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Larry Burkett’s Cancer Experience: The Undemocratic and Monopolistic American Medical System for Cancer Treatment

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Larry Burkett was the founder and president of an nonprofit ministry called the Christian Financial Concepts. In early 1995 he was diagnosed with kidney cancer that had spread to his shoulder blade. He shared his cancer experience in his book, Hope When It Hurts.

Hope when it huerts Larry Burkett

The following are quotations from his book.

  • In the space of three weeks – Monday, March 13 to Monday, April 3, 1995 — doctors not only discovered two malignant tumours in my body, but I underwent radically invasive surgeries to remove them.

Round one – removing my right kidney

  • March 20, 1995 – my right kidney removed. The procedure itself lasted for nearly four hours, and it was completed without a hitch. The results came in a “good-bad news” format. The bad news — the tumour was definitely renal cell carcinoma … the good news was the lack of any other detectable cancer in the tissues surrounding the kidney.
  • I left the hospital within four days.
  • Little did I know at that time that the surgery, called a radical nephrectomy, would cause me great grief over the next year. It seems that one of the primary nerves from the area of incision got trapped inside the scar tissue and it became inflamed. As a consequence, it has hurt ever since.

Round two – removing my left shoulder blade

  • Two weeks to the day after my kidney surgery I went back to the operating room, this time for removal of my left shoulder blade (scapula).
  • Prior to my second surgery, the doctors explained that I would have very limited use of my left arm after my scapula was removed. A total scapulectomy is a very rare procedure. The scapulectomy itself went smoothly, even though it lasted nearly five hours. The aftermath was much more painful than the first surgery.
  • The doctors could find no evidence of cancer in the surrounding tissues. Their report was, “We got it all.”
  • In fact, the doctors were quite mystified about how the primary kidney tumour metastacised to my left shoulder but failed to spread other tumours elsewhere. Normally when a soft tissue tumour has metastacised, cancer has spread into other organs of the body.
  • Five days after my left shoulder blade was removed, I was released from the hospital.
  • Everything became an effort. It was an effort to sit up. It was an effort to move. Every day presented a new battle with pain. Sleep was elusive. I was so fatigued that I’d doze off, only to be awakened by the intense pain.
  • I found myself getting depressed as I viewed the future. The combination of still facing a future with cancer, as well as a significant disability, began to weigh me down.

The road to recovery

  • About a week or so after my second surgery, I returned to Emory University Hospital for a check-up and to get the staples removed from my shoulder.

Dr. Graham, who specialises in cancer of the urinary tract … shared a very sobering statistic with me.

  • Only some 20 percent of renal cell carcinoma patients who had a metastasis like I did survive more than two years, and only a small fraction survive more than five years.
  • Once my kidney and tumour had been removed … there were very few treatments available for renal cell carcinoma, and most of those didn’t work very well. Traditional chemotherapy would be of no virtual value to me … radiation wouldn’t be of much value. In fact, when renal cell carcinoma is exposed to radiation, although the tumours do shrink back, they very rarely ever disappear.
  • So, essentially, I was looking at a cancer for which there is no treatment, outside of surgery, and virtually no cures anybody knows of.
  • The next logical question I asked Dr. Graham was, “What do we do next?”
  • “Wait,” he said. “There’s nothing else to do. If something else shows up in your body, then we will aggressively try to treat that. In the meantime, you just have to wait.”
  • I felt this was like asking a skydiver who had just jumped out of an airplane without a parachute to wait and see if he could land on something soft when he hit the ground. Possible, but the chances aren’t very good.
  • Weak as I was physically, I left the doctor’s office that day with a renewed determination to find some type of proactive treatment — something that I could do to strengthen my body’s war against the reappearance of cancer cells.

Search for an alternative treatment

  • Bill White …. said, “Larry, I would like to share something with you. A good friend of mine has been diagnosed with cancer … his doctor gave him only a few months to live. His son … started looking all over the world for any treatment that might help. After careful research, they settle on one in Prague in the Czech Republic.”
  • All too often, we have the tendency to think if we aren’t doing something here in America, then it can’t be done, and that’s simply not true. Doctors in other nations are doing excellent research also.
  • A friend said, “But Larry these alternative treatments are untested and unreliable. We don’t know what risks they present. There are no hard statistics on how effective these alternative treatments are.”
  • Larry asked, “Okay, how about this? One treatment I heard about is toxic to the human body. Doctors typically purchase it for $50 per dose and sell it for $2,000 per dose to the patient, and many patients who take this treatment do not survive more than five years. Would you allow doctors to continue treatment like that?”
  • I just described what many patients on chemotherapy are facing. The FDA is applying a more stringent standard to new treatments than they have to traditional chemotherapy.
  • Somehow, there has to be a better way to treat cancer than chemotherapy and radiation, without all the negative side effects. And until we can find it, it seems logical to me that we as Americans should be able to choose a treatment of choice, especially if it can be proved that the treatment is not inherently harmful to the human body.
  • In the United States we still employ the same basic treatments that we available twenty-five years ago, namely, chemotherapy and radiation. Based on the number of people I’ve known who didn’t survive these debilitating therapies, I have to ask myself, “Is this the best we can do? Are the current cancer treatments good enough …?
  • Obviously medical experts are looking for better treatments, but the complex rules established by the FDA leave only the largest companies with the resources to get new therapies approved. I suspect that all too often the incentive to develop cheaper, less toxic treatments conflicts with the return needed on previous drugs.
  • You must take the initiative to become informed and take responsibility for your treatment.

The three criteria for alternative therapies

  • To evaluate all of the options, I narrowed my search for an alternative treatment by establishing three criteria.
  1. Scientific Merit: The treatment I chose to use had to have some scientific merit. It couldn’t consist of chicken bones, chants, or magic potions. When examined, the information had to have some scientific proof, based on repeatable, verifiable data.
  2. No Harm: The treatment I chose should pose no further harm to my body. On other words, it had to be nontoxic.
  3. Referrals. I insisted on talking to people who had taken the treatment and survived. From the scientific viewpoint, that’s called anecdotal or testimonial data. There had to be survivors with whom I could talk. In other words, it had to have some measurable degree of success.

Alternative Treatment in Prague

  • The treatment offered in Prague, Czech Republic, caught my attention for (these) three reasons… and the more I learned, the more convinced I became to try it.
  • The treatment in Prague was very simple. I received twenty injections over a twenty-four day period. After that initial treatment, I have to take booster shots about once every six months. That’s all.
  • The entire trip, including treatment, airfare, lodging and meals for two costs about the same as one day in the hospital here in the US!
  • The cost was quite reasonable (about $2,000 at that time, plus travel and lodging).
  • I’m not in a position to make claims and promises for anyone else regarding this treatment. What I can tell you is that six other people who were diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma at about the same time I was have all died within the last year. I’m still alive.
  • I feel good and I’m not suffering from cancer at this point.

It’s time to reform the FDA

  • I personally think it’s ridiculous that this treatment and others like it are not available to patients here in the United States. The treatment is not legal because it can’t pass the stringent requirements passed by the FDA.
  • I might add that the many chemotherapy drugs, vastly more toxic and harmful to the human body than the majority of these alternative treatments, are legal and available.
  • Although the FDA asserts they’re trying to protect the interests and well-being of the public, the fact is that they continue to make it difficult and costly to use new, NONTOXIC cancer therapies, while continuing to approve the use of highly potent and toxic chemotherapy drugs.
  • One can only conclude that money, and not the well-being of patients … dictates what will and won’t be available on the market.
  • In my judgment, if a particular treatment can be proved to be nontoxic, and it has a reasonably verifiable track record of helping people, the FDA should get out of the way and let American citizens make their own decisions about what treatment to pursue. This is a free country, and we’re supposed to be free people.
  • Even if a particular treatment doesn’t cure cancer, I should still have the right to make my own choice. What upsets me is that there are existing treatments that CAN help people but the system won’t even allow doctors to mention them.
  • I am concerned that the current system exists to protect some large and politically influential financial interests, rather than to serve hurting people who are desperate for help.
  • I know there are literally thousands of cancer patients around the country who are dying because they either can’t tolerate the traditional medicines — chemotherapy or radiation — or because they don’t work for them. There is no excuse for such limitations on medical options for people living in a free country.
  • Is there a risk associated with alternative therapies? Of course. There’s a calculated risk regardless of the treatment you choose. But if you’re a terminal patient dying with cancer, you’ve got a 100 percent risk of dying if you do nothing.
  • So the way I see it is, if all normal options are exhausted, any risk you take can only improve your opportunity to live longer, with a better quality of life. If the price is reasonable and the patient agrees, I say, “Go for it.”

FDA- Protecting Patient’s or Protecting Cronies’ Interests?

  • Martin adds the following insight into why scientific studies have been so difficult to come by to validate alternative treatments. “To understand why a lot of therapies have not be tried to date is to understand the relationship between the academic centres and the corporate centres. For instance, if you tell a professor you would like to do a certain study, he likely would reply, “I don’t know where to get the money.” But if you suggest using a drug from a certain corporation (for the study), he knows where he can get the money.
  • According to Ralph Moss … the pharmaceutical companies have been in collusion with some of the big cancer treatment centres in the country and they are out to disprove all EFFECTIVE natural cancer therapies. Naturally, the big drug companies don’t want competition, and the easiest way to undermine any new effective treatments is to get some well-funded medical school to prove the treatments don’t work.
  • The pharmaceutical companies in America have a huge vested interest in pushing their drugs, which yield billions of dollars in annual profits. Ant it’s certainly not in their best financial interests to pursue inexpensive alternative therapy that might work.
  • I think the problem boils down to greed: the simple love of money.
  • He who has the gold, makes the rules — the result is that medical students are never taught methods of treating cancer, other than the “big three” treatments — chemotherapy, radiation and surgery.
  • It is a criminal offense for doctors to engage in medical treatments that lack FDA approval, which is the case for a great many alternative cancer therapy treatments.
  • Remember, many of these doctors have spent more than a decade in their preparation to practise medicine .. a great many doctors find themselves in quite an ethical bind. Do they …keep the priority of seeking the health and well-being of their patients? Do they take the risk of being jailed here in the US or being fined by the FDA or losing their medical license? Many elect to remain quiet, sticking to what they were taught in medical school, where they learned to dismiss the field of alternative cancer treatments as “quackery.”
  • Most oncologist stick to surgery, chemotherapy and radiation as the only options available. Some literally don’t know any better. Others are motivated by their own financial gain and … use fear tactics to get their patients to do what they want. “Choose anything other than these three choices, you’ll die” they say. What they don’t say is that chemotherapy and radiation can kill just as readily as the actual cancer.
  • I asked Dr. Dan Clark, about the toxicity of chemotherapy and he reflected, “How can you cure cancer with poison? When you read about (chemotherapy drugs), every one of them causes cancer … They cause a destruction of the intestinal tract lining, cause damage to the liver cells, interfere with the endocrine gland function, cause sterility and weaken the immune response … So how can that work? It’s illogical.”

