Good bye Ina – Rest in Peace

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

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

everything looked bright and cheerful. I felt happy.

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

Ina and I were happily sharing something on another computer when

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There is no denying, this is a good death.

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

Her Tango with Breast Cancer

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

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

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

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

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

ESR = 10

Platelet count = 271

Liver function tests = all values within normal range.

Alpha fetoprotein = less than 1.3

CA 125 = 4.8 (normal)

CA 15.3 = 14.9 (normal)

CA 19.3 = 28.7 (normal)

CEA = 0.9 (normal)

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

ESR = 52 High

Platelet count = 275

CA 125 = 4.7

CA 15.3 =  65.5 High

CA 19.9 = 48.8 High

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

Comments

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

Can this be due to the following?:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More from the internet ….

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What are long Covid lung symptoms?

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

Death is Not a Failure

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No, Ina’s death is not a failure.

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

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

Colorectal Cancer: Part 2: CA Care Therapy helped her!

In the first part of this story, I presented the case of Rose, a 62-year-old Indonesian lady. She was diagnosed with metastatic cancer of the sigmoid colon. She underwent the following treatments:

1. Surgery with colostomy bag.

2. Chemotherapy – 11 + 5 cycles

3. Oral drug Xeloda, TS 1

4. Immunotherapy (Avastin)

5. Radiotherapy

The treatments did not cure her. After being told about CA Care while receiving her chemo treatment in Penang, Rose decided to give up further medical treatment. She wanted try our therapy.

Rose and her daughter came to consult us and was prescribed herbs for her problems. One month after taking the herbs, beside changing her diet, her daughter came and reported her progress. Amazingly, Rose benefited from our therapy.

Her scale of suffering (from 0 to 10) was 8 before the herbs and 4 after taking the herbs!

Watch this video.

Colorectal Cancer: Part 1: Surgery, chemo and chemo. Where is the cure?

Rose, 62 years old, had been having heart problems for the past 3 years. She is currently on heart medication. About 2 years ago, Rose was not able to move her bowels for 5 days. She was admitted into a hospital in Medan. Indonesia.

A CT scan indicated a mass in the sigmoid colon and multiple adenopathy.  A biopsy confirmed malignant metastatic adenocarcinoma.

  1. Rose underwent an operation, the cancerous colon removed, and was fitted with a colostomy bag.

Histology report indicated: Low grade adenocarcinoma of colon-rectum.

  • After the surgery, Rose underwent the following treatments.
  • Chemotherapy
  • Oral drug with Intacape (or Xeloda)
  • Immunotherapy (with Avastin)
  • Radiotherapy

Rose had her chemo treatment in Medan. She received the following:

Cycle 1 – 29 Aug 2022: Oxaliplatin injection + Intacape.

Cycle 2 – 19 Sep 22:     Oxaliplatin injection +  Intacape.

Cycle 3 – 14 Oct 22:      Oxaliplatin injection.

Cycle 4 – 3 Nov 22:       Oxaliplatin injection.

Cycle 5 – 23 Nov 22:     Oxaliplatin injection.

Cycle 6 – 20 Dec 22:     Oxaliplatin injection.

Cycle 7 – 13 Jan 23:      Oxaliplatin injection.

Cycle 8 – 24 Mar 23:    Oxaliplatin injection.

Cycle 9 – 11 May 23:    Oxaliplatin injection.

Cycle 10 – 20 Apr 23:   Oxaliplatin injection.

Cycle 11 – 5 Oct 23:      Avastin

According to the Kartu Kendali Kemoterapi (Chemotherapy Record Card), Rose received 5 more chemo injections from 13 November 2023 to 11 January 2024. The drugs used were:

  1. Uracil
  2. Iritero (or Irinocetan)
  3. Leucovarin
  4. Bevagen (or Avastin).

Since these treatments did not show improvement, Rose decided to come to Penang for further treatment.

  1. A CT scan on 22 January 2024 done at a private hospital indicated:
  2. Hypodense cystic lesion in right liver suspicious of post treatment changes, residual disease or tumour.
  3. Herniation of bowel loops into left lumbar.
  4. Previous rectosigmoid surgery with stoma seen in left lumbar region.
  • Rose underwent two cycles of chemotherapy in Penang, in January and February 2024.  The drugs used were: Irinotecan and the oral drug, TS-1 (instead of Xeloda as in the previous treatment).
  • The cost of the first visit in January 2024 was RM4,917.55
  • The cost of the second visit in February 2024 was RM5,170.25
  • The following are 2 blood test results done on January and February 2024.
 22 Jan 202421 Feb 2024
CEA20.1 High15.9 High
Neutrophils4.12.4 Low
Lymphocytes1.7 Low1.4 Low
Red blood cell count2.89 Low2.64 Low
Haemoglobin10.5 Low10.4 Low
Platelet count149   Low148 Low

How did Rose get to know CA Care?

While in Penang, Rose and her daughter went to a pharmacy store to buy some medications. While in the shop, they met Jaya (not real name) and his wife. This couple is also from Indonesia. Jaya shared his cancer experience with them. Eventually, Jaya recommended that Rose come to seek our help!

Who is Jaya?  He is our patient! Jaya was also diagnosed with colon cancer and underwent an operation in October 2014. After surgery, he received 2 cycles of chemotherapy with oxaliplatin + Leucovarin + 5-FU.

Jaya developed serious infection. He was rushed to Singapore and was hospitalised for 17 days. While in the hospital he remained unconscious for 3 days. The doctor had asked the family members to “get ready.” Fortunately, Jaya recovered from this ordeal.

Jaya refused further medical treatment –  no more chemo! Jaya and his wife came to seek our help and was started on our herbs. He was told to take care of his diet. It has been almost 10 years and Jaya is very much alive and kicking! More of his story below:

Colon Cancer: My Chemo Experience
A Tale of Two Patients: Alive and healthy — miraculous healing or fluke shot?

