This 6-part article In remembrance of Stephen Taylor is one of the few long articles that I have written for our website. You may be wondering why!This is because I feel that there are many important lessons we can learn from Steve’s experiences. That is, if you want to read and learn. But if you are not interested to know and learn, then this article is meaningless. So what? You would say, he is already dead. Why waste time reading a dead man’s story? Sad.

Before I go further, let me remind you clearly and loudly. We in CA Care are not anti-doctors or anti-modern medicine. I have stated this point since we started CA Care some 27 years ago!

• If there is something wrong with you, my advice is always to go and see your doctor and find out what is really wrong with you. Don’t go to the alternative practitioners or Chinese sinseh for a diagnosis.

• If you have cancer, go and see an oncologist and ask what he/she can do for you. The gold standard of cancer treatment is surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy or immunotherapy. After listening to your doctor, you have to decide for yourself what you want to do. It must be your shot – don’t let others around you or your doctor “dictate” what you have to do. Reach out to your Inner Being to know what you want to do to help yourself.

If you need more help and are willing to read, ask your computer. These days, your computer can give you many answers. If you are still not satisfied and need an alternative view of what to do, you are welcome to consult us. Again, I say – we are not anti-doctors even though our views are often at odd with your doctors.

1. Steve’s initial stand was: No to Medical Treatment.

In this case, Steve at the beginning, did not want to go for medical treatment at all. He knew what it was like some years ago when he had prostate cancer. He lived many years after the initial hormonal treatment that failed him and he subsequently went on to find healing without undergoing further medical treatment. But that was prostate cancer. When he was diagnosed with salivary gland cancer, it was a different ball game altogether.

2. No Magic Bullet, Healing Take Times.

Almost all cancer patients who come to see expect a magic cure. No, I am sorry I cannot cure your cancer. There is no magic bullet for cancer. That is my experience. You need to learn how to live with your cancer and “cure” yourself. Others around you can help but ultimately it is you and you alone who determines the outcome of your healing.

Taking herbs for one, two or three month and expecting the tumour to go away is madness. And if there is anyone on earth who claims that he/she can deliver such magic cure, know that he/she could just be equally insane. There is no instant cure. Healing takes time.

3. Healing of cancer is not only about the tumour. Patient’s mindset and personal attitude are equally important.

In my 27 years of experience dealing with cancer, I realized that I can only help 30% of those who come and see me. The remaining 70% just cannot be helped. After talking to patients for a few minutes, I could roughly predict if I would be able to help them with their problem or not. 

Healing cancer is not just focusing on the tumour, it is about healing the whole body – both physical and mental. Your personal attitude and mindset play a very significant role in determining the direction and outcome of your effort to heal yourself.

The common attitude most people have is to fight with the cancer,  wanting to win in the war against cancer. Over the years I have come to understand that in any war no one wins! Turn on the news and see what happened to Iraq and now Ukraine! War, fight and see what happened to the ordinary folks? What you see on the screen (and the reality on the ground) is mass destruction. That is what war is – misery and destruction. Is this not be the same when you rage a war in your body against your own cancer?

I have come to realize that it is better to learn how to live with your cancer than fight with it. This is a tall order. Not everyone can do that.

Many patients come to me with these mental attitudes:

• My doctor said this, my doctor said that. Yes, my doctor knows best.

Read what some honest medical experts say:

In an address to students at the Harvard Medical School, the Dean, Dr. Burwell said:

• Half of what we are going to teach you is wrong, and half of it is right. Our problem is that we don’t know which half is which.

Listen to what Professor Jerome Groopman of Harvard Medical School said:

Every morning Steve looked at  his face in the mirror. With each passing week the tumour was still there! To him it was growing bigger and bigger! For prostate cancer he could not see what was going on inside him – so it was not scary. But for parotid cancer it was a nightmare every passing day. So, it needs a “brave heart” with a strong mindset to say, I shall live with it.

• It is natural for all patients to react by saying I must go for treatment immediately. I must destroy the cancer before it starts to spread all over the body.Yes, I understand that.

But listen to what some medical doctors themselves said:

• Some patients come to us with the belief that doctors use scientific, proven method to cure cancer. Other methods are just hocus pocus, not scientifically proven, etc. I can only say this – if you know enough science you will know that the accepted dogma of follow the science could just be a “bias” representation of the truth.

Instead of debating whether what you are doing is scientific or not scientific – proven or not proven, read what these authors said:

• In my emails of 3 September 2022, Steve and I had many exchanges on this matter (See Part 3). The use of herbs – where is your proof? Your statistics? Herbal therapy could be just a baloney (foolish, deceptive or nonsense)!

I don’t wish to defend that remark. If you believe me, you believe. If you don’t believe what we do, go and find someone else whom you can trust and can help you.

There seems to be the impression that Chris Teo is saying that medical treatments are totally ineffective. No, no need to throw such brickbat at me. Almost all patients who came to see me for help have undergone medical treatments and they failed – given up. So all the cases I see and talk about are failed medical cases. That is the reality and truth. Those who succeeded or are helped by medical treatments do not come and tell me their stories or success. There is no reason for them to come and see me. We are not running a competition here.