The Big Bully and the FDA Raid

  • Let me say here that I was taking an alternative therapy available in Tennessee. This therapy consisted of an electromagnetic device invented by an acclaimed physicist. The device had been proven harmless … the physicist had used it on himself and it did no apparent damage to him. The magnetic field that he was using was only a fraction as powerful as that used in an MRI machine.
  • Unfortunately, either through ignorance or otherwise, he began accepting terminally ill cancer patients as test subjects before FDA investigative device permits were sought (he later told me the potential costs were prohibitive).
  • As words got out, this physicist found himself with cancer patients knocking on his door — many of whom had been given up by the medical system— asking if he could help them. Not having the heart to turn them away, he began to treat patients.
  • I personally had been treated on this machine several times and though I didn’t have any visible tumours, I did have some indication that the machine was helping me.
  • The FDA, along with state and local authorities, raided the facility where this machine was located, leaving behind them a federal court summons. The charges were operating harmful devices without permit, extorting money from patients, and using unapproved medical devices for the treatment of cancer.
  • The friend who … was operating this facility never charged anybody a dime.
  • My question is, isn’t this still a free country? And shouldn’t consenting adults … be allowed to choose the therapies they want, provided those therapies can be shown to be no more harmful than the traditional therapies now being used by the medical society….?

They Did it Again

  • Let me share with you another story that was told to me by an attorney.
  • In 1993, a physician in Atlanta and a cardiologist from Emory University invented a machine that he was going to use to treat cancer.
  • A terminally ill AIDS patient was provided to this doctor and went through the same procedure: recycling the blood through an external heating machine, then cooling it back down and putting it onto the patient’s body. The effect was that the patient showed no HIV indications subsequent to the treatment.
  • With that success … a second patient was provided and the same procedure was repeated with the same results.
  • The anesthesiologist who assisted (in the procedure) was so impressed by what he saw that he … called one of the local newspapers and one of the local TV stations in Atlanta and explained what the doctor had done — a revolution in AIDS treatment and a potential cancer treatment as well.
  • In a few weeks, this doctor’s office was raided by a combination of the FDA and local law enforcement agencies.
  • The machines were confiscated … all records were confiscated and this doctor’s licence was suspended.
  • Pressure was brought to bear, to force this doctor to recant any involvement that he’d had with the machine… he was pressured to sign a statement that the device was fraudulent and would not work on other patients. The threat behind that was the loss of his medical licence for the rest of his life.
  • The physician who had referred the two patients was pressured under the same threat: If he did not sign a document stating that these two patients DID NOT have AIDS …his medical license would also be denied and he could no longer practise medicine within the United States.
  • The doctor who invented the machine was fired from his hospital with the research university.
  • I have no personal, firsthand knowledge of these events, but I know (the attorney who told me this story) very well. He’s an honest, ethical man and he represented the doctor who invented this machine and assures me that the scenario that I just explained to you did happen.
  • These are just two of the many horror stories of what has occurred throughout the United States. In my opinion, it’s time we put a stop to it and reasserted our rights as American citizens to choose the treatment we want, as long as we’re knowledgeable, consenting adults.

Note: Unfortunately the Aliatos clinic in Prague, Czech Republic has since disappeared!

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Cancer — What to do next?

Looking at Cancer From a Christian Perspective by Larry Burkett

 

 

 

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Cancer – what to do next?

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In early 1995 Larry Burkett, founder and president of a nonprofit ministry — Christian Financial Concepts, was diagnosed with kidney cancer which had spread to his shoulder blade. Larry had surgery – his right kidney and  left shoulder blade were removed. No radiation or chemo was indicated because these treatments would not be helpful for this type of cancer. Larry ventured into alternative therapies. He lived for 8 years. According to the facebook information, Larry died in mid-2003.  In his book, Hope When It Hurts, Larry shared his cancer experiences and provided many helpful and insightful advices. I learned a lot from him! If you have a chance, take time to read this great book!

Hope when it huerts Larry Burkett

In Chapter 12, Time Out! Larry shared his wisdom, as follows:

When people find themselves in a medical crisis … the result is confusion or what I call “systems overload.” There are people to call, doctors to see, decisions to be made — usually under stress and in a short period of time. Add to that the clouds of emotion and shock.  That’s how I felt, and I needed to take a time-out — just to get away by myself, in a attempt to regain my equilibrium and sort out the impact of what I was facing.

  • Feeling overwhelmed: I felt overwhelmed – I had to make some major decision in a very short period of time, based on a limited amount of information. I knew very little about cancer. Yet, before me stood two highly trained doctors, suggesting that I have my kidney and shoulder blade removed.
  • If I had to do it all over again, I think I would diffuse these feelings by allowing some time to pass before I made any major decisions. I would stand back and say, “Okay, I’ve had this cancer for a while … maybe up to three years or more. What difference would it make if I waited another month? Well, now I know it probably wouldn’t have made any difference.
  • One of the best things any cancer patient could do is to take a time-out, get a medical reference book and read it. I encourage anyone to take the time to thoroughly analyse his or her situation.
  • What, if any, alternative treatments were available for this? You wouldn’t buy an automobile the first time you saw it, so don’t buy an operation the first time you hear of it. Take time to pray about it.
  • The news of a serious illness can throw people into a frantic pace to do things. Emotions become exaggerated. Everything becomes urgent and must be settled immediately — trigger a flurry of activities that tend to minimize, deny or fix the situation. Unfortunately, usually none of our solutions can remedy or change the truth of what we’re really facing.
  • The rush of anxiety: I know people can’t be laughing all the time in the midst of critical health situations, but laughing every once in a while surely can lighten the load, keep things in perspective, and relieve built-up tension. So, I passed the time with one of my favourite activities: watching old movies … and laughed until my sides hurt! But I think laughing helps. We know that it releases endorphins in the body that actually help you to feel better.
  • Rely on others: Many of the decisions I faced were beyond my ability to comprehend. Not only could I not comprehend all the medical data involved in making some decisions, I was not able to concentrate as I normally would. How was I supposed to make a major decision about metastatic kidney cancer when, in fact, I didn’t even know what it was a short time before?
  • So I had to rely on other people. I began by calling friends in medicine and asking their advice …. seek out a second or even third opinion. At the very least buy a good guide to medical terminology.
  • Relinquish matters beyond your control. Don’t worry about things that are beyond your control. Stop worrying about the things you can’t change and concentrate on getting well. I just had to tell myself that over and over again, “Don’t worry about it.” That’s a hard task for someone with my personality, but I had to keep a clear perspective of the things I could control and yield to God the things I couldn’t.
  • Don’t worry about the future. You may be in a situation in which you have several small children and naturally one big concern will always be, How will my children make it without me? Of course that preoccupies your mind because you love them. But God’s not going to abandon them. Will your children face difficulties and sorrows in the time ahead? I’m sure they will. But isn’t that true of life anyway? You can’t spend your time worrying about it because, in the end, you can’t change it. If there is anything within your reasonable ability to do, then do it.
  • Take time to back off. To accommodate the changes taking place with your health, you need to back off and change your priorities. Either you fight change and be miserable, or you can go with the flow an enjoy to the fullest each day God provides. You don’t have to control everything. Take time to face one’s own mortality can really bring the essential issues of life into focus … I resigned as God’s manager of the universe — a position to which I was never appointed anyway.

At CA Care we tell you not to panic after being told that you have cancer. http://www.cacare.com/

CANCER ! Don’t panic !

Haste is from the Devil ~ Arab saying.

Why do you visit this website? We believe you are seeking information to enable you or your loved ones to make certain decisions about his/her cancer. Our advice is: Read as much as possible. Gather information from different sources. Cast your net wider and read what others from different disciplines have to say about the same subject.

Get out of the box and view your problem in a different light. Often, in the face of fear, hopelessness and panic we forget to use our commonsense. Calm down. A decision made in haste or under pressure is never a good decision.

Remember, you don’t get cancer just only yesterday

When helping patients at CA Care, I sometime get a note requesting that I do not tell the patient that he/her has cancer. I am indeed saddened by such attitude but to respect the family’s privacy and wish, I refrained from telling patients the truth! In Chapter 3, Larry wrote about the need to Talk About It.

  • It was not easy for me to tell my family and friends that I had cancer. The counsel I had from some friends was NOT to tell anybody about my health condition. If you have an initial resistance to talking about troubling medical news, you’re not alone. I know what that feels like. But let me encourage you that the healthiest thing to do is to talk out the situation you’re facing with those who are closest to you. There are a number of reasons why:
  • Telling others about your predicament helps you peel back layers of denial. It’s easy to think there’s a mistake with the tests, that it’s all a bad dream, or to rationalize it all away. Talking about it … had a powerful, beneficial impact on me: It helped me to face reality. You can have a thousand different thoughts and intentions floating around in your head, but they never seem to become reality unless your vocalize the thoughts. Obviously you can overdo discussion, and some people dwell so much on their problems that’s all they ever want to talk about. I think it’s one thing to talk about your problems and to be honest with people, but it’s quite another thing to make that the centre of all your conversation for the rest of your life.
  • Problems can multiply exponentially if we ignore reality. For instance, it’s not unusual for people to ignore symptoms of poor health — blood in urine, rectal bleeding, etc — hoping that the problems will go away. And rather than talk to their doctors or even their families about the symptoms, a mental wall of denial is constructed, leaving a smoldering fire to erupt into a huge, perhaps life-threatening inferno.
  • If you talk about your health, your family and friends also will feel free to talk about it.. If you clam up, deny it, or act like nothing is wrong, it’s likely others will too.
  • I think sometimes people hold back from talking about the prospect of dying, believing that if they talk about dying, it might make it happen; or if they don’t talk about it, that might prevent it from happening.
  • Pretending that nothing is wrong will not make your circumstances change.
  • I don’t what to talk about cancer. I don’t have cancer. I choose to deny it. I rather suspect that a great many people who have done that in the past have died of their illnesses when, in fact, God had a cure that would have worked for them.
  • When you talk about your real needs, others may know how to help you. I’ve seen people sit around and sulk … because they have needs that are being overlooked. Even though they are desperately lonely or afraid, their pride confines them to silence, thus cutting off the very help they need. Often overtime they become bitter and resentful because their needs are not being met. It that sounds childish, it is. That’s just the way little children act.   
  • If you know what your needs are, then say so. Even if you don’t know what your needs are, voice the fact that you are hurting. That’s why God put other people in the world — to be able to help you when you aren’t functioning at 100 percent.
  • Talking encourages honesty with yourself, with your family and with God. From that day forward, I have tried, to the best of my ability, to be totally honest with everybody …. My goal has been .. “What you see is what you get,” rather than “What you hear is different from who he is.” Talking with others about your situation breeds honesty and I would encourage you to be honest about your thoughts and feelings.
  • One piece of advice I would give anyone: Open up, share with your family and let them help. Make them insiders to what is going on. Don’t make them outsiders. They’ll feel a lot more comfortable, they’ll understand better, and they’ll be there to help.
  • We helped one another to be strong. When one of us got down, others could comfort, console, encourage and pray. The ability to talk openly was the key that allowed us to minister to one another.