Questions to Ask

  1. Rose did what her doctors in Medan wanted her to do. She went through surgery and 11 + 5 cycles of chemotherapy. Did these treatments cure her? Unfortunately, NO. She ended up with a bald head, dark palms and feet.
  • What is more disappointing is that CT scan on 22 January 2024 showed there is a cystic lesion in her right liver. According to the report it could be due to post treatment changes, residual disease or tumour. Does this mean that the treatment causes metastasis to the liver?
  • No satisfied with the treatment in Medan, Rose came to Penang for more chemotherapy. Did the treatment help her? It is too early to say. After all, she had just received 2 cycles of chemo. But what is most baffling is that the chemo-drugs used were Irinotecan and TS-1.

Rose just had 5 cycles of Iritero – that is Irinotecan! In Penang she was given more of the same stuff. What is the whole idea? What can you expect from this treatment?

Rose was on Xeloda during her treatment in Medan. In Penang, she was given TS-1, another oral drug. Can TS-1 be better than the oral Xeloda?  Agreed, currently the popularity of Xeloda is fading and TS-1 is starting to “shine” as of now.

Let me end with this quotation.

Nose cancer: NO to chemo. Gave up radiotherapy half way. Still alive! Why?

 
 

This is an email from Linda (not her real name) received this morning:  1 March 2024   8:48 AM

Dear DR Chris,

Hi … How have you & wife been? It’s been almost 8 years since we last talk. First and foremost, the whole family would like to extend our greatest appreciation for your 5 Stars and tip top God-gifted abilities in dad’s NPC case. 

The herbal decoction that was prescribed worked wonders. I remembered within a week of consumption, he’s able to slowly regained his strength & appetite.  Believe it or not, he is still working till now! To which, I am glad to say that. 

We have successfully achieved our main initial goal, that is “to live peacefully with his cancer.”  

As of current, he is still facing the consequences of the side effects from the 13 sessions of radiotherapy that was done in 2017, i.e., weaken gum & loose tooth, hair thinning & he has not regained his sense of taste fully.

But thank God, from what I observe or physically see, there are no symptoms of an advancing cancer. He himself did not complaint of any discomfort, etc, which could be related to signs of an advancing cancer. I take it as good news. 

In your opinion, do you think it is advisable to continue with the NPC 1  & NPC 2  or do you have any other ‘magic’ potions to recommend?  

Again, thank you so much!! May God showers HIS countless blessings on you & family, and may HE bless you with happiness and rewards you for your kindness.

Thank you for your guidance & wisdom. As a Muslim, we believe in GOD’s plan, and meeting you is part of it. 

Regards, Linda.

PS: Over the years and up till now, dad has been promoting your CA Care to his circle of clients & friends. 

Within these 7 years, we met a number of our clients who are diagnosed with NPC just like dad. They completed the radio/chemotherapy treatment and within 1 year or so, without having a chance to fully recover from the side effects, they encountered a recurrence and sadly they succumbed to it. These experiences are really an eye opener. Wondering if the therapy kills the cancer first or the person receiving it?

May God bless us all with health & wealth. Looking forward to your reply.

The Story of Her Father

On Sat, Jun 10, 2017 at 3:00 AM, Linda wrote:

Dear DR Chris Teo,

I apologize for writing without the benefit of an introduction, I am writing this email, with the hope that I can schedule an appointment with you, on behalf of my father who has been diagnosed with nose cancer (T2N1).

My father, ABA, 58 years old, has been diagnosed with nose cancer (T2N1) in February 2017 and was scheduled for 33 sessions of radiotherapy and 6 rounds of chemotherapy (4 hrs of cisplatin IV infusion), with an approximate total cost of SGD$9,700.

He declined the chemotherapy treatment (oncologists here are very persistent, we had to go thru a series of ‘debates’) but complied to radiotherapy treatments.

We were initially ensured of a total recovery.   Doctor mentioned that only 30% suffered from mild side effects and seeing my father is young he is confident that my father will be able to spring back to life in seconds.

Little did we know that radiotherapy is just as bad. He is currently on his 13th session. The tormenting days started as early as day 2.  He is unable to eat – maybe because of the many big ulcers, sudden chills, fever, nausea/vomiting and scalded skin. He is so weak.

And ever since radiotherapy, I noticed he started to develop tight congestive cough at night. As of now, he said he had loss his sense of taste and hearing to his right ear.  

On 6 June 2017, during a scheduled consultation, we expressed our concern on his deteriorating health, and if there is anything that they can provide to aid him during this time, and they mentioned a list of medications in which they don’t recommended.  Their only advice is to allow his antibody to fight it off naturally.

At the end of the day, we were only prescribed with a tin of Ensure Vanilla powder. Disappointed with their lack of concerned and couldn’t help feeling betrayed, that was when we finally decided to called it off and stop the radiotherapy treatment. 

It has been more than 48 hours from his last radiotherapy session and he doesn’t seem to be getting any better.

Our family do believe in herbs but we have no knowledge on it.  We sincerely hope you are willing to look into my father case.  My father is eager to take all possible aggressive measures to combat this disease or at least to live peacefully with it. 

We understand that this is one of many such requests that come across your desk and greatly appreciate any guidance that you can give. We lived in Singapore.

Thank you, in advance, for your help. I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience. 

Our Therapy Helped Him

On Wednesday, July 12, 2017, 3:47 AM.

Hi Dr Chris,

Hope all is well. The whole family would like to extend our greatest appreciation for your help, advices and herbs. Just like the pastor (link below), he is now strong enough to walk and work!

  • The swell on his right lymph node have totally disappeared.
  • Although his sense of taste has not recovered fully, but he’s eating now. Ulcers gone! 
  • Phlegm/mucus isn’t that thick anymore.
  • No more congested cough throughout night. Amazing!

Initially we had to bring the tea to him, now he will be the one asking for it!

Thank you so much. God bless u and family.

More Successful Stories

  1. The story of Eng. https://alternativecancertreatments.quora.com/ti-125865463
  2. Case of Pastor Danny.

https://cancercaremalaysia.com/category/npc-nasopharyngeal-carcinoma

A U-turn from Death – The Nose Cancer Journey of Pastor Danny

From the UK ….

Hi Chris,
 
I hope you are well!
 
As you know, the team at Acquisition International have been carefully considering nominations for the eighth annual Business Excellence Awards. We would like to express our thanks to you for taking part. We have seen some truly outstanding companies get involved this year. 

