Mom With Lung Cancer: Surprise! Surprise! Four Years on Herbs and Still Doing Well!

SC (H222) was 68 years old when her problem started. She is a non-smoker. She started to have coughs for the past six months. There were no other symptoms apart from pains at the right shoulder blade. A CT scan on 4 September 2008 showed a 3.0 x 4.75 x 3.0 cm opacity in right middle lobe of her lungs, suggestive of a neoplastic mass. Bronchial brushings showed moderately large neoplastic cells. Her blood test was normal, apart from a mildly elevated CEA (8.0).

CT scan on 4 September 2008.

SC underwent a CT scan of her brain and abdomen and these were normal. Her bone scan was negative for metastasis.

Her doctor suggested surgery since this was regarded as an early stage lung cancer, Stage 1B. Surgery was done on 29 September 2008 but it was aborted – an open and close case. The cancer had spread to the back of the chest wall and was now considered a Stage 4 lung cancer. The doctor suggested chemotherapy and said that without this treatment she would only have six months to live. SC declined chemotherapy. Her sister died one year after undergoing surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy for her breast cancer.

SC came to seek our help on 18 October 2008 and was started on Capsule A, Lung 1 and Lung 2 teas. SC has been taking our herbs ever since – four years now.

We received this email from her daughter on 9 August 2012.

Hi Prof Chris, Im

Last week, my brother and I took Mom to see Prof X, the doctor who referred Mom for surgery back in September 2008. We last saw him in October 2008 when we went back to him after Mom has recovered from the open-close surgery. At that time, he recommended chemo which we did not go for.

I still remember the conversation that we had with Prof X back in October 2008 when I asked him what will happen if we decided not to go for chemo. He mentioned then that at stage 4, a patient will generally have 6 months to live or at the most 2 years. When I asked him what will happen if we decided to go for chemo. He was unable to give a reasonable answer. And we never went back since then.

As Mom was complaining that the pain was still there even after we tried the ‘Soothanol’, we decided to take her to see Prof X hoping that he can prescribe something to ease her pain.

The following was what transpired:

When we went inside his office, Prof X was flipping back and forth what seems to be Mom’s file. I was surprised that they still managed to find Mom’s file after 4 years.
He looked up from his file and read out Mom’s name.

Prof X: Chan Saw Chun …. (scanning our faces)

Kim: Yes… this is my mother (I gestured to my Mom)

Prof X gave Mom a look, gestured her to sit down and then went back to the file, which understandably does not contain any information post 2008.

Prof X: You were last here in October 2008 … (he was trying to recall).

Kim: Yes

Prof X: What happened since then? Did you go to another hospital?

Kim: No

Prof X: What happened? (We could see that he was scanning Mom with a look of bewilderment)

Kim: You recommended chemo but we decided not to do the chemo. So, we did not come back.

Prof X: Are you seeing any doctor? (He was still having this bewildered look on his face)

Kim: No.

Prof X: You look good Auntie (speaking to Mom). Prof X repeated: You did not see any doctor?
Kim: No, the only “doctor” that we saw was Prof Chris. My mother is taking his herbs.

Prof X quickly scribbled your name on Mom’s file.

Prof X: Is this the guy who wrote the book on the rodent tuber?

Kim: Yes, I believe Prof Chris wrote on the subject. You can find more information about Prof Chris on his website. (I volunteered)

Prof X: She is looking good. (Prof X gave Mom a smile). Why are you all here today?

We told him about Mom’s pain which has been there from Day 1 but currently more intense.

He then gave Mom a physical check behind the screen. When he was done…

Prof X: She looks good.

Prof X then recommended that we do an X-ray of the chest to find out what is causing the pain which we complained. I happened to bring along the old x-ray. Prof X compared the 2 x-rays but there was not much that we can see from the new film except that the new one shows that the same patch is slightly bigger.

He recommended that we come back next week to do a CT scan. I asked him what will happen next. He said: Depends on the results, radiotherapy may be recommended.

He then asked whether we are taking any pain killers. I said, No but we have tried before some over-the-counter pain killers which did not help. He scribbled some prescriptions for us to buy from the hospital’s pharmacy and it turned out to be Arcoxia which Mom had tried before.

I was hoping that Prof X could prescribe some pain management pills or programme but I guess that would not be forthcoming until another round of thorough check is done.

We are of two minds about going back next week for the CT scan. On one hand we thought perhaps it would be good to know Mom’s current status so that we can get relevant herbs from you if the cancer has spread to other parts? But at the same time, I don’t want Mom to worry too much or having to go through the whole process again – up and down the hospital for checks over & over again. Shall we go for the CT scan? Are all those rays going to do Mom any good especially in her condition? We have heard that CT scan can cause damage to cells.

However, it has given us tremendous pleasure to see Prof X’s reaction when he saw Mom still in such good shape after 4 years without chemo and just taking your herbs. His bewilderment seems to give Mom a lot of motivation too.

We have stopped using the Soothanol for the past few days as Mom was complaining about skin irritation. I am currently applying tea tree oil on her – which provides her with some comfort but the pain is still there.

We received another email from Kim the following day.

Hi Prof Chris, Im

Guess what! I have just received a private call from a nurse. We have never spoken to each other before. The last we saw her was 4 years ago. She “heard about our visit to” Prof X last week. And after seeing Mom’s condition after 4 years, she wants to know more about your herbs. She has a friend with cancer and would like to recommend her friend to try. I have given the website (www.cacare.com, www.cacare.org )and told her about Mr. Yeong and Khad for her to find out more.

She confided that it is very sad to see patients “going off” one by one. She’s hoping that her friend can try the herbs. This is incredible! Seeing is believing! Keep up the good work! Best regards, Kim.

Update: 15 August 2012: Hi Prof, Im, Irene,

We went for the CT scan yesterday. We reached the hospital at 3 pm. Did the scan at 3.30 pm but only managed to see Prof X at 7.30 pm. Left the hospital at 8.30 pm. We ended up spending nearly 5 hours at the hospital.

CT scan 14 August 2012

Anyway, we are VERY HAPPY with the results. Mom was expecting the worst as she thought the cancer has spread to other areas hence the persistent and intense pain. But as it turns out, the cancer has not spread – still confined to the right lung only. The left lung is all clear.

When Prof X told us the results, Mom asked again in disbelief. “No spreading?” She was very happy. Prof X explained that the shape of the right lung has changed. The tumour has grown bigger and the pleura has thickened. There was some fluid but he said not to worry as its minimal. Prof X explained that due to the enlarged tumour and thickening of pleura, Mom will experience some chest congestion (which I think explains her shortness of breath?).

When we asked what is causing Mom’s pain then? Prof X explained that it’s from the enlarged tumour “pressing” the lining or thickening of the lining? (Hope I got this right.).

Prof X later asked us whether Mom wants to try chemo. My brother and I replied that Mom didn’t want it. He then asked Mom the same question directly. Mom replied, No.

Prof X then suggested that he will trace the samples that the surgeon took during the open-close surgery for lab testing to see whether Mom can take oral medication. We asked whether it is similar to chemo. His reply was, but it does not have the side effects of chemo as the drug attacks the tumour directly. He did not tell us the name of the medication but I suspect he is talking about Iressa.

As I was writing this, a nurse called me. I took the opportunity to ask her about the oral medication that Prof X mentioned yesterday. She said it is indeed Iressa. She also shared some of the side effects, e.g., pimples, nails coming off in some cases… she said so far she has not seen any patients on Iressa who survived longer than three years. She told me again just now that she is very surprised to see Mom in her fourth year on herbs.

As we were wrapping up for the evening, Prof X finally said it again, looking really pleased, “I am very surprised to see your Mother maintaining so well for 4 years.”

To sum up, we came away feeling really happy especially Mom. It’s as though a whole burden has been lifted off her. As we waited to pay for the bill, Mom told me adamantly that she doesn’t want to take anything else but your herbs.

She woke up late today at 8.00 a.m. instead of her usual 6+ a.m. I have not seen her so well-rested for a long, long time.

I guess, we will have to continue to keep her positive. She now knows that there is nothing really “wrong”’ inside her except for the tumour.

Luv, Kim & family

The full story of Kim’s mother.

Acknowledgment: Thanks so much Kim for sharing mom’s story with us.

What to Do If You Have Breast Cancer: A Step by Step Suggestion

Over the past weeks, many patients wrote and came to CA Care asking for help with their breast cancer. Below is the kind of e-mail we get.

Excuse Me, Dr. Chris K.H. Teo,

My name is W. I am from Indonesia. My mother had a breast cancer on her right breast. She already did a biopsy, and was told that her cancer is grade 3 and the diameter is 3cm. But her body and psychology looks great. Her breast structure still looks good, only a little bit bigger than before. The doctor here recommended that my mother go for a surgery, chemotherapy, and so on. Question: What I want to ask is: Can my family come to your place (CA Care as I know) and get a better solution for my mother’s problem besides undergoing surgery and the chemotherapy stuff?

Let me present you the story of LL below. I hope those (like the writer above) who face similar problem can learn from her experience. May this story be your guide and make you think hard about what you can or need to do. Be an empowered patient – decide what you want and don’t be led by the nose.

1. Breast Lump – What to do next?

Fifty-one year old LL is a family friend. In mid-July 2012, she felt a lump in her breast. Without wasting much time she went to see a doctor in a private hospital. An ultrasound was done. The findings are:

There is a solid irregular hypoechoic lesion in 1 o’oclock left breat, which is palpable. It measures 1.2 x 1.4 cm in size. This is associated with enlarged left axillary node, measuring 1.2 x 2.2 cm in size.
There are multiple round well defined cysts in both breasts.
In the left breast, the cysts are at 1 o’clock (0.3 cm); 6 o’clock (0.6 cm) and 9 o’clock (0.7cm) and 11 o’clock (0.6 cm).
In the right breast, the cysts are at 12 o’clock (0.7 cm), subareolar region 12 o’clock (2.9 cm) 3 o’clock (04. cm), 4 o’clock (0.6 cm) 6 o’clock (2.1 cm) and 8 o’clock (0.5 cm).

LL was a bit concerned about the above findings and wanted our advice. She came to our house and we went through the report and images.

My Comment: I told LL she had taken the right first step. And I am saying this to all patients who find lumps in their breasts. Go and see a doctor and ask him to do an ultrasound. Find out exactly what the lump is. Don’t be like an ostrich trying to bury your head in the sand. Some patients would want to pretend that there is nothing wrong – a kind of denial! Let me say this: It is dangerous! Don’t play with your life!

Based on the images below, I told LL that the irregular shaped lump in her left breast was suspicious. It looks like a malignant lump. There is reason to be concern. The rest of the lumps or cysts in her breasts appear to be benign.

2. To do biopsy or not to do a biopsy?

LL was told by her doctor to do a biopsy. If the result confirms malignancy the next step is to undergo a surgery.

My Comment: As I have said earlier in this website, you need to remove the malignant lump. There is no two ways about it. Don’t ever hope that by taking juices, herbs or applying certain “magic” potion, the cancerous lump will go away. Over the past 16 years I have seen women who came to us with “rotten” breast – being misled, believing that some of these alternative treatments can make the tumour disappear. That is wishful thinking. Perhaps it some cases people claim that the lump may disappear after their “magic” treatment but that could possibly be a rare exception rather than a general outcome.

Read these:

Some Women Gamble With Their Breasts,

Breast Lump: Get It Out.

3. Why double surgical intervention?

LL went to see a breast specialist. He was rather busy and LL did not get to talk to him much. LL was hurriedly told that after the biopsy she needed to proceed with surgery. Then after the surgery there are many other things more to do.

My Comment: I asked LL: Are you happy after meeting that doctor? LL replied: No. But what can I do. He is supposed to be the best in town. My advice to LL and all ladies: If you are not happy with your “potential” caregiver or doctor, go find someone else. Don’t be that helpless, because you have other doctors who can do the same job for you.