Read more:

Larry Burkett’s Cancer Experience: The Undemocratic and Monopolistic  American Medical System for Cancer Treatment

Looking at Cancer From a Christian Perspective by Larry Burkett

 

 

 

Kidney Cancer Spread to the Lung Six Months After Surgery

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SS is a 71-year-old male. Three years ago, in 2012, his urine contained traces of blood. A checkup in a private hospital showed:

  • Normal meatus (urinary meatus is the opening or hole at which urine comes out of the urethra) and urethra (theurethra  is a tube that connects the urinary bladder to the urinary meatus for the flow of fluids from the body. In male  the urethra travels through the penis, and carries semen as well as urine).
  • Mildly enlarged prostate, measures 5.5 x 4.0 x 3.8 cm.
  • Both kidneys are well visualised and shows a normal echo pattern with no focal lesion within it. No renal stones seen and there is no evidence of any hydronephrosis.
  • Creatinine level was elevated, at 156.8 (normal 63.6–110.5).
  • Fatty liver change.

SS was prescribed some medications. The bleeding stopped and he was well for two years.

One day in late 2014,  SS had pains when he turned his body from the right to the left. USG on 9 October 2014 showed:

  • Fatty liver change. No focal liver lesion.
  • A cyst with wall calcifications on the upper pole of the right kidney measuring 8 x 7 mm.
  • There is a lobulated hypoechoic lesion in the upper two thirds of the left kidney measuring 7.0 x 6.8 x 6.2 cm.
  • No hydronephrosis seen.

A CT scan, done on 16 October 2014, showed the following:

  • Small cyst in the upper pole of the right kidney measuring 5 xc 5 mm in size. No mass or focal lesion noted.
  • An irrregularly enhancing mass infiltrating almost the whole of the left kidney sparing the power pole measuring 7.8 x 6.2 x 10.3 cm.
  • Enlarged lymph nodes noted medially measuring 2.5 x 3.0 x 3.0 cm and 1.8 x 1.6 x 1.0 cm.
  • Subcentimeter paracaval and para-aortic lymph nodes.

Comp-Kid-ca

 

SS underwent surgery to remove his left kidney. The histopathology report dated 21 October 2014 indicated:

  • Grade 3 transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis, T4N2Mx, Stage 4.
  • Two (2/10) hilar lymph nodes contain deposits of metastatic transitional cell carcinoma.
  • Free of metastatic tumour deposits.

The operation was a success (later you would want to ask if this is really true?) and everything was alright. SS was asked to go for chemo, he refused. Routine check up three months later showed everything was perfect. Another routine three-month check up on 22 January 2015 also showed perfect result.

Six months after surgery, 2 June 2015, X-ray showed an oval nodule in the left mid zone of the lung, measuring 13 x 12 mm. This nodule was not seen in the previous chest radiograph on 22 January 2015. An underlying metastatic deposit is considered.

CT scan of the thorax on 4 June 2015 showed:

  • A nodule in the apical segment of the left lower lobe measuring 15 x 12 x 13 mm.
  • Another smaller nodule is noted in the lingular segment of the left upper lobe measuring 5 x 5 x 5 mm.
  • These are suspicious of metastatic deposits.

Composite-Lung-Metastasis

SS was asked to go for chemotherapy. He went to consult an oncologist. Listen to this video.

 

 

You want me to do chemo, but I only have one kidney left. How does that affect me?

No problem. We shall use the drugs, carboplatin + Gemzar.

Can you cure me?

No cure. There is no cure for cancer! We shall go for 3 cycles first and see what happen.

Each cycle of chemo is going to cost RM 5,000.

After the chemo (and this is not a cure) how long do I have?

I am not God

I know that you are not God.

Probably you have six months to a year! I can’t say, all depends on yourself!

(Depend on luck? Fong shui? If this being the case, where is the so called “science” in oncology then?)

 

 

 

Kidney-Lung Cancer: Urinated out worm and blood clot. Then coughed out worm!

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LKF (E324) is a 32-year-old male. Sometime in June 2013, he passed out blood in his urine. USG of the abdomen showed a large right renal mass suspicious of renal cell carcinoma. He was asked to go for CT scan but decline due to financial constraint. In early 2014, he started to cough, sometimes with blood stain sputum. He had shortness of breath, chest pain and hoarse voice. LKF was referred to the respiratory unit of the general hospital. CT showed metastatic lung cancer, the primary was probably from the kidney. Because of right pleural effusion, pleural tapping was done. Bronchoscopy and biopsy were performed and confirmed cancer. LKF was subsequently referred to the oncology and urology units for further management. He was told that he might have to undergo chemotherapy (expensive drug which he could not afford) and later an operation to remove his cancerous, right kidney. 1 Composite-Kid-Lung

 

 

I explained to LKF and his sisters that this is a Stage 4 cancer and I would try to best to help, but don’t expect magic from us. LKF was prescribed herbs: Capsule A, C and D and herbal teas: Kidney, Lung 1 & 2, Lung Phlegm, deTOX + WF.

ONE WEEK ON HERBS

After one week on the herbs, LKF and his sisters came back to see us again and reported a real unique and strange  response to the herbs. 1. After 3 days on the herbs, LKF passed out a worm or parasite when he urinated. It was about 8 inches long and the thickness about the size of the index finger. At first only the “head” protruded out and he had to pull it out through the urethra. It was rubbery. Unfortunately, he threw away the specimen. I reminded him  if this happened again, he should keep the specimen and let me have a look at it. 2. LKF also passed out blood clots once a while when urinating.  The blood clot discharged was jelly-like and came out in big pieces. This actually blocked his urine flow. When he felt his bladder was truly full he tried to push out his urine and with that the clot was also pushed out. This is the jelly-like blood clot he expelled while urinating. 3 Blood clot from urine

 

 

TWO WEEKS ON HERBS

LKF and his sisters came to see us again on 4 April 2014. 1.  He have been coughing for about 3 days. Suddenly he coughed out  a “worm.” This time it was from the lung not from the urinary bladder. 2. After he expelled this worm, he felt better – more alert and had more energy. 3. During these two weeks, he did not expel any more worm while urinating but he did pass out blood clots once a while when he urinated. This time, LKF brought along the specimens for us to see. 2 Worm 1 The “worm” expelled after coughing (above) is much smaller than the one he expelled while urinating last week.

Comments:

This is indeed a strange incident. Although I have read that parasites could cause cancer, I have never come across such case before. That led me to browse through the internet for more information. And let me share with you what I learned.

1. It is true that we harbour parasites in us. Time to deworm ourself once a while?

2. Trematodes are known to be able to cause cancer. Example of liver flukes, Opisthorchis are said to dramatically increase risk of liver cancer, schistosoma dramatically increase risk of bladder cancer and male breast cancer.

3. About 200 million people across 75 of the poorest countries in the world are now infected by the blood parasite Schistosoma haematobium (S. haematobium).  The  worms enter the blood stream and release eggs that become embedded in the bladder wall where they cause chronic inflammation and, in some patients, lead to bladder cancer. The adult worm can also migrate to its preferred body part, depending on its species. These areas include the bladder, rectum, intestines, liver, portal venous system (the veins that carry blood from the intestines to liver), spleen, and lungs. It is common in many tropical and subtropical areas worldwide.

4. These parasites can cause various complications such as: Bladder cancer, Chronic kidney failure, Chronic liver damage and an enlarged spleen, colon (large intestine) inflammation with bloody diarrhea, Kidney and bladder obstruction, Pulmonary hypertension, and Right-sided heart failure.

Kidney-Bone Cancer: Herbs and e-Therapy Helped Reduce His Pain

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RZ (S-143) is a 48 year-old Indonesian.  He came to seek our help on 18 March 2012, immediately after being discharged from a private hospital. And he was in severe pain. How could this be? This is RZ’s story.

About one and a half months ago, RZ was told by the doctor in Aceh, Indonesia that he had kidney problem. In early March 2012, he came to a private hospital in Penang for further management. A CT scan was done and showed a 10 x 9 cm enhancing lesion in the left kidney with renal vein thrombosis. The right kidney was normal. There were multiple nodules noted in the left upper paraaortic area.  Histopathology report confirmed a poorly differentiated renal cell carcinoma, sarcomatous type, Stage 3 – 4 (T2N2Mx). Four of 8 paraaortic lymph nodes had metastatic disease.

X-ray of his left shoulder showed a large lytic area with pathological fracture of the left scapula. Actually RZ came to Penang because of the severe pains in his swollen  left shoulder (picture below).

RZ was admitted on 5 March 2012 and underwent surgical removal of his left kidney.  Nothing was done for his swollen left shoulder which according to the surgeon was due to the cancer that had spread from his kidney. RZ told us that the pains became more intense after his kidney surgery. He was unable to sleep at night and had to endure pains throughout the day and night.

The kidney operation cost him RM 14,000. RZ was told that with this surgery he will be cured. If he did not undergo the surgery, but only take medication, he would be 30 percent cured.  After being discharged from the hospital, the surgeon scribbled these words on his medical report: Targeted therapy + DXT to (L) shoulder. RZ confirmed that he was asked to see a radiologist for radiotherapy. However, he was not able to do this because he had run out of money and could not afford anymore treatment in Penang.

RZ was prescribed Tramadol for his pains. This medication helped relief pains for about two hours only and the pains  recurred.

Comments

This is the second of such case – after surgery patients were in pains and they came to seek our help instead of asking the doctors for help. And they came immediately after being discharged from the hospital. This is the story of an earlier case:  http://painandwellness.org/2011/12/10/ovarian-cancer-after-surgery-left-leg-swollen-painful-and-uncomfortable-herbs-and-e-therapy-helped-her/

When we looked at RZ we really felt sorry for him. The reason he and his wife came to Penang was to find relief for his shoulder pain – but after spending RM 14,000 the pains became worse.  And they had no more money for more treatment. He could not afford the radiation treatment in Penang. And to tell him to take the Target Therapy medication as suggested by the surgeon is unrealistic. If I could guess rightly, that would involve taking Sutent and this is going to cost about RM 18,000 to RM 20,000 per month. This medication does not cure cancer! How can RZ ever afford to pay for such a treatment?  If you wish to know what Sutent can do click these links:

http://painandwellness.org/2011/12/10/ovarian-cancer-after-surgery-left-leg-swollen-painful-and-uncomfortable-herbs-and-e-therapy-helped-her/

https://cancercaremalaysia.com/2011/09/18/sutent-for-advanced-kidney-cancer/

RZ and his wife said that they were about ready to go home to Aceh in the next three days. The question in my mind then was: What can I do to help this unfortunate man the next days while he is here in Penang ? I suggested that RZ come to our centre every morning and try the e-Therapy and at the same time take the herbs: Capsule A, C-tea + WF tea, Kidney Tea, Bone Tea and Pain Tea (six times per day). This is what happened:

18 March 2012: e-Therapy – detox program. The night after this treatment, he felt better. He could sleep about half of the night.  The pains were less and he did not take the Tramadol prescribed by the doctor.