I believe that learning from failures is the key to every success. That is if you want to take time to learn. That is the reason why I spend lots of my time writing stories of my patients. It is my hope that by sharing these stories you can learn and avoid the path that lead you to your early demise. You don’t have to believe me if you think that these case studies that I wrote are just fakes or cooked-up and are not backed by statistical data.

• In dealing with cancer patients, I come to realize that strong faith in Spirituality is important for anyone to keep calm and have peace of mind. This is an important ingredient of healing.

Read what Dr. Allan Hamilton, neurosurgeon of University of Arizona said:

• Many patients view cancer as a “curse” or a “punishment”. How many of us dare to see cancer is a “blessing” or a “wake-up” call?

4. Surgery – The Only Way To Make The Tumour Disappears Immediately.

When Steve wrote me, I could not offer much. This type of cancer is rare. In my 27 years helping cancer patients, I encountered only 5 to 6 cases of such case. So I can’t say much.

When Steve at last decided to go for surgery, I agreed with him. Well, he thought I was pulling his leg or was fed with his ramblings. No, I was just being honest. If you want the tumour to disappear “magically” within a day, then go and get it removed by the knife. This is a fact – you cannot dispute that.

However, my role was to warn Steve about the possible side effects of the surgery and the possible sufferings after the procedure. I always remember this saying: The operation is a success but the patient died. Read what the internet says about this quotation – very interesting!

5. The best surgeon, best equipment and the best hospital. What more can you ask for?

Every doctor whom Steve consulted gave the same advice. Go for surgery. They even helped him identify the best surgeon in Bangkok – that means the best in the whole of Thailand. The surgery could be done in the best hospital using the best equipment ever found in the country. So this tipped the scale. Steve decided to change from his earlier stance on surgery. He was in the hands of the best expert available in the country. So why not? Steve said no one in his/her sane mind would reject such an opportunity. That is what ALL patients want to hear.

Yes, I did not object to that logic. Go for the best and let the best take care of you. Furthermore, this expert had handled such case every week! So he surely has vast experiences and expertise. This is an opportunity of a life time!

6. Surgery prolongs life and promote quality of life.

This is the “honey pot” hung in front of all patients. Steve was given the impression that a surgery done by an expert with experience would have a very high possibility of living 4 to 6 years, compared to say 2 years when doing nothing. He also understood that surgery would not cure his cancer. But then there is another bonus – after the treatment the patient can have a better quality of life.

Attractive reward outcomes. Which patient would not accept or dare to reject such offer?

7. Let us face reality.

I started life as an academic – teaching and doing search in the university. I became a full professor.  I know what science is and what statistical data are and what they can be used for. Let us not use the excuse that it is not proven or it is not scientific as a smoke screen for our own bias or ignorance. What is important to ordinary folks – you and me – is real life reality not what the science text books say.

In the case of Steve, he was attracted and was convinced that surgery – which is a scientifically proven and globally accepted procedure –  can make the tumour in his cheek go away safely. Yes, he was absolutely correct on that score if that is all that you want.

Steve was told by the expert that with surgery his life can be prolonged by 4 to 6 years, compared to say 2 years if you do nothing. In theory yes, that is correct too. But also know that in real life situations you may be dead wrong and that your prediction could just be based on your own “professional blindness” or bias?

Over the years I have come across many cases and have shown (I don’t want to use the word “prove”) that such prognosis is just WRONG. To illustrate my point, study these 3 cases below:

Now to PROVE my point, let us examine what ACTUALLY happened to Steve.

• The expert doctor said: With surgery your life can be prolonged by 4 to 6 years. If no surgery only 2 years.
• What is the reality? Steve died 3 months 13 days after the surgery. Where is the promised years?
• Question: Before the surgery, Steve was on and off the herbs for about 3 months. He did not die. But he died, 3 months after surgery. What if he did NOTHING and did not go for that surgery? Would he have died after 3 months?

What other proof do you want or what statistical data do you want? Oh, certain people may say Steve is just unlucky! Okay – what other reasons can we give to justify this tragedy?

• Another question: The expert doctor said after surgery, Steve could lead a better quality life. Really?
• What is the reality? Make your own judgment after reading again what Steve went through after being discharged from the hospital until his death.

Let me end by citing a short conversation I had with an expert after my auntie had a very massive metastasis in her lungs. The doctor suggested that my aunty undergo chemotherapy immediately.

My question: Doc., why do you want her to undergo chemotherapy? We cannot expect to cure her with that treatment.

Doctor: It is just to promote her quality of life.

My response: Doc., let us be frank – between you and me. We all know that the side effects of chemotherapy would be terrible. Don’t you think so? If you agree that chemo is not like taking a walk in the park, can you be very honest with me — how could chemo ever promote her quality of life? It would be hell all the way.

Doctor: Yes, I totally agree with you.

My auntie declined chemotherapy and she went on to live for many more months after that, before she died peacefully one morning. It was a good death without chemotherapy. No regrets.