She makes kue — local cakes — to sell in Jakarta market. But she know what chemo is!

From the internet, I gather some information about DVT.

  • Deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, is a blood clot  that forms in a vein deep in the body. Most deep vein clots occur in the lower leg or thigh.
  • Deep vein thrombosis can cause leg pain or swelling with red or discolored skin on the leg. There is a feeling of warmth in the affected leg. This is what Ria said she had.
  • Deep vein thrombosis can be very serious because blood clots in your veins can break loose, travel through your bloodstream and lodge in your lungs, blocking blood flow (pulmonary embolism). And that is exactly what the CT scan showed Ria had: Right and left main pulmonary arteries and their lobar branches are consistent with pulmonary embolism (PE).
  • A deep vein thrombosis canbreak loose and cause a serious problem in the lung, called a pulmonary embolism, or a heart attack or stroke.
  • A pulmonary embolism can be life-threatening. Signs and symptoms of a pulmonary embolism include: sudden shortness of breath, chest pain or discomfort that worsens when you take a deep breath or when you cough, feeling lightheaded or dizzy, or fainting, rapid pulse and coughing up blood

Can DVT kill you?

  • Yes, you can die of a deep vein thrombosis. If a pulmonary embolism(PE) occurs, the prognosis can be more severe.
  • If the clotis big or the artery is clogged by many smaller clots, a pulmonary embolism can be fatal. About 25% of  people who have a PE will die suddenly.
  • In the US, every five minutes someone dies from a blood clot or deep vein thrombosis. Each year between 100,000-180,000 Americans die as the result of pulmonary embolism.

 

 

 

Breast Cancer: Is this Cookbook Medicine?

YS is a 50-year-old lady. She had many lumps in both breasts.

Although most of these lumps appear to be benign, there is one lump that does not look good. This one is found at 12-1 o’clock of the right breast and measures 13x9x12 mm in size. A biopsy indicated an invasive ductal carcinoma.

In addition,. CT showed a 7.4 x 5.7 cm nodule in her liver and multiple uterine fibroids. The liver nodule could just be a haemangioma.

I suggested that YS consult a breast specialist. YS must have the malignant lump removed — either by lumpectomy or mastectomy. I told YS: Taking herbs will not make the cancerous lump go away!

YS agreed to my suggestion. A few weeks later she came back with her medical report which stated the following:

  1. Right breast lump, 9 x 10 x 7 mm, shows grade 3 infiltrating ductal carcinoma with a predominant ductal carcinoma in situ component (80%).
  2. There is no evidence of metastatic deposits in the 3 sentinel lymph nodes studied.
  3. Pathological staging: pT1 pNo pMx
  4. Oestrogen receptors: Positive
  5. Progrestrone recptors: Positive
  6. HER2/NEU: +2 -HER2 gene is amplified.

The above shows that this  is an early stage cancer. However, after her lumpectomy, YS was asked to see an oncologist for possible follow up treatments.

YS spent almost an hour with a caring oncologist. The consultation cost RM 180.

The oncologist suggested  that YS undergo the following treatments:

  1. Twelve cycles of chemotherapy.
  2. Four cycles of Herceptin — because the tumour is positive for Her2 gene.
  3. Radiotherapy to be considered after completion of (1) and (2).
  4. Hormonal therapy — taking either Tamoxifen or Fermara for 5 years.

According to the oncologist the chance of obtaining a cure is 90 percent.

YS refused to go for these treatments and opted for our CA Care Therapy instead.

As usual, I asked YS why she did not want to go for chemo. YS explained that her grandmother died of cancer when she was small. Her father also died of lung cancer. He had all the medical treatments at the cancer hospital. So she knows what chemo is like.

Chris: So you have already made up your mind NOT to go for chemo even before you come and see me?

YS: Yes.

C: What does your husband say? Is he not unhappy that you don’t want to go for further medical treatment?

YS: He learned about CA Care from someone, so he was the one who asked me to come and see you.

Comments: 

Cookbook medicine is defined as the practice of medicine by strict adherence to practice guidelines, which may not be an appropriate substitute for clinical judgment.

Try to google, “cookbook medicine” and see what you can find.  The first entry of my search is this: 

Cookbook Medicine Is a Recipe for Disaster … An astonishing new article from JAMA Internal Medicine reveals that at least 150,000 people per year may be needlessly killed, rendered disabled, or otherwise harmed due to misdiagnoses in doctors’ offices.

Is that not scary — 150,000 people per year needlessly killed, rendered disabled or harmed by doctors? I thought you go to the doctor to get well not to be killed or harmed.

The truth is, according to an oncologist, Dr. James Forsythe,  it is okay to be killed or harmed by chemotherapy as long as the standard protocol is adhered to.

I wonder how many patients know the “rule of the game” before they undergo their cancer treatment?

Let us look at the case of YS again.

  1. She had breast cancer — early stage. So after surgery, the standard operation protocol (SOP) is (just to be safe) the patient must undergo follow up treatments.
  1. The tumour is malignant. Therefore she needs chemotherapy. Generally a patient is given 6 cycles of chemo. I don’t know why YS has to go for 12 cycles — is her cancer that serious? The medical report does not say so. Anyway, the oncologist is supposed to be “smarter” than you and me. So be it.

While chemo cost a “bomb”. It also comes with severe side effects. Generally oncologists down play these side effects, brushing it off as “it is like ant bite.”

  1. Since the tumour is HER2 positive, YS needs Herceptin injection — 4 cycles to start with. I have patients who told me that they received up to 20 to 30 injections with no beneficial effect.

Take note, each Herceptin injection is not cheap and comes with severe side effects as well. Not known to most patients,

Herceptin can damage the heart and its ability to pump blood effectively. This risk has ranged between 5% to 30%. The damage can be mild and result in either no symptoms or signs of mild heart failure, like shortness of breath.

  1. Generally, patients are told to undergo radiotherapy while on or after chemotherapy.
  1. Since the tumour is positive for Estrogen and Progesterone receptors, taking Tamoxifen or Fermara for 5 years is a must (in some hospitals, patients are told to take this for 10 years). Over the years, I have come across of ladies who suffered after taking Tamoxifen. Read the long list of side effects here: https://www.drugs.com/sfx/tamoxifen-side-effects.html

Why do you need to take Tamoxifen? The doctor says, it is to prevent recurrence. But I have patients who suffered recurrence even while taking Tamoxifen.

Having outlined all the necessary treatments, has the oncologist forgotten that YS also has multiple fibroids besides a big nodule in her liver? Perhaps doctors think these are harmful, but to me they carry a message that something is not right or normal. Yes, at CA Care we do have herbs to take care of such problems.

Over the years, I have breast cancer patients coming to our centre seeking help after medical treatments have failed them.

Read more here:

·        Breast Cancer: Surgery, Chemo, Radiation and Tamoxifen Did Not Cure Them

https://cancercaremalaysia.com/2015/03/22/breast-cancer-surgery-chemo-radiation-and-tamoxifen-did-not-cure-them/

·        Surgery and Chemotherapy Did Not Cure Their Breast Cancer: Equally A Big Mistake?

https://cancercaremalaysia.com/2016/05/18/surgery-and-chemotherapy-did-not-cure-their-breast-cancer-equally-a-big-mistake/

·        Breast Cancer: Herceptin and Brain Metastasis

https://cancercaremalaysia.com/2012/09/20/breast-cancer-herceptin-and-brain-metastasis/

·        Breast Cancer: Ilani’s Message – Learn from my mistake, do not go for chemo

https://cancercaremalaysia.com/2011/03/11/435/

Let me say loud and clear that you cannot blame this “caring” oncologist for proposing the above protocol. He is just following the SOP. He wants YS to get well. And the only way he knows how to make her well is to do what he had learned in medical school. He even said that by undergoing the full course of the suggested protocol, YS has a 90 percent chance of cure!

Do you ever wonder, why there is only a 90 percent chance of cure? Patients want 100 percent chance, right? So in this case, even if YS were to undergo all the suggested treatments she still has a 10 percent chance of failure or may even be killed along the way. Yes, Dr. Forsythe did warn us: …oncologist’s main hope is that the chemotherapy will kill the cancer before it kills the patient.

Read also what Dr. John Lee wrote in his book,

If the above are depressing to you, there is an article in the New York Times that may make your day a bit brighter —

Good News for Women With Breast Cancer: Many Don’t Need Chemo https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/03/health/breast-cancer-chemo.html

  • Many women with early-stage breast cancer who would receive chemotherapy under current standards do not actually need it.
  • “We can spare thousands and thousands of women from getting toxic treatment that really wouldn’t benefit them,” said Dr. Ingrid A. Mayer, from Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
  • Chemotherapy can save lives, but has serious risks that make it important to avoid treatment if it is not needed. In addition to the hair loss and nausea that patients dread, chemo can cause heart and nerve damage, leave patients vulnerable to infection and increase the risk of leukemia later in life.