There is a lump in LL’s breast. This is most likely cancerous or it may turn out against all odds to be benign. Here are a few questions to ask:

If the biopsy result shows that the lump is not cancerous, do you still want to keep it inside your breast? Or you still want to remove it? Perhaps for the sake of “peace of mind” you want to get it out too?
What if the biopsy result is wrong? That is to say, the result says it is benign but sometime later it turns out to be cancerous? A negative result may not necessary be negative – or to put it differently, if something is not there, it does not mean that it is not there! It is just that you don’t see it or you don’t have a tool sensitive enough to see it. But whatever is there that can be seen, it is most probable that it is there! How else can it not be there (unless it is an artifact or “manufactured”)!

LL told me that it does not matter whether the lump is cancerous or not, she wants it out. If that is the case, LL needs to tell her doctor that there is no need for her to undergo surgical intervention twice. Why do a biopsy first. Wait for the result and the come back again to do another surgery.

Ask the surgeon to remove the lump with a clear margin and immediately send the tumour for testing. If it is cancerous, the surgeon should just go ahead and remove the lump or breast. This way LL suffers less stress and anxiety. So that is what LL decided to do.

4. Lumpectomy or mastectomy?

The lump in question is 1.2 x 1.4 cm in size. It looks like LL has a choice to either do a lumpectomy (i.e. remove the lump only) or do a mastectomy, i.e., remove the entire breast. LL decided to remove her whole breast.

My Comment: From my reading, for a small lump, a lumpectomy is equally effective as a mastectomy. While in theory, it is so – in practice it may not be so. I have often seen patients coming to us after a lumpectomy. Some cancerous tissue was still left behind in the breast! The most common problem is the margin was not clean. This goes to say that not all breast surgeons do a good job. So, LL understood the risk she has to take if she were to go for a lumpectomy.

However, I need to stress that patients need to decide for themselves – lumpectomy or mastectomy. However, if the tumour is large (above 3 cm) then a lumpectomy may not be indicated. You have no choice!

5. Find the right surgeon

Not all doctors are the same. Some are good, some are not good. In this, any empowered patient has a choice to who you want to go to. My advice to all patients: Go to someone who shows some concern and empathy towards you. If you don’t like the way he talks to you, or even if for some reason you don’t like “his/her face” – then go find someone else!

The reality of today’s medical treatment is all about money. With due respect, if you don’t have money to pay the bills, there is no use talking about choices. You have no choice but to go to the government hospital. There you pay a minimal amount for your cancer treatment, but if you elect to go to a private hospital, you can except to fork out RM 5,000 to RM 20,000 for your initial treatment. But, if you have the money to pay or are covered by medical insurance, then you have a choice. In this case, LL has an insurance cover to a limit of RM 50,000 per year for 10 years!

I have written two articles:

Breast Lump: Two Experts, Two Different Opinions – you like that?,

Breast Lump: Different Surgeons, Different Approaches and Different Costs of Surgery

When I first wrote these articles I was shocked to learn that there is such a wide variation in the costs, from doctor to doctor, for doing the same job. An all-in surgery cost can be around RM 15,000 (it is common knowledge that fees and expenses are jacked up if you have insurance cover!). Since we are on this topic of money, I also learned that a 10-minute chat with an oncologist can cost S$700 (RM 1,500) in Singapore; RM 106 to RM 150 in Penang; and RM 250 in Kuala Lumpur. So you have a choice. Some patients are not concerned with the fees, because their insurance will pay for it anyway. But if you have to foot the bill from your own pocket, perhaps you would appreciate my point.

The lesson to learn is, no matter who you see, the probable “knowledge” you get from the oncologist is not far from this – You need to go for chemo. The chance of cancer coming back is X percent if you do chemo and radiotherapy and take the hormonal pill. If you don’t do as suggested your life will be at risk. The chance of cancer coming back is high. And if you have the financial resources to consult two or three more experts, the chances are you end up more confused because different experts give you different percentages, views and approaches.

Having made the above points to LL, I then suggested that she go and see more surgeons for her problem. She has already consulted with one and was not happy with him. I suggested a few more names. Let me say this right out front. I know of these names from our patients who say they are good. I have never met anyone of them before and I gain nothing for doing this. I do this because I believe I am doing the right thing – to ask you to go to the right doctor of your choice so that you will have more confidence going through this ordeal.

So LL went to see Surgeon No: 2. She came back to let me know that he was okay – although a bit too busy to make her feel comfortable. Since she is not entirely happy with this surgeon, then I told LL to go to Surgeon No: 3. He was not a busy man and was not in a rush to show her the door. Unfortunately, he has an uncompromising style. Bear in mind that LL goes to see her doctor with a well defined aim. She does not want to do a biopsy first and then a mastectomy later. This surgeon probably has not much experience dealing with an empowered patient. He got irritated and told her that it is the standard operating procedure and she must follow what he said. Well, he lost a patient that day (perhaps, future referral from me too!).

Not happy, LL went to Surgeon No: 4. LL felt good about him. He had the patience to explain what he wanted to do for her. After the lump was removed, LL would be “kept aside” for about 30 minutes while the lump was sent for analysis in the lab. If the result shows malignancy the surgeon would go ahead to remove her whole breast. LL was given a choice to go for the surgery the next day or wait for another “operation day” three days later.

I asked LL if she was happy with Surgeon No: 4. She said: Absolutely. Although I told LL not to rush into the surgery, she had decided that she wanted to go ahead with it the next day. After all she was mentally prepared to face the knife. So be it.

The total cost of LL’s mastectomy was RM 13,000 and post-surgery expenses came to another RM 5,000. For your information, I have two patients who underwent a mastectomy in a similar grade private hospital. One patient paid RM 3,500 only and other RM 6,000.

There were no complications and LL came out of it well, as expected and as planned. But the next battle is about to begin. The histopathology reported a tumour nodule measuring about 20 x 15 x 12 mm. It is an invasive ductal carcinoma, Grade 2. There is probable lympho-vascular involvement. Three out of a total of 18 axillary lymph nodes contained metastatic ductal carcinoma. The tumour is negative for Her-2 but positive for estrogen and progesterone receptors. LL was told this is a Stage 2 cancer.

6. Meeting with an oncologist

LL told her surgeon that she would not want to do chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The surgeon persuaded her not to abandon the standard medical treatment. He referred LL to an oncologist. I told LL to go ahead and consult the oncologist – after all, his consultation costs only RM 106. I told LL: Don’t close your door – go and listen to what the oncologist has got to offer you. In this way, you would not regret for missing out “something.” And this same message applies to all patients who come and see us.

Patients would be better off if they go to the oncologist well prepared with the following questions:

Can chemo, radiotherapy and the hormonal therapy that he is going to give you CURE your cancer? Remember, a cure means the cancer will go away and not recur at anytime in the future?
If there no “permanent” cure, then what is the objective of the treatment?
What is the success rate of the treatment? What would happen if you do not do the treatment that he suggested?
What are the short-term and long-term side effects? How serious would that be?
How much will the whole treatment cost? (That is, If money is a concern).

LL came back to report what happened. The consultation lasted about 10 minutes (that probably would not be enough time to answer all those questions?). How do you like the meeting with the oncologist? No, LL was not impressed or happy. Her husband said: The talk was about money first. This treatment will cost RM 30,000. In addition LL has to undergo 25 times of radiation treatment at a cost of RM 7,000. After that LL has to take hormonal drug (Fermara or Tamoxifen) for five years. This cost about RM 700 per month. Since LL has a health insurance, they will make sure that all the expenses will be paid by the Insurance Company. LL has to undergo six cycles of chemo with FEC (5-FU + Epirubicin + Cyclophosphamide) – the standard recipe for breast cancer.

The only time left for discussion is: What happen if I do all these treatments? With chemotherapy, the chance of cancer NOT coming back is 75 percent, according to the oncologist’s computer. What happen if I do not do all these treatments? The chance of cancer NOT coming back is 30 percent. This means that with all these treatments the oncologist claimed that LL has a benefit of 45 percent. According to LL, the oncologist obtained all these numbers from his computer. He looked at the medical report, keyed in some data and read out the prognosis. I asked: He did not look at you in your eyes and rattle out the numbers based on his very own experience – after treating so many patients? LL felt the same way – he just read out the numbers from the computer!

My Comment: I guess the oncologist was using the Adjuvant Online program. But I am a bit puzzled if LL has misunderstood what the oncologist said – benefit of 45 percent. A lady with breast from Singapore also had her prognosis read out from a computer. For a tumour of 2.1 to 3.0 cm in size (which is bigger than LL’s tumour) and ER positive (like LL) the benefit of combined chemo and hormonal therapy is only 17.4 percent!

LL told me. No I have already decided that I am NOT going to do all these treatments. I value my quality of life and I don’t want to go through all these and suffer. I want to live a normal life.

I fully understand the fear LL has. In this website, I have written many articles under the general heading: Dissecting Chemotherapy. Read them and you know what LL means. In one article, Experiencing the Harmful Side Effects and Collateral Damage, Terry Thompson, a retired US Air Force colonel wrote about his wife’s experience with chemo for her breast cancer. He wrote: Today, I can assure that its devastating effect was eclipsed only by Connie’s death. And, of course, my experience was nothing compared to what she had to deal with.

I want to make it very clear here that the decision to undergo and not to undergo chemotherapy MUST BE YOUR DECISION. I am not here to encourage or discourage you from undergoing any medical treatment. I can provide you with honest, alternative views for you to make up your mind. But you must make that vital decision yourself and don’t try to make us your scapegoat should anything go wrong later.

7. The burden shifts to CA Care

Before cancer patients come and see us, we require them to see the doctors first. We require their medical reports to understand what is going on. Almost all patients who come have undergone medical treatments and they could not find their cure. CA Care was their last resort. In spite of that, some patients still want to make CA Care their scapegoat.

In this case, LL had made her decision not to go for chemo. I respect her wishes. But to LL and all patients, let me remind you not to close all doors of opportunity. If indeed, in the future, you fail to achieve what you want, you should still go for your chemo. Of course, the mantra is that – It is too late! You should not have wasted your time with those unproven therapy. As explained earlier, the real fact is that, the so-called proven therapy is just as unproven! Most of the patients who come to see us are medically given up cases (unlike LL). Terry Thompson’s wife died after three years – that was after undergoing the proven medical therapy!

Patients are often told that with the proven therapy, the chance of cure is 89 percent (click link to read this story), and in LL’s case it is 75 percent. However, a study by oncologists in Australia said the benefit of chemotherapy is only 2.3 percent in Australia and 2.1 percent in the USA.

In my article: Please Tell Patients the Real Truth, I quoted Dr. Morton Walker: I was astounded at how distorted the physicians’ presentations were when they discussed the side effects of their treatments. The doctors appeared to become almost like used-car salesmen in a pitch for their surgery, radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy. I know something about medical practices and oncology from my work as a medical researcher and as a former practicing podiatrist. In my opinion, the information the oncologists gave my fiancee was hardly an honest assessment of the relative benefits and risks associated with the recommended treatments.

If LL wants to travel this alternative road for her breast cancer, she must understand the following points.

1. Not all breast cancer are the same, and not all patients respond to the same treatments in the same way.

2. Statistics is about a group of people, and it does not necessarily apply to you.

3. There is NO right or wrong choice.

4. Patients should give full respect to their doctors. Listen to what they have to say or offer. Evaluate what they say and then make up your own mind. Patients should not be arrogant when expressing their requests or questions.

Remember, you are not “at war” with the doctors – you are “at war” with your cancer! However, patient-oriented care, also calls for doctors to give due respect to their patients. Caregivers should be sensitive to patients’ need, wishes and beliefs. In short, respect must work both ways.

5. This is your journey. It is only you and you alone who have to choose your path. Others can only empathize and help you. So with all the information you gather from different sources, make your decision wisely. Do what you think is right for you.

Book Review: Beyond the Magic Bullet – the Anti-cancer Cocktail

This is book is written by Dr. Raymond Chang, M.D. Dr. Chang received his medical degree from Brown University. After completing his post-doctoral work, he joined the staff of Memorial-Slone Kettering Cancer Centre. Dr. Chang also served on the faculty of Weill Cornell Medical College. In addition, Dr. Chang found the Institute of East-West Medicine, an organization focused on integrating Eastern and Western healing systems.

