Katy (not her real name) was 52 years old when she was diagnosed with cancer of the right breast in 2008. She had a mastectomy. It was a lobular carcinoma with small area of low grade intraductal carcinma and ductal epithelian hyperplasia. All the 10 axillary lymph nodes are free of tumour metastasis.

Immunohistochemistry report indicated the tumour was strongly positive of estrogen and progesterone receptors. It is also wrongly positive for e-cerbB2 and moderately positive for P53.

Katy did not undergo any chemotherapy but took tamoxifen for two months and decided to stop it. She came to seek our help and was prescribed Capsule A, Breast M and C-teas. Katy was on our therapy for about two years and decided to let it go. She was doing great and was back to her normal life again.

Twelve years later – in July 2020 – we received an email requesting for an appointment to see us. Katy was again diagnosed with cancer and this time it was of her left breast. She underwent a lumpectomy in June 2020. This cost her RM18,000.

The histopatholgy report confirmed an invasive carcinoma which had invaded the adjacent breast tissue. There is also lymphovascular permeation. Eight lymph nodes were removed but none was infected with cancer. The hormonal status: ER +, PR- and HER2 equivocal (uncertain).

Katy was asked to consult an oncologist for further management. But she refused to see an oncologist knowing full well that she would not want to undergo chemotherapy. Katy came to seek our help and was prescribed herbs.

Lesson we can learn from this story – there is no cure for cancer! It can come back again.

Patients are often told that if they survived five years, they are considered cured of their cancer. So five-year survival is the “magic” cut-off point to determine if you are cured or not cured. How true is this dogma?

Take a break and reflect on the story of MT, a 44-year-old lady from Batam. She had breast cancer in 2005. She had undergone a mastectomy, 6 cycles of chemotherapy and 30 radiation treatments. She took tamoxifen for 5 years. That was the start-of-the-art medical treatment that most patients were asked to undergo for their breast cancer.

Before the treatments, the doctor told MT that her breast cancer was at an early stage and she had a 90 percent chance of complete cure with the treatments. MT believed her doctor and did exactly as she was told. Each year she came back to her doctor for a routine checkup. At every visit she was told that she was fine. After five years, MT was told to stop tamoxifen because she was already cured. MT spent a total of about IDR60 million for her medical treatments.

Barely a year later, in April 2011, MT started to have pains in her tail bone and shoulder blade. She ignored the problem and did not go back to see her doctor. The pains became more intense. Then her legs started to hurt. She became breathless and was unable to walk far. She became tired easily. In February 2012, MT returned to her doctor. Examination indicated the cancer had spread to her bones.

She asked the oncologist how could this happen – after she had done all the necessary treatments required of her. On top of that he, the oncologist, had told her that she had been cured! This was the oncologist’s reply, “I do not know why. But don’t blame yourself. It is your fate. Also the recurrence has nothing to do with what you eat. It is just your fate.” (Watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5Hfi2-ngN0)

MT did everything that her oncologist wanted her to do. She was even told that she was cured after 5 years, but at the 6th year she suffered extensive bony metastasis. Why? Her doctor said, “I do not know why. But don’t blame yourself. It is your fate. Also the recurrence has nothing to do with what you eat. It is just your fate.”

How do you feel about the answer given? This is what happens if you place your life in the hands of experts. You have undergone all treatments – slash, poison and burn and when these fail, it is not the wrong treatment strategy, the “useless” drug used or the bad advice given that are the reasons for the failure. The scapegoat is your fate! That is how the “so called educated brains” rationalize failures, never humble enough to admit their short comings or to learn from their mistakes.