In NIH Director’s Blog  https://directorsblog.nih.gov/2018/06/12/most-women-with-early-stage-breast-cancer-dont-need-chemo/, Dr. Fancis Collins wrote, Most women with early-stage breast cancer don’t need chemo!

  • Each year, as many as 135,000 American women who’ve undergone surgery for the most common form of early-stage breast cancer face a difficult decision: whether or not to undergo chemotherapy.
  • The new findings suggest that at least 70 percent of women with HR-positive, HER2-negative, axillary lymph node-negative breast cancer—those with low scores and most of those with mid-range scores—can safely avoid chemotherapy. (This group of patients) do not benefit from chemotherapy.

Indeed the world of cancer treatment is not straight forward. For sure it is not as easy like sitting in front of an oncologist and within minutes you get his/her recipe for your survival. It is much more complex, puzzling and confusing. Ponder seriously the words of these two outstanding breast specialists. Perhaps you can learn something from what they said. Or do you prefer to follow the advice of your oncologist since he “knows best”?

 

 

 

 

 

Breast Cancer: A story from China

GT is a 35-year-old single lady from China. About a year ago (in July 2018) she felt a lump in her left breast. She was asked to do a biopsy and probably followed by an operation. She refused.

GT works as a sales assistant in a health food company. She sells health drinks that are said to boost the immune system. Her boss gave her these “health foods” and she took these for about three months. No, the lump in her breast did not shrink.

GT then turned to TCM – Traditional Chinese Medicine. She consulted a TCM doctor in the hospital.

Chris: The TCM doctor did not ask you to operate and remove the lump in your breast?

Translator: The doctor said, “don’t cut.”

C: Did the TCM doctor say he can cure you?

Translator: Yes. This doctor is quite famous.

C: No, he did not know and he gave wrong advice!

GT was on TCM medications for almost a year. And these did not work for her either.

GT went back to the TCM  hospital again. She did a CT scan. The lump in her breast had grown bigger, to 3.8 x 1.8 cm. The cancer had spread to her lungs and bone. Unfortunately, GT did not bring along her CT scan so I am not able to see the extent of her metastasis.

C: What did the doctor say after the CT scan?

T: She was referred to other “bigger” hospital for treatment. But instead of going to the hospital she decided to fly to see you in Penang.

GT presented with breathlessness and severe coughs which make it difficult for her to sleep at night. Otherwise, she looked fine. The lump in the breast is hard and intact, not lacerated.

 

My advice

  1. If you were to see me earlier when you first discovered the lump, I would have asked you to remove the lump.
    This is the safest way for you. If you keep the lump in your breast it will grow bigger and one day it will burst. Do you like your lump to be like the picture below?

  1. In addition to the painful and ugly wound like above, the cancer will spread. It goes to the lymph nodes, lung, bone, liver and finally brain. So you don’t want to take such risk. The longer the cancerous lump is in your breast the higher is the risk that it will spread elsewhere.
  2. You are only 35 years old. You should not take such risk. Also, my experience showed me that breast cancer in young person tend to be aggressive. So, don’t take any chance.
  3. Now, the cancer has already spread to your lungs and bone. I don’t know how extensive it is because you did not bring along your CT scan.

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT ME TO DO for you?

I felt very sad after hearing her story. I was also upset. She was not given the “right” advice. Now her condition had deteriorated with such an “extensive” metastasis. I am afraid her recovery or survival is very slim. And this poor lady flew all the way from China to see me. What can I do? What did she expect me to do for her? That was exactly the question I asked her that morning.

GT’s reply was rather modest. She wanted me to help her with her coughs. I was glad that she did not ask me to cure her! No, I cannot cure her cancer! To help her, may be but not cure.

I spent time talking to GT trying to find out what could be the underlying problems that could have contributed to her breast cancer.

My advice to her that morning:

 

  1. Physical stress: Her life is too stressful. GT works from 9 a.m. to up till mid-night sometimes. She stays by herself in the city. GT’s boss suggested that she takes a long leave from her job. Yes, I fully agree with that. GT cannot survive for long under such stress.
  2. Emotional stress: What about emotional stress? GT admitted to having problems with her boy friend and she had broke off that relationship. But, she has a lump in her left breast — could it be due to a female rather than a male? GT admitted that a very close female friend had betrayed her. This had upset her very much but GT said that emotional stress has dissipated with time. I said this to GT: Learn to let go — don’t keep any ill feelings in your heart.
  3. Family support: Her parent’s home is about 4-hour-away by bullet train. Life must be hard for GT having to stay alone in a city without any family support. I suggested that GT go home and stay with her parents. She agreed.
  4. Diet: You can imagine what she eats everyday under the above situation. I can guess it cannot be healthy food every day. Unfortunately, the TCM doctor did not give good advice on this important matter. GT was told not to eat sea food and chilly. After much reading and receiving feed backs from our patients, I came to this conclusion: a) Don’t take anything that walks, including eggs and dairy products. b) No sugar c) No oily or fried foods d) Banana is bad for lung problems.
  5. Herbs bitter and awful taste: Our herbal teas are bitter and have awful taste. She needs to brew each of the teas. It takes time and effort. Will she be able to cope with that? I know most patients cannot!
  6. Monitoring: GT needs constant monitoring. After a month, I need to know how she progresses. Herbs need to adjusted. This means, GT may need to come and see me again. Or she needs to take more herbs after she finishes this first round of teas. Staying in China, how can we overcome this problem? Actually this is the problem facing most patients — even for those who live just a few hour’s drive from us. For such people, I never get to see them again after their first visit. What a waste of time and money.
  7. Financial burden: At CA Care, consultation, no matter how long it takes, is free of charge. However, we request patients to pay for the herbs. Since we started CA Care more than two decades ago, the price of our herbal teas never increase in price (in spite of the inflation). We try to be as charitable and helpful as we can. But, we understand that for GT, even flying to Penang from China cost her a lot of money. How nice if there is such a set up like CA Care in her own hometown! For GT, sad to say that I would probably not be able to see her again.

Comments

Not too long ago, I read two news reports about cancer treatment in China that make me feel real sad.

There is a movie, Dying to Survive, which has become a billion-yuan-success after being released in July this year. It is based on a  real-life story of  Lu Yong, a Chinese textile trader and leukemia patient. He imported less expensive generic drug from India and sold it to his fellow Chinese patients. Lu helped thousands of Chinese patients. Sadly, he was arrested and jailed in 2014 for doing such “illegal” activity.

This movie, Dying to Survive tells the same story in a more dramatic way.  It featured an owner of an Indian Miracle Oil Store — Cheng Yong —  who found out  that the Indian-made generic leukemia drug, Gleevec,  was sold at only 500 yuan in India. In China the authentic Gleevec is sold at 40,000 yuan, eighty times more expensive.

Lured by great profit, Cheng smuggled  the unlicensed drug to China and sold to Chinese patients at 2,000 yuan. He made good profit and he was also regarded as a hero by many cancer patients who can’t afford the original version of the expensive Gleevec. Looks like he is a real modern day Robin Hood.

Cheng became rich. He then decided to stop the drug smuggling business. He opened a garment factory. However  a large number of patients became desperate as they were forced to sell their houses or everything they have to pay for the expensive Gleevec. That prompted Cheng to change his heart, and renew his smuggling business. This time he even sold the drug only at just 500 yuan to save lives. Unfortunately, he was arrested and jailed for five years.

Note: Gleevec is developed by Novartis. In the US patients need to pay up to US$100,000 for the drug a year without government or insurance subsidy.

Source: http://www.ejinsight.com/20180710-why-social-drama-dying-to-survive-became-a-china-blockbuster/

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/07/18/asia/china-cancer-drug-movie-intl/index.html

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/chinese-cancer-movie-prompts-vow-of-cheap-drugs-wkcbn87qs

I got hit by another heart-breaking story. Tang is a 26-year-old doctor in Central China. He was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer, three years after graduating and starting to work. He underwent surgery to remove the tumour but declined further medical treatment.

In China, doctors like Tang, earn an average of 63,000 to 77,000 yuan (US$ 10,000 to 12,200) per year. Tang just could not afford to pay for the expensive, follow up medical treatments.

On day, Tang decided to mysteriously disappear from home. He left behind his bank cards and a letter to his parents saying they would end up having to “spend all your savings and even run into debt just for dragging out my miserable existence for a few years at best. If I let you face the financial burdens and the sorrow of losing a child in your late years, it would be a sin for which I should die a thousand times. I also don’t want to live like a near dead person for the rest of my life. So please forgive me … I’m an unworthy son, and I will pay back your love in my next life.”