Over the last several decades, billions of dollars have been poured into stopping cancer in its tracks … Yet, a cure has yet to be found… the simple “hit or miss” strategy persisted and dominated cancer treatment philosophy. I believe that a radically different strategy is needed. The time has come to think beyond the magic bullet.
The limitations of the conventional cancer treatments – surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and newer targeted therapies – may largely result from one-dimensional and simplistic strategy that is usually followed to the exclusion of other approaches… a disease like cancer should not – and cannot – be treated using the same simplistic strategy of applying one drug at a time, one punch after another.
… it is clear that we need a new and improved strategy that reflects and addresses the complexity of the disease. It would be naive to imagine a complex problem to be solvable in simplistic terms. Current treatment methods … applied one after another reflect such naivety.

Surgery

In many cancer cases, surgery still offers the best chance for survival – especially for early-stage cancer – and is a key aspect of cancer management.

Radiation

Radiation may reduce the growth of cancer or lessen its symptoms, but it does not necessarily eliminate the disease completely.

Chemotherapy

The practice of chemotherapy is problematic because, like radiation, the treatment may damage healthy cells, causing serious and even fatal side effects such as anemia, bleeding and suppressed immunity, with consequent risk of infection, nausea, hair loss and fatigue.
Chemotherapy is also imperfect in other ways. Frequently, cancer is able to build resistance to the treatment and eventually return.
Even worse, some cancer cells (so-called cancer stem cells) are completely immune to the treatment.
Therefore, in practice, chemotherapy does not lead to a cure for most cancers. Rather, it provides a temporary reprieve or period of stability for the patient.

Hormonal Therapy

Today, hormone therapy remains the mainstay of breast and prostate cancer management, as well as a treatment for rare gynecologic and endocrine cancers. Unfortunately, hormone therapy is not effective for the majority of cancers.

Inadequate and Misguided Strategy

We are not lacking in cancer therapies. Although these “weapons” may assist us in fighting the war on cancer, they do not necessarily guarantee a victory. Could it be that we are losing the war on cancer not because of inferior weaponry, but because of an inadequate and misguided strategy?
The current treatment strategy of cancer is based on the early, simplistic understanding of the disease as unabated cell growth, and is modeled after the successful treatment of infectious diseases.
Modern science and medicine is guided largely by reductionism, a philosophy based on the idea of trimming a complex “whole” down to its simpler individual parts in order to understand it. This mode of thinking is entrenched in classical scientific thought in the Western world…. Individual parts do not necessarily provide or allow knowledge of the whole.

Cocktail Therapy

Cancer biology is complex … Based on what we know about the multifaceted, multi-pathway biology of cancer, a better strategy is one based on the dynamic and simultaneous use of diverse agents, including drugs, vitamins, herbs, and diet, in order to overwhelm the disease. The logic underlying this approach may yield better results.
Although it has yet to be used widely in Western medicine, cocktail therapy is a major component of non-Western medical traditions such as the Traditional Chinese Medicine.
The idea of the “medical cocktail” is not new. For over a thousand years, traditional medical systems throughout the world have effectively used the multi-agent approach to restore health.

Embracing Alternative Medicine Therapies

Many conventional doctors may still be suspicious or disregard the use of alternative treatments for cancer, mainly because of their concerns about possible negative interactions and the lack of scientific proof of its effectiveness.
Also so-called alternative medicine therapies such as herbs, vitamins, supplements, meditation, acupuncture and diets are unconventional in the sense that they are generally not prescribed by mainstream cancer doctors, sanctioned by the FDA or covered by health insurance.
Yet, just because a therapy is not officially considered a cancer treatment does not mean that it lacks scientific or clinical validity.
The word “alternative” can have a negative connotation because it implies that a treatment is untested, unscientific and an alternative to mainstream medicine.

Herbs

Modern pharmaceuticals have their origins in crude herbal medicines, and many drugs to this day are extracted from raw herbs and then purified to meet pharmaceutical standards. Today, there are approximately 7,000 compounds in the pharmacopeia that are derived from plants.

Diets

The relationship between nutrition and disease is a vast topic. Diet undoubtedly plays a huge role in human health. It also goes without saying that dietary factors have greatly contributed to the modern-day cancer epidemic.
Some scientists estimate that 30 to 40 percent of cancers and 35 percent of cancer deaths can be linked to dietary factors.
It is common knowledge that some foods, such as fruits and vegetables, can prevent certain types of cancer, whereas foods like red meat and alcoholic beverages may increase the risk. It follows, therefore, that diet should be integral to cancer prevention and treatment.
Cancer doctors tended to tell patients that they could eat what they wanted.
A diet is appropriate when it is a component of an overall strategy and treatment plan that includes both conventional and unconventional therapies.
Diets should not be used as stand-alone cancer treatments.

Mental and Spiritual Approaches

Although often overlooked, mental and spiritual health is an important aspect of cancer therapy. With cancer comes the possibility of death, causing mental suffering in addition to physical suffering.
the disease depends not only on medical interventions, but also the patient’s will to live and survive. Recent studies have also confirmed that psychological intervention may actually reduce the risk of cancer recurrence as well as prolong cancer survival. As such, a positive attitude and a will to overcome the disease form a vital cornerstone of cocktail therapy for cancer.

Conventional treatments (like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, etc.) should then be complemented by and combined with unconventional treatments in order to reduce side effects and/or improve the outcome. Embracing unconventional treatments like herbs, vitamins … does not mean forsaking surgery or chemotherapy.

This book does not endorse only alternative cancer treatment, but rather the integrative and complementary use of non-standard approaches… (it) envisions a comprehensive cocktail approach that includes all potentially effective treatments – it does not promote alternative medicine to the exclusion of conventional therapy.

The Foreword of the book was written by Dr. Ben Williams, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Psychology, University of California, San Diego. In 1995, Dr. Williams was diagnosed with Glioblastoma multiforme – a deadly brain tumour, and using a cocktail of conventional and alternative therapies, he has become cancer-free.

Dr. Ben Williams wrote:

When diseases have been persistently intractable to the best standard of care, as defined by conventional medical standards, common sense dictates that we enlist all possible treatment resources, not just those that have passed the test of trials ~ Dr. Ben Williams.

Doctors who use cocktail treatments in their clinical practice do so under the cloud of being unscientific and at risk of being labeled proponents of alternative medicine, which carries a significant stigma among the conventional medicine camp. But such concerns say more about maintaining hegemony by the professional guild than concern for patient welfare. This is especially true when dealing with diseases for which conventional medicine concedes that it offers no effective treatment ~ Dr. Ben Williams.

Comment

In 1995, when we started CA Care, we also adopted similar philosophy and approaches as Dr. Chang’s “cocktail” therapy. Perhaps, there is only one minor difference – Dr. Chang approaches cancer treatment as an oncologist and a medical doctor, while at CA Care our view on cancer management is based on herbs and diet with medical treatment as an absolute essential complement whenever and wherever appropriate. As Dr. David Agus, M.D., another outstanding oncologist of America said: Don’t put blind faith and trust in your doctor. Be your own doctor first! (in The End of Illness, pg. 66).

Dissecting Chemotherapy 14: Please Tell Patients the Real Truth

Author: Dr. Morton Walker, D.P.M., is the author of 2000 clinical articles and 92 published books. Dr. Walker is the recipient of 23 medical journalism awards and was named, “The World’s Leading Medical Journalist Specializing in Holistic Medicine” by the American Cancer Control Society. (Note: Podiatric medicine is the study of human movement, focusing on the foot and ankle. A doctor of podiatric medicine (DPM) is to the foot what a dentist is to the mouth or an ophthalmologist to the eye).

Why Write this Book? When cancer took my wife, my mother, my sister, and my fiancee who had pledged to spend her last years with me, I knew I had to step up …let the world knows about it.

Fiancee With Pancreatic Cancer: We planned to be married within the early months of 2005, instead, during late fall and early winter of 2004, I frequented the reception areas and consultations of Massachusetts General Hospital … because my fiancee had been admitted to this hospital with pancreatic cancer.

Prognosis: Such cancer (pancreatic cancer) is an illness with a devastating prognosis … less than 7 percent of cases are detected early. The rest are spotted when pain or other symptoms appear. Some 37,680 new cases of pancreatic cancer occurred in 2008, with a mere 2 percent experiencing a five-year survival rate.

Oncologists and Radiotherapists Push: I was astounded at how distorted the physicians’ presentations were when they discussed the side effects of their treatments. The doctors appeared to become almost like used-car salesmen in a pitch for their surgery, radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy.

I know something about medical practices and oncology from my work as a medical researcher and as a former practicing podiatrist. In my opinion, the information the oncologists gave my fiancee was hardly an honest assessment of the relative benefits and risks associated with the recommended treatments.

My fiancee, her two educated, middle-age sons and I consulted twice with a group of oncological specialists. The decision was made that this 62-yera-old woman, diagnosed with an aggressive pancreatic cancer, required immediate surgery employing the Whipple’s operation triad. The Whipple’s is a very extensive operative procedure that involves the excision of at least three internal organs, including a majority of the victim’s pancreas.

Preoperative radiation was recommended for her, and following operative recovery, postoperative chemotherapy was also mandatory.

Both radiation and chemotherapy oncologists went about selling their separate treatments to the patient, her sons, and me. When I asked about the residual side effects of the typical treatment, her oncologists told us that there were none. My fiancee, her sons and I were astounded. “No side effects? How could that be?” The oncologists were steadfast in their declarations. I knew they were lying.

I observed literally hundreds of bald-headed women waiting in the radiotherapy and chemotherapy hospital areas for commencement of their next treatments. I thought, with no small amount of disgust, “Isn’t the loss of hair with resultant baldheadedness a side effect of one or both of these cancer therapies?” All of us know that it is.

I was opposed to the radiation therapy, but that’s what this patient and her two sons elected for her to do. When I finally encouraged my fiancee to take Dr. Beljanski’s botanicals … Her two sons, a stock broker and a computer programmer, would have none of my recommendations. Beljanski’s herbals ended up being flushed down the hospital room’s toilet. They considered holistic-type therapies outright quackery.

Condemned by these young men, I was literally ordered to leave the hospital scene. They said, “Get out of my mother’s life!” She died within two months of her sons sending me away.

Comments: Take note of what other authors said below:

Dissecting Chemotherapy 13 : Experiencing the Harmful Side Effects and Collateral Damage

by Terry Thompson. His wife died of breast cancer, his eldest brother died of lung cancer and another brother died of a rare cancer that attacked his heart. Thompson is a retired colonel in the US Air Force. He was also a staff pastor of a large church. Later he became the GM of a nationally syndicated outdoor sports TV program. He is professor of John Brown University, a private, Christian liberal arts college in Arkansas, USA.

The best way I know to describe the debilitating nature of chemotherapy is to reference my personal experiences. The following account of the three years my former wife (Connie) suffered under the oppression of aggressive chemotherapy.

The treatment and its impact on our lives were the worse experiences I had faced in my life at that point. Today, I can assure that its devastating effect was eclipsed only by Connie’s death. And. of course, my experience was nothing compared to what she had to deal with.

Immediately after receiving the first infusion, Connie became nauseated… it usually takes days or weeks before the dosage and anti-nausea supplements can be adjusted to individual tolerance and need.
The vomiting and diarrhea were devastating for the first several treatments. She was confined to the beds for days. Hardly anything she ate would stay with her.
She continued to have occasional regressive bouts with nausea.
When the nausea was in check, lack of appetite still plagued the pursuit of healthy nutrition. Connie had to force herself to eat without any feeling of hunger. The food she was able to eat was virtually tasteless. Imagine weeks and months looking on any food item with disgust … the smell of food from another room would cause her to gag or vomit. Meals were never a pleasurable experience as long as chemicals were being infused.
After several treatments, mouth sores, a common side effect of chemotherapy, made eating a painful experience.
Connie had been an athletic person with seemingly boundless energy. Throughout the chemo regimen, she was constantly tired. After the lightest task, she would have to lie down on the couch or recline in a chair for a while before attempting anything else.
Social activities virtually ceased, since a few minutes of standing and small talk would exhaust her… just physically drained from the chemical attack on her body.
From the beginning of treatment, a weak immune system caused by a low white blood count often kept her from being near other people.
The cumulative effect of the chemo began to more severely restrict the immune system.
Collateral damage to the body is another serious concern. Many medical procedures are accompanied by risks of injury to otherwise healthy parts of the body. In Connie’s case, the highly qualified surgeon punctured her lung in the process of “chemo” port insertion. This is a rare occurrence, but just one of several anomalies that can violate the body during conventional treatment.
Another ever-looming threat of collateral misfortune is that of serious, even deadly, infection. The actual condition that caused the precipitous slide that ended Connie’s life was a bacterial infection so potent that the strongest antibiotics could not faze it. She developed septic condition. Even though the official cause of her death was metastasis of breast cancer, it was an infection, probably from the treatment, that led to the ultimate loss of the battle.
For anyone, especially those who love to be around people, conventional cancer treatment is usually accompanied by feelings of alienation, disconnection, loneliness and even guilt. Physical distress, coupled with psycho-social grief is a poor foundation from which to build a healing force to combat cancer.