19 March 2012: e-Therapy – detox program + program for shoulder pain. He felt much better. The pains were less and he could sleep throughout the night. He woke up at about 5 a.m. due to coughs.

20 March 2012: repeat of the e-Therapy as yesterday and he was ready to return to Aceh.

The following is the gist of our conversation.

Part 1: Remove your kidney – 100 percent cure. But doc., the cancer had already spread to the bone!

Wife: His kidney problem surfaced about one and a half months ago.

RZ : There was no pain in the kidney.

Chris: You have removed your kidney?

RZ: Yes.

W: After the surgery, the doctor asked him to go for radiotherapy. We did not want to do that yet. We want to go back to Aceh first. We can do the radiation in Aceh.

C:  What did the doctor say about the pain in your shoulder?

W:  It is a cancer. But the doctor did not do anything about it. The whole night he was not able to sleep.

C: How much does it cost you to operate the kidney?

W: RM 14,000.

C:  And now you are in pain?

RZ:  Yes. It is a dull kind of pain – not pulling type. If I massage my shoulder, the pain goes away for a while and then comes back again. The pain becomes more intense when I move. At night, I am not able to sleep because of the pain.

C: Did you have this swelling on your shoulder even before your surgery?

RZ: Yes. But it was not as painful like now. The pain just came on and off. Even when I was in the hospital, the pain was not serious. I felt more pain after being discharged from the hospital.

C: So, even before the surgery, the doctor already knew about your shoulder – and he did not say anything?

RZ: No. I did ask him about this swelling in my shoulder. The doctor said: “Just wait first, we need to remove the diseased kidney first.”

C: Did you ask the doctor why there is this lump in your shoulder?

W: Yes, the doctor said this is due to the kidney cancer that has spread to the bone in his shoulder.

C: How long were you in the hospital? Did you derive any benefit gong into the hospital?

W: He was in the hospital for two weeks.

RZ: Before the operation, I was very weak. I became better after the operation. But the pain in my should became worse after coming out of the hospital.

C: Before you agreed to the surgery, did you ask the doctor if the surgery is going to cure you?

W: The doctor said the cancerous kidney has to be removed – it was an aggressive type.  If he (the patient) only takes medication, there is only a 30 percent chance of cure. But if he goes for surgery, it will cure him a 100 percent.

C: Is this why you agreed to the surgery – to get a 100 percent cure? Do you really understand “cure” really means when the doctor said the operation can “cure” you? Do you really understand him?

RZ: If the kidney is not removed, the cancer will spread. If the kidney is removed, the cancer will all be gone. No more cancer.

C: Did he tell you how he can cure the bone cancer in your shoulder?

 

Part 2: After one session of e-Therapy: Pain was less and he slept through half of the night

C: Last night you took the herbs and did the e-Therapy. How do you feel now?

RZ: There is improvement. I could sleep on and off.

C: After the e-Therapy, did you have any difficulty?

RZ: No, no problem. And I felt better. The pain was much less.

C: Before you came and see me, how was your pain?

W: He was in pain throughout the night but now the pain is much less.

RZ: The pain came on and off only. I woke up three times last night and went back to sleep again. Before I came to see you, I was not able to sleep the whole night.

C: This pain now, is it the same type of pain? Is the intensity of the pain the same when you feel that pain?

RZ: Same type of pain and the intensity is also the same. But the pain did not last long. It came on and then went off.

 

Part 3: After two sessions of e-Therapy: Pain gone and he slept through the night.

C: Yesterday  you did the e-Therapy one more time.  How are you now? Do you have more or less pain?

W: Less pain. There was no pain the whole night. Early morning, at about 5 a.m. he had coughs and he felt “heaty”.

C: Okay, did he drink a lot of water? He should drink more water. And you said there was no pain throughout the night.

W: Yes, no pain. Only at about 5 a.m. when he woke up he felt the pain.  Before we came to see you, he had pain throughout the night. We have done the e-Therapy twice. After the first therapy, the pain came on and off. It helped him nad he could sleep at least half of the night. After the second therapy, he did not feel any pain for the whole night. Only when we work up at about 5 a.m. that he felt the pain again.

C: Let me ask you again. Before you took the herbs and did the e-Therapy, did you need to take the pain killer (Tramadol) that the doctor gave you?

W: Yes. He had to take the painkiller. It was effective only for about two hours, then the pain came back.

C: Now, after the herbs and the e-Therapy, do you still need to take the painkiller?

W: No need to take any painkiller.

C: So, you did not take the painkiller for the past two nights?

W: No need for painkiller and he only took your herbs.

RZ: Now, I feel better. The pain is very much less. Before this I was not able to sleep because of the pain.

C: Did the treatment of the past two days, helped you?

W:  Yes, it helped him very much.

C: That’s about all that I can to help you. It seemed that he able to walk with more strength?

W: Yes, more strength and his movements had also improved.

Reflection

This is indeed a sad story. Reflect on this case again and ask some questions:

  1. If you were RZ, what would you have done differently?
  2. The surgeon said surgery could cure his cancer 100 percent – what you think?
  3. Do you think, surgery is really necessary given that the cancer had already spread to his bone?
  4. The doctor suggested radiotherapy and then possibly the Targeted Therapy – what do you say to that? Is this a genuine attempt to “cure” the cancer, or it is just an effort to feel that he is doing the right thing? A hero with no realistic chance of success?

Kidney Cancer: Remove One and a Half Kidneys Then Go For Dialysis!

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What if you were told to remove one kidney because of your cancer? That’s okay. I have a patient and friend,  who had a kidney removed because of his cancer. He took herbs and was on our diet. He is living a good life for the past sixteen years.

But what if you were told to remove one and a half of your kidneys? That would be a dilemma. The remaining one half kidney may not function. You may need to go on dialysis for the rest of your life.

And what if removing your kidney does not really solve your cancer problem? Surgery does not cure cancer. It just buys you time. Cancer can recur. What if the cancer recurs? That means you need the toxic chemotherapy treatment besides having to undergo dialysis to keep you alive.

What if you live in a place where you are not sure if there is a “good” dialysis facility? That is not your doctor’s problem anymore. 

I am not “cooking” up these questions. I had to deal with this problem not long ago – while I was on a vacation. I received this email on 20 November 2011.

To: Dr. Chris K.H. Teo,

My father had been diagnosed with kidney cancer. I am now confused as to what to do. A friend recommended me to see Dr. Teo. Hopefully Dr. Teo can help. We are now in Singapore, if it is possible to meet, I will be looking for flights to Penang today. Thank you. (Translated from Indonesian)

Knowing that he was desperate, I told him to come and see me as soon as I was back in Malaysia. So on 24 November 2011, SK and his two sons came to Penang. Below is our conversation that day.

SK’s problem started about two years ago. He had blood in his urine. He consulted an urologist who prescribed him medication. The problem disappeared. Then in May 2011, there was again blood in his urine.

An ultrasound of his abdomen on 27 May 2011 indicated a 67.2 x 64.2 mm mass in his right kidney and a 70.5 x 56.0 mm mass in his left kidney.

SK was again prescribed medication and the problem disappeared after taking it. In mid-November 2011, SK again had blood in his urine. Accompanied by his two sons, SK went to Singapore for further consultation.

A CT scan done on 16 November 2011 indicated a large mass, 6.7 x 8.4 x 7 cm in size in the left kidney. The right kidney has a nodular mass, 6.6. x 4.9 x 6.4 cm in size. Appearances are highly of bilateral renal neoplasm.

A blood test on 16 November 2011 showed elevated creatinine (141.0) level. His alkaline phosphatase was at 165 (high) and GGT at 228 (high). Other parameters, including AFP, CEA and PSA, were within normal range.

A bone scan done on 21 November 2011 indicated no conclusive evidence of any bony metastases.

Based on the above, the doctor in Singapore said he was 95 percent sure that SK has kidney cancer. SK was asked to undergo an operation to remove the tumours in both his kidneys. This would involve removing one and a half kidneys. There is a 50:50 chance that the remaining one half of the other kidney may not function after the surgery. If this happens, SK would have to be on dialysis. In spite of this set back, the doctor said the tumours must be removed.

SK and his sons refused further medical treatment. SK told us, “What the doctor offered me is not going to solve my problems.” He opted for our therapy. On 24 November 2011, SK was prescribed Capsule A and B, Liver Tea, Kidney Tea, Detox+ WF Tea and Lung Tea. While back in Indonesia, we kept in touch via e-mails through his son.

E-mail Communication

1 December 2011

I wish to inform you about my father’s condition. After taking the herbs for 6 days and following your diet recommendation, he felt weak, sweat very frequently, lost his appetite, felt nauseous. Are these expected?

Reply: Continue taking the herbs and let me know what happen after one more week.

2 December  2011

Today my father vomited and could not eat anything. After eating he vomited. He felt nauseous. Should he continue taking the herbs? Because of the vomiting he cannot even drink the herbal teas. Please advise.

Reply: Okay. Take Capsule A only. Then see what happen after that. If okay, drink Detox tea + WF + Capsule A – see what happen. Let me know. Chris.

9 December 2011 

I wish to inform you about my father conditions:

a)      After stopping Capsule B, his stomach felt better, he vomited less but he still vomited at night.

b)      His whole body was very uncomfortable – very tired, sweating, blurred vision, dizzy when standing up. Are these the side effects of the herbs?

c)       Now my father is taking: Capsule A (1 capsule, 3 times per day), Energy and Kidney Teas. He does not take: Capsule B, Detox tea + WF, Liver and Lung teas. What is your advice? Should continue or stop any one of them?

d)      After 10 days on the herbs, we did a blood test. The results are attached. Please have a look if there is any improvement? What do you think?