Following on from your recent nomination, it gives me great pleasure to inform you that CA Care Penang has been successful this year and has gone on to receive…
  
Medical Therapy Consultants of the Year 2024 – Malaysia
 
…in the Business Excellence Awards 2024!
How CA Care Penang Was Chosen
Following initial contact from our nominations team, you were included within our 2024 shortlist and progressed through to the research stage.   To determine the results, the Acquisition International judging panel and research team consider the commitment, expertise, and innovation shown by nominees through nomination information, votes, any supporting evidence, along with the results from their own comprehensive fact-checking and research process.   Our merit-driven approach has brought us much success and commendation throughout its use and enforces our stance that victors are not determined by popularity of votes, but by their contributions!

It was “hell” after surgery + chemo + hormonal therapy. Herbs made her happy, happy! So where is the science?

Rina (not her real name) was a 30-year-old lady from Indonesia. She led a healthy life except that she was told there was one or two cysts in her uterus. She had the following problems during her menses.

  • She had pain about 3 days before her menses and the pain persisted until 2 days after the menses started.
  • It was a pulling pain.
  • Before menses she had pain in her back and breasts.
  • Before menses she suffered from mood swings.
  • Before menses she likes to eat sour food.

But it was not to be. In August 2023, Rina had a laparoscopic surgery in a private hospital in Jakarta. The histopathology report confirmed:

  • Salphingitis – inflammation of the left and right fallopian tubes.
  • Leioyonma (also referred to as fibroids or myomas).

The medical treatment cost Rina IDR 200 million or about RM61,000.

In December 2023, Rina underwent 3 cycles of chemotherapy. Unfortunately, she did not know the drugs used on her.  After chemotherapy, Rina was given Pamorelin injection, once a month for 3 months. Since her wellbeing was going downhill, Rina decided to stop further medical treatment.

Did the above treatment “cure” or help Rina?

Unfortunately, the answer is a big NO. That is why Rina decided to come and seek our help. Rina and her sister said each day life was “hell” for her. This happened after the completion of chemotherapy. She suffered:

  • Pain on and off. She had to take pain killer medications.
  • Once a while she had “wind” or gas in her stomach.
  • She was not able to sleep.
  • She felt tired all the time.
  • Her appetite was very poor.
  • Her urination was 5 to 6 times per night.

When I met her, Rina presented as a desperate and frustrated lady. This could be “seen” from her facial expression.  She told me that there was constant pain in her uterus.

In spite of the medical treatments, there was blood discharge for 1 to 2 days, then there was pain, then there was blood discharge again.

The pain was intense during the night or early morning. When asked to rate her health condition on a scale of 0 to 10, Rina said it was 10 – real hell that she had to go through each day.

I prescribed her some herbs to take care of her uterus, fibroid, PMS, gassy stomach and frequent urination.

The next day Rina texted me saying that her problems improved after taking the herb for only ONE day!

  1. After taking the herbal tea, I felt sleepy.
  2. Even though I felt sleepy, I have more energy.
  3. Pain in the uterus was less.
  4. Abdominal pain is totally gone!
  5. Urination frequency at night was reduced!

One month after the herbs.

Rina and her elder sister came back to Penang again. It was amazing to learn that Rina had recovered – no more hell! See the video below;

Her sister said: Before she on herbs, she would call me very often and complained about all problems that she had.  Now she is far, far better – her problems almost gone.  

Rina regained her health and was back to normal again.

ProblemsBefore the herbsOne month after taking the herbs
PainRated at 10 (scale of 0-10)Gone!
Stomach gas / windDiscomfort on and offImproved
Unable to sleepSlept at 4 or 5 a.m.  woke up after a few hoursSlept at 10 or 11 p.m. and woke up at 7, 8 or 9 a.m.
AppetiteVery poorAppetite normal
Frequent urination5 x per night2 x per night
No energyPreferred to stay homeLike to go out and be on the move

Comments

  1. I spent some time trying to understand the reason for her menses problem. After some questions, it appears to me that Rina suffered from PMS (premenstrual syndrome).

Over the years, I have helped many ladies with PMS. This can be easily solved by taking our PMS herbs for a month or two.

  • With her problems, Rina went to a private hospital for surgery. This baffles me! Does Rina really need surgery for her problems? Can this be solved by a much less invasive and cheaper way?

Please reflect on the quotations below:

  • Even more baffling is that Rina had to undergo chemotherapy! Based on the histology report, Rina did not have any cancer. Why does she need chemotherapy? Is this just a case of prevention stretched a bit too far?  Rina suffered from inflammation of the left and right fallopian tubes. Surgery was done to take care of that. Did she really need chemotherapy for her inflamed fallopian tubes which have been removed? Where is the science in that?
  • After 3 cycles of chemotherapy, Rina underwent hormonal treatment with Pamorelin. This is even more baffling. Why Pamorelin? From the internet, I learned that  Pamorelin is used to treat prostate cancer! Prostate cancer drug on the lady? A lady can have prostate cancer? Does it sound right or scientifice?

Oh, no – Pamorelin is also used to treat endometriosis in women. That is what scientific medicine say? You buy that? Say what you like, the medical report never mention that Rina suffered from endometriosis anyway! She has fibroid.

  • It looks like Rina has be overtreated. Is this not the reason why Rina suffered badly after her chemotherapy?
  • Since I am not able to know the name of the chemo drugs used, I am not able to speculate why Rina suffered so badly. But for Pamorelin, the main side effects of this drug are: hot flushes, night sweating, vaginal dryness, headache, dizziness and nausea, to name just a few!

My final comment.

Ladies, it is your life. Decide carefully before you allow anyone to use the knife and toxic drugs on you. These may not be the answer to your problem.

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

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

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

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

After surgery and radiotherapy …

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

A couple months later…

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

Time to Ponder and Ask Questions

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

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

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

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

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

    3. Why can’t they find a cure?

    Mark wrote on page 45 of his book:

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

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

    Mark wrote on page 45/46

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

    5. After much reading, did Mark learn anything?

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

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

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

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

    Quotations from a professor turned patient

    The Author: Professor Christopher Cheng is the CEO of Sengkang General Hospital and Senior Consultant Urologist at SGH and Singapore General Hospital. He is a pioneer in using robotics in prostate cancer surgery.