Lung Cancer and the Side Effects of Iressa

PL is a healthy 66-year-old female. She developed coughs sometimes in late 2011. The medications given by her doctor did not help with her coughs. A CT scan done on 2 November 2011 indicated a 3.2 x 3.8 x 4 cm nodular lesion at the right lower lobe of her lung. Another elongated poorly enhancing lesion is seen at the left apex, measuring approximately 2.2 x 2.3 x 4.8 cm in size. In addition there was mild right pleural effusion (fluid in her lung). This made PL breathless, listless and devoid of energy.

PL underwent pleural tapping. Her condition improved after fluid was tapped out of her lungs. Unfortunately, a week later, the fluid came back again. Another tapping was done. The doctor suggested that PL do a biopsy. PL refused. A week later, the fluid recurred in the lung and PL has to undergo another tapping. And after the procedure PL agreed to do a biopsy. “Gluing procedure” or pleurodesis was carried out after the pleural tapping but this was not effective.

A tru cut biopsy of the mass at the lower right lung was performed and it confirmed a well differentiated adenocarcinoma of the lung. A report dated 21 November 2011 showed that the tumour was positive for EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor). This means, the use of the oral drug, Iressa was indicated.

PL was given two options: to take Iressa for her cancer or to undergo chemotherapy using a combination of Alimta and Cisplatin. PL opted for the oral drug, Iressa.

On 1 December 2011, PL was started with Iressa. Her condition improved but after three months she started to suffer severe side effects. She developed pimples and sores with pus on her head and later had rashes in the face, neck and pubic area. She was referred to a skin specialist for help. She shaved her head bald. She was told to stop taking Iressa and her problem resolved after two weeks. She resumed Iressa, her rashes and sores and pus recurred. This recurrence went on for three times.

The doctor reduced her Iressa dosage – taking the drug on alternate day instead of everyday. But even with the reduced dosage, the side effects still persisted. PL decided to stop taking Iressa and came to seek our help on20 July 2012. She told her oncologist that she is going for “Chris Teo’s herbs.”

On 8 August 2012 – after being on herbs for about three weeks, I sat down to talk with PL in greater detail.

Did Iressa help her?

The answer is yes. The initial problem of fluid kept recurring after each pleural tapping. But after taking Iressa the fluid stop recurring. PL’s health normalised. A comparison of the CT scan done on 2 November 2011 and those done on 20 February 2012, showed the tumours in her lung had shrunk significantly. That is what patients and oncologist hope for!

CT scan on 2 November 2011

CT scan on 20 February 2012

Iressa had delivered the desired effects – the tumour shrunk. But how meaningful is tumour shrinkage? Does this translate into a cure? Unfortunately not! The tumour can grow again after a while. Read these stories:

Meaningless Shrinking of Tumour by Chemotherapy

Lung Cancer: The Meaningless Decrease and Increase of Tumour Markers After Chemotherapy

Meaningless Decline of CA 15.3 and Tumour Shrinkage Following Treatment With Iressa and Tarceva

Meaningless Shrinking of Tumor While on Tarceva

Iressa Does Not Cure Lung Cancer Expensive drug with side effects

The medical doctors of the Evinta Medical Center, Arizona, USA (http://www.envita.com/) said: By and large cancer growth response, or “shrinkage,” remains the primary focus of cancer treatment. Unfortunately, research demonstrates that such responses do not often correlate to elevated survival in patients. When traditional cancer treatment reports a 20 or 30 percent effect, it simply means that the patient’s tumor shrunk by 20 to 30 percent. This is deceptive because the cancer typically grows back, oftentimes larger, and resistant to the chemotherapy. The real measure is how long life is sustained and its quality therewith. Envita is results oriented and we measure our success in terms of tumor change, as well as the long-term outcomes and quality of life experienced by our patients. This continues to be our driving force for developing and perfecting unique, quality treatments for our patients.

Read what Dr. Ralph Moss said:

Can Iressa cure her?

The answer is NO. The oncologist told PL that it all depends on the person. In other words, different people respond differently. Some patients survive for one year, others two years and some even survive five years. But all of them still die even after taking Iressa. PL was told that she has to be on Iressa for as long as she can afford it. But there is no knowing how long she can survive. This goes to say that actually it is n=1. Whatever research that is done – and whatever percentages that are bashed around to impress patients – it does not apply to PL at all. PL has to take the Iressa and only she would know what can happen to her. So, this is what they call, scientific medicine!

Unexpected Severe Side Effects

Before taking Iressa, PL was told about some possible side effects. But what actually happened to PL was beyond expectation. According to the oncologist it was the worst side effects he had ever seen! Whatever it is, scientifically proven drug can cause such problem.

I posed this question to PL: Since Iressa helped you and make you well – why do you want to stop taking it? At least this can take care of your lungs.

PL: I would rather die than suffer. I want to live and enjoy my life. I don’t want to suffer.

I posed another question: Do you mean to say that the side effects of Iressa are so bad that you would rather die than live? You cannot live with the side effects?

PL replied that it was indeed hard to live with such side effects. Pus oozed out of the sores. Sometime it became itchy. Sometime it was painful. So the cost of survival in terms of side effects is not worth it. This does not take in consideration the cost of the treatment yet. A full dosage of Iressa costs about RM 6,700 per month. It is good that PL’s health insurance paid for the drug every month. What if there was no insurance coverage?

Since PL decided to stop taking Iressa, the oncologist offered her chemotherapy, telling her that these days chemo-drugs are mild and more “friendly” and do not have all those dreadful side effects. I asked PL what drugs the oncologist was to give her. PL did not know except to say that it would be a mild one.

Let me tell you a story about Alimta. KP was a Malaysian who lived in Perth, Australia. He had lung cancer that had spread to his liver. He underwent chemotherapy and at the same time took herbs. He did well and this amazed his Australian oncologist. Unfortunately, a scan showed that there were still traces of tumours in him. The oncologist suggested more chemo – this time with a combination of Avastin + Alimta.

KP called me from Perth one morning and asked if he should go ahead with this treatment. I said: NO. After all you are doing fine. Why take the risk? Learn to live with your tumour! I did not get to hear from KP again after that. The gist of the story is, KP did not follow my advice. He went ahead with this so called new, state-of-the-art concoction!

While undergoing the treatment KP bled from the nose for no apparent reason. While sleeping, blood oozed out from his nose, stained his pillow and T-shirt. The treatment failed. KP came back to Malaysia and related what had happened to us. Listen to his story:

By then it was too late. KP was in severe pain and his stomach was bloated. There was nothing much I could do to help. On 18 September 2011 KP died.

There is a another story regarding lung cancer and Alimta, RM 300,000 of Medical Adventures Did Not Cure Him

Comments: I advised PL to learn to live with the tumours in her lungs. For as long as she can lead a normal life, be grateful for each day when she awakes! Don’t expect the herbs to cure her lung cancer! I don’t even expect the tumour to shrink after taking the herbs. Almost all patients die because of metastasis and not just because of the tumour! Of course, patients want magic – they want their cancers to go away completely. But there is no magic. We have to learn to accept that reality.

PL’s oncologist said herbs are not scientifically proven! Well, patients have to make their own choice. Do what you think is right. Follow your heart! Remember, sometimes the head can lead you astray!

I wonder too about Alimta. Is it ever proven to cure cancer? No? What would happen if PL were to undergo chemotherapy with Alimta + Cisplatin? Would PL end up like KP – dead? Maybe yes, maybe not! No one can tell for sure what is going to happen. So what is the use of scientific proof then when you can even predict the outcome? In the same way – learn this bitter lesson – no one could predict or tell that PL had to suffer such severe side effects after taking Iressa. Others, the oncologist claimed, did not have such problems. Perhaps Alimta is also very safe for PL? Try your luck if you wish.

Perhaps you need to read these stories about patients who take our herbs:

Lung Cancer Stage 4, Open-Close Surgery. Six Months to Live. She Refused Chemo and Took Herbs for Three and Half Years Now

Lung Cancer: More than two years on herbs and no chemo!

Written Off Case Survived Three And A Half Years With Herbs

Let me briefly relate the story of Suri, an Indonesian lady with lung cancer. Being rather well off, Suri’s husband decided that she must have the best. So they went to Singapore for treatment – gunning for the so-called proven, scientific treatment. Before they went for treatment in Singapore, their relatives in Penang had suggested that they try the CA Care Therapy. The husband vetoed the idea. He said: I refused to entertain that idea. In my mind, that is all hocus pocus. How can herbs be better than the doctors in Singapore? Herbs are just traditional stuff and if they are that good then all doctors will have to close shop. So I dismissed the idea of taking herbs as being absolutely nonsensical.

In Singapore Suri underwent 22 times of radiation treatment, followed by oral drug Iressa. She took Iressa for about a year. Her tongue became numb and so she gave it up. The doctor then gave her Tarceva – another scientifically proved drug! She was on this drug for about two years. A year later, in 2009, the cancer spread to her brain. She underwent chemotherapy. In total she received 40 chemo injections – also using the so-called FDA-approved, scientifically proven drugs! Nothing seemed to work for Suri. As a last resort, her oncologist asked her to take Sutent – another scientifically proven drug laden with all kinds of side effects. I asked her husband: Before she took Sutent, did you not ask if the drug can cure her? He replied: No one dares to answer such a question. The oncologist told me, “I cannot say. The only one who knows the answer is the One Up There!” An interesting answer indeed! The god of science has failed to save.
We are now told to trust the ordinary God that you and me believe in! After Suri took Sutent her consumption of Panadol gradually increased from one tablet per day to six tablets per day. She stopped taking Sutent! Now, all possible, scientifically proven drugs have failed.

Hopeless and helpless, Suri’s husband decided to come and see us in Penang – to try our so-called unproven, unscientific therapy that has PROVEN to help a lot of other people. On 8 May 2011 Suri was wheeled into our CA Care centre, being unable to walk on her own. She was unable to talk, showed no facial expression and did not seem to know what was going. According to her husband, she behaved like a child. During this visit, I must honestly say I did not expect her to survive much longer. But with God’s grace, a miracle happened. Suri recovered. You can listen to this amazing story by clicking the links below.

Lung-Brain Cancer: An Impossible Healing 1. Hope After a Disaster – when Iressa, Tarceva, Forty Cycles of Chemo and Sutent Did Not Cure Her

Lung-Brain Cancer: An Impossible Healing Part 2: A Week of Amazing Healing

On 6 August 2012, I got an e-mail from Pak Teddy in Jakarta.

Hello Prof. Chris: This morning Suryana Tukiman called me and we had a talk. Now his wife has already started to take our herbs again. According to him the Neurosurgeon was surprised to see the MRI result of the brain – full with white patches but she is still alive and healthy after 1.5 years taking our herbs. The paralysis is due to the tumor pressing onto the motor nerve. Now they use the NGT to pass food, juice and herbs into her stomach. But as you can see on the photo she looks healthy, only a little bit skinny. These photos were taken this morning after Tukiman finished talking with me. I asked him to take these photos so I can send it to you. Teddy.