Reply:

a)  He should not have such side effects – is he the kind of person who is fussy about his food? Difficult and selective about the taste of food?

b) Feeling of discomforts is because of his stomach? Any gastric problem before? Did he take Capsule A + B with honey water?

c) What about his blood pressure? His blood counts were low but I don’t expect such problems.

d) I have no other way. If you take the herbs and they are not helpful, go and find someone else to help you.

e) Go to this link and read what it takes to be a winner. http://cancercareindonesia.com/2011/09/11/kanker-paru-otak-suatu-penyembuhan-yang-tidak-mungkin-1-harapan-setelah-suatu-bencana-empat-puluh-siklus-kemoterapi-iressa-tarceva-dan-sutent-tid      Read this carefully.

f) Don’t expect after taking the herbs for 10 days the blood test results are going to be better. 

15 December 2011

Dr. Chris. Thank you for the information. My father is improving. He is now taking all the herbs, except Capsule B as you have suggested. In the next 5 days our herbs are going to be finished and we plan to come and see you on 21 December 2011. Would you be able to see us?

Reply:  Okay come and see me, 10.30 a.m. Chris 

Second Visit to CA Care – 22rd – 23 December 2011

SK, his wife and son came to CA Care after taking herbs for three weeks. On the second week of taking the herbs, he experienced healing crisis. He had more problems and was not getting better but these problems gradually resolved by themselves. If you know more by what we need by healing crisis, click on this link: https://cancercaremalaysia.com/2012/01/18/healing-crisis/ 

E-mail Communication 

6 January 2012

The e-Therapy machine is helping all my family members, including me. All of us are using the machine. Day by day my father’s condition, after coming back, is getting better. Now, his appetite is getting better, physically he looks more fresh and energetic. We celebrated Christmas eve by watching the movie at the cinema. He was so excited at the moment. Thank you for your advice and support, Dr. Chris. GBU

Reply:  Very good and happy to hear that. Yes, make your father happy always. Please let me know the following:

a) Before he vomited, now does he still vomit?

b) Any pain in the stomach?

c) Does the machine help him with the stomach problem? I asked you to use the program for Stomach function program.

d) Is there any pain any where?

Thanks so much and keep well always. Chris

6 January 2012

Yes, I hope day by day will be better and better.

a) No, a day after coming back from Penang he felt better with his stomach. He told me that after winds came out from his stomach, he felt so good. He never needs to take the Vomit herb until now.

b) He said that there is no pain in his stomach, but he felt so much wind in there.

c)  After coming back from Penang, and after he felt better with his stomach, he never used the Stomach function program at all. He does the cancer programs only.

d) According to him, there is a little pain in his kidney (more in the right kidney), the pains  comes just sometimes. 

Reply: Thanks so much for your answer. I am happy to note that he is not vomiting anymore. And he continues to take the other herbs? Chris

7 January 2012

Yes, he takes all the herbs: Energy, Liver-P, Kidney, Lung, Capsule A & B, Detox tea. And he is doing the machine program like you taught me. Morning, midday and at night – everyday.

Reply: One more question — After he took all the herbs — did he vomit this time? Before he came and saw me the second time and before using the machine —- he vomited after taking herbs or even drinking something. Now is he , no vomit? Chris

7 January 2012

Morning Dr. Chris,

Alright, no vomiting anymore. Even after taking the Capsule B (before you suggested that he stop taking it because he vomited after taking Capsule B).  Now he is taking all the herbs, except Vomit Tea.

Reply: Great and thanks. Chris 

15 January 2012

Dr. Chris,

My father vomited again this night. He told me there was a lot of gas in his stomach. Morning and mid-day he felt good, but in the night not good (every day). What do you think? Is it the effect after take capsule B? Your opinion please.
Thank you.

Reply: Can you try #72 -Stomach problem and there is also #124 Stomach Gas. Try one first and see what happens. Then later try another and see what happens. I think his stomach is not good. Let me know. Chris

16 January 2012 

What happen to the vomit now? Chris

20 January 2012

Dr. Chris,

My father is not vomiting anymore.

Reply: Okay thank you — next time you know what to do if he vomits again. You use the machine for his vomit? Chris 

26 January 2012

Hello Dr.Chris,

Happy Chinese New Year. Yes, my dad used the machine for his vomit. Thanks.

Comments 

This is indeed a sad story. I fully empathize with SK. He was in limbo having to choose between the “devil and the deep blue sea.” As a rule, any patient who comes to us with kidney tumour will be told to go back to his/her doctor for surgery. Get the diseased kidney out! Then come to us for herbs. But in this case, it is not possible for me to say that to SK. If surgery can ensure that the cancer does not recur and spread to other organs then I am tempted to “push” him towards surgery.  At least SK will end up with only just a problem –dialysis for the rest of his life. But what if the cancer comes back, example to his lung? Chemo would be the obvious answer! I have fully explained this scenario to SK and his two sons.

As you can hear from our conversation, SK and his family have already decided to decline further medical intervention. The treatment plan proposed by the Singapore does not make sense to him. Likewise, I tell all patients – evaluate what your doctor has got to offer you – if it makes sense, go for it. If it does not make sense, don’t go for it! It is your responsibility to make whatever decision that you are most comfortable with.

Sometimes before making a decision, it is wise for patients or their loved ones to “read and read”. Don’t just listen and believe what your doctor or friends said. Find the necessary information yourself, if you can. In this way, at least you can go to the “battle” well prepared.

This is exactly what I did in SK’s case. To be better informed, I searched the internet for the answers to the questions below. And you will be surprised that there are many others asking the same questions and there are equally many others who are willing to share their own experiences with you.

  1. Could You Live Without Your Kidneys?
  • A person can live with only one functioning kidney if the other is diseased or has been removed. But no one can live without both kidneys, unless he undergoes almost daily treatments on a dialysis machine.
  • I recently had both kidneys removed and only require dialysis 3 times a week for 4 hours each visit. In each session I filter approx 68 litres of blood. I have to take tablets for blood pressure as well as other conditions and can only drink 500ml of fluid a day as I no longer make any pee. I have a low potassium, sodium and phosphate diet. So yes, you can live without kidneys, but it’s not straightforward or easy.
  • I don’t have any kidneys and I haven’t had any for 6 years now. I do my dialysis 3 days in a week for 5 hours at a time.
  • About 9 months ago I had both kidneys removed. I need dialysis 4 times a week for 4 hours. I can drink 0. 5 litre to 1 liter per day, but for example I drank about 8 liter last weekend. Drink-throw up, drink-throw up, drink-throw up – that’s the answer.
  • I currently have half a kidney on one side and one 3rd on the other half of my body. So I don’t have one full kidney. I am still living an awesome life … doing anything I want.

2.   So, what is your life like on dialysis?

  • Obviously it is going to be a life changing thing but something that we must learn to cope with and becomes part of our life. No one would choose dialysis versus normal functioning kidneys. However without dialysis life is not possible at all. There are risks of taking off too much fluid or not enough fluid. There are risks of infection, both blood infections and infections of the fistula.  Again, no one volunteers to do dialysis but it is definitely better than dying from renal failure. In my experience, patients usually learn to cope well and make it a “normal part of life”.
  • I went on dialysis at age 45 and did very well. Most of the time I felt very good. I was in good shape. Here is what worked for me. I was very compliant with my treatment. I did not skip dialysis sessions and I didn’t end them before my time on the machine was done. I followed the diet, which can make a big difference in how you feel.  I did not have fluid restrictions. I took all my medicines. I had very good doctors and an extremely good nursing team at dialysis. I tried to educate myself about dialysis & kidney disease.
  • My brother suffered total kidney failure and had to go on dialysis. He feels constantly tired and generally ill, he’s on a massively strict diet plan (rule of thumb: if it’s nice, you probably can’t have it). Although he can do occasional driving work on my uncle’s farm, anything more than a half-day’s worth leaves him exhausted.
  • My mom was on dialysis. My mom has said she would rather die than do dialysis again. The restrictive diet was really hard especially the drinking less liquid part of it. Having said all that her Doctors were quite firm with her that she should continue working and have as normal a life as a possible while doing the dialysis, they said and I can see this to be true, that removing the things that normalize her life would make her more prone to depression and more apt to feel awful about her treatment. So she continued to work.
  • I am a 37 yr old female. To be perfectly honest I HATE dialysis, I hate having to sit in a chair for 3 and a half hours,  bored, and  senseless out of my mind, hardly a soul to talk to, having to sit without moving in case the stupid perm-a-cath in my neck decides to play up, the fact my pulse races anywhere up to and over 150. If it wasn’t for my husband, son and mum and dad I think I would just tell them to get lost and do without it. I am starting to hate Monday, Wednesday and Friday – the days in between aren’t much better. If I am not out in hot flushes in throwing up, but because of my family I keep going.
  • Deciding not to do dialysis is not suicide!!! It’s natural. I personally do not do well on dialysis but I see other people that do better. No one in my center is happy about being there especially me. On dialysis days I go from 5:30 am to 8:30 am. I can’t drive after this because it takes such a toll on me so my husband picks me up and takes me home and goes back to work. I am down for the day. They next day I feel a little better so I get some house work done and cook dinner for 2 days in advance. I always said I would not do dialysis but here I am doing it with the hope of getting a transplant and that is the only reason I have continued for 5 months. My quality of life stinks. I have nothing to look forward to. It is starting to take a toll financially. My marriage is suffering in several ways. So what I am living for is not to disappoint other people. I feel like a burden. I want my life back.
  • My brother has been on dialysis for 5 years now and is 24. The only thing that bothers him about dialysis is it can become an inconvenience. It does make him weaker and very tired, but only on the day he has it, and this usually only lasts a few hours. But as most people have said there is a fluid intake limit and if the patient exceeds this limit it can have side effects such as sickness. The machine affects everyone differently.
  • I have been on dialysis for almost three years. At first I liked going because it made me feel so much better. Then it was annoying and boring. Then I hated it with a passion and resented having to go. Now I just accept it and go, trying to make the best of it with books, CDs and my portable DVD player. Those three days a week make the rest of my life possible. On the regular days, I am reasonably energetic, I exercise and eat well, so I look as healthy as anyone else, maybe more so.