    • I thought I knew about prostate cancer … I have done countless … cancer operation for the prostate. I thought I knew… until I became a patient myself, lying on a cold operating table one Saturday morning in December 2017.
    • The reality is cancer can hit anyone.
    • The naked truth of what I went through may be shocking to some who have been led to believe erroneously, that modern healthcare, will all its glamorous robots and high-tech equipment, has a solution to almost anything.
    • Not all prostate cancers need to be cured or even treated and not all cancers that need treatment can be cured.
    • The treatment should not be worse than the disease itself and often more treatment is not necessarily the answer.
    • There are many both young and old who … believe that when the time comes, they can just check into the hospital and have everything fixed.
    • We will take care of you, but you must take care of yourself too.
    • (Doctors should) provide guidance and gentle nudges and support rather than coercion in their (patients) decision making … they are the ones who are on the operating table, they are the ones who have to live with the consequences.

    Lessons We Can Learn from Professor Christopher Cheng, Singapore’s top doctor for prostate cancer.

    Sometime in mid-November 2023, a friend forwarded me this link: https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/doctor-diagnosed-advance-prostate-cancer-lessons-death-dying-compassion-2226691.

    After reading this article, I became more curious and wanted to know more about who Professor Cheng is, and more importantly to learn from him what it is like to be a prostate cancer patient when he himself is an expert of prostate cancer.

    I surfed the internet and got this link: https://www.cgh.com.sg/news/patient-care/more-medicine-may-not-be-better. This article, More medicine may not be better is indeedmind-boggling when you know that it comes from an outstanding cancer expert himself.

    Let me stop at that.

    Let me share with you what I have learned from the above two articles. To let you know, I did not stop at that – I ordered the book I Thought I Knew written by Prof Cheng himself. I read the book. Later I shall write again, Part 2!

    Prof Cheng, CEO of Sengkang Health and Senior Consultant, Department of Urology, Singapore General Hospital wrote:

    • Some time ago, I bade farewell to a good friend. I have operated on him to cure his cancer barely three months earlier, but his condition still progressed rapidly.

    This friend eventually died. Before his death, this friend told Prof. Cheng:

    • Don’t let me suffer pain and I won’t want more chemotherapy.

    Prof Cheng quoted what Willet Whitmore – another prostate cancer expert at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center – said:

    • Is cure necessary in those for whom it is possible, and is cure possible in those for whom it is necessary?

     According to Prof Cheng:

    • For a large range of cancers, cure may be necessary but not possible, as in the case of my friend.
    • For the rest, cure is unnecessary, even though it is possible.
    • We should question if more medicine is better. 

    So, cancer patients, ponder carefully and seriously what Prof Cheng said.

    This is one reality that everyone of us need to know and accept – cure may be unnecessary, or cure may not be possible. I am reminded of a friend, Steve – a British engineer who chose to settle down in Bangkok. He too had prostate cancer. He went to Singapore and was put on Intermittent Triple Androgen Blockage Therapy. He then gave up this medical treatment and opted for alternative therapy. That was when he wrote to me for help. Diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2007 at the age of 63, Steve was till okay until 2023 (16 years without doctor’s medication).

    In 2023, Steve had a swelling in his cheek. It was diagnosed as parotid cancer. He wrote me and asked for help again. He took our herbs for about three months, but the tumour did not go away. He was okay but had occasional pain. But every morning when Steve woke up, he looked into the mirror and felt (or imagined)   that the tumour was getting bigger and bigger. Then Steve wrote that he had found “the best doctor in the best hospital with the best equipment” in Bangkok who could remove the tumour and make him live longer! Anyway, according to Steve, our herbal therapy is not a scientifically proven therapy! I fully agreed with Steve. So I told Steve: Go ahead and follow what your heart says. He went for surgery, suffered badly after that, and died 3 months 13 days later.

    Little or No Benefit of Surgery.

    In 2012, Pamela Owen wrote this news article Prostate cancer surgery ‘has little or no benefit’ in extending life of patients (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2136512/Prostate-cancer-surgery-little-benefit-extending-life-patients.html):

    • The Prostate Intervention Versus Observation Trust (PIVOT), led by Timothy Wilt, started in 1993 and analysed 731 patients over 12 years. The study compared surgically removing the prostate gland with ‘watchful waiting’.
    • The study found that there was little difference between the two.
    • Those who had an operation to treat the cancer had less than three per cent chance of survival compared with those who had no treatment.
    • Surgery has little or no benefit in extending the life of a patient.
    • Experts are believed to be ‘shaken’ by the news because thousands of men could have gone through painful and unnecessary surgery.

    From the article Doctor diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer learns lessons on death, dying and compassion, written by Eveline Gan on 5 August 2023, I learned more interesting lessons from Prof Cheng:

    • I was this arrogant, impatient young surgeon, thinking I’m a godsend for mankind — until I became afflicted with prostate cancer, an area I’m supposed specialise in.

    We are all human. All of us have our ego. It is only a matter of degree. Most cancer patients told me that if they asked the doctors too many questions, the doctors would become angry at them. Some doctors reacted this way – You are the doctor, or I am the doctor – meaning, if you don’t listen to my advice get out of my office! One patient once told me the oncologist just threw away my file against the wall because I did not agree with him.

    Since not many cancer experts themselves get cancer, it appears that it is hard for them to understand what it is like to be a cancer patient. So, in this case Prof Cheng is an exemption.  And he shared his experiences and feelings. Bravo! Thanks.

    Over the years, at CA Care, I have adopted an open attitude when dealing with cancer patients – we are here to help those who need our help. We hope to make your life better after all medical treatments have failed. The language of love and compassion is not about trying to prove who is right or who is wrong. It is about recognizing limitations and exploring opportunities. What matters is our patients should get better.

    Hidden Agenda.

    Prof Cheng’s PSA was at 17.8 when he was first diagnosed with prostate cancer. He said:

    • In some (overseas) centres, if you have prostate cancer with a PSA of 17, the top surgeons will not operate on you because it would tarnish their results.

    Prof Cheng explained further that some famous centres do not offer potentially curative treatment to patients with a PSA of more than 10, because poor outcomes may affect their reputations unfavourably.