Source: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2141268/forgive-me-im-unworthy-son-chinese-doctor-tells-parents-after-he

After the above two stories, here I was sitting  in front of a 35-year-old lady from China who has breast cancer. I felt sad and frustrated. And this propels me to write this article.

What can we learn from these three stories?

  • The movie, Dying to Survive, has stirred discussion on the accessibility of cancer drugs and treatments in China. The original drug imported from the US are extremely expensive. But there are generic (or copy cat) drug from India which is much, much cheaper. But unfortunately smuggling cheaper drugs into China is illegal.
  • The movie has highlighted the exorbitant cost of healthcare. Not only in China, it is the same elsewhere in the developing countries. The cost of cancer drugs are being dictated by the “Cancer Establishment” of the developed nations.
  • The reality about cancer treatment is well understood by Tang, the 26-year-old cancer patient who is himself a medical doctor. After surgery, the next course of action generally is chemotherapy or/and radiotherapy. Based on his note to his parents — these treatments cost a lot of money. But will these treatments cure him? Unfortunately no.
  • Again in his note Tang explained to his parent the need to “spend all your savings and even run into debt just for dragging out my miserable existence for a few years at best. I also don’t want to live like a near dead person for the rest of my life.”
  • How many people understand what Tang wrote or understand the reality of the present day, medical cancer treatment? Cure is elusive — at best for some cancer you extend your life for another few months or years. From the experiences over the past two decades, I come to the conclusion that no one on earth can really CURE cancer. Read more here: https://badscienceblindtruth.wordpress.com/2018/09/18/there-is-no-cure-for-cancer/

Second, cancer treatment is expensive.

Third, the side effects of treatments are severe and “killing.” Is it worth it?

  • But, what bugs me most is this — does this need to happen in China?

I think there is NO reason to. Why can’t the Chinese develop a much cheaper method of healing cancer? Why is there a need to depend on the expensive medical drugs imported from the US or elsewhere? I believe China can come up with a novel healing method of treating cancer if the Chinese doctors, researchers and entrepreneurs are not obsessed with following what the Western world is doing. Don’t follow others, develop your own way!

  • For more than two decades, I have devoted my life to helping cancer patients by using herbs, diet and lifestyle changes. There is nothing new about this approach. Through the ages, the Chinese sages have been telling us about this.

To the old Chinese, Indian and those who live in east, we are brought up to understand this culture very well. Unfortunately, the younger generations who come after us have failed to learn that heritage. We live like there is no tomorrow and eat “bad, branded food” introduced by the Western world — as a result metabolic diseases like diabetes, heart problem and cancer are on the rise.

  • Yes, China has the wisdom about promoting healthy life. Yes, there is TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) in China but I think the way it is practised needs improvement!  The story as related by this 35-year-old breast cancer from China is indeed pathetic. From her story it is clear that she did NOT get the “proper advice” for her breast cancer. This could be the result of ignorance — either of her doctors or herself.
  • Over the past two decades I have helped thousands of cancer patients without having to use those expensive drugs from the Western world. The irony is that I first learned how to help cancer patients by studying TCM on my own. Since I don’t read Chinese, I had to rely on books written in English by non-Chinese authors. Oh, how I wish I can read Chinese! In spite of his handicap, we at CA Care have done extremely well. There are some 1,000 video clips about our work in YouTube. I have written more than 700 articles about cancer healing which you can read in my blog: CancerCareMalaysia.com

Here are a few examples of our work:

  1. Hopeless case of breast cancer  from Hong Kong: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEDwOA1quB0&feature=share
  2. Colon-liver cancer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQ2CGieWymY&feature=share
  3. Endometrial cancer from Australia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luVQRnlBW6Q&feature=share
  4. Melanoma-Lung: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAMkkHcUe-k&feature=share
  5. Sarcoma: Don’t do chemo you die, you do chemo also die. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Lee1VM-LJw&feature=share
  6. Cancer of the Tonsil: I outlived my two doctors!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySYriEWVAVw&feature=share
  7. Lymphoma Twenty Years Ago. Still alive and healthy. Is that quackery and scientifically unproven?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-QuwXKEYfI&feature=share
  8. Ovarian-Lung Cancer: Told at most three months to live after surgery & chemo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5VucBxPaMM&feature=share

If I can do this in Malaysia, why can’t the Chinese do the same in China. After all, my approach to managing cancer is based on the wisdom of the old Chinese healing masters. I started with a blank mind. Then I started to read and read and read about TCM. I used my “scientific mind” to select what are useful and leave out what I thought are dubious. In other words, I develop my own method. I don’t  blindly follow  the “standard procedures.”

If Jack Ma can make Alibaba into such a great success story, I am sure there are many others like him who can also do the same with cancer. I think the real problem is to apply the right knowledge. This unfortunately is not easy  — yes, there are many doctors, sinseh and researchers in China but are they really THINKERS and INNOVATORS who know how to apply their knowledge correctly? Or are they just following “cookbook” protocols when practising their trade?

One last word about working with cancer. Cancer treatment of today is more about making  money and much less about making the patients well. This is what the “Cancer Establishment” of the developed countries is all about. So beware.

Frances M. Visco, the president of the National Breast Cancer Coalition wrote:

  • Breast cancer patients are tired of “breakthrough” therapies that do not extend life for even a day but do bring millions of dollars to industry, medical institutions and the doctors who care for us … The answer is clear, just stop circling the wagons focusing on financial gain and fame.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/13/opinion/letters/doctors-conflicts-of-interest.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_ty_20180914&nl=opinion-today&nl_art=12&nlid=54459356emc%3Dedit_ty_20180914&ref=headline&te=1

This is my basic principle I uphold right from the very beginning when I founded CA Care — to succeed we need dedication and compassion. If we go in there just for money — and only money — we would fail miserably. I am afraid in the Western world, cancer is indeed about money and making more money… that is why it fails so badly.

Read more here: https://badscienceblindtruth.wordpress.com/2018/09/18/cancer-is-a-money-making-industry/

Let us not forget what the Great Chinese Sage and Physician, Sun Simiao said,

  • Whenever eminent physicians treat an illness … they must be free of wants and desires, and they must first develop a heart full of great compassion and empathy. They must pledge to devote themselves completely to relieving the suffering of all sentient beings.

I believe there are enough “kind and generous souls” in China or in this part of the world who want to help their fellow citizens in need. Approach cancer treatment as a noble mission to help others in need.

Some random quick facts about cancer problem in China

  • China has a massive population of 1.37 billion. Cancer is the leading cause of death in China and is a major public health problem.
  • In China in 2015: estimated 4,292,000 new cancer cases and 2,814,000 cancer deaths. Lung cancer being the most common incident cancer and the leading cause of cancer death. Stomach, esophageal, and liver cancers were also commonly diagnosed and were identified as leading causes of cancer death.

Source: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/291830601_Cancer_Statistics_in_China_2015

  • China has an immense cancer problem. The most common types of cancer in males were those of the lung (21.7%), stomach (19.5%), and liver (18.1%). Source: Cancer Biol Med. 2012 Jun; 9(2): 128–132.
  • In China, cancer rates are exploding … Last year, more than four million people were diagnosed with the disease and nearly three million died from it. Every day, hundreds pour into (hospitals) from all over China. People wait months for a doctor’s appointment, but often it is too late for treatment and the cancer is too advanced.

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-24/chinas-cancer-rates-exploding-study-says/7272266

  • Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in China … the cancer has increased at a rate of around 3.5% a year from 2000 to 2013, compared with a drop of 0.4% a yearover the same period in the US.
  • Breast cancer rates are higher in urban areas of China than in rural areas. And the higher the population density, the higher the rate.

Source: http://theconversation.com/whats-behind-the-huge-increase-in-breast-cancer-rates-in-china-84224

P/S: It is sad to note that this young lady, GT died about two weeks later.

 

 

 

My 100-year-old Grandaunt. She had breast cancer.

Happy and blessed 100th birthday Oma !

Madam Anjalai Singaram was born on  8th July 1918, the 5th of 6 children. All her siblings are since deceased. Widowed in 1993 , she had 5 children, of whom 3 have passed away. Born and bred in her beloved Penang, she continued to live alone in her house on Dato Kramat Road following the death of her husband. She managed all household chores herself. For her 4 monthly visits to GH Penang for medical reviews and medication supply , she relied on her grandchildren and family members in Penang. Her razor sharp mind kept track of her scheduled hospital appointments and her daily medication which she diligently sorted out and apportioned as per her scheduled intake. She had her own exercise routine which she did diligently every day . Belying her age , this included squats.