3.   How long can a person live on dialysis?

  • Until they die.
  • I’m 62 yrs old and have Agent Orange Cancer and diabetes type 2. I will be stopping dialysis, just too tired to keep going. Yes I know that it is death warrant but it is time to let go.
  • My wife is on dialysis. I have heard of people being on it for over twenty years, So, if you take care of yourself, it should be able to go indefinitely if needed.
  • I have been living with dialysis for the past 24yrs (I am 43yrs old) and I still doing quite well.
  • So how long can a person live on dialysis. As long as they need to, or as long as they want to, or as long as they can. It’s just like how long can you live at all. Tomorrow isn’t promised to anyone, regardless of their health!
  • My great aunt has been on dialysis for about 15 years! She’s living a long and healthy life so far. As of now, she is 89 years old!
  • The answer to that varies with individual. I have been on dialysis for 3 1/2 years now. It has been a horrific experience. One, the big dialysis machines (hemo) WILL KILL YOU. They beat you senseless so you have the shakes the rest of the day and get NO sleep at night. So you just sort of try and recover the next day, so you can get pasted all over again. Two, have a career? Forget IT. Once you have been tagged as a sicky you are going nowhere fast, no matter your degrees or training. Three, hemo dialysis just weakens you in the short run, medium run, and long run so other diseases can take hold. The person who answered that you can have a long productive life on dialysis is a quack. probably one of these quack doctors in the field. They probably never did one hour on dialysis. YOU WANT REALITY? Take it from a REAL patient.
  • My father just passed away last month, he had dialysis for almost ten years. I can see him getting weaker and weaker each day. Finally his heart became so weak that he cannot take dialysis anymore.
  • There are a lot of good answers in here. Unfortunately, it’s tough to give an accurate number since every case is different. One patient might make it for 20+ years, another might not make it to 4. A lot depends on how well the person takes care of themselves during dialysis and how much kidney function they have left. It seems to me, the less kidney activity you have the worse off you’re going to be.

Outlook of Kidney Cancer

The prognosis for kidney cancer is usually good when a single kidney is removed and the cancer is at its early stage. If both kidneys are removed or the remaining kidney does not function well enough, patients need hemodialysis or a kidney transplant. Unfortunately kidney cancer has a tendency to reoccur after surgery. When that happens, the game is virtually over because metastatic kidney cancer is generally resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

You may then ask, “So what can CA Care has got to offer?” As I have always said to patients. “We have nothing to cure your cancer – for whatever cancer you have!” Go to your doctor if you want a cure. Go to your doctor if you want to put up a good “fight” with your cancer. Come to us if you want healing. At CA Care we teach you how to live with your cancer and with our herbs and change of lifestyle and diet, hopefully these will help restore your health.  We hope to help rebuild your life so that you can still continue to live a pain-free and   meaningful life without fear. We want you to recognise that death is an inevitable part of life. Therefore you should be living your life without fear. Don’t you not realize that the day we are born, we are destined to die? No one can escape this ultimate destiny. Medicine cannot win over death no matter how heroic your doctor’s effort is or how great the technology applied is. Rather than fight, let’s accept the inevitable so that we can live a more relaxed and happy life.

Professor Jane Plant went to war with her cancer. At the end she said,

 

Update: 24 February 2012

Hallo Dr. Chris, My father’s health as a person is not bad. He can do some activities every day. He is in Jambi now. He came back to Jambi at 12th January 2012. Dr. Chris, do you think that my father have a hope to survive with his condition, your opinion please. He does all your suggestions, diet etc. Do you think the sciatica and sore in his waist is normal? Thanks.

Kidney-Lung-Brain Cancer: Sutent = Heart Damage

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MF (H614) is a 49-year old male.  He and his family came to seek our help on 27 May 2011. Watch this video and listen to his story.

 

 

Gist of our conversation.

  • MF was diagnosed with kidney cancer in June 2004. As a result his left kidney was removed. This operation cost him RM 8,000. After the operation MF was told that everything would be alright since the cancer had been removed. He was told not to worry and could go back to his normal life again. After all, the cancer has been cured.
  • It was not to be.  Three years later, June 2007, the cancer had spread to his lungs. MF received 10 times of radiation treatments. Then he was told that there was no further treatment.
  • MF turned to herbs. He received fresh herbs from a farm in Johor. He took the herbs for almost one a half years. According to MF, his lung cancer did not improve, but he did not get worse either.
  • But a CT scan done on 1 April 2009 showed the mass had increased in size from 5 x 5 x 7cm to 4 x 11.5 x 6 cm. The lymph node increased (?) from 2.5 x 4.5 x 6 cm to 3 x 3 x 4 cm. Impression: Features are suggestive of progressive enlargement of the right hilaar mass with lymph nod metastasis. Suspicious right main pulmonary artery thrombosis.
  • MF turned to medical treatment again. In May 2009, he was accepted into a Patent Assistance Program on Sutent offered by a local university hospital. For the first three months on Sutent, MF had to pay a total cost of RM 51,000 for the drug. After that, Sutent was supplied free of charge.
  • A CT scan on 4 September 2009, i.e.,  after about four months on Sutent – showed the right lower lobe is much smaller now …  measures approximately 5 x 4.4 cm.  Impression: Left renal cell carcinoma with lung metastases post nephrectomy and chemotherapy showing good response to chemotherapy as evidenced by significant reduction in size of the lung metastases.
  • MF was on Sutent from May 2009 until March 2011. He took 4 pills a day for 4 weeks followed by 2 weeks of rest. Then the cycle was repeated. He suffered numerous side effects after taking Sutent. Among them are:
  1. swollen and bleeding gum
  2. fingers of skin became thin and peeled off
  3. legs with blisters with fluid. It was painful when he stepped on the floor.
  4. rashes on the body
  5. breathing was slow
  6. coughs with blood clot
  7. skin became yellow like jaundice
  8. his black hairs and eye brow turned white
  9. urine with bubbles
  10. the worse side effect was heart failure – currently on heart medications.

He wrote, “This problem (heart failure) was detected in February 2011. And the doctor advised me to stop Sutent indefinitely. Now, I am looking for an alternative treatment. Hopefully you can help me.”

Update

 

3 June 2011

Dear Dr. Chris,

My father, from Malacca who visited you last Friday (27 May 2011) at Penang was admitted to Melaka General Hospital today. He doesn’t have energy to walk, lost the power to speak and see everything in blur ways. May I know what causes all these? My mother gave him the herbal tea to drink as you told. And he lost his appetite. Thus when the doctor checked his sensitivity, his left side of body is less sensitive than his right side of body. Are these the symptoms of having mild stroke? Hope you can reply me as soon as possible. Thank you.

Reply: I cannot tell you exactly what happen — because I am not there to know what actually was going on … even more so when after all the drugs that he was taking …. he is the one who took Sutent and got the heart attack right?

7 June

Dear Dr.Chris,

My father’s cancer cells from the kidney which spread to the lungs a few years ago, now has spread to his brain. I found this from the doctor after doing the CT scan yesterday. The doctor says that there are many white spots on his brain and he has a high level of calcium. Doctor says that maybe it has spread to the bone too, but unfortunately, they don’t have the machine for the bone scan in Melaka General Hospital. And, my father keeps on complaining about his headache. What should my mother and I do right now?

Reply: I think I have already told you this … from the Kidney it goes to the lungs and from the lungs it goes to the brain. That is the way it goes and Suntent makes things worse. I am in the US now and shall only come home in July. I really don’t know what else to say.

Lessons we can learn from this case

1. Surgery does not cure any cancer. It is a big mistake to think that after a surgery, the cancer is gone. It is most unfortunate that patients are not forewarned of this possibility of recurrence.  Even if you are told that the cancer has all been taken out, please take this with a pinch of salt! The cancer can come back again. And if you are told to go home and eat anything you like, remember that may not be a good advice at all as in this case. Read another story, Kidney Cancer Part 1: Get it removed! …….

2. MF was on herbs for more than a year. He was not getting worse. He said he was not getting better either. For sure, he did not suffer during those months while on herbs. Also he did not have to spend RM 51,000 on the herbs. MF turned to Sutent and he took the drug for over a year. He had to endure all the side effects. Sutent consumption had to be stopped after his heart was damaged. Which is more beneficial – the so called unproven herbs or the so called scientifically proven Sutent? In addition to those side effects, he had to fork out RM 51,000 –  worth it?

3.  After about four months on Sutent, the CT scan showed the lung mass became smaller. The CT scan report reads, “good response to chemotherapy as evidenced by significant reduction in size of the lung metastases”. Unfortunately, reduction in tumour size (although accepted by the US-FDA and medical community as an indicator of effectiveness) is meaningless. After a prolonged consumption of Sutent, in February 2011, MF suffered a heart failure and the doctor advised MF to stop taking Sutent indefinitely. So ended this sad story about Sutent.

4.  Before taking any chemo drugs – this is our advice to all patients. Ask some basic questions first  — such as, Can the drug cure your cancer? What are the side effects of the drugs?  Check with the internet to verify the information provided to you by the doctors.  Be reminded by what Professor Jane Plant said (in Prostate Cancer, page 231), “Much of the advice given to us, even from some government sources, cannot be regarded as reliable, because of the overwhelming influence of vested-interest groups. We must, therefore, rely very much on ourselves and our own efforts to safeguarding our health.”

Below are information obtained from the official website of the Sutent company http://www.sutent.com/

The possible side effects of Sutent are

  1. SUTENT can cause serious liver problems, including death.
  2. SUTENT may cause heart problems, including: heart failure, heart muscle problems (cardiomyopathy) and abnormal heart rhythm changes.
  3. SUTENT may cause high blood pressure
  4. SUTENT may cause bleeding sometimes leading to death. Serious bleeding problem such as painful swollen stomach (abdomen), vomiting blood, black sticky stools and bloody urine
  5. SUTENT may cause hormone problems, including thyroid and adrenal gland problem.
  6. Tiredness that worsens and does not go away
  7. Loss of appetite
  8. Heat intolerance
  9. Feeling nervous or agitated, tremors
  10. Sweating
  11. Nausea or vomiting
  12. Diarrhea
  13. Fast heart rate
  14. Weight gain or weight loss
  15. Feeling depressed
  16. Irregular menstrual periods or no menstrual periods
  17. Headache or change in your mental status.
  18. Hair loss
  19. The medicine in SUTENT is yellow, and it may make your skin look yellow. Your skin and hair may get lighter in color
  20. Weakness
  21. Fever
  22. Gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, mouth sores, upset stomach, abdominal pain, and constipation.
  23. Rash or other skin changes, including drier, thicker, or cracking skin
  24. Blisters or a rash on the palms of your hands and soles of your feet
  25. Taste changes
  26. Pain or swelling in your arms or legs
  27. Cough
  28. Shortness of breath
  29. Bleeding, such as nosebleeds or bleeding from cuts.

Alert … Beware

I accessed this link on 18 September 2011: http://www.druglib.com/adverse-reactions_side-effects/sutent/seriousness_death/

Sutent (Sunitinib) – Adverse Event Reports – Death

Cases resulting in death (704). You shall see the entry like this …

Suspect drug(s): Sutent

Possible Sutent side effects / adverse reactions in 52 year old male

Reported by a physician from United States on 2010-03-31

Patient: 52 year old male, weighing 70.0 kg (154.0 pounds)

Reactions: Renal Cancer, White Blood Cell Count Increased, Disease Progression

Adverse event resulted in: death

Suspect drug(s): Sutent

Read more: Sutent for Advance Kidney Cancer https://cancercaremalaysia.com/2011/09/18/sutent-for-advanced-kidney-cancer/

Kidney Cancer Part 2: Two Oncologists Two Different Opinions – Is Sutent indicated in this case? https://cancercaremalaysia.com/2011/09/19/kidney-cancer-part-2-two-oncologists-two-different-opinions-%E2%80%93-is-sutent-indicated-in-this-case/

Read more about Kidney Cancer:  https://cancercaremalaysia.com/category/kidney-cancer/

Kidney Cancer Part 2: Two Oncologists Two Different Opinions – Is Sutent indicated in this case?