    This is a most shocking, a new knowledge that I have learned! It never occurred to me that in medicine there is such a “hidden agenda” as this – that is, certain medical experts would not offer treatment just to preserve their reputation. They want to pick and choose – only cases that they are sure they can win only! Is that a noble mission?

    Over the years, I have been writing about experts giving all sorts of treatment just to “make money” – never mind if the outcome is unattainable. Professor Welch describes such attitude as You eat what you kill!

    Over the years, I have seen many prostate patients. It never occurred to me that PSA 17.8 is very alarming, although it may mean the patient has cancer. Many patients who came to us had PSA of 531, and in some cases their PSA was even at 6,963 or 7,292. It never occurred to me that 17.8 is already a disaster! Another new lesson learned.

    No to “kitchen-sink” treatment after surgery.

    After his prostate cancer surgery, Prof Cheng said the oncologist proposed an “all-in kitchen sink” approach to treatment. In my twenty-seven years dealing with cancer, this is the first time I encountered this word – kitchen sink treatment! In layman language it means going for maximum treatment available.

    Indeed, I was surprised and baffled at what Prof Cheng said:

    • I didn’t want an all-out treatment that would most likely give me many side effects.
    • I don’t think that being at the receiving end of the kitchen sink is going to make me any happier.

    In other word, Prof Cheng did not want to undergo chemotherapy! Perhaps we need to recall what he had said earlier: In cancer, cure is unnecessary, or cure may not be possible. Unfortunately, not many patients buy this idea. They believe that with money they can go to the best doctor in the best hospital, and they can “buy” their cure! No, the reality is you may end up in a more dire situation – money gone and the patient died a miserable death.

    While writing this article, I received an e-mail from the daughter to a prostate cancer patient.

    Hi Dr Chris,

    My Dad is suffering prostate cancer Stage 4. It had spread to bone, liver and some other area. He is 77.5 years old. He had received:

    • Hormone therapy
    • Chemotherapy
    • Lutetium LU 177
    • But his cancer is still spreading.

    My Dad is a bit weak now, he lost his appetite and is also anaemic. Thank you so much Dr Chris, hope to hear some good news from you soon!

    From the medical report, I came to understand that:

    1. In 2016 he had radical radiotherapy and adjuvant ADT (androgen deprivation therapy).
    2. PSA went down to 0.5. 
    3. On ADT throughout except a period in 2020.
    4. In early 2021 his PSA rebounded. Recommenced ADT with brief response.
    5. Later in April 2022 Casodex was added to the treatment.
    6. No PSA response.
    7. In June 2022, he took Daroltamide.
    8. In August 2022: Suboptimal response to Darolutaminde.
    9. In December 2022 his PSA was at 27. Right inguinal node at least 3 cm.
    10. 21 December 2022: Underwent chemo with Docetaxel.
    11. Carboplatin added to Docetaxel in C3, as PSA was not dropping much initially.
    12. PET scan post C6: Mixed response with one new spine metastasis.
    13. By C9, PSA trending upwards from 16.3 to 16.8 to 17.9.
    14. 6 June 2023: Started on lutetium 177. PSA 15.0
    15. 20 July 2023: Legs showed DVT (swollen below the knee due to deep vein thrombosis).
    16. 1 September 2023: C2 luteteum. PSA rose to 43 (this is 8 weeks post C1 letuteum).
    17. 11 September 2023: PSA decreased to 38.
    18. Creatinine rose from 108 to 150.
    19. 13 September 2023: Repeat PET scan metastasis in multiple nodes and other parts of the bones.
    20. The daughter wrote: After that he went to China and received radioactive particle seed, and one cycle of chemo using mitoxantrone.

    Question: Did the patient get any better after spending a bomb for these treatments? What was the total cost of the treatment? I did not have a chance to ask this question because the daughter did not turn up for her appointment!.

    The blood test results on 30 November 2023 showed the following:

    • PSA = 249.90
    • SGOT/AST = 82 (normal less than 40)
    • Gamma-GT = 436 (normal less than 71)
    • Alkaline phosphatase = 513 (normal 40 – 129)
    • Creatinine = 2.69 (normal 0.67 – 1.17)
    • eGFR = 23.64 (less than 15 means kidney failure).

    According to the doctor the patient has progressing mCRPC (failed NHA, chemotherapy and more recently lutetium) complicated by left hydronephrosis … causing new renal impairment. He has new PSMA avid liver lesions. He may also need early radiotherapy to the left pelvic node and posterior iliac bones.

    One more important question to ask: If he is your father, who is already 77 plus years old, would you agree to let him go for more treatment? What do you expect to get at the end of the game?

    Cancer: Fight it or Live with It, Your Choice!

    We recognize that our work at CA Care is at odd with current medical thinking. Modern medicine wants to kill or shrink the tumour. And in the process kill the patients too. In The War on Cancer – an anatomy of failure; Dr.  Guy Faguet, a cancer researcher, and medical doctor, wrote:

    • An objective analysis of cancer chemotherapy outcomes over the last three decades reveals that … the cell-killing paradigm has failed to achieve its objective … a model based on flawed premises with unattainable goal, cytotoxic chemotherapy in its present form will neither eradicate cancer nor alleviate suffering” (pg.89).

    At CA Care we teach patients to live with their cancers. Concentrate on what matters. We don’t know how to cure your cancer and we don’t pretend we can cure your cancer either. But we know how to make your life better. If you can eat, sleep, walk, have no pains, and can live a bit longer of meaningful life – what else do you want?

    Prof Cheng reminded us:

    • However rich, however powerful (they) are, they’ve all had to face death eventually. They all have to let go,
    • The difference, however, lies in how one faces death.

    Death is Not a Failure

    At CA Care we tell our patients not to fear death. Everyone has to die. You don’t have to have cancer to die. I have seen many cases where the cancer patient did not die but it was the healthy spouse who died first.

    Dr. Bernie Siegel wrote:

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

    There is an Indian saying:

    • When you are born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a manner that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice.