One evening in early 2014, she experienced an accidental fall at home whilst she was alone. Her helplessness during that incident and the need to be hospitalized for observation with a nasty bump on her head triggered an alarm amongst family members. A decision was made to bring her to Kuala Lumpur to live with and be cared for by her daughter, LalithaDoraisingam’s family. Knowing that she would resist a move away from her home in Penang , the move to KL was done almost surreptitiously, with the promise of it being just a short recuperative trip.

When it dawned on her that this was most likely a permanent move as her constant requests to return to Penang were denied, a tumultuous period of frustration and resentment followed.  A few months later, she discovered a lump in her left breast.

In August 2014, at the age of 96, she was diagnosed to have Breast Cancer. She underwent surgery (Left breast mastectomy with left axillary clearance) on 28th August 2014. Histopatholgy confirmed an invasive ductal carcinoma Grade 3 with metastasis to the axillary lymph nodes. A collective decision was taken that no adjuvant or additional modalities of treatment would be considered. Belying her age yet again, her post operative recovery was superb and she was discharged home in 3 days.

Having had previous experience with CA Care on a different occasion, we paid a visit to consult with Ms.Khadijah and Mr.Yeong at their Centre in Subang Jaya. As the intention was on maintaining a good quality of life, the focus was to obtain a more acceptable, holistic, herbal based managementprotocol . This August will mark 4 years since the diagnosis and she continues to  consume the herbal preparations from CA Care.

By the Almighty’s Grace, Madam Anjalai recently celebrated her 100th birthday on 8th July 2018 with family members and relatives at a Restaurant in Kuala Lumpur. A short interview with her was in fact carried live over the Bernama Tamil News Channel that night.

Today, she remains ambulant, maintains some exercise routines and still enjoys a healthy appetite. Age has taken a toll partly on her clarity of vision and hearing, but her mind and memory remain as clear as ever .

May she be blessed with happiness, peace and good health in her remaining years as her journey has been a life lived well indeed.

Acknowledgement

This story is written by her grandnephew. Thanks for taking time to share this story with us. All of us at CA Care are real happy to know that oma is doing well. May she lives many more years beyond the present hundred! God bless.

Take time to reflect — if you have a loved one who is 90 plus and she/he has cancer, would you take the same healing path and forgo the established medical treatments?

 

 

 

Rotten Breasts, “Rotten Morning.”

This morning, 8 March 2018, is indeed a “rotten” morning. Why? Two patients came, one after another, with a rotten breast. It was so sad. Why do women allow such thing to happen to them?

After that a young lady came on behalf of her sister who had breast cancer. She had undergone all medical treatments — surgery, chemo and radiation. Less than three years later, the cancer spread to her liver. She was admitted into a hospital to drain off fluid from her abdomen. The oncologist asked her to do chemotherapy right away. The family hesitated and wanted us to help her.

I told the sister, I am afraid I cannot help her. She is in the hospital  under the care of an oncologist. How could I interfere? Also, I have no magic cure. The sister broke down and cried, pleading that her sister’s children are still small. Sad. But this is the reality. Such thing happen very often — I have seen enough of them.

Learning about three disasters in one morning is about the limit! No more please!

The fourth breast cancer case this morning is about a 69-year-old lady who had a mastectomy. After the surgery, the doctor referred her to an oncologist for follow-up chemotherapy. The family refused the treatment. On the next follow-up with the doctor, the daughter asked the doctor to suggest an alternative therapy. Apparently this doctor understood the predicament the family was in. He sent the family to see CA Care! (such a thing rarely happens! Unique! More on this in later posting).

Now, let us talk about rotten breasts and how some naive women end up with it.

Ibu A is 69 years old. She found a lump above her breast about three years ago. She did nothing about it. The lump grew bigger. In early 2018, she went to a doctor and did a biopsy. It was cancerous. The doctor suggested an operation but Ibu A refused. She came and seek our advice.

This was my advice to her that morning.

 

Ibu B is 51 years old. About two years ago she felt a big lump in her breast. She does not know when this lump came about. After the discovery of the lump, she refused to seek medical help. Instead, she went to an acupunturist-cum-herbalist. She was prescribed herbs and she had been taking the herbs until a wound developed in her breast like below.

She was adamant of not wanting to see any doctor and came to seek our help. (Note: I came to know later that her sister is actually a medical doctor who also has breast cancer in both breasts. The medical doctor sister is now undergoing chemotherapy. But Ibu B chooses not to follow her sister’s path).

This was my advice to her that morning.

 

Comments

Both these ladies came to seek our help, hoping that we can cure their already rotten, cancerous breast. No, we cannot cure.

To both of them (and also those ladies out there, harbouring the same attitude) I have this advice:

  1. If you find a lump in your breast, it is best that you see a doctor. Determine if it is cancerous or not. If it is, have the lump removed cleanly. I stress, CLEANLY. Because of that I would suggest that you go for a mastectomy rather than a lumpectomy.

I am aware that research has shown that a lumpectomy is just as effective as a mastectomy. But, that is when the doctor removes the lump cleanly — what if the doctor leaves some cancerous tissues behind?

Don’t ever believe that herbs, taking supplements, etc., etc. can make the cancerous lump go away. You will be taking a great risk. My twenty-over-years of experience tells me that herbs may make non-cancerous lump or cyst in the breast  go away but not cancerous lump.

  1. After the surgery, you are often told to go for chemotherapy, radiotherapy or hormonal therapy. If you want to follow your doctor’s recommendation, it is your decision. But if you want an alternative path, you can come and see us.
  1. In the case of Ibu A, the situation is rather tricky. She is already 87 years old. Can she survive a mastectomy? I don’t know. Let the medical experts decide on that.

After the surgery, Ibu A can come back to see us again for help. This is because she and her family would not want further treatments like chemo or radiation.

On the other hand, if Ibu A is asked to undergo chemotherapy before the surgery, this is another tricky matter. In fact Ibu requested that I prescribe her herbs instead asking her to see a surgeon. I told her that I would give her the herbs if the surgeon does not want to operate on her or ask her to do chemo first.

But for Ibu B. The situation is different. She is still young. She must get the rotten mass removed first before starting on the herbs.

  1. If patients want know where to go for the operation in Penang, I suggest that they go to Dr. A of Hospital B or Dr. C of Hospital D. Over the years, patients tell me that these two doctors are good, considerate and compassionate. Go to these doctors.

 

Breast Cancer: Should I go for radiotherapy after my surgery?

One morning, a couple flew in from Kuala Lumpur specifically to seek our advice. He is a Datuk, and following the norm, his wife is referred to as Datin. But for this story, let us call her Ms B. 

Listen to what Ms B and her husband told us this morning:

 Comments 

In an earlier posting I wrote about Ms A — whether she should take tamoxifen after her lumpectomy. As a follow up, this story about Ms B is whether she should go for radiotherapy after her breast surgery. First, put these two stories side by side, what can we learn from these two stories?

  1. There is a striking difference with the attitude of Ms A and Ms B. I have often said, cancer is about human being. It is not just about a lump in your breast. Ms A came to see us as a side line while on a home coming trip for the Chinese New Year. Ms B and her husband specifically flew from Kuala Lumpur just to consult with us and flew home immediately after that. 
  1. While Ms A came willingly, trying to seek our opinion, I was not too sure if she had the full support of her husband. He could even be hostile to the idea of his wife taking herbs and not taking tamoxifen as recommended by the doctor.

On the other hand, Ms B’s husband was solidly behind his wife’s desire to find another alternative to the recommended radiotherapy.

No, the subject of radiation being “scientifically proven” never cropped up at all. The couple came with a certain degree of belief in whatever they are seeking from us. What they needed is the extra “confidence” to go forward.

As a result, they wanted to give our therapy a try. On the contrary, I sent Ms A home without any herbs!

Okay, what is my answer to their question: Should I go for radiotherapy as recommended by my breast surgeon (the same surgeon that operated on Ms A).

  1. I am sorry, I cannot answer that question out right. Because in the healing of cancer, there is no right or wrong way. It just has to be your own way. You have to make that decision yourself.
  2. At times when you are lost, I ask you to pray to your god. In this case, Ms B needs to see the answer from Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy.
  3. However, let me say that radiation itself causes cancer. There is no doubt about this.
  4. Patients need to understand that they need to learn how to heal themselves. Change your lifestyle, your attitude in life and your diet. Don’t stress yourself too much.
  5. You are going to face a lot of pressure around you for not taking the “medical path”. There are enough “professors” giving you all kinds of advices. You need to be strong and firm in your decision. In this case, Ms B’s daughter is a doctor! Indeed, it is a difficult situation for her.

Besides coming to talk to us, I suggest that you read what is written in the internet. Here are some examples. 