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LC underwent an operation to remove his right kidney.

Histopathology report dated 19 August 2011 indicated, “Right radical nephrectomy specimen and paracortical node:

  1. Papillary renal cell carcinoma, Stage 3 (pT1b,pN1,pMx).
  2. Paracortical lymph node with tumour metastasis.
  3. The resection margins of ureter and renal vessels are free of tumour.

LC and his family came to CA Care again on 11 September 2011. The following are excerpts of our conversation that evening.

 

 

Sister-in-law:  After the operation, he was referred to the oncologist of the hospital.  So they went to see the oncologist and later went to seek a second opinion of another oncologist.

Chris: What did the first oncologist say?

Wife:  He said, you need to take medication to prevent the cancer from spreading. He needs to take the oral drug, Sutent.

C: How long does he need to take the Sutent?

W: For six months.

C: How much that cost you per month?

W: Approximately RM 13,000 to RM 15,000 – not sure yet.

C: What do you expect to get after taking the drug?

W: The doctor said to control the cancer.

C: Then you went to see another oncologist – what did he say?

W: The second oncologist said there is no need to take any medication. What you need to do is to take care of your body and health. Your diet is also important. Your mind must be relaxed and do not be afraid. Open up your mind. There is no medication to take.

C: Is this person an oncologist?

W: Yes, cancer doctor – an oncologist.

C:Is he really an oncologist?

SIL: He is a new chap. I think he is a new oncologist of the hospital.

W: He is about in his forties.

C: Oh, he will find it hard to earn a living then.

W: He is a very nice person. He advised us to be open minded. You need to have a fighting spirit. You should not be afraid.

C: When you come here, I also tell you the same thing. Did the second oncologist tell you to eat right?

W: Yes, we need to take care of the diet. Don’t eat too much meat.

C: And he told you not to take the oral drug (Sutent)?

W: Yes, yes. And then if you want to take Chinese herbs, it is alright. You can take Chinese herbs.

C: He never gets angry about you taking herbs?

W: No.

C: Oh, so he said you can take Chinese herbs?

W: Yes, since you have no medication to take, and if you believe in the herbalist, go ahead and take his herbs.

C: Did you tell him you wanted to take herbs? And he did not get angry with you?

W: No, the second oncologist agreed with us. But the first oncologist said we cannot take Chinese herbs. But the second oncologist said it is okay to take herbs. But don’t get cheated. If the herbs are not too expensive, go ahead and take them if we have confidence in the herbalist.

C: So, all in all, the second oncologist asked you to take care of yourself, don’t think too much and if you want to take herbs it is okay.

W: He also said we need to exercise.

C: Very good. This oncologist is really a great guy!

SIL: Very good.

Comments

I cannot believe what I have heard! Twice, I asked if the second doctor that they consulted was indeed an oncologist! We salute you doc., for being so open-minded.

Place yourself in LC’s situation. After the operation, he faced a real dilemma. Two different cancer experts provided two divergent opinions. What to do now?  The family came to CA Care for help. Let us get this straight. It is not for us to make decisions for the patient.  Patients need to make their own decisions – because it is you, and you alone, who will have to bear the consequences of that decision.

If you are faced with such a dilemma, we suggest that you ask the following questions and then seek out the answers for yourself. Based on what you learn, make your decision that makes sense to you.

Question 1 to ask yourself:  What is Sutent? What is it used for? Go to Google search.  And you get this: http://www.sutent.com/  This is the official site of the drug company.

Answer: SUTENT is used to treat advanced kidney cancer (advanced renal cell carcinoma or RCC).

Question 2 to ask yourself:  What are the side effects of Sutent?

Answer: You may have side effects or reactions to SUTENT. For many patients, these may be managed. However, some side effects can be serious.

The following are possible side effects

  1. SUTENT can cause serious liver problems, including death.
  2. SUTENT may cause heart problems, including: heart failure, heart muscle problems (cardiomyopathy) and abnormal heart rhythm changes.
  3. SUTENT may cause high blood pressure
  4. SUTENT may cause bleeding sometimes leading to death. Serious bleeding problem such as painful swollen stomach (abdomen), vomiting blood, black sticky stools and bloody urine
  5. SUTENT may cause hormone problems, including thyroid and adrenal gland problem.
  6. Tiredness that worsens and does not go away
  7. Loss of appetite
  8. Heat intolerance
  9. Feeling nervous or agitated, tremors
  10. Sweating
  11. Nausea or vomiting
  12. Diarrhea
  13. Fast heart rate
  14. Weight gain or weight loss
  15. Feeling depressed
  16. Irregular menstrual periods or no menstrual periods
  17. Headache or change in your mental status.
  18. Hair loss
  19. The medicine in SUTENT is yellow, and it may make your skin look yellow. Your skin and hair may get lighter in color
  20. Weakness
  21. Fever
  22. Gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, mouth sores, upset stomach, abdominal pain, and constipation.
  23. Rash or other skin changes, including drier, thicker, or cracking skin
  24. Blisters or a rash on the palms of your hands and soles of your feet
  25. Taste changes
  26. Pain or swelling in your arms or legs
  27. Cough
  28. Shortness of breath
  29. Bleeding, such as nosebleeds or bleeding from cuts.

Question 3 to ask yourself: If you take Sutent, you run the risk of suffering from the above side effects. Is it worth it? What benefit can you expect from Sutent? Can the drug cure your cancer?

Answer: SUTENT may slow or stop the growth of cancer. It may also help shrink tumors. Take note, it may only. But it may not do what it is supposed to do.

This is one of the research results that were used to justify the use of Sutent for kidney cancer.

Patient and Methods:  Seven hundred fifty treatment-naïve patients with metastatic clear cell RCC were randomly assigned to sunitinib 50 mg orally once daily on a 4 weeks on, 2 weeks off dosing schedule or to IFN-alpha 9 MU subcutaneously thrice weekly.

Results:  Median overall survival was greater in the sunitinib group than in the IFN-alpha group (26.4 v 21.8 months respectively)

Take note of the above research results:

  1. If Sutent was taken, patients survived 26.4 months, if patients took IFN-alpha injections they survived 21.8 months. This means Sutent prolonged survival by only 4.6 months.
  2. To live longer by 4.6 months, you need to spend about RM 15,000 per month. Perhaps for those who can afford to pay, money is not an issue. But for those who are poor, money is a big issue indeed.
  3. Now, if you are still “healthy” – meaning able to eat, sleep, move around and have no pains. Do you think you need to take Sutent? It does not look like you are going to die anytime yet – do you need to survive longer by 4.6 months?
  4. The question which no one can answer is, what happens if you don’t take Sutent at all? Do you die sooner, or do you die later? No research is ever done on that. But based on the possible side effects of Sutent, how sure are we that Sutent really prolong life if compared to no treatment? How sure are we that patients cannot live much longer even without taking Sutent?
  5. Is Sutent a medicine to cure kidney cancer? Nobody is talking about curing kidney cancer. There is no mention of cure at all anywhere in the research report.

Patients, make your own decision. Again, as I have said earlier, whatever you do, make sure that it makes sense to you.

Alert … Beware

I accessed this link on 18 September 2011: http://www.druglib.com/adverse-reactions_side-effects/sutent/seriousness_death/

Sutent (Sunitinib) – Adverse Event Reports – Death

Cases resulting in death (704). You shall see the entry like this …

Possible Sutent side effects / adverse reactions in 40 year old male

Reported by a physician from Turkey on 2010-03-31

Patient: 40 year old male

Reactions: Thrombocytopenia

Adverse event resulted in: death

Suspect drug(s): Sutent

 

Possible Sutent side effects / adverse reactions in 52 year old male

Reported by a physician from United States on 2010-03-31

Patient: 52 year old male, weighing 70.0 kg (154.0 pounds)

Reactions: Renal Cancer, White Blood Cell Count Increased, Disease Progression

Adverse event resulted in: death

Suspect drug(s): Sutent

Read more: Sutent for Advance Kidney Cancer https://cancercaremalaysia.com/2011/09/18/sutent-for-advanced-kidney-cancer/
Lung-Brain Cancer: An Impossible Healing Part 3: Reflection and Confession of a Husband https://cancercaremalaysia.com/2011/09/10/lung-brain-cancer-an-impossible-healing-part-3-reflection-and-confession-of-a-husband/
Read more about Kidney Cancer:  https://cancercaremalaysia.com/category/kidney-cancer/

Kidney Cancer Part 1: Get the tumour removed!

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LC is a 50-year-old male. He and his entire family together with a sister-in-law, came to see us on 14 August 2011. His sister –in-law is a nurse. She was a participant of the International Nurses Conference held in Kuala Lumpur a year ago. And I was a speaker at that conference. She wanted me to help her brother-in-law who had a tumour in his right kidney.

An ultrasound done on 8 August 2011 indicated a 1.3 x 1.6 cm cyst at the upper pole of his left kidney and a focal lesion, 4.8 x 4.4 cm at the upper pole of his right kidney. A CT scan done on 11 August 2011 confirmed the presence of a 5.2 x 5.7 x 5 cm solid tumour in the upper pole of his right kidney. There was a 1.5 cm cyst in the upper pole of his left kidney.

Based on the above medical reports, we suggested the following:

  1. The right kidney tumour has to be removed. From our experience no drug or herbs would be able to reverse the situation.
  2. However, before undergoing the operation, it would be wise to do a PET scan first. This is to determine if the cancer has spread to any other parts of the body. If the cancer has spread extensively elsewhere, then surgical removal – although necessary, would not be meaningful. There is now a company which does PET scan at a cheaper price than the hospitals. So go there if money is a concern. (Later: we were told that a PET scan that LC did cost only RM 2,000 against RM 5,000 to RM 6,000 if done in certain hospitals).
  3. LC should be aware that the cancer can spread even if surgery is done successfully. The targets of metastasis are the lungs, liver, bones and brain. Over the years we have patients who came to us with such metastasis after an apparent “successful operation.”  Read our story, Kidney-Lung-Brain Cancer: Sutent = Heart Damange.
  4. After the operation, we suggest that LC change his lifestyle and diet. He can take herbs too if he believes in what we are doing.
  5. LC  and his family agreed to the above suggestions  and would wait for about three more weeks before undergoing the operation. They would not want to do an operation during the Chinese Ghost month!