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

    Richard Reoch (in Dying Well) wrote:

    • People who have lived fully are not usually afraid to die. We must all die. Death is, after all, the natural end of life. Yet some people fear death.
    • We often make the mistake of trying to keep a dying person alive as long as possible, no matter what the cost.
    • There are many occasions when the kindest thing to do is not to hunt for “better medicine” or a “better doctor” but to be close to and supporting the person who is dying. Let them know that you are glad for all the time, the joy and sorrow you have shared … In the last hours, love and acceptance will do far more good than medicine.

    Dr. Bernie Siegel (in Peace, Love & Healing) said:

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

    Metastatic Colon Cancer. Part 2:  Lessons We Can Learn from Linda’s Failure

    The doctors went to war with Linda’s cancer. All Interested Parties involved won the game. Linda was the only unfortunate loser or victim. Let us not blame anybody for that is the way the world operates!

    When Linda’s daughter came to consult me, she brought a pile of documents. It took me more than a whole day to sort them out and figure out what was going on. There are many lessons we (YOU and ME) can learn from Linda’s unfortunately experience.

    First, let me pose one question:

    • If you have a similar problem like Linda, would you take the same route – go through the same process? Do exactly what she did?

    My guess is most patients would opt to take the same road! After all Linda went to one of the best hospitals in the country. The doctors were supposed to be good and competent, etc., etc. Some people would say: What other choice do I have? I can’t go to the herbalists or alternative practitioners. I can’t trust them. They may just turn out to be quacks who are only after my money. Medical treatment is the best choice.

    Sure, I understand you. I don’t wish to challenge your belief. I always remind myself: Make your own decision and bear the consequences of that decision. It is your body and your life.

    1. When talking to Linda’s daughter, the impression I got was that the family was ignorant. They just followed whatever the doctors advised them. They followed the easy and simple belief that doctors know best. There is no need to ask too many questions. Why make life more difficult? No need to think, no need to ask questions – after all doctors can solve all of our medical problems. 

    I posed these questions to Linda’s daughter.

    • Before undergoing the surgery in Hospital A, did you ask the surgeon if the procedure is going to cure your mother? Her reply: Doctor said there is a 60% chance.
    • Before undergoing chemotherapy after the surgery, did you ask the oncologist if chemo is going to cure your mother? Same answer: There is a 60% chance.
    • After 13 cycles of chemotherapy failed and the cancer recurred, did you ask the oncologist why the treatment failed? Her reply: The oncologist said continue with the chemotherapy! Yes. Linda did exactly that except that she shifted to Hospital B for more of the same treatment!
    • Pre-surgery treatment. Linda was given radiation and TS One before undergoing surgery. This seems to be the standard protocol when a patient presented with a big tumour. Is this a good procedure? Well, it all depends on who answers this question! For the 25 cycles of radiation and a month supply of TS One, the family had to spend RM40,000.

    Did the pre-surgery treatment shrink the tumour? Yes, but by just a bit only. Did it make any difference? I cannot answer that. But one thing is of great concern. According to Linda’s daughter, her mother suffered from the treatment.

    • Looking at the whole picture. Did the pre-surgery chemo-radiation and subsequentsurgery cure Linda? The answer is NO. Linda had to go for another 13 cycles of chemotherapy. Fortunately, Linda did not suffer any serious side effects.

    Did chemotherapy cure Linda? Again, the answer is NO. The tumour grew bigger! What did the doctor say? The oncologist did not admit defeat! Go for more chemotherapy! This means, go on fighting and fighting – when will that stop?

    Linda decided to go to another doctor in another hospital. So, all in all the whole treatment in Hospital A is a failure.

    • The oncologist said do more chemo. But whatever for? What do you expect to achieve? Thus far, one achievement was that the whole health insurance coverage was wiped out – about RM150,000 gone!

    Let us look at what Linda received for her treatment.

    • TS-One – oral chemo for a month.
    • Xeloda + oxaliplatin – four cycles.
    • Avastin + Xeloda + irinotecan – nine cycles.
    • Avastin + oxaliplatin – one cycle.

    The first three regimen of chemo failed. Do you think the fourth regimen is going to do any good? Linda had already received Avastin and oxaliplatin before. Does it make sense at all to give her the same drugs again? I understand it is just a different combinations.

    FALSE IMPRESSION OF SUCCESS

    • When Linda was started on chemo-radiation before the surgery, the tumour did shrink. This gave everyone a good feeling that everything is going to be okay, right? The treatment worked. The oncologist was great! Bravo.
    • The surgery was done and it was a success! Another good feeling. Great surgeon! But some months down the road, the surgery turned out to be a failure. The cancer recurred and Linda had to undergo a second surgery in another hospital.
    • The first round of chemotherapy with Xeloda + oxaliplatin was a failure. No problems, change drugs and try again.
    • The drugs for the second round of chemo were: Avastin + Xeloda + irinotecan. The initial response to this new drug combination was great! Many tumours shrunk and some even disappeared. Linda did not suffer   serious side effects. It appeared that Linda was on the right track. Everyone was probably hoping that the tumours will all eventually disappear. Let’s chase the rainbow – that “pot of gold” is within reach.
    • Unfortunately, it was not a happy ending. The tumour that shrunk earlier grew back again! This time bigger in size.

    I can clearly say this. Such above experience is not uncommon. Over the years, I have cases after cases of similar false impression of success.

    Metastatic Colon Cancer. Part 1: Radiation, Chemotherapy and Surgery Failed to Cure Her

    Linda (not her real name) was 57 years old when she had altered bowel habits. There was blood in her stools. She consulted a GP in her hometown who eventually told her to see a specialist in a hospital.

    Linda eventually ended up in a well known Hospital A in Kuala Lumpur, where she received her initial treatment.

    1. DIAGNOSIS

    1a) A colonoscopy was done. The doctor was unable to get the scope to pass beyond the tumour.

    1b) A biopsy confirmed rectal cancer – moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma.

    1c) A PET scan indicated that the cancer had spread to the uterine wall, lymph nodes and probably lung.

    • CHEMO-RADIATION BEFORE SURGERY

    Linda underwent concurrent chemo-radiotherapy. The aim of this treatment is to shrink the tumour before surgery is  carried out.

    Linda received 25 cycles of radiation and at the same time took TS-One everyday for one month while undergoing radiotherapy.

    Outcome. Bravo! Good results. As expected, the tumour shrunk.