Photos by Suri’s husband

In my interview with Suri’s husband, I regretted – Money Does Not Buy Cure, he said:For all the treatments – radiotherapy, Iressa, Tarceva, chemotherapy and Sutent – the total cost came to more or less 2 milyar rupiah which is about S$300,000 (almost hitting 0.7 million ringgit?). The cost of one tablet of Tarceva is S$195 and she took this for about 2 years. One tablet of Sutent cost S$210 and she took this for a month plus. One chemo cost about S$7,000. I was curious about one expenditure item of S$120.00. After an enquiry I was told that it was the cost of the chair (plus services provided) which my wife sat on while receiving chemotherapy. The doctor’s consultation cost S$150.00, if I am not mistaken. I was also told to only buy the drugs from the doctor. I was told that cheaper drugs bought outside the oncologist’s clinic could be a fake. I believed everything what the doctor told me. It is okay to spend that kind of money if there was a cure. But there was no cure. I regretted for going to Singapore for the treatment. Let me confess. I was full of remorse. I regretted.

Let me conclude: It is true. Herbs are not scientifically proven. But perhaps, this question is only good or relevant, if you want to do a thesis for a higher degree or pass your university examinations. In real life, does it matter if something you do is scientific or not, provided it does the work – effective and not harmful! Let us not be naive. The treatment of cancer is not only about the hard science or proof of effectiveness. It is about maintaining the status quo and fueling the greed of the Vested Interests. Understand that the politics of cancer is indeed tragic – all played out at the expense of the sick.

Chemotherapy Boosts Cancer Growth, Spread and Resistance – Really?

Sue was 39-years (in 2003) when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Two weeks after her diagnosis she underwent a mastectomy. After the surgery, Sue was referred to an oncologist who recommended that she undergo six cycles of chemotherapy. Sue asked the oncologist: Why? The oncologist replied: In the US, for any tumour above 1.0 cm you must go for chemotherapy. In England and Europe, it is anything above 1.5 cm. Since yours is 1.7 cm you must go for chemotherapy. Sue asked: If I don’t go for chemotherapy, what are the chances of recurrence? He said: If you go for chemotherapy the chance of cancer not recurring is ninety percent within five years. If you do not go for chemotherapy after a mastectomy, the chance of no recurrence is eighty-five percent. So Sue said: Five percent less only? He said: Yeah. Sue replied: I might as well not do it. I have to go through so much if I do chemotherapy and I may only get a five percent benefit. I can get that extra five percent by doing a lot of other things. Sue opted for CA Care Therapy instead of chemotherapy.

As of this writing, 2012, Sue has been doing very well with no problem along the way!

Johnny was 46 years old when he was diagnosed with colon cancer. He underwent surgery twice in January 2006. Then he was asked to undergo chemotherapy. Johnny was hesitant to see an oncologist. But after much pushing from his surgeon, Johnny agreed to see an oncologist. This was what Johnny told us.

I went into the oncologist’s office. The oncologist read out my name and he asked the first question: What car are you driving? This question was followed by: What is your profession? The oncologist then said: Your cancer is like a Mercedes, BMW, Japanese car or a local car. Your case is Stage 2. So you need to take a good medicine – like a Mercedes medicine to fight … There are many kinds of medicine. There is A – the good one; B which is not so good and C, which is an oral one. So which type do you want?

Chris: He asked you to choose the drugs? In your discussion, did he ever say that whatever drug he is giving you is going to help you or not?

Johnny: No, no. He just told me it was just for prevention. He said that once I got rid of my cancer, there might be some more cancer cells present in the lungs or somewhere else in the body.

C: So, the whole idea was just for prevention?

J: Yes, and I had to go for chemotherapy.

C: Let me ask you this: Before you went to see the oncologist, had you already made up your mind NOT to undergo chemotherapy? Why did you go and see him then?

J: Oh, because the nurse in the hospital (where I had my surgery) had been calling my wife every two to three days. The nurse said to my wife: Your husband has still not gone for chemotherapy. We have made an appointment for him to see the oncologist. But he did not turn up.

C: How many times did the nurse call you?

J: As many times as I postponed the appointments to go and see the oncologist. So, at last, I decided to give it a try.

C: What made you decide not to have chemotherapy?

J: Because of my experiences in seeing how other people suffered – my friends A, B, C, D and my sister-in-law herself. My sister-in-law underwent chemotherapy and she died after one year and two months.

After I came home from the cancer hospital, the oncology nurse called my home again and again. She talked to my wife. She wanted to know why I did not go for chemotherapy. She told my wife that my cancer was very dangerous and I had to do chemotherapy. My wife told her that I was taking herbs and would not do chemotherapy anymore. The nurse said this to my wife: If you take medicine from outside, it is going to be dangerous. It is not effective and this will make the cancer grow faster and spread more. My wife replied: No, my husband will not go for chemotherapy anymore. He has made up his mind on this.

As of this writing, 2012 – six years after his cancer diagnosis Johnny is still on our CA Care Therapy. He declined chemotherapy. He is doing well. We get to see Johnny almost every week all these years.

Almost and always, patients are told to undergo chemotherapy after surgery. The reason given by the oncologist in the first example was SOP (standard operating procedure) i.e., based on what people do in the USA or Europe. In the second example, it was chemo for prevention. Then what about the nurse’s threat – If you take herbs, it is going to be dangerous. It is not effective and this will make the cancer grow faster and spread more? This, as you can see is mere speculation or snake oil science! Medically was considered “cured” by herbs after surviving five years.

There are more reasons why patients are asked to undergo chemotherapy, such as:

a) To kill all the cancer cells left behind in the body after the surgery – a mop up operation of sort!

b) To stop the cancer from spreading.

c) To promote better quality of life.

Over the years dealing with cancer patients, I am well aware that patients go into “fear mode” once they are told they have cancer! They go to their caregivers hoping to find a cure. And they hope or only want to hear what they want to hear – i.e. they can be cured of this dreadful disease. They will swallow any suggestion that resembles or promises a slightest chance of cure. So the above explanations by their caregivers are indeed most welcomed and readily accepted.

But how true or scientific are these reasoning? I am afraid patients are being told half-truths, if not being totally misinformed or misled. If you have been following this website, I believe you know why. But let me not go into another chemo-bashing spree. Let me tell you why I feel compelled to write this article. Over the past few days, two research reports were in circulation in the internet. Read them for yourself.

1. Chemotherapy can backfire, chemo can boost cancer growth

“Chemotherapy can actually boost the growth of cancer cells, making the disease harder to fight,” Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle made this “completely unexpected” finding.

They tested the effects of a type of chemotherapy on tissue collected from men with prostate cancer, and found “evidence of DNA damage” in healthy cells after treatment.
The healthy cells damaged by chemotherapy secreted 30 times more of a protein called WNT16B which boosts cancer cell survival. WNT16B, when secreted, would interact with nearby tumour cells and cause them to grow, invade, and importantly, resist subsequent therapy.
The researchers said: “Our results indicate that damage responses in benign cells… may directly contribute to enhanced tumour growth kinetics.
The researchers said they confirmed their findings with breast and ovarian cancer tumours.
About 90 percent of patients with solid cancers like breast, prostate, lung and colon cancers or other metastatic diseases that spread end up developing resistance to treatment.
Chemotherapy is often given at intervals so that the body is not overwhelmed by its toxicity, but experts say that breaks in treatments provides time for tumor cells to recover and develop mutations that boost their survival and help them resist treatment.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/health/view/1218305/1/.html

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2012/08/06/health-highlights-aug-6-2012

http://www.medicaldaily.com/news/20120806/11314/cancer-chemotherapy-resistance-immunity-nature.htm

http://wap.news.bigpond.com/articles/Health/2012/08/06/Chemotherapy_can_boost_cancer_-_study_780226.html

http://www.nhs.uk/news/2012/08august/Pages/Chemotherapy-encourages-cancer-claims-researchers.aspx

2. Stem cells blamed for cancer re-growth

Three teams of researchers working independently in Holland; Belgium and UK; and the United States presented evidence that cancer stem cells exist and they may be the starting point for cancerous tumors.

Working with the incurable brain tumours, researchers have found a subset of cells that appear to be the source of new tumour growth after chemotherapy. Luis Parada of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center said, “This study serves as a proof of principle that in at least some solid tumours functional cancer stem cells exist”.

Researchers in Belgium and the UK also found a sub-population of tumour cells with stem-like properties in skin cancer.

Dutch researcher Hugo Snippert said: “The hypothesis (that cancer stem cells exist) has been around now for some time. Hopefully these three papers now make an end to the discussion. “

These findings challenged the classical notion that tumours are comprised of masses of cancer cells that are all the same, and all dividing. This study showed that mutated, cancerous cells may develop directly from stem cells. Stem cells therefore act as cancer cell factories.

The existence of cancer stem cells may raise the following implications:

“Since the cancer stem cells are so similar to normal stem cells, most treatments also harm the normal stem cells” Snippert said. What does this imply? It means that if you think you can kill the cancer cells by chemotherapy, the chances are you kill the patients too!
“It’s no longer valid to evaluate the volume of a tumor and say whether therapy is working or not. What will be important is to know is how that therapy is affecting the cancer stem cells within the tumor,” Parada said. These stem cells are the drivers of metastasis, the spread of cancer via the blood stream
“It’s really essential that you get rid of the cancer stem cells because they are tiny, they are low numbers. But they are able to grow and to give rise and fuel tumor growth really fast,” Snipert said. Unfortunately, cancer stem cells are particularly resistant to chemotherapy (http://www.research.a-star.edu.sg/research/6493)

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/health/view/1217395/1/.html http://wap.news.bigpond.com/articles/Health/2012/08/02/Stem_cells_blamed_for_cancer_re-growth_778465.html

http://www.worldnewstomorrow.com/?p=2414

Putting Reality Into Practice

Read what one unique Medical Center in the USA has to say

While surfing the net to find the information for this article, I “discovered” the Envita Medical Centre, in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA . According to its website http://www.envita.com/ this is the only clinic of its kind. The following are extracts from its website:

Our medical centre offers an extensive array of advanced natural treatments from all over the world under one roof. We combine these treatment options with the best of conventional medicine to offer our patients comprehensive and complete treatment programs. By bridging the best of what’s available in both natural and conventional medicine, we provide a cutting-edge approach to care that gives our patients the advantage.

Chemotherapy

Despite the National Cancer Institute’s forty years of scientific research (which now costs $4 billion annually), stage 3 and 4 chemotherapy-driven cancer treatments have not progressed a whole lot. In fact, the treatments typically do not work… at an alarming rate of 75% being ineffective.
The current model used to treat cancer in cancer centers and hospitals is known as “germ theory.” The germ theory approach focuses on destroying foreign cancer cells like an infection by using an aggressive regimen of chemotherapy that not been typed to the patient. Interestingly enough, Envita molecular tests show that standard chemotherapy is about 75% ineffective in patients whose treatments were not typed. That is 75% who get no results yet do great damage to their immune system. How can this be allowed to happen?

The Drawback of Old School Chemotherapy

During World War II, a nuclear bomb was dropped on Hiroshima to destroy the enemy; however, the damage was so devastating it resulted in the deaths of many innocent people. Without preliminary testing and targeting, large doses of chemotherapy can wreak similar havoc within a patient’s body. The collateral damage to healthy cells is devastating and often worse than the cancer itself, particularly in regard to the destruction and disabling of the immune system – the one natural mechanism your body normally uses to fight cancer cells every day.
One of the most frequent mistakes notably affecting stage 4 colon cancer patients is directly related to using standardized chemotherapy protocols. The approach is widely inappropriate, because ultimately, it’s only 2% effective in stage 4 colon cancer.
Many have been faced with the all-to-common dilemma that arises when the oncologist orders a standard regime of chemotherapy to treat their advanced or stage 4 cancers – even after chemotherapy had previously failed. Patients often feel that the course of treatment can be worse than the disease itself.

Chemotherapy Just Two Percent Effective in Late Stage Cancers

Many late stage cancer patients have endured unforgiving chemo treatment regimens only to realize minimal benefits, or worse, to discover their cancer was completely unresponsive.
When accepting new treatments, most patients are not aware that chemotherapy is just two percent effective in late stage cancers after a five-year period.

Conventional Chemo May Be Disappointing for Late Stage Patients

Despite the National Cancer Institute’s forty years of scientific research stage 3 and 4 chemotherapy-driven cancer treatments have not progressed a whole lot. In fact, the treatments typically do not work.
In his book “An Anatomy of Failure: A Blueprint for Future Years” Dr. Guy B. Faguet suggests that chemotherapy has not been shown to assist or advance survival beyond five years in most adults who suffer with advanced and late stage cancers.