Forum Topic: Long Term Radiation Side Effects 10+ years After? https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/70/topics/816658

Barbarella 60 wrote:

I am new to this forum and I am looking for others and help in what I am now experiencing.  I had left breast Stage 1, ductal in situ, 1cm in size about 18 years ago. I had a lumpectomy … 3 treatments of chemo consisting of Adriamycin, Cytoxin, and 5 fu, followed by 7 weeks radiation, then 3 more treatments of chemo.

I was given extra doses of radiation because of a hospital confusion. I also had 5 years of tamoxifen. Do you think overkill?

Now 18 years later I am experiencing severe left breast fibrosis with major dimpling at the lumpectomy incision site, hardening and swelling of the breast.  I thought my cancer had returned but negative.

Also having stabbing left chest pains occurring occasionally.

Now 2 years after the onset of the fibrosis I am having shortness and trouble breathing, dizziness, tired with no absolutely no energy.  I had all heart tests including cardiac catheterization angioplasty.  All negative.

I am grateful for my life, but all the side effects from the chemo & radiation have had a significant effect on my health.

Has anyone experienced side effects becoming major health issues years after the treatment? I don’t know where to go, since no one seems to know about this.

CessaLyn wrote:

I was diagnosed w/ right side, stage 1 ductal in situ 3 cm, estrogen positive, breast cancer, with no lymph nodes involved, on Dec 27, 2004, had lumpectomy 17 days later on Jan 13, 2005, followed by 12 weeks of radiation.

I’m here over 7 yrs later, w/ no reoccurrence, yet still suffer greatly from underarm & chest wall/muscle/rib pain, with swelling! Hurts to raise my arm above my head, or to wash the back of my hair, or to stretch in any fashion? I’m told it is probably costochrondritis … began almost immediately with the start of the rad treatments.

…  Please, Please, Please, – anyone who is newly diagnosed, in early stage, take the time to do the research, read personal experiences and not just what the radiologist/oncologist is telling or not telling you, I sometimes wonder if it was a $ issue not to bring up other types of rad treatment since the final bill to my insurance co. For just the rad treatments was close to $79,000 – YOU have to live with the side effects, they don’t! Happy to be here, but would like a little less pain.

… You are right.  They need to give you truthful, information on the treatments and the side effects.  Back 18 years ago lumpectomy & radiation.  I remember not having a second thought in having radiation.  Now my armpit is swollen, pain & fibrosis in left breast and possible heart & lung damage.  If I had it all to do over again I would have a double mastectomy.  No radiation.  But what’s done is done.  Gotta go on from here, no redo. They know a lot more information today than then. But our decisions should be discussed by independent parties with no financial involvement.

Gilbert wrote:

I had a lumpectomy followed by 31 rad treatments that ended Jan10,  I am really sore over my whole breast, thought about calling the doctor, but not sure what he could do anyway.  He wasn’t very helpful when I was going through treatment. They sure don’t inform us very well about the effect that the radiation will have on us.  I think it it’s all about the money.  Every time I would ask about a certain problem They would tell me the only side effects were just fatigue.[bs] and that could last for awhile after rads were over. I seem to be getting sorer by the day, I hate to think that this could go on for years..

I do remember how tight and red and burning it was for a while afterwards.  I think it took quite a while for my skin to feel like it wasn’t going to rip.  I know but that is how tight it was.  I was very diligent in using all the cremes they recommended.  I also had 3 months (9 weeks), 5 days a week, of radiation. Then immediately after radiation I started the 2nd series of 3 treatments for 7 weeks of chemo. After that 5 years of tamoxifen.

Believe it or not, my whole arm pit and back towards my shoulder blade is still numb.  If I have an itch I have to use a wooden back scratchier and just scratch as hard as possible to feel it.  It is very uncomfortable having an itch that can’t be satisfied! Just one of the sides I’ve had for 18 years.

Sunny1012 wrote:

I am new to this nightmare.  I had a lumpectomy on January 8, 2014 for ILC Stage 1 and sentinel lobe removal.  I had a long consultation with the radiation oncologist and did not leave feeling convinced about radiation treatment.  I am considering skipping radiation and just doing the Tamoxifen even though I am not crazy about that either.

I have read every piece of research I can on radiation and its a damned if you do and damned if you don’t situation.

I also would like to hear from survivors who can share the pros and cons of radiation in their choice and life to this point. The decisions we must face on this journey are overwhelming .  Please share your thoughts. Thank you

Desalonde wrote:

I am a bit further along than you are but can only share your sentiments and not really shed much light. I have read lots of medical articles going back years and consulted 3 rad oncs and it seems clear there is no consistent “prescription” even for same person…. different docs give different opinions depending on where they trained so a lot of it is culture and custom not hard science about what is minimum effective dose.

That means making decisions with blinders on.

What is worse…. RO may be ( mine is) defensive and irritated when you quote a literature info of concern to you and insist that you” trust” their experience……even though they disagree among themselves and may contradict the literature.

It’s primitive and makes me mad because women deserve better science to reduce the suffering that accompanies these treatments! 

Here are what researchers and doctors said about radiation for cancer!

 

 

 

 

Breast Cancer: Should I take tamoxifen after my lumpectomy?

The year 2018 started with a common but peculiar phenomenon which we long know. What is that? For the past two months, most of the patients who came to seek our help either had breast cancer or liver cancer! Later we will see this trend changes to some other cancers.

Breast cancer patients who came fall either one of these two groups.

  1. Those who found lump (s) in their breast. Did a biopsy followed by surgery. Then doctors asked them to go for chemo, radiation and/or take tamoxifen. That’s the classical standard recipe. What to do now after the surgery?
  1. Those who have undergone all the medical treatments — surgery, chemo, radiation and hormonal therapy. These treatments failed. So, what to do now?

Let me share some stories. By doing this, I hope you can learn from the experiences of others. In life we don’t need or don’t have time to repeat the mistakes that others before us go through. So, be wise.

This is the story of Ms A.

About 20 years ago Ms A had a 5 mm lump in her breast. A biopsy was done and the result turned out to be negative. Unfortunately the so-called non-cancerous lump was not removed.

Fast forward to January 2018, Ms A felt the lump which she was keeping in her breast was not “normal” in size. She went to consult a surgeon who did a lumpectomy (removal of the lump only). Some of the lymph nodes were removed and were found to be “clean”.

Unfortunately, the tumour was malignant and was positive for hormone receptors. Because of that the doctor wanted Ms A to take tamoxifen for 5 to 10 years.

Ms A was referred to an oncologist. She told the oncologist that she preferred to take herbs instead of tamoxifen. The oncologist replied, It is up to you to decide. 

Ms A was unsure which path to take. She wrote me an email. Since she was coming home to Penang for the Chinese New Year, she wanted to drop by our centre to ask for advice. Okay, that was fine with me.

Ms A and her husband came. They wanted to know my view on tamoxifen. Listen to our conversation that morning.

 

Comments 

What do I do now? Follow what my breast surgeon asked me to do or follow my heart? 

My response:

I am afraid I cannot give an outright answer. You have to make your own decision and you bear the consequences of that decision. If the cancer comes back again or your suffer the side effects of the treatment, it is you who have to suffer, not others.

But to help you get out of this dilemma I suggest you do the following.

  1. Discuss the problem with your family members. Ms A has three children and one of them is a pharmacist. According to the pharmacist daughter, that is what breast cancer patients do — they take tamoxifen!

But more important is your husband. If you cannot get your husband on your side — to give you a hundred percent support — then, your “battle” is lost even before going to the battle field!

Accordingly to Ms A’s husband, tamoxifen is scientifically proven and herbs are just supplement. If this is what it is, my advice is don’t ever think of taking herbs! Go for the “scientific” stuff.

  1. To get a balanced view, my advice is to read as much as you can! Educate yourself. It is your health and it your life.

But the problem with most people is they don’t like to read — they don’t want to learn the truth for themselves. They prefer to just listen to way others say and do what others tell them to do. That is, to led by the nose.

Of course, there are others who believe they are already smart and they don’t need to know more, especially if it is not seen to be “scientific” (whatever that means!).

  1. When in this desperate situations when you don’t know what to do, I suggest that you turn to your god for help. Pray and ask for guidance. Of course, some people will laugh at me! There also some people who are already angry with god for “giving them this cancer” — why pray some more?

Well, I understand. Each of us has our own ideas about the Divine. For me, I know that there is a God who is loving enough to help you — to help and guide if you sincerely ask for His help — the way that this same God helps me in my work with cancer patients for the past twenty over years.

With these three suggestions I told Ms A to go home, without prescribing her any herbs. If you need my help in the future, you can come back and see me again. 