    • SURGERY

    Linda underwent a surgery to remove the tumour. The procedure is known as Hartmann’s procedure plus TAHBSO) at Hospital A.

    Histopathology indicated 7 out of 11 nodes removed were infected with cancer.

    Lianda was fitted with a colostomy bag which she has to wear for the rest of her life.

    • CHEMOTHERAPY AFTER SURGERY AT HOSPITAL A

    4a. Chemo Round 1:  Linda received 4 cycles of chemotherapy using Xelox regimen (Xeloda + oxaliplatin).

    Outcome: Unfortunately, the treatment failed.

    4b. Chemo Round 2: The chemo drugs used were changed. Linda received 9 cycles of Avastn + Xeliri regimen (Xeloda + irinotecan).

    Outcome: Good chance – there is hope! Let’s chase the rainbow.

    Wait .. not so fast!

     Unfortunately, this good news did not last long. Barely 4 months later, PET scan showed disease progress.  This second round of chemo post-surgery also failed.

    • WHAT TO DO NEXT?

    The oncologist in Hospital A said do more chemo! The family had lost confidence with the doctors in Hospital A. Linda was moved to Hospital B, an equally famous hospital in Kuala Lumpur, for further treatment.

    • SECOND SURGERY AT HOSPITAL B

    Linda underwent a second surgery in Hospital B. This involved the removal of the vaginal stump and small intestine (jejunum and ileum).

    Histopathology report confirmed a moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma. Two lymph nodes were examined and were found to be infected with cancer.

    • MORE CHEMOTHERAPY AT HOSPITAL B

    Linda received 1 cycle of chemotherapy at Hospital B. The drug used were: Avastin + oxaliplatin.

    Bad news: Linda suffered severe side effects of chemotherapy and was reluctant to proceed further.

    • CA Care

    It was at this end game that I received an email from Linda’s daughter asking for help. The daughter wanted to try our herbs instead of continuing with chemotherapy. Unfortunately, Linda was not able to drink (or tolerate) our herbal teas.

    Cancer – What to do now?

    1. Empower yourself.Knowledge is power goes a saying and I truly believe this is true. So, I advise you to read and ask questions. Seek knowledge so that you understand your illness. Research has shown that those who feel hopeless, helpless and accept their fate lying down survive poorly. I tell cancer patients to stand up and live! Do not just be contented to remain at the bottom of the pile with the following mentality: My doctor says this and my doctor says that. You will end up following everything that he says. I am not asking you to defy your doctor’s instructions but I also know that you may be led by the nose without having a clue about what is going on. It may not always be good for you.
    • Re-evaluate your strategy.In my books, I have written about gut feelings and common sense. Body-mind healers advocate the use of intuition or the 6th sense when making important decisions in life. I have come to realise that not all decisions made based on scientific data are wise or correct in many of life’s situations. Statistics and data can be deceptive, cold, dead and insensitive to human feelings. I advocate the use of simple common sense. For example, ask yourself if the treatment that you are undergoing is bringing you anywhere. Is it benefiting you or killing you?

    Of course, when you go for any invasive treatment, your hope is to achieve a cure. Ask your doctor if there is such a thing as a cure for your condition. Some patients are given chemotherapy just for palliative reasons, not cure. The treatment is supposed to make your life better or more bearable. Re-evaluate that strategy and determine if that is what you want.

    Dr. Jeffry Tobias (in Cancer) wrote:

    • …one important decision …. when to say no more.

    Indeed, it is wise to know when to withdraw and to say enough is enough, if and when the treatment is spinning you in a circle.

    There was one lung cancer patient who came and told me that his oncologist spent only half a minute with him every time he went for his chemotherapy. My advice to him was: Find another oncologist who can be more caring and who could give you more of his time and expertise. How much can a half-a-minute doctor help you? Can you expect such a busy-and-no-time doctor to save your life? Evaluate my comments and make your own decisions about all these issues. Sometimes what it takes is only common sense to save your life.

    • Make wise decisions.Gurdjieff said:

    · The wise man is not educated and the educated man is not wise.

    Yes, you don’t need to be educated to be wise. To enable you to make wise decisions, you need to be aware of the following:

    · Do not make decisions based on or out of fear.

    · If possible, before you make any important decision, seek more information, from different sources and viewpoints.

    · Weigh out the options, both pros and cons. Do not simply see the good side of things only. Take into account the worst possible scenario as well.

    · Connect with your Inner Self. Seek out your intuition, common sense or gut feelings. Take time to be alone, to be silent. Relax and let the Inner Voice within you speak to you. If you are too busy or preoccupied with other things, you cannot hear your own Inner Voice.

    · Arrive at a decision that you can live with. It is your body – it is your liver or your breast that is to be cut off. Ask yourself if you can live with that decision. It is your life that is at stake. Doctors and other people can only help but you are the one who suffers the brunt of whatever is done to you.

    · Once a decision is made, stay on course. Then, re-evaluate your strategy if it harms you.

    • Trust and flow – easy does it!  Dr. Joseph Murphy (in The Power of Your Subconscious Mind) said:
    • According to your belief, it is done unto you.

    The causes of failures in healing are mental coercion, lack of confidence, doubt and hesitation. All these reflect negative attitudes. If you come with the main goal of going all out for cure, chances are that you will fail to get one. In your intense desire to cure yourself, you can become very tense and may not have peace of mind. Have you ever experienced a time when you are trying very hard to crack and solve a problem? Your mind comes to a dead end.

    Try to take it easy. Relax and go to sleep. When you wake up the next morning, things will look easier and you will get to solve your problem in no time. This is because the subconscious mind does not respond to mental coercion.

    You do not have to teach your body how to heal itself. It is intelligent enough and wise enough to know how to heal itself. Relax and let the body do its job without your unnecessary interference. Ask and pray for good health and you get just that. Again, I say, take it easy.

    • Forgive and let go.Negative thoughts such as hurtful memories, bitterness, hatred, anger, etc., beget negative reactions and they block the free flow of life. Let your life be expressed in terms of love, forgiveness, sharing, caring, harmony, peace, beauty and abundance.

    By loving and forgiving yourself and others you let go of your negative emotions and this is the first step and necessary ingredient of healing.