Pharmaceutical Chemotherapy – Time to Look Beyond

Dr. Guy B. Faguet is not alone in his research-founded belief that chemotherapy is largely ineffective in dealing with advanced cancers or malignancies. Australian specialist Dr. Graeme Morgan shares Faguet’s view that chemotherapy is barely two percent effective in late stage treatment. With such a low success rate, it is time to deeply consider research-derived alternatives.
With facts being what they are, it is no longer sufficient or responsible for medical practitioners to rely solely on the traditional, pharmaceutical model to solve such problems. Fortunately, other effective options do exist.

Why Are Ineffective Approaches Still Acceptable to Many Oncologists?

By and large cancer growth response, or “shrinkage,” remains the primary focus of cancer treatment. Unfortunately, research demonstrates that such responses do not often correlate to elevated survival in patients. When traditional cancer treatment reports a 20 or 30 percent effect, it simply means that the patient’s tumor shrunk by 20 to 30 percent. This is deceptive because the cancer typically grows back, oftentimes larger, and resistant to the chemotherapy. The real measure is how long life is sustained and its quality therewith.
Envita is results oriented and we measure our success in terms of tumor change, as well as the long-term outcomes and quality of life experienced by our patients. This continues to be our driving force for developing and perfecting unique, quality treatments for our patients.

Questioning the Experts May Send You Away Empty

When an oncologist explains whether or not a therapy is “working,” the reality might not be so black and white. Such conventional cancer treatment protocols are laden with “let’s wait and see language.” In simple terms, if an individual lives five years or more from the beginning of treatment, than that treatment for cancer was considered a success, or that “it worked.”
Standard oncology insists on following typical chemotherapy protocols, despite documentation that indicates ineffectiveness with advanced stage cancers. Why, do you ask?
Well, you should know that virtually all cancer centers use fundamentally identical variations of protocol regimens because they follow each other. In fact, the more prestigious the organization the more this occurs. It is not uncommon to attend their respective board meetings and hear the discussion repeatedly return to using the same old non-proven method.
Unbelievably, most new and innovative cancer information and treatments are coming from outside the United States. “It doesn’t work,” or “It isn’t proven” seem the popular answers given to patients with alternative curiosities. This is ironic, knowing that research indicates that traditional (meaning medical) treatments ARE regularly being proven to NOT work.

Putting it Together and Reaching Beyond Chemo

Truly successful approaches to cancer must surpass the simple tumor-size analysis, and include:

Long-term results from building the immune system
Removing causes for example toxins such as cancer-causing carcinogens
Stopping chronic inflammation
Targeting cancer cells alone, not the human body’s defense system.
When such methods are adopted and consistently integrated, only then might we seriously consider cancer care as being effective or successful.

So, how important is Cancer Nutrition?

Proper cancer nutrition is emphasized by Envita’s medical team as it can immediately improve the quality of life while simultaneously enhancing other treatments at the same time. Since the 1970s, there have been more than 280 peer-reviewed studies, involving no less than 50 worldwide human studies, with more than 8,521 patients of whom 5,081 were given nutrients. These studies have definitively shown significant improvement in the following categories:

Quality of life
Enhanced immunity
Healthy tissue protection
Assistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy

There is no question that antioxidants and nutrients, administered properly, do not interfere with conventional treatments for cancer such as chemotherapy and radiation. We recognize this nutrition-based form of cancer therapy to be critical for those in remission, as well as for patients who are working toward prevention.

Metastasis

Metastasis is the spread of cancer from one area to other organs in the body. Ninety percent of all cancer patients die because of metastasis.
When chemotherapy, surgery and radiation fail, as they commonly do in late stage cancers, metastasis takes off like wild fire.
What many people do not know is that metastasis begins on the cellular level, in the very early stages of cancer. This is called micro-metastasis. When micro-metastases begin to invade tissue at a macro level, metastatic cancer occurs.
Many cancer patients may have micro-metastasis occurring, yet their oncologists can never really be sure, because they are often undetectable.
Many patients are told that the only way to really know if they have received an effective outcome with conventional treatment is to watch and wait and to “allow time to be the best determining factor for a successful treatment” – a statement that has virtually become a “pop oncology” mantra.
To further complicate matters, it has been shown that some metastases are active while other forms are dormant in an arrested cell cycle – waiting for messengers to start them up again.
There are also forms of metastasis that go untouched or unaffected by chemotherapy as they do not behave as “normal” cancer cells do. The problem with current conventional cancer treatment could not be clearer: the World is in need of a more effective way to combat metastasis. This is the very thought that inspired the founder of Envita to create a truly integrative cancer center.

The Politics of Developing a New Cancer Treatment

It would be nice to think that all cancer treatments are based simply on good science, great patient care, and life-saving innovations. In reality, that’s not the case. The FDA issued a warning letter to Envita for not registering the biologics product as a new research drug with IND application.

Don’t Let Cancer Cells Become a Sleeping Giants

How tumor cells enter and escape dormant states is yet to be fully understood. Some research has shown that removal of the primary tumor may actually trigger the metastasized tumor cells’ escape from dormancy by releasing growth factors and angiogenic factors as well as by catalyzing a reduction in apoptosis.
Researchers are still examining whether dormant tumor cells are in cell-cycle arrest, or whether they are dividing and being killed at the same rate as they’re dividing. One reason these cells may escape chemotherapy is because they are not dividing. Chemotherapy tends to target rapidly dividing cells.

Immunity Deals Best with Dormant Metastasis and Stage 4 Cancer

The immune system plays a significant role in keeping metastasized tumor cells dormant. Research shows that suppressing the part of the immune system responsible for adaptive immunity, may result in late development of rapidly growing cancers.
On the other hand, cells that are held in a dormant state are under the control of an immune response that prevents further growth and actually programs the cells to kill themselves. For this reason, dormant metastasized cancer cells may indeed be used as a way to prevent cancer recurrence by priming the immune system to respond to such cells and prevent further growth by keeping them dormant. Thus, residual tumor cells may be kept under control through passive and active adaptive immunization.
In conclusion, the immune system ultimately serves as both the first and last lines of defense against cancer.

Comments

Let me conclude by saying this: For more than a decade I have been reading numerous books and articles in medical journals about chemotherapy and cancer cure. It is indeed hard for me to comprehend the reason that patients are asked to undergo chemo just because of the so-called SOP (Standard Operating Procedure), or undergoing chemo as a way to prevent cancer recurrence. If you read and understand the above, you know that the reasons given do not make much sense.

Similarly, you undergo chemo because you want to kill all the remaining cancer cells left behind in the body; or to stop cancer from spreading; or promote quality of life. These statements, unfortunately, may be just equally off the mark too! At best it is only half truth.

Read again what doctors at the Envita Medical Center have said. What do you think of Envita’s claim that it is the only one of its kind? Probably right? To me, their doctors are a lot more sensible. If you have the money and have cancer, I suggest you visit Envita. Otherwise, let us all pray that one day – sometime in the not too distant future – similar hospitals can be found in this part of the world.

Salivary Gland Cancer: A Miracle Did Happen

I received an email from HB of Indonesia on 9 October 2009. Later, HB wrote another email in response to my questions. These two emailed are merged and edited mildly for clarity and easy reading. I have tried to retain the original writing as much as possible.

Dear Prof. Chris,

Thank you very much for your newsletter. It is very important to build up my spirit. Regarding chemotherapy and radiotherapy it is very hard to know the truth.

I was diagnosed with mucoepidermoidcarcinoma. (Note: This is the most common type of cancer of the salivary or parotid gland).

The treatment I would undergo were surgery and radiation, at least thirty times.

I underwent a major operation – radical neck resection, in November 2008. The cancer was at the base of my tongue but it had already spread to the lymph nodes. All these were removed. The doctor said it was already a stage four cancer.

(Above photos by HB)

One month after the operation, I went to the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) for routine check up. I told my doctors that my shoulder, wound, both ankles and the right side of my jaw were very painful. All the three doctors that I met at SGH said: You should go for radiation first, and then come back here for check up.

We asked if I were to undergo radiation, what would be the percentage that the cancer would come back, or if I did not take radiation what would be the percentage that it will come back again? The doctor answered: Seventy percent chance that the cancer will come back without radiation, and fifty percent chance if I take radiation.

In my mind there is only a difference of twenty percent. It is not significant enough considering the side effects from radiation that I have to suffer. So we decided not to take radiation and came back to Jakarta.

But I felt very scared. My spirit was very upsetting. I felt very bad. I felt scared to undergo the radiation and at the same I felt scared not to undergo radiation.

In Jakarta I went to consult with four doctors and all of them claimed that my cancer had already spread to my jaw, kidney and bone (ankle). Under this situation, they said I should undergo radiation and / or chemotherapy, if not, my life will worsen and it would be dangerous to my health.

I felt sad and hopeless. I thought my life could only be counted by the days. I prayed to Jesus and asked: Do I really need this radiation, or not. My life was going to end and my condition was still weak, tired and it was difficult to swallow any food.

In this desperate situation my family and I always prayed. My friends also prayed for me. We pray for a “miracle”. The miracle came through your book – KANKER: MENGAPA MEREKA TETAP HIDUP. Suddenly inside me, I said: Do not go for radiation, I need herbal. Yes, my wife and I felt very peaceful after taking this decision not to go for radiation. So we went to Penang.

One of my doctors in Jakarta had previously told me that I should undergo radiotherapy. Later he met with his friend, a professor from Holland who reviewed my case and restudied my cancer slide. He then sent my slide to his professor friend who is an expert in my cancer type. The conclusion is that my cancer NEEDS NO further treatment. If I were to undergo radiation, my condition will become worse, and the cancer could become more malignant. In my mind I imagined that if I were to undergo radiation as recommended by the doctors, I would be already dead. This is indeed a true “MIRACLE”.

While I consume your herbal, I went to see Doctor Nephrology, who had previously informed me that my cancer had already spread to the liver or kidney. This was because the laboratory test showed blood in my urine. This time Dr. Nephrology checked me again and told me that my liver and kidney were clean. The pains and the swollen ankles might be due to rheumatism. At that time I could barely walk and my ankles were very, very painful. There were pains in every position.

I went to see Doctor Rheumatism. From my laboratory report he said my autoimmune was very high and this attacked my ankles and the wound. So my shoulder was like carrying a 50 kg weight. My neck was very tight and I could not turn to the right or left.

Doctor Rheumatism said that my autoimmune should be suppressed. But if we do that then the cancer would be made stronger. I informed him that I am consuming the herbals for controlling the cancer. Doctor Rheumatism agreed to infusion medication to suppress my autoimmune. The result was very good. My shoulder got better, lighter and my ankles also felt lighter but there were still pains. However, the swelling was gone and I could walk again.

Two weeks after the first infusion, I went for a second infusion. My body was getting better again. The laboratory report also showed better results and my ankles were almost normal with no more pain.

I am still consuming the herbs: Capsule A, Oral 1 and Oral 2 teas, beside fruit and vegetable juices.

My condition is very good. The laboratory test, scan and USG are all very good – clear of cancer.

Thanks GOD, JESUS CHRIST, my savior. And thank you also to Prof. Chris who wrote many books on cancer and give help to people.

Best regards, HB.

On receiving the above e-mails, I wrote HB for some confirmation because I would like to share his experience with others. HB replied:

Dear Prof. Chris,

Thanks for your attention, and hope my experience could help other people too.

Question: When you came, your neck muscle was very tight and painful. You said it was like 50 kg weight on your shoulder – how are you now? Is the weight lighter?

HB: Now already normal, only around the wound I still feel sensitive.

Q: Do you still have the same level or pain – or it is better?

HB: Now no more pain, already normal.

Q: You cannot exercise because your hand cannot stretch – how is it now?

HB: I can do a bit of exercise, and every morning I do this as much as I can.

Q: You said you cannot turn when you sleep – how is it now?

HB: Now I am already normal.

Q: You legs were swollen and painful and you had difficulty walking – how is it now?

HB: Now already normal. I can already play badminton, running, carry some goods, driving car, etc.

