Lately, we encountered many cases of breast cancer. Indeed pathetic. By  sharing this story with you, we hope that those who come after this unfortunate patient, can learn and understand the “folly” of taking the wrong path.

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Lucy (not real name) is a 40-year-old female from Indonesia.

An USG of her breasts on 13 July 2013 showed:

• Anechoic lesions seen in upper side of both breasts, size 2 to 7 mm in diameter, well defined margin.
• Hypoechoic lesions, unclear border, lying in the skin seen in both axilla, size 3 to 7 mm. Suspected atheroma (an abnormal mass of fatty or lipid material deposited in the inner lining of an artery) in both axilla.
• No evidence of suspicious abnormal enlarged lymph nodes in both axilla.

Conclusion: Suspected of atheroma in both axilla. Cysts in both breasts.

In January 2014, Lucy felt a lump in her left breast. A mammogram and USG were performed on 30 January 2014 which indicated:

• An irregular slight hyperdensity lesion in left mammogram with subtle microcalcification, highly suggestive of malignant mass.
• Breast ultrasound demonstrate malignant and indeterminate solid mass in left breast and bilateral breast cysts.

Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy concluded a left breast, ductal carcinoma.

Lucy was asked to undergo an operation. She refused. Instead she started to take Bawang Tiwai as a remedy for almost a year. Her problem did not go away.

A year later, January 2015, Lucy sought the help of a herbalist in Surabaya. She was prescribed herbs besides undergoing a tapping treatment. The herbalist tapped certain parts of her body as a treatment. Each tapping treatment lasted about 10 to 15 minutes. This treatment was done once a month for a year.

A PET scan on 12 March 2015, showed swelling of the liver. The cancer had spread to her lymph nodes while the condition of her left breast had deteriorated.

Lucy stopped this herbal and tapping treatments in January 2016, after an USG had shown that Lucy’s breast cancer had worsened.

In May 2016, Lucy and her husband came to seek our advice. We told Lucy to go and consult a surgeon and have her left breast removed. There is no compromise about it! Lucy went to a private hospital for further consultation.

A CT scan on 3 May 2016 showed:

• An enhanced irregular mass in the left breast measuring 49.8 x 56.8 x 57.1 mm.
• Multiple small satellite nodules are also seen.
• Infiltration into the nipple and skin seen, with thickened overlying skin.
• Multiple enlarged left axillary lymph nodes, largest measuring 38.6 x 51.3 x 53.3 mm.
• Multiple metastatic lung nodules noted bilaterally.
• Multiple enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes seen, largest in right paratracheal region measuring 37.3 x 24.8 x 55.0 mm or hilar lymphadenopathy seen.
• Enlarged left upper paraaortic lymph nodes seen measuring 14.9 x 28.4 x 31.0 mm.
• Gross hepatomegaly. No focal liver parenchyma lesion.
• Uterus is anteverted and bulky with a uterine fibroid seen measuring 65.9 x 54.9 x 68.0 mm.
• Several lytic bone lesions seen in the spine, sternum, liac and ischium.

Conclusion: Metastatic left breast carcinoma.

 

Here are Lucy’s blood test results.

	CEA	CA 15.5
6 November 2014	Less than 0.50	17.0
12 February 2016	0.89	234.9  H
3 May 2016	1.1	680.0  H

 

It is obvious that Lucy’s breast cancer had gone “beyond rotten”. The surgeon would not want to perform a mastectomy for her. Lucy was asked to consult an oncologist and undergo chemotherapy — the treatment which she did not want to undergo.

Lucy and her husband came back to see us again. These are the gist of what I said to them.

Wrong Path

1. You have taken the wrong path to start with. In January 2014, you had a biopsy. The lump was cancerous. The doctor wanted you to undergo an operation. You refused. You turned to Bawang Tiwai and was taking it for almost a year. Then you turned to a herbalist who gave you some herbs and did some “tapping magic” on you. The cancer worsened.

2. That was the greatest mistake you have ever made. Why do I say that? In my twenty years dealing with breast cancer, I have learned that a better option is to remove the cancerous lump as soon as possible. In this way you may be able to save your life. To me, surgery is a necessary evil. If you were to come and see 2 years ago, I would NOT prescribe you any herbs — not until you have your cancerous breast removed.