Let me remind everyone who wants to come and see us. Our therapy is not easy to follow. If you are not fully committed or are half-hearted in your belief, my advice is to go and see someone else for help.

For those who believe that tamoxifen is “scientifically proven” and herbs are hocus pocus, you may wish take a pause and read a bit more.

  1. Go to the net and read what others, you are in the same boat like you, wrote about tamoxifen: https://community.macmillan.org.uk/cancer_types/breast-cancer/f/38/t/140439

Posted by Lizzy4u, 19 October 2017

I’ve been on Tamoxifen for 10 months and have awful side effects. The worst being joint pains, so bad that I can hardly move at times. My oncologist said to stop the Tamoxifen for 6 weeks and see if there is a difference… I am stiff when I wake up, then once I get moving it eases off but then if I’ve been on my feet longer than an hour it get worse and worse. My daughter said to me the other day she has not seen a day go past that she’s not seen me limping. I’m also experiencing the most awful hot flushes that I get no sleep and I’m exhausted all the time, have itching when I have these flushes. Etc

Posted by LondonLass, 19 October 2017

Hi Lizzy4u, I had exactly the same issues as you. I lasted 20 months but that was only because my oncologist kept pushing me to keep going, his view was the first 2 years were the most important. I won’t go into what happened with me as it doesn’t help you. I will however say there are other options!

However, I think you have to bear in mind that all of these treatments will cause menopausal symptoms and of course it’s worse for us as we are being forced into menopause! …. Worth discussing everything with your oncologist, the more information you can get the better. You need to be able to make an informed decision. At the end of the day it’s your body, your life and your decision! I know how it feels to feel so old and unhappy!

  1. If you want to know what happened to those patients who came to CA Care after being on tamoxifen … read these two stories …..

No more tamoxifen for me

Breast Cancer: Part 4: Radiation Helped but Did Not Cure, Tamoxifen Disastrous

 3. If you think alternative healers are just quacks, read what some researchers and doctors have got to say about tamoxifen.

Pierre Blais, a well known drug researcher, said: Tamoxifen is a garbage drug that made it to the top of the scrap heap.

And here are more for you to digest ….

 

 

 

 

 

Health improved after two weeks on herbs. But will this healing last?

Two weeks ago, I posted the story of Rose, a 49-year-old Indonesian lady who had a big lump in her breast. She underwent surgery twice because the lump kept recurring. Then the non-cancerous massed turned cancerous. It spread to her lungs.

Rose was told to go for chemotherapy. She refused and came to seek out help.

Two weeks on our therapy, Rose got better. Listen to what her husband told us.

1. The swelling of her hands and feet subsided.

2. She can now stand up without difficulty and can walk around the house compound. This is something that she could not do earlier. Also before the herbs, she would feel breathless and sweat a lot even with a little bit of movement. All these are gone!

3. Her appetite has improved.

4. Her cough with itchy throat was gone.

5. Her sleep has improved.

Improvement does not mean cure!

I cautioned Rose’s husband that improvement does not mean cure. The family must always be careful — try to maintain this healing momentum so that more healing can go on without any disruption. Take care of the diet and do not eat anything you like even if you feel great.

My experience over the years tell me that most patients take things for granted after feeling better. Let me relate two stories which are still fresh in my mind that make me real “sick” — to be more precise, they break my “heart” !

A lady came after 10 chemos and 2 surgeries did not help her. Her oncologist told her that she would be lucky if she could live to celebrate Christmas (i.e. just a few months). She wrote me an email asking for help. I told her I would not be able to help her since she is from a faraway country. She insisted on coming to see us. Okay, come!

After four days on the e-therapy and herbs her pains were gone. She could go shopping the whole day. Before the therapy she could not even sit down without pain, let alone shopping!

She returned to her country and continued taking the herbs. Her condition improved. In December I reminded her to go and wish her oncologist “Merry Christmas” — after all she was NOT supposed to live that long anyway!

Then I sensed something was not right when she wrote to complain that she preferred taking the herbal extract instead of herbs that have to be brewed. I ignored her request. In the next mail, she wrote to say that she only wanted to take the capsules. She did not want the herbal teas anymore, giving the excuse that she could not afford to pay for the herbal tea — capsule okay! My reply: Please go and find someone else to help you. You can stop taking my herbs.

Not long after this “blow”, another lady came to seek our help. According to her husband, he found CA Care while browsing the internet trying to find a “cancer home” for his wife since no one is at home to take care of her. She was in severe pain and was not even able to sit down to talk to me without much discomfort. We put her on the e-therapy. Within a few days her pains were almost gone and she could sit down and talked like a healthy person. The e-therapy was discontinued since it was Saturday and Sunday. On Monday, she had pains again and we continued with the e-therapy. I think she got better.

On Tuesday she did not turn up saying that she had diarrhoea (healing crisis?). On Wednesday her husband came to take her file away. I did not even have a chance to meet him and know what has gone wrong. Anyway, the e-therapy that she did at our centre was free of charge!

In Rose’s case, it is wonderful to know that she has improved after just two weeks on herbs. But please don’t take for granted that we have a “magic portion” to cure her. Healing is your responsibility. We can help you but you must “work and earn ” for your well being. More important, don’t demand healing on your own terms! Please learn to be grateful for all the blessings that you receive. Don’t take your healing for granted!

 

Woman, why do you allow this to happen to you?

The year 2018 started badly and sadly. I have many “sad” stories to share with you.

Rose is a 49-year-old Indonesian lady. About five years ago she had a swelling in her left breast. She came to a private hospital in Penang and have the lump removed. No further treatment was deemed necessary. The doctor probably thought it was just a fibroadenoma (a common non-cancerous breast lump).

Two years after the surgery, in 2016, the lump grew into a giant fibroadenoma and Rose underwent a mastectomy. Her whole left breast was removed. After surgery in Penang, she was sent home with no further treatment.

In early 2018, Rose started to cough and both her arms and legs are swollen. The lump in her breast grew back again. Rose came back to the same hospital and did a “health screening” test and paid RM 500 for a complied booklet about her health.

Her X-ray report said, “Lung metastasis from ? left breast carcinoma.”

 

Rose was referred to an oncologist of the hospital. She was told to undergo six cycles of chemotherapy.

Chris: Did you ask the doctor if chemotherapy is going to cure you?

Husband: We never ask.

Rose paid RM 160.00 for this consultation and was given a bottle of cough mixture to bring home!

What can we learn from this pathetic case?

  1. Your health is your responsibility. Many patients think that doctors know best and can fix all their problems. Once they go into the hospital, that’s it — they leave everything to the doctors! If that is your attitude, you will end up like Rose!

Rose found a lump in her breast. She had it removed. Hooray, it was not cancer — that is what everyone likes to hear. Then the lump grew back again — Rose went back to the same doctor and did a mastectomy. Did she ever ask any question — why this and why that? Probably not. The lump did not go away, as it grew bigger, Rose did not bother to consult another doctor — why did she allow the lump to grow so big like in the picture? Because it did not cause any pain, she said! When she started to cough and felt breathless, only then she decided to see the doctor again. She came back to the same hospital to do a “health screening” test. Is that the correct thing to do?

  1. Did Rose get the best of medical treatment? I am not too sure about that. A non-cancer lump became cancerous after two operations — is that a correct diagnosis? Did Rose go to the a “really good” doctor in town?

Remember, not all doctors are the same — in terms of experience, expertise and their empathy towards patients. As I was writing this story, one patient came. He said, The doctor told me there was about 5 liter of fluid in my lung. He tapped out 1 litre. I asked him why he did not remove the remaining 4 litre. He did not answer me. He was arrogant. What do you think of such doctors? Let him treat you again?

  1. Dr. Barry Boyd (in The Cancer Recovery Plan) wrote, “Most doctors don’t bother to counsel their patients after treatment. Once cancer treatment is completed, most patients are left on their own to cope with the rest of their lives. This is what I call falling off the cliff. Patients are left in free fall.”

Is this not what happened to Rose? Cut and cut, but was there any advice as to what to do to prevent or minimize the recurrence of the lump? No — just go home, do and eat what you like! Probably it is just your luck? If more problems crop up come back to us again and we cut you again or chemo you!

A taxi driver at the airport recommended that Rose come and consult us. When Rose came to see us, I thought it was a bit too late. Her health had deteriorated badly. I would try to help the best I can but I know I cannot make the big lump go away. I think it is not the lump that is going to kill her — it is the extensive lung metastasis.

 

 

 

Breast Cancer: Surgery, Chemo and Radiation Failed — Stage 2 turned Stage 4

2 Jun 2017

Dear Dr. Teo,

My name is Carl (name changed) and I come from Singapore. I am requesting for an appointment for my Mother, who has stage 4 metastatic breast cancer.