Q: Tell me, do the herbs help you or not?

HB: The herbs are very helpful.

Q: You were taking juices, etc., from the nutritionist – do you still continue this? You still pantang(avoid certain food) like we told you?

HB: Yes, I still continue all these until now. I still pantang, but not so strict like previously after the operation. Before the operation I was 72 kg in weight, then it reduced 53 kg and now I am 60 kg.

HB’s first visit to our centre in Penang was on 6 February 2009. Below is our video recording of his visit that day.

Comments:

In the foreword for the book: Prayer, faith and healing by Kenneth Caine and Brian Kaufman, Dr. Bernie Siegel wrote: Though prayer and faith are generally not a part of any medical school curriculum, I have clearly seen the healing role that they have played in my life and, as a physician, in those of my patients.

Not many doctors are like Dr. Siegel who would interpret life’s events in a spiritual way. More often, in this materialistic world, we only see OURSELVES as the creator of our own success. The hand of God is often never acknowledged. A psychiatrist, Dr. Frederic Flach (in: Faith, healing and miracles) wrote: I’m not sure we really appreciate how much we have received or where these wonders have come from. Consistent with the materialism of our age, we take credit for having made these amazing advances all on our own, and fail to see them as God’s providence and continuing revelation about the nature of our world, to say nothing of his mercy and compassion.

After my talk at the Indonesian Food and Drug Administration many years ago, a lady who was one of those listening to my talk, walked up to me and said: I am surprised that as a scientist, you brought up the subject of God in your presentation. I was surprised too by her comment and replied: I make no apology about that because in healing I experienced God’s healing hands. I am not ashamed to acknowledge that it is only “our hands but God who heals”.

No doubt about that, in science and medicine, God has no place and plays no role. You make yourself a fool among the scientific community, if you champion such a cause! A great psychologist, Freud, considered all religious faith to be a form of mass delusion. Albert Einstein, the greatest scientist of the 20^th century, did not believe in God, though he acknowledged the existence of a Supreme Order. I wonder where then is the difference?

In this story, HB declared that his healing is a miracle – an answer to his prayer. Do you see miracles happening here? No, no, I am not saying that HB is miraculously cured of his cancer. Nevertheless, I do see many miracles happening in the story of his life. It is just a matter of how you see things – to believe whether the glass is half empty or half filled. These are what I see:

1. The doctors have done a miraculously job of removing the tumour and his infected lymph nodes. Doctors are smart and skillful. Credit to the doctors! Blessing from God? Depends.

2. Almost all the doctors that HB consulted were very sure that he must undergo radiotherapy. HB was in a dilemma. He said a simple prayer: Lord Jesus: Do I really need this radiation or not.

At CA Care we encourage patients to seek comfort through Spirituality. We tell patients to go home and pray to your “God”. We know that by doing this you would be able to find peace within you and to heal yourself.

Dr. Bernie Siegel (reference mentioned above) said: When you run into a situation that you do not know how to handle, you will no longer be at a loss as to what to do. You will pray and when you do, you will give God a home and roots with which to grow and reside on Earth and make His presence conscious.

Dr. Frederic Flach (in: Faith, healing and miracles) wrote: By surrendering ourselves to God’s will, faith frees us of the futile need to control the uncontrollable forces that act upon us in our lives … faith can ease our way and counteract the destructive physical and psychological effects that any state of prolonged helplessness is likely to induce.

Can you see how prayer had helped HB in facing his cancer? With faith his confidence grew and he felt in control. Is this not a miracle in itself?

It is said that God will answer every prayer but it need not be in a way that you wish it to be. In human language it may mean “no, wait or yes”. In HB’s case, the answer came in the form of a finding a book in the bookstore. HB knew this. He said: The miracle came through your book – KANKER: MENGAPA MEREKA TETAP HIDUP. Suddenly inside me, I said: Do not go for radiation, I need herbal. Yes, my wife and I felt very peaceful after taking this decision NOT to go for radiation. Of course for some people, undergoing radiotherapy or chemotherapy is considered a miracle for them but to HB, he believed that if he were to undergo radiotherapy, he would not have been alive today, or for that matter, may not be what he is today. Is this not a great miracle that happened? HB was led to do what his heart wanted to do and he found peace and confidence to move forward.

While on this point, I am reminded of two patients. This young lady was a nurse and she had breast cancer. Her boss, who is a doctor, gave her the book: Cancer Yet They Live, and said: If you believe in what this book says, go and see him. No, the nurse did not believe in herbs and she went for radiotherapy, hormones and chemotherapy after her surgery. She did not find her cure. Later she turned to us but it was too late. Her abdomen was swollen and the cancer had spread to her liver and bones, etc. She died about two weeks after seeing us. Then there was Jee Sun from Johore. After his kidney surgery, a friend gave him the book: Cancer Yet They Live and the giver said similar words:This is something which can help you. Read this book and then call Dr. Chris. This incident happened in 1997 and today Jee Sun is still living a healthy life. The nurse versus Jee Sun – do you see any miracle there?

3. I also see a third miracle. After HB and his wife came to see us, he went home but he did not sit under a coconut tree waiting for God to do something. He explored further and met Dr. Rheumatism who told him about his high autoimmune problem. He received two infusions and the so-called 50 kg weight on his neck, swelling, etc., all disappeared. His health recovered to the extent that he can now play badminton. Cancer patients go to the oncologists and radiologists – that is what almost 99.9 percent of cancer patients would do. But HB went to Dr. Rheumatism. This is the first time that I hear such thing. What made HB follow that path? Who was whispering into his heart? I believe it was the Divine and I see the miracle in His guidance.

4. You may wish to ask me why I did not say that God had miraculously cured HB? Let me be plain and clear. I do not wish to make use of God’s name in vain and for propaganda purposes to serve my own ends. A cure, to our understanding, means the cancer will disappear totally and not come back again. Therefore, it is not possible for any human being to say that HB is cured of his cancer. Doctors tell patients that they are cured of cancer if they can survive five years. That is wrong – a spin, only good for business but not based on scientific fact. I know of a lady who had a mastectomy, radiotherapy and chemotherapy for her breast cancer. Nine years later the cancer recurred in her brain. She had radiotherapy and died while undergoing the treatment. So, where is the cure? My auntie had cervical cancer. She underwent medical treatment. The cancer came back and attacked her lungs thirteen years later and she died. Again where is the cure? Scientific data show that patients have to live for twenty-five years to be able to say that they are cured of cancer. Take note – 25 years not five years! Based on this, it would be foolish of me to say that HB is miraculously cured.

While on this, let me relate an evening gathering I went to some years ago. There was this lady who walked up the stage and declared to the many hundreds of people listening to her that God had cured her nose cancer (NPC). Then she went on to say that about nine months earlier she was diagnosed with NPC and had undergone radiotherapy. A follow up with her oncologist confirmed that there was not more cancer after the radiation. Bravo, it was a miracle. God had cured her. That evening I felt real sorry. Any educated mind knows that after medical treatment, whether chemotherapy or radiotherapy, the tumour will shrink or even disappear. But this does not mean the cancer is cured. Basic cancer biology tells us that there are still thousands, if not billions, of dormant cancerous cells still floating in the blood stream that cannot be seen even under the microscope, let alone the human eyes or CT scan. So how could anyone ever claim a cure? It does not fit into the scientific thinking at all.

Not long ago, I received an email from a patient who said that she took our herbs and then went for surgery to remove the tumour in her colon. A follow checkup showed that her CEA had gone down tremendously. She wrote to thank me and said that the herbs were very effective and caused the declined of her CEA. Well, people may be flattered by such a remark. It makes good propaganda. But I wrote her and said that it was her surgery that caused the CEA to come down, not the herbs. Patients should know that after surgery, generally the tumour maker declines significantly. So let us not try to claim credit so soon.

Lastly, let me highlight what HB wrote: My condition is very good. The laboratory test, scan and USG are all very good – clear of cancer. I asked HB: You were taking juices, etc., do you still continue this? You still pantang like we told you? HB replied: I still “pantang” but not so strict like previously after the operation.

To all cancer patients, remember this: the fact that you feel well now does not mean that the cancer is gone. The scans may show no cancer, your doctors may say you are in the clear but believe me, you are still not out of the woods. So, to read that I still “pantang” but not so strict like previously after the operation is something sad. No let up please!

Pray to Milk God?

In my book, Faith and prayer in the healing of cancer, I wrote about Spirituality and how it can help cancer patients. Let us not be mistaken – just because we pray, it does not mean that all our troubles will disappear. C. S. Lewis wrote: If God has granted all the silly prayers I’ve made in my life, where would I be now? Treating religion as a means to an end or manipulating faith for the sole purpose of wanting to get health benefits can bring greater unhappiness or worse health than better health. Meister Eckhart once said: Most people use God like a cow – for the milk and cheese He can produce. Manley Hall said: There is a type of person in whose mind God is always getting mixed with vitamins.

In this respect I am very impressed by how HB prayed. It was only a short prayer but was a really great prayer. I too pray everyday and often. But I am a person who does not believe in reciting a long prayer, giving God a long list of chores that He should do for me each day. I believe God already knows my problems. Make no demands. I only ask for guidance and strength to do what is right according to His will. Let God open our eyes so that we can see other possibilities beyond our vision.

Let us pray this beautiful American Indian prayer together.

Mother, sing me a song that will ease my pain,

Mend broken bones,

Bring wholeness again.

Show me the Medicine,

of the healing herbs;

The value of Spirit;

The way I can serve.

Mother, heal my heart so that I can see,

The gifts of yours, That can live through me.

Latest update:

26 March 2012: Dear Prof. Chris,

I’m now active in the Support Group of my church, GKI (Gereja Kristen Indonesia) Kayu Putih. This Supporting Group works with people who has cancer or other’s.

16 July 2012: Dear Prof. Teo,

Thanks for your email. Regarding your writing of my story, there is no need for you to cover my face. Please use it. Hopefully it (shows) the spirit to our GOD and also the story helps other people. If you need more photo’s we will send you.

Today I’m already normal, very healthy. The food is still selective, if possible no meat, no fried, no butter, no sugar, no preservatives, etc. Every day for breakfast we (our family) eat papaya, apple, pineapple and flaxseed. All are blended. Besides I also like to inform you that we have already written my story and it is already published. We will send you some copies and I hope it is useful for supporting other patients. Best regards. HB.

30 July 2012: We received two copies of Jangan Minta Beban Ringan, Mintalah Bahu Kuat – Kesaksian Penderita Kanker.

This is an adeptly titled book written by HB himself – Do Not Ask for a Lighter Load, Ask for Strong Shoulders – Testimony of a Cancer Patient. Indeed HB’s message is in accord with our message to all patients.

Let me conclude by asking you to ponder these:

What could have happened if HB were to follow his doctor’s advice and underwent radiotherapy?
Would he not suffer short-term and long-term side effects of the radiation?
Would he be as healthy as he is today?
At the time when he did not know what to do, he found our book and that gave him the Light. What an amazing grace resulting in an amazing healing!

Cervical Cancer: A Miraculous Healing

Patient is a 56 year-old-female from Medan, Indonesia. Sometime in March-April 2012, she had abdominal pains followed by bleeding. She had nausea with bloating of her abdomen. The doctor in Medan diagnosed it as cervical cancer. Patient came to a private hospital in Penang because she was unable to pass urine. She was told that this was due to the swelling of her kidney. A catheter was installed. She was then referred to a gynaecologist who told her that her cancer had spread to her bladder.

CT report dated 27 April 2012 indicated: Multiple simple renal cortical cysts seen bilaterally. Moderate right hydronephrosis and hydroureter as well as mild left hydronephrosis and hydroureter seen. Grossly distended urinary bladder. Fuzzy, irregular cervical edges noted. Impression: 1. Grossly distended urinary bladder with bilateral urinary tracts ? back pressure. 2. Fuzzy, irregular cervical edges. Suggest gynaecological assessment.

A biopsy was done and the histopathology report dated 28 April 2012 indicated: Poorly differentiated non keratinising squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix infiltrating the cervical stroma.