    Medical Errors & Death by Medical Drugs

    Just google this: Death by medical error in US. This is what you get.

    • Medical errors may account for as many as 251,000 deaths annually in the United States, making medical error the third leading cause of death.

    This is the message to the world: Modern medicine kills a lot of patients due to human error! Visit this website, https://etactics.com/blog/medical-error-statistics. It says:

    • Medical errors – these are preventable adverse effects resulting from medical care rather than the patient’s condition. We’d like to think they don’t happen.
    • These issues aren’t new; the first major report on medical errors in the US is from over 2 decades ago. In 1999, To Err is Human from the Institution of Medicine estimated 98,000 deaths due to error. At the time, this would be the 6th leading cause of death in the country.
    • A study in 2010 found that this number had almost doubled to 180,000 deaths. And by 2013, the estimate ranged from 210,000 to 440,000 deaths per year. This landed medical errors as the 3rd leading cause of death trailing heart disease and cancer.

    To understand the core of the problem, here is another article, Death by Prescription (https://health.usnews.com/health-news/patient-advice/articles/2016-09-27/the-danger-in-taking-prescribed-medications).

    Light, professor of comparative health policy at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Stratford, New Jersey said:

    • About 2,460 people per week are estimated to die from drugs that were properly prescribed, and that’s based on detailed chart reviews of hospitalized patients.
    • The estimate, which didn’t include those who died as a result of prescribing errors, overdose and self-medication, would make taking properly prescribed drugs the 4th leading cause of death in the U.S.

    Here are more examples for you to reflect on:

    The Rise and Fall of Vioxx (https://www.npr.org/2007/11/10/5470430/timelinethe-rise-and-fall-of-vioxx)

    • FDA approved Vioxx in 1999 as a painkiller. It was being extensively used and prescribed to patients who needed it. Vioxx was later shown to be deadly, causing heart attacks and strokes.
    • November 2007: Merck announces it will pay $4.85 billion to end thousands of lawsuits over its painkiller Vioxx. The amount … is believed to be the largest drug settlement ever.

    The United States is experiencing an epidemic of drug poisoning deaths (https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6450a3.htm).

    • From 2000 to 2014 nearly half a million persons in the United States have died from drug overdose.
    • Opioids, primarily prescription pain relievers and heroin, are the main drugs associated with overdose deaths.

    You want a description of hell? Oxycontin’s 12-hour problem. (https://www.latimes.com/projects/oxycontin-part1/).

    • Purdue developed OxyContin as a cure for pain.
    • To obtain FDA approval, Purdue had to demonstrate that OxyContin was safe and was as effective as other pain drugs on the market.
    • The FDA approved the application in 1995.
    • Many doctors began prescribing OxyContin. Doctors wrote 5.4 million prescriptions for the painkiller in 2014. OxyContin became America’s bestselling painkiller, and Purdue reaped $31 billion in revenue.
    • Rates of addiction and overdose soared alongside the rise in prescriptions.
    • The U.S. Justice Dept. launched a criminal investigation, and in 2007 the company and 3 top executives pleaded guilty to fraud for downplaying OxyContin’s risk of addiction. Purdue and the executives were ordered to pay $635 million.
    • The drug is widely blamed for setting off the nation’s prescription opioid epidemic, which has claimed more than 190,000 lives from overdoses involving OxyContin and other painkillers since 1999.

    Many years ago, Vioxx was commonly prescribed to cancer patients. Now, this drug has disappeared from the market. What about OxyContin? That too is slowly going off the list although at times, I do know that some patients are still being prescribed with this drug.

    But what came as a shock to me is Zantac, a commonly prescribed drug used to prevent and treat heartburn and other symptoms caused by too much acid in the stomach (acid indigestion). Many cancer patients suffer from this problem and they are given Zantac for the problem (even today as I am writing this article).

    The chemical name of Zantac is ranitidine hydrochloride.

    What is so shocking about Zantac?

    Anna Edney, Susan Berfield and Jef Feeley wrote this article in Bloomberg.com on 15 February 2023

    Zantac’s Maker Kept Quiet About Cancer Risks for 40 Years

    (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-02-15/zantac-cancer-risk-data-was-kept-quiet-by-manufacturer-glaxo-for-40-years).

    According to the authors, the British drug company Glaxo said that Zantac does not cause tumours. But the company’s own scientist and independent researchers said this commonly prescribed drug can cause cancer. This fact had been suppressed or kept away from the public for 40 years!

    After reading the article I asked myself – It is for real? Or is it just another fake news?

    The article went on to say:

    • This small British company was sometimes called Glaxo University. It conducted important pharmaceutical research that rarely resulted in profitable drugs. Then the scientists at Glaxo Laboratories created a molecule they called ranitidine
    • This drug is used to heal ulcers and also used to treat heartburn. They developed ranitidine quickly, and the US Food and Drug Administration reviewed it quickly. Glaxo gave it the brand name Zantac.
    • In 1978 the company was granted a US patent.
    • For years, Glaxo counted on Zantac for nearly half of its sales and almost as much of its profit. Zantac created reputations and fortunes.
    • In 2019 the drug was found to be tainted with high levels of a probable carcinogen called NDMA (N-Nitrosodimethylamine).
    • NDMA, is a yellow liquid that dissolves in water. It doesn’t have an odor or much of a taste. It was first linked to cancer in 1956 and is most toxic to the liver. The poison is created by ranitidine itself. In 2020 the FDA forced it off the market altogether.
    • From ranitidine’s beginning to its end, Glaxo had been warned by its own scientists and independent researchers about the potential danger.
    • Over the years, the company backed flawed research — designed to minimize concerns … Glaxo sold a drug that might harm people, tried to discount evidence of that and never gave anyone the slightest warning.
    • More than 70,000 people who took Zantac or generic versions of it are suing the company in US state courts for selling a potentially contaminated and dangerous drug.
    • Every public-health agency, from the Environmental Protection Agency to the FDA to the World Health Organization, says NDMA likely causes cancer in humans. But proving that a particular person’s cancerous cells were mutated by a company’s drug is complicated. Glaxo’s decisions suggest it never wanted to consider that possibility. The clues were there. The documents show that Glaxo preferred not to find them.