My Mother is a Chinese national, and she was initially diagnosed with Stage 2 Breast Cancer in February 2016. She underwent numerous rounds of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and even a surgery to cut off her breast. However, the metastatic breast cancer eventually spread to both her lungs and liver this year. In fact, her condition is getting worse despite undergoing chemotherapy.

On her end, she exercises (walk, jog, stretching exercises) everyday for at least 45 minutes each day. Moreover, she watches her diet. No sweet sugary food, significantly more green and fruits. No meat and only fish as a animal based protein source. She also juices and drink daily a blend of Green apple, Beetroot and Carrots. Furthermore, she also blends asparagus and eat them very frequently. Recently, she has also began drinking Turmeric tea.

Dr Teo, would you please help my mother in her quest of overcoming cancer? I assure you that she still has a lot of will and determination to live. Please mail to me an appropriate date and time that you would be open for consultation.

Thank you so much for your time reading this mail! I hope to receive a reply soon. Have a great day ahead!

Reply: We are open Monday to Friday at about 11 am …. but let me know first your proposed date before to buy your tickets … to make sure I am in Penang.

Dear Dr. Teo,

Thank you for the information! May I know roughly how much the herbs would cost? Because, we have spent quite a bit on chemo, surgery and other things. Therefore, it would be good to know the approximate cost of the herbs so that we can better plan our finances and budgets. Thank you for your assistance! Really appreciate it a lot.

Reply: Read this …https://cacare.org/  — everything explained about the herbs, etc. Consultation is free … unlike in Singapore where patients may have to pay thousands of dollars for their herbs.

Dear Dr. Teo,

I have contacted you a few months back regarding my mother, a stage 4 breast cancer patient. Would it be possible if we fly over to consult you next week? Between 4th to 11th December. My mother is a Chinese national suffering from stage 4 cancer with both metastasize in the lungs and liver.

Thank you so much. Warmest regards.

One morning in December 2017

At long last, I got to meet Carl after 6 months! There are 4 in his family, mom and dad, daughter and son and Carl is the elder of the 2 siblings. He is 20 years old. This morning, he came alone without his mother. The medical reports are not complete and there are no CT or PET scan.

This is a the story of his mother… a Stage 2 breast cancer turned Stage 4 after extensive chemo treatments for a year. What has gone wrong?

  • More than a year ago, February 2019, PY was diagnosed with breast cancer. At that time there were already some small dots in her lung. The doctor did nothing about this lung metastasis (?).
  • From March – September 2016, PY underwent chemotherapy.

a) Initially, the drugs used were: Gemcitabine and Herceptin.

b) In June the combination changed to: Pertuzumab (Perjeta), Gemcitabine and Herceptin.

c) In September the oncologist tried Trastuzumab (Kadcyla) and Herceptin.

  • September 2016, PY had a right mastectomy.

CT scan report, 28 July 2017 indicated:

a) No evidence of local recurrence.

b) Extensive bilateral lung metastasis.

c) Ill-defined hypodensity in segment 7, measuring 1.0 cm. Other subcentimetre hypodensities in segment 2 and 8 are too small to characterise.

CT scan report, 2 October 2017 indicated: 

a) There is interval enlargement of multiple lung metastases.

b) Interval enlargement of fluid collection inferior to the right mastectomy site.

c) Interval enlargement of a right lower paratracheal lymph node.

d) Hepatic hypodensities are stable in size.

e) Overall, findings are consistent with disease progression.

CT scan report, 28 November 2017 indicated:

  • Bilateral lung metastases have increased in size and extent compared to 2 Oct. 2017.

Based on the above reports, PY’s treatment was said to be ineffective and she was scheduled to meet her oncologist again next week. It was that this point in time that Carl came to seek our advice on behalf of his mother. Actually he was just on a “shopping” trip — wanting to know what we can do to help his mother.

After spending one and half hours explaining, I sent Carl home without any herbs.

Go back and discuss with your mom first. Go ahead and see your oncologists next week and continue with what he wants you to do. Come back to see me again if you think I can help you. And this time, it is best that you bring your mom along plus her full medical reports and scans.

Conversation with 20-year-old Carl: 1. Change doctor? Change direction?

 Following are some of points we discussed that morning.

  1. I told Carl that if I have my way, I would not want to take up this case. 

Let the doctors take care of the mother till the end. In this way, when his mother dies, Carl or anyone else would not have a scapegoat to put their blame on.

I shared the burden of knowing that his 44-year-old mother is going to suffer a lot more before she dies. I imagine it is hard for anyone to face such a situation. I felt real sorry for this young man. 

  1. The questions Carl posed, admittedly are irritating at times and indeed a waste of time.

On this gloomy morning, God helped me to keep cool and let me see the humane need of this patient. I tried to be as nice as I could in my explanation. At the end, both of us struck a “bond.” And I also hoped his trip to Penang was not a waste of money!

I have learnt some lessons from Carl and I do hope Carl did learn some lessons about how to heal his mother.

  1. The cancer may attack the bone and finally the brain. As it is now, the cancer had already spread to the lungs and liver in spite of all the chemos. Know that this is not the end of the spread yet. The final stop is the brain, if she is unlucky. 

What can we do about it? You go on treating and treating —- chemo and more chemo and radiation. Amy Cohen put it rightly before she died after the cancer spread to her brain.

  1. Our therapy cannot cure her cancer. I make is completely clear that coming to see us would not change the outcome. We may be able to help, but we cannot cure her.

Furthermore, undergoing our therapy is not like going on a honeymoon. It requires a lot of commitment on the part of the patient. We show you the path, but you have to help yourself. Most patients would agree to do their best when they are dying, but the moment they get better, they start to “misbehave” — wanting to eat this and wanting to eat that. Then, they don’t want to take the herbs anymore if they can — giving all kinds of excuses or complaints.

  1. I suggested that Carl may want to change doctors/hospital.

Go to SGH. Or why not go back to China for medical or alternative treatments? Carl wanted to know by undergoing all these changes, what would be the benefits? I don’t know. But According to Einstein, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is insanity.

6.Carl want to know if it is possible for his mom to stop chemotherapy and then take our herbs for two or three months.

Then we will see if the herbs help her. My response: That is just absurd. If months of chemo did not cure and make her worse, don’t expect the herbs to show results within a month or two. Herbs are not magic potion!

  1. How much will our herbs cost?

Many patients spent thousands of dollars on their failed treatments and when they come to us, they are concerned about cost. Our consultation is free — yes, one a half hours talking to me is foc.

In general the Indonesians are much poorer but they never ask such questions

Just read these two emails.

Hi Dr. Chris,

Greeting!

I am from Singapore.

I was referred to you by my relative whose mother in law were treated by you while undergoing cancer treatment. My relative shared that she suffer almost no pain during the last stage of her life.

My dad has just been diagnosed with pancreas cancer and has just had his first Chemo treatment.

… I will appreciate if you can advise me on below:

……..

4)      How much is the consultation fee? (range if there is no fixed rate)

5)      Medicine cost?

Thanks and I look forward to hear more from you.

This is an email from Indonesia.

Hello Dr. Chris, I am T from …. Indonesia. I am female, 19 years old. Last month, I was diagnosed with Acute Myleoid Leukemia-M2 (AML-M2) by my BMP result. Right now, I am feeling good. I have no fatigue, fever, bleeding and bruise.

I don’t want to do chemotherapy treatments because all of the side effects. I wanna use natural way. So, I totally changed my diet and consider your herbs to help me. Can we meet on this Thursday (14 Dec)? Thank you.

(Note: T — a second year engineering student, is in need of help. She came with her mom and Auntie. Her father died when she was 2 years old. Her mother said she has no money to send her for medical treatment which could run to thousands of dollars. I felt real sad. If T comes back to see us again and is really committed to follow our therapy — my wife and I would like to “adopt” her as our daughter!)

Carl countered, You need to understand that there are many Singaporeans who have financial difficulties.

Yes, this is one lesson I learned from Carl this morning. I need to fully understand that!

But I told Carl frankly, unfortunately, the kiasu attitude may also have a part to play in this. I told Carl, Singapore dollar is three times Malaysian ringgit. That makes our herbs cost peanuts!

Conversation with 20-year-old Carl 2: What is the cost of your herbs?

  1. One last point. I told Carl, If you need my help, you should bring you mother here. And also bring all the CT / PET scans.

Carl suggested that it would easier if I just send the herbs by post if his mom would like to follow our therapy. My reply was, No, we cannot do that. 

Early in life, my mother taught me that good things never come easy. Noting is served on a silver plate for ordinary folks like us. We have to work hard to succeed. If you are not prepared to help yourself or want an easy way out, nobody can help you.