Patient was then referred her to an oncologist. The oncologist suggested radiotherapy. Patient and her family refused the treatment and returned to Medan. Patient was told to return of Penang again after three months. However, after a month and a week at home, she was unable to urinate again. The problem was resolved after the previously installed catheter was replaced. Nevertheless, patient suffered pains, nausea and vomiting. She was unable to move her bowels for the past five days and then her urination was blocked again. An attending doctor had to change a catheter to resolve her problems.

1. Found CA Care

Her children surfed the net for help and found CA Care. They wrote (translated from Bahasa Indonesia):

9 June 2012: Dear Sirs,

On this occasion I beg Dr. Chris K.H. Teo to help treat my mother. I have attached a form that contains information and some problems experienced by my mother. I really hope Dr. Chris K.H. Teo can immediately notify me what to do to help my mother. My family and I always pray for the healing of our mother, and I am very grateful to have been able to know Dr. Chris KH Teo. For giving me your attention I thank you. Sincerely, Az.

Reply: From North Sumatra? Come and see me in Penang. Bring all the medical reports / scans. And also please read: http://cacare.com/indonesia/

13 June 2012: Dr. Chris K.H. Teo.

Through this email I wish to inform you about my mother’s condition. She is so weak that she cannot go to Penang to meet with Dr. Chris. However, our family shall send my father to see Dr. Chris in Penang. Our family plead that Dr. Chris help our mother. For your kind attention, I thank you. Sincerely, Az.

Reply: Meet me at 10.30 a.m. Friday morning.

15 June 2012: Patient’s husband – Darwin – came to our center and presented this story.

We prescribed her the following herbs: Capsule A, Cervical 1 and Cervical 2 teas, Constipation tea, Bladder tea and Stomach Function tea.

June 19, 2012: Dr. Chris K.H. Teo,

Greetings. Through this email I wish to inform you that after taking the herbal teas from 17 June to 19 June – two days – my mother suffered the following:

a) Sometimes she had fevers (hot-cold) and even chills and shivered.

b) She had no strength to stand up. Today she fell.

c) She passed out blood-red urine with tiny clots – could be blood clots.

d) A part of her stomach felt hot.

e) Her whole body ached.

We request information from Dr. Chris about this development. I would like to know if my mother can take vitamin to improve her stamina. If possible, tell us what is good according to Dr. Chris? We hope for the response from Dr. Chris. Thank you for your attention. Yours truly, Az.

Reply: Only two days on herbs, don’t expect cure that soon!

June 24, 2012: Dr. Dear Chris,

I want to give a report about my mother:

Since taking herbs from 17 June to 21 June 2012 my mother’s condition are as follows:

a) Hot in the stomach area.

b) She feels chills.

c) Whole body with tingling pains in the bones. She needs help to sit up, stand or walk.

d) Urination is smooth and she passed out many small, moss-like clumps.

e) Bowel movements are good.

From 22 June 2012 to today, 24 June, my mother:

a) Is able to sit and walk by herself because no more pains in the bones.

b) Heat in the stomach and feeling of chills and shivering have all gone.

c) However, she has twisting feelings in the abdomen (below the navel).

d) The pains in the hip come and go. She also has nausea and vomiting.

We pray for your guidance and advice.

13 July 2012: The patient’s husband, Darwin, came to CA Care and reported that his wife’s health has started to improve further from 28 June onwards, i.e., twelve days after taking our herbs.

Darwin is indeed an amazing man. He did all the chores of brewing his wife’s herbs and took full control of caring for her. He produced a diary where he wrote what had happened to his wife each day (see below).

Since this is indeed an amazing healing story, I asked Darwin if I need to cover his face in our video presentation. His replied: No, no need to cover! He would like to share his wife’s healing story with all of us.

Transcription of our conversation on 13 July 2012

2. The Healing Crisis

Husband: I have been keeping a record of what happened every day since she started to take the herbs.

Chris: You came here in June (15 June 2012) and this is now July (13 July 2012) and she has been taking the herbs for about a month now? Your wife did not come, right? You came on her behalf?

H: That’s right.

C: After taking the herbs for a week – did she suffer?

H: Yes – exactly! These are the details.

She had high temperatures – fevers.
She felt dizzy.
Her abdomen was heaty.
Sometimes she trembled or shivered.

C: Before the herbs, did she suffer such problems?

H: No, not at all.

C: After taking the herbs, she had all these problems? For how long?

H. The problem started three days after taking the herbs. Her abdomen had twisting pains, her whole body ached, her abdomen itched. The problem persisted for about ten days.

C: What happened after the ten days?

H: Her condition stablised. Her appetite improved. By the 12^th day her condition returned to normal. On the 16^th day she had difficulty urinating. I brought her to the hospital and the doctor replaced her urinary catheter (a urinary catheter is a latex, polyurethane or silicone tube that is inserted into a patient’s bladder via the urethra. This allows the urine to drain freely from the bladder for collection). With the new catheter she was able to pass urine again.

C: Was this done in the hospital?

H: Yes, she was in the hospital for seven days. As the urine flowed out, it also allowed the waste to come out. She started to discharge pus, pieces of rotten tissues – sometimes string-like – with strong foul smell.

C: What? Things like these come out through the tube with her urine?

H: Yes, pieces of rotten flesh and very smelly. Some looked like plastic strings. Sometimes there was blood and pus. Finally the tube got blocked by the debris. A new catheter has to be installed. To help with the flow, I had to press the tube to break up the debris.

C: Okay, let’s see if I get it right. All these discharge – the rotten tissues, pus, etc – happened before you brought her to the hospital?

H: Yes, before going to the hospital.

C: It means that after taking the herbs, she had all the sufferings you mentioned and on top of it, rotten tissues and pus were discharged through the catheter. Is that right?

H: Yes.

C: It also means that your wife already had a catheter before she started to take the herbs? This was to help her discharge her urine. And after she took the herbs, all these rotten tissues and pus were discharged through the catheter until the device was clogged.

H: Yes, because of that I had to bring her to the hospital and a new catheter was fitted. And she stayed in the hospital for seven days.

C: While in the hospital, did the doctor give her any medication for her cancer?

H: No, only medication to help with her urination.

C: What happened after she came out of the hospital?

H: She became well! But she still continued to discharge these “waste.”

C: And the rotten tissues still came out?

H: No, no. No more tissues but only pus but only a little – not as much as before.

C: Before you took the herbs, did such thing ever happen?

H: No, no, nothing like that!

Similar Thing Happened in the Philippines

C: Amazing, amazing! I now remember of a similar case. There was a patient from the Philippines. He had Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. The doctor could not do anything except to insert a tube into his abdomen. After taking the herbs rotten-minced-meat-like tissues flowed out through the tube. It was very smelly. The colour was very dark brown. This rotten tissue kept flowing out of the tube for a few weeks. After two months on the herbs he regained his health. Later an ultrasound showed no more growth in his pancreas. (For more on this patient: https://cancercaremalaysia.com/2012/07/13/pancreatic-cancer-is-there-another-option/)

3. Health Restored After Herbs

H: From my thinking, my wife had to undergo a cleansing process. There are too much “germs” inside her and these have to come out. Because of that even the catheter get clogged up. I brought her to the hospital. I told the doctor that she (my wife) is taking herbs for her cancer.

C: What did the doctor say about that?

H: The doctor had no objection with the herbs. It is okay.

C: Amazing! Some doctors get angry if you take herbs. But your doctor is agreeable. That’s the kind of doctor who can help us and co-operate with us. Good, I am happy to hear that.

H: When I met the doctor I asked him to only help drain her urine from the bladder. That was all that I wanted him to do. Even if he prescribed medications, my wife did not take them. The only medications I allowed my wife to take were painkiller and the drip they gave her to help with the urine flow.

Herbs Certainly Helped Her

C: This is really amazing. Do you think that the herbs had helped your wife?

H: Yes, of course. You see doc., after the herbs she had fevers, nausea, vomiting, etc.

C: Okay, when she was in such a condition, what was in your mind?

H: I encouraged my wife to continue with the herbs. Healing was taking place – a cleansing was happening. The cleansing process started from the top and by the 8^th day it went down to her lower abdomen and she had so much pain. All her joints and bones all over the body were painful. When she had fevers she trembled.

C: Were you not afraid and wanted to give up?

H: No, she continued to take the herbs. I was giving her all the encouragement.

C: But it was only you who were “pushing” her. What about other people in the family?

H: I was the main person taking care of her. I boiled her herbs. I didn’t trust others to do this chore.

C: Did it not cross your mind that after a week on the herbs – and she had all these problems – you wanted to give up?

H: Sometimes, I did think of that! But your wife and also you doc., did warn me about this healing crisis when I was here for the first time. So I was even more encouraged to proceed. So I persisted. So this month, I did not sleep much having to take care of my wife!

Suffering Before Healing

C: Okay, this is the kind of patient I really want and admire – patient who has such belief and “fighting spirit.” Many patients will write to me after taking herbs for two or three days. They have pains here and there and wanted me to explain why this and that happened. But how am I to know? I am here in Penang and they are there – somewhere so far away in Indonesia, Singapore or Australia. How do you expect me to know and explain everything? But what I know is this – patients would suffer healing crisis after taking the herbs. If you are not prepared to go through this “hump” you will not succeed. This is what I consider the “law of healing.” But many patients will “chicken out” with the slightest discomfort. But good for you that you did not give up and continued taking the herbs.

She Recovered After Twenty-six Days on Herbs

H: Two or three days before I left home to come here today, my wife had recovered. There were no more pains.

C: If you look at her – does she look healthy?

H: Yes, healthy. She can now walk around the house even with her catheter. She could even talk on the phone and laughed. To me she looked healthy.

C: Before the herbs, what were her conditions?

H: She was lethargic and lacked energy. She had difficulty talking to me over the phone. Her voice was weak and she had pains in her lower abdomen. It was on the 26^th day after taking the herbs that I could see her coming to life again and well.

No Poisons for Her

C: What you did for her was correct. We still need the doctors to help us. But what we don’t want is to put poisons into her body.

H: Antibiotics? No, no. We refused that. What we accepted from the doctors were vitamins – okay; painkiller, okay But antibiotics, No!

C: This is a great story. It is patient like this that I really admire.

4. Beware. The Cancer Can Strike Back

C: You must be aware that her healing journey has just begun. It is not over yet – she is still in the healing process.

H: Yes, exactly.

C: Many patients – after they feel well and don’t feel like dying anymore – they would want to eat this and that.

H: No, no (waving his hands violently). That is not right!

C: So you must be very careful.

H: I am aware of that!

C: Let me warn you again to be careful with what she eats. When she was sick, you took care of her very well and she recovered. Don’t ever change her diet now. After she gets wells, you can slowly introduce one “new” type of food at a time. If that “new food” does not give any problem – you can then introduce another “new” food and see what happens. I can anticipate what your next problem is going to be – it is all about food. So be careful.

Healed Pancreatic Cancer That Turned Rotten

C: Take the case of the patient from the Philippines who had pancreatic cancer I told you earlier. The doctor said he had only three to six months to live. He took herbs and after two months became well. He lived for one and half years! He was able to back to his job – repairing air-con and fridge. Later, the doctor told him that he was “cured” – no more tumour. He stopped taking the herbs and went back to his “bad” diet. He suffered a relapse and died.

Remember, if your wife suffered a relapse, I am not going to be able to help her again. There is nothing much more that I can do for her.

Don’t Ever Go Back to Your Former “Bad” Diet

C: So this is my reminder again. Now that she has recovered. Remember don’t ever go back to her “bad” diet again. Apart from this diet problem, I do not see any other problem. This is because I have given her enough herbs for her problems. And I am not going to change any of these herbs for now. The only thing is her diet – this is the greatest mistake all cancer patients committed after they get well.

Her Current Problems

C: What are her problems now?

H: Only the urination.

C: Be patient. And did she still discharge those rotten tissues?

H: No more rotten tissues but there is still pus. No blood. No more nausea and vomiting. Even the bloating of her abdomen was resolved.

C: Okay, no need to take that Stomach Function tea for her stomach wind anymore.

H: Yesterday my brother-in-law had a bloated stomach. I gave him the Stomach Function tea. After one night and two days his stomach was flat and he was alright! The herbal tea was effective! (There is no need to cover my face in our video conversation. I would like to share my experience with others).