No Need To Find A Scapegoat

3. I have never heard of Bawang Tiwai before. (This is also known as Bawang Dayak). So last night, I surfed the net and searched for more information. This onion-like herb (Eleutherine palmifolia) is grown in Kalimantan. This is what it looks like (picture from the internet).

This herb is supposed to be good for the following (reproduced from: http://www.herbs-medicine.com/2016/01/benefit-eleutherine-palmifolia-treat.html)

1. Insomnia
2. Healthful heart Muscle
3. Support overcome lymph node cancer
4. Shrink irritation of the tonsils
5. Treating bronchial asthma
6. Ulcers
7. Lowering uric acid
8. Overcoming piles
9. Help deal with lung melanoma – Lung
10. Aid overcome breast melanoma
11. Support treat uterine cancer
12. Support overcome colon melanoma
13.  Support deal with whitish
14. Aid deal with cysts
15. Aid overcome cholesterol
16. Reduces suffering ulcer
17. 17 Help deal with migraine

4. As a botanist, I am glad that I get to know this herb. At least I have learned something new. But to say that this herb can cure your breast cancer is altogether another thing. For one year you have put your hope on this plant. Did you cure anything? On the contrary, your breast cancer worsened.
5. If you were to believe what is being written about this herb (read above list carefully), it is said it can help with lung cancer and fibroid besides breast lump. Now your breast cancer had spread to your lungs, bone and lymph nodes. You also have a 6 cm uterine fibroid. As it is, the herb helps to cure “nothing.”
6. Maybe other patients may benefit from this herb but NOT you. After a year you found out the “truth” the hard and dangerous way. You stopped taking Bawang Tiwai. In fact, I am going to tell you — on the same day that you came to talk to me, there was another patient who also took this Bawang. She was also in deep trouble.

What to Do Now?

7. When you came I asked you to go and see a surgeon to have the “rotten” breast removed. Unfortunately, according to his SOP (standard operating procedure) he would not be able to do that. He wanted you to do chemo first to shrink the tumour. If the chemo does not shrink the tumour you will have to go on with more and more chemo. If you are lucky, the tumour shrinks and you can get your breast removed totally.
8. I understand many patients do not want to go for chemo or radiation. They have heard enough of what these treatments can do to patients. So, I understand the predicament. But as I have said, surgery is a necessary evil — go and have the breast removed! If you don’t want to proceed with the follow up chemo or radiation, that is totally a different ball game.
9. In your case, since the surgeon did not want to remove your breast before you undergo chemotherapy, I suggest that you go and find some other surgeon who is willing the perform the surgery without chemo. May be there will someone like that. Although we know the chance is very slim. Go home to Indonesia and try to find such doctor.
10. If you cannot, then you have no choice but to do 1 to 3 cycles of chemo and see what happen. If the tumour shrinks, then you are lucky. But if there is no effect or you get worse, then know that chemo is not going to help you!
11. And understand this carefully:

Role of CA Care

12. At CA Care, after many years of observation and healing hundreds of cancer patients, We can come to a simple conclusion: Nobody on earth can cure any cancer! Because of this we are out-front with our patients. We tell them the truth that some may not want to hear.
13. All patients who come to us, hope that we can cure them. That we have “magic” bullets to make the cancer disappear. No, we can’t cure your cancer. To make your life better, probably yes. To make you live longer, may be yes. To give a better quality of life, most likely yes. But cure, NO.

To  put cancer into remission for a while may be possible,  but to make the cancer go away one hundred percent is not possible. The cancer can come back, even after 10, 15 or 20 years. We have patients who relapsed after such long years. So make no mistake about this.

14. In addition to taking herbs, we ask you to take care of your diet. Eat healthy not junk and toxic food! Go for exercise everyday if you can. Relax and don’t unnecessarily stress yourself. Learn how to let go. And above all, pray that the Almighty God guide you to do what is right for you.

So, our herbs are not magic bullets for your cancer. Unless you are prepared to follow what we have said, don’t waste your time and money trying to follow our therapy.