Conversation with 20-year-old Carl: 3. More questions

 

By asking me all these questions, you have revealed your attitude and personality!

I told my patients this: By talking to you for 5 minutes, I know if I can help you or not. Seventy percent of patients fail the test! Certain people just cannot be helped.

Comment

Earlier, I posted an article, Metastatic Breast Cancer: My mom wants to live. Her commitment made her well. In this article RR’s son came to seek our help on behalf of his mother who has Stage 4 breast cancer, just like Carl.

My morning talking with RR’s son is far different from talking with Carl. One comes genuinely wanting to find help for his mother, another comes to “window shop” for his mother.

 

 

Metastatic Breast Cancer: My mom wants to live! Her commitment made her well.

About 5 years ago, RR – a 70-year-old Indonesian  lady found a lump in her right breast. She did not consult any doctor. She opted for Chinese sinseh who prescribed her herbs. She was on his herbs for about 2 years. The lump grew bigger but there was no laceration.

In 2014, RR went to see a doctor because the lump in her breast became painful. A bone scan showed the cancer had already spread to her bones. RR decided to continue taking herbs and did not want any medical treatment.

In July 2015, RR consulted the doctor again. She was again told to do a biopsy but she refused. She did not want to go for chemotherapy either. The doctor prescribed Femara which she agreed to take. In fact RR has been taking Femara and Aromasin alternately since July 2015 until now.

 

This hormonal oral drug seemed to help her. Her CA 15.3 dropped from 255 to 28 (in August 2016). Unfortunately this reduction of CA 15.3 did not last long. In September 2017, her CA 15.5 increased to 59.

Along the way, RR suffered a fracture at the base of her neck, involving C3 and C4 vertebrae. She had an operation and the problem was resolved.

In July 2017, a PET scan showed the metastasis in her lungs was getting worse. Earlier on in February 2016, the doctor told her that there were small nodules in her liver. Now with this PET the nodules in her liver were bigger. The tumours in Segment 8 was 28 cm (previously 2 cm) and 1.2 cm in size. The mass in Segment 7 was 1.3 cm.

The lump in RR’s right breast was still there — not removed. Now, the nipple in her left breast was retracted.

RR’s son came to seek our help in September 2017 and she was prescribed 8 herbal teas and 5 herbal capsules — Capsules A, B, C, D and M. Herbal teas: Lympho 1, SAP, Lung 1, Lung Phlegm, Liver 1, Bone and PS pack.

THREE MONTHS LATER 

She has to take a lot of herbs! Any problem? The first month she had difficulty getting used to the bitter taste and awful smell. But now there is no problem. She got used to it. So taking the herbs is no more a problem.

Her breathing was difficult. What happen now? Before taking the herbs there was fluid in her lungs. This make her difficult to breath. The fluid was tapped out. Then one month after taking the herbs, another tapping was done. After that she is okay. Now, she can breathe normally. She seems to get better.

Any problem with her breasts? The initial problem was with her right breast. Now, the nipple of left right was retracted. No sign that the herbs help in this aspect.

Any pain? No pain, even before taking the herbs.

Before the appetite was not good. Better now? Yes. Before taking your herbs the food had no taste and she felt nauseous all day. Now, her appetite has improved. She can eat twice the amount of food. No more nausea. This is indeed a good improvement for her.

What about the swelling in her neck? No visible improvement. It is not getting smaller  or bigger. The same.

You said she had cold sweat? Before the herbs, she felt cold and then produced sweat. This happened anytime — day or night. She just felt miserable — not well. Now, this problem is gone after the herbs.

Over all is she getting better after taking the herbs? Yes, better. She is normal.

Have you gone back to see the doctor — may be undergo chemo? No, chemo is never our choice since the very beginning.

Are you satisfied with your mom’s progress? What else do you want? Yes, we are happy. We hope this can be just maintained this way and not getting worse.

Comments

I salute RR for her commitment and determination. Before our therapy, she was not following a healthy diet. She felt nauseous and did not eat well. But after her son saw us, she kept to her healthy diet — cooked the way we taught out patients in my wife’s Healthy Cooking book. She did not complain about her food.

The herbal teas are bitter with awful smell. RR took about a month to get used to the taste. After that she has no problem taking our herbal teas.

The kiasu patients are different. They wanted to eat whatever they like. Some would even tell us that they rather die than stick to our diet recommendation. At our centre, the main problem we face is telling patients what to eat. The moment they are well, this “havoc” starts.

We know that our herbal teas are not good tasting — note, these are natural stuff without any pleasant tasting additives. Many patients give up taking our teas after they get well.

Yes, RR wants to live. And in this story, we know she gets to live well. Some patients want to get well on their own terms.

I also salute RR’s son. He came on behalf of his mother who is in Jakarta. He knows in detail what happened to his mother and he came well prepared with all her medical reports and scan. He is a polite well-mannered son. In our conversation, he did not ask unnecessary questions. He presented us with her mother’s problem and accepted our prescriptions and went home with much hope and expectation.

In all, good things happened because neither the mother nor the son are kiasus. RR “earned” her healing through her commitment.

 

 

 

Breast Cancer: Mom: Operated and no chemo, okay. Mom’s friend: Operated and chemo, died

Ati (not real name) is an Indonesian lady. Sometime in January 2016, she felt a big, mobile lump above her left breast. She consulted a doctor in Pekan Baru hospital. She was asked to undergo a biopsy. She refused. She did nothing after that.

In August 2016, she ended up in the hospital again. This time she submitted to a biopsy. It was breast cancer. In early September 2016, she underwent a mastectomy. Histology confirmed a Stage 2B breast cancer, ER and PR negative and HER-2 positive tumour.

Due to her diabetes, she was hospitalised for one month before she was considered fit for discharge. After two weeks at home, she had to be hospitalised again and this time it was due to fluid accumulation in her chest. About 2.5 liters were extracted. She was discharged after 33 days.

Ati was then asked to undergo 6 cycles of chemotherapy. She promptly refused. A friend, who was our patient, told her about CA Care.

It is worthy to note that Ati’s son works in the hospital. From her son’s observation, many patients had chemo for their cancer. There seems to be no cure and many died.

Ati and her family members came to seek our help in early December 2016. I was mindful that Ati had a double negative cancer and that she was obese. I stressed to Ati that she has to lose half of her body weight if she wants to get well.

Listen to our conversation that morning.

Video 1: After surgery, no chemo for me!

About a year later, Ati’s two daughter came to our centre again. The daughter reported the following:

  • Ati is doing fine — leading a normal, healthy life without any problem.
  • Before our therapy, Ati had been taking Deer Placenta but had since stopped, after starting with our herbs.
  • Bloating of her stomach was gone.
  • She is energetic — a condition far better than before our therapy.
  • No more constipation.
  • No more back pain.

Then one of her daughters related the story of her friend’s mother. She too had breast cancer. She underwent surgery after Ati. This was followed by chemotherapy and she died about two months ago.

She did not know about CA Care? The daughter said, We brought her medical reports to you and shared our mother’s experience with her. But she did not want to come here. She went ahead with chemotherapy in Pekan Baru. 

Listen to our conversation that morning.

Video 2: Mom is okay without chemo. A friend died after chemotherapy.

Comments

We are indeed happy to learn that Ati is doing well. She should continue to do what she is doing that makes her well. I issued one warning to her daughters. Go home and tell your mom. She should take care of her diet. Eat “bad” food, you die! Everybody laughed!

To live or to die is your choice! Decide wisely. Herbs are considered by some people as unproven and unscientific, bordering to quackery. But Ati is still fine and healthy. So, what other proof do you need?

Her friend followed the so-called proven way and she died far too soon.

You may want to hear another similar stories.

  1. Breast Cancer: She died after three shots of chemo

     2. Breast Cancer: Declined chemo and radiation – alive and healthy. Relatives who had chemo, died.

  1. The Biggest Mistake I Have Ever Made

In his book: Cancer Recovery Guide, pg. 28, Jonathan Chamberlain wrote:

When my wife Bernadette learned that despite all the surgery, radiation and chemotherapy her tumour had returned, she was informed that she had three months to live. She was told this on 17 January. She died on 16 April. Three months  exactly.

In our conversation that evening, Jonathan said:

  • From my own experience with my wife, we were in awe of the doctors …. We were in awe of our ignorance. We assumed that the doctors were best … I realized that was the biggest mistake I have ever made – to do what the doctors advise. You learn the hard way. 
  • She (wife) suffered from chemotherapy and it killed her. She died not just from cancer. She died from cancer plus chemotherapy. She died within one year because she did everything that doctor advised her.

If you believe, believe. It you don’t believe, it is okay! It’s your life.