LC underwent a PET/CT scan after meeting us. The report on 18 August 2011 indicated “a right renal mass as malignant and a small metastatic node is seen situated between the right kidney and L2. No other suspicious lesion is detected”.

Comments

I presented our case studies on Kidney Cancer in my talk at the MMA Monthly Joint Clinical Meeting of doctors from three hospitals – JSH, PSH and HAS –  in Johor Baru on 30 October 2006. Below are three patients who had undergone surgery for their right kidney cancer. The first patient was a 40-year-old female. After about five years the cancer recurred in her liver. A 30-year-old male also had liver recurrence after only two years.

Watch this video. This 53-year-old male had surgery in 1997. After the surgery, the surgeon did not consider mop-up treatment like radiotherapy or chemotherapy necessary. There was no medication to take either. Lee came to know us through our book:  Cancer Yet They Live, which was given to him by a friend. Since then he has been on our therapy. Lee has been doing well – as of 2011, it has been more than 15 years now!

For more details of Lee’s case, click this link: https://cancercaremalaysia.com/2011/09/18/kidney-cancer-a-success-story-fifteen-years-on-herbs-and-doing-great/

Kidney Cancer Metastatised to Lungs After Seven Years

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Ray (M578) is a restaurant owner inIndonesia. In December 2007, at the age of 53, he was diagnosed with kidney cancer. He underwent a radical nephrectomy in a hospital in Melaka. It was a grade 2 RCC (renal cell carcinoma) which had invaded the renal capsule.

After the surgery, Ray was well and life was back to normal again.

 

 

Chris: After the operation, no chemo, no nothing? Did the doctor ever ask you to take care of your diet?

Ray: The doctor told me: Eat whatever you like!

About seven years later, August 2007, Ray developed a cough. A CT scan on 17 August 2007 showed 3 lung nodules of size 1 cm to 2.5 cm. One nodule each in left upper lobe and one in anterior segment right lower lobe.

Ray consulted 4 oncologists who differed in their opinions and offered different treatment options.

Onclogist 1: An oncologist in Melaka asked Ray to take Nexavar (sorafenib). This was a new oral drug. Ray declined the medication.

Onclogist 2: Ray’s wife asked Ray to see an oncologist in Subang where a PET/CT scan was done. This oncologist recommended radiotherapy and Ray was subsequently referred to a radiologist who was hesitant to do the treatment mainly because one of the nodules was situated near Ray’s heart.

Onclogist 3: Ray’s friend from London called and suggested that Ray consulted with an oncologist in Kuala Lumpur. This oncologist did not agree that Ray undergo radiotherapy. He suggested that Ray take an oral drug, Sutent (sunitinib). So Ray was started on Sutent in late August 2007 at a dose of 50 mg daily for 4 weeks (to be recycled every 6 weeks).

Within days after taking Sutent, Ray developed severe side effects which he found intolerable. He had diarrhea, his skin turned yellow, his face swelled, he had painful ulceration of his mouth and throat, blunting of taste sensation, hypertension and worse of all severe hand-foot syndrome. His skin peeled off and he could not walk due to severe pains.

Oncologist 4: Not happy with his Sutent treatment, Ray went to see an oncologist in Singapore. This oncologist was surprised to see Ray all yellow. He told Ray that he disagreed with him taking Sutent and then said: In the first instance, I want to be sure that the nodule is cancer. A biopsy was performed which confirmed that it was indeed a lung metastasis. Ray did another PET/CT scan. The results were amazing. The 3 nodules in the lungs had shrunk in size. This Singapore oncologist was lost for words and was not sure what to do next.

Ray decided to go back to Oncologist 3 in Kuala Lumpur for further management. Oncologist 3 told him: You suffered 7 side effects only. According to the drug company’s information, there are 21 side effects. And you “belum apa-apa” (implying that you are not dead yet!). So it is okay. Ray was asked to continue taking Sutent but at a reduced dosage – 37.5 mg or 3 tablets her day instead of 50 mg or 4 tablets per day). However, even at a reduced dosage Ray still suffered and subsequently Ray took only 2 tablets (25 mg) per day. By January 2008, Ray totally stopped taking Sutent because of the intolerable side effects. Even after stopping Sutent, the problems persisted so much so that Ray was unable to stand up and walk. Ray told the oncologist: I am stopping Sutent, I might die because of the drug and not because of the cancer.

A PET/Scan was performed in June 2008. The tumours had since grown back to their original sizes. The oncologist suggested a new oral drug, Afinitor (everolimus) which has yet to be approved for use by the Malaysian Government. This drug cost RM 1,000 per tablet, meaning a month’s supply costs RM30,000 (as opposed to Sutent which costs RM 18,000 per month).

Ray suffered similar side effects from taking Afinitor – ulcerations of his mouth and itchiness of his head, etc.

Realizing that his father was not going anywhere with these doctors, Ray’s son surfed the net and found CA Care. Ray decided not to take any more of his doctor’s medication and came to seek our help on 29 May 2009.

Comments

There are some lessons we can learn from this story.

  1. Medicine is supposed to be scientific and based on solid proof. In this case, where is the proof? Ray consulted 4 oncologists and each gave their own expert opinions. Dr. Robert Weinberg had rightly said: At present, the choice of drugs to be used … is inspired by … intuition or poorly informed guesses. Note again what he said –  based on poorly informed guesses. Perhaps Voltaire was not far wrong when he said: Doctors are men who prescribe medicines of which they know little,   to cure diseases of which they know less, in human beings of whom they know nothing.

Oncologist 1 was for Nexavar. Nexavar, which also costs about RM 20,000 per month, is not shown to cure metastatic kidney cancer. Data showed that Nexevar only increased survival by 83 days (With Nexavar median survival = 167 days, Placebo, median survival = 84 days).

Oncologist 2 suggested radiotherapy for reason only known to himself. Radiotherapy is not shown to cure metastatic cancer. The radiologist was right being skeptic about this recommendation. Radiotherapy could damage the heart.

Oncologist 3 was trying new drugs on Ray. The approval of Sutent by the FDA – USA, was on the basis that Sutent shrank tumors in 26% to 37% of patients. Studies have not yet shown that Sutent improves survival, let alone cure cancer.

When Sutent failed, Oncologist 3 suggested a switch to another drug– everolimus (commercial name Afinitor). This drug was approved for use by the FDA on 30 March 2009. It has not been shown to cure any kidney cancer or even prolong survival. It was said to prolong progression-free survival by about 3 months (PFS survival with everolimus – 4.9 months versus 1.9 months with placebo). PFS means the length of time during and after treatment in which patient is living with a disease that does not get worse.

Oncologist 4 took a different route. He thought he had to make sure that the nodules in the lungs were indeed cancerous. It was indeed a thoughtful act or was it due to some other reason best known to himself? Anyway, he was dumbfounded when he found out the Sutent did indeed shrunk the tumours. It should not be any surprise since medical literature said similar thing, except one ought to ask if shrinkage of tumour has any meaning or significance at all.

Patients ought to be informed or know that the use of such drug like Sutent (which is referred to as inhibitor of tumour angionenesis, anti-angiogenic or VEGF-targeted therapy drug) did shrink tumours in clinical studies. These drugs often prolong survival of cancer patients by only months, without offering enduring cure.  But one most important concern is that in studies with mice, these VEGF-targeted drugs initially inhibited primary tumour growth, but later the tumours showed an unexpected surge in growth and became more invasive and spread widely to other parts of the body.

  1. Ray suffered relapse after 7 years after an apparent cure. Most patients are often misled or lulled into a false security or belief that after treatment they are cured. Far from it. This case proved that surgery does not cure cancer. Period.

Over the years, I have seen many case of relapse after surgery. Let me give some examples. These cases involved patients with right kidney cancer. They had undergone surgery to remove the diseased kidney and did not undergo any other follow up treatment since they were deemed cured.

Patient 1 is a 40-year-old female. Surgery done in March 1996. After 5 years, December 2001,  5 lesions her found in her liver. The largest being 4 cm.

Patient 2 is a 30-year-old male. He had surgery in January 2003. Barely 2 years later, December 2004, the cancer spread to his liver. There were 11mm lesion in Segment 8 of his liver and a 8.7 x 7.8 x 12 cm mass in the left para-aortic region.

Patient 3 is a 53-year-old male. He had surgery in December 2000. About 7 years later, in Agusut 2007, there were three lesions in his lungs.

Patient 4 is a 53-year-old male. He had surgery in March 1997. The tumour in his kidney was 4 cm in size. As of this writing, June 2009, he is still doing well. There is no metastasis.

Study these cases again carefully. Patients 1 to 3 all suffered metastasis after their surgery. Patient 4 did not suffer any metastasis. Do you want to know why? From November 1997 immediately after his surgery he was on herbs and has changed his lifestyle and diet. For his story, click on this link: http://cacare.com/index.php?option=com_easyfaq&task=view&id=248&Itemid=39

They say herbal and dietary therapies are not proven! Is the above not proof enough? The proof is in the healing! The above data also proved that medical treatment for renal cancer is on shaky ground indeed.

  1. Medical literature reports effectiveness of Sutent and other drugs, in terms of tumour shrinkage, median survival, progression-free survival, etc. All these are evasive tactics to distract the real issue. What patients want is a cure, after paying for the drugs through their noses. Tumour shrinkage and all these confusing terminologies are meaningless to patients.

Note:

  1. To view video on side effects of Sutent: http://cacare.com/index.php?option=com_easyfaq&task=view&id=270&Itemid=39
  2. To view video on the side effects of Afinitor: http://cacare.com/index.php?option=com_easyfaq&task=view&id=271&Itemid=39

Everolimus for Kidney Cancer Metastatised to Lungs

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Ray (M578) is a restaurant owner in Indonesia. In December 2007, at the age of 53, he was diagnosed with kidney cancer. He underwent a radical nephrectomy. After the surgery, Ray was well and life was back to normal again. About seven years later, the cancer recurred in his lungs. Ray was put on Sutent and suffered severe intolerable side effects. Ray totally stopped taking Sutent.

 

 

The oncologist suggested a new oral drug, Afinitor (everolimus) which has yet to be approved for use by the Malaysian Government. This drug cost RM 1,000 per tablet, meaning a month’s supply costs RM30,000 (as opposed to Sutent which costs RM 18,000 per month).

Ray suffered similar side effects from taking Afinitor – ulcerations of his mouth and itchiness of his head, etc.

Realizing that his father was not going anywhere with his doctor, Ray’s son surfed the net and found CA Care. Ray decided not to take any more of his doctor’s medication and came to seek our help on 29 May 2009.

 

Comments

When Sutent failed, the oncologist suggested that Ray switched to another drug– everolimus (commercial name Afinitor). This drug was approved for use by the FDA on 30 March 2009. It has not been shown to cure any kidney cancer or even prolong survival. It was said to prolong progression-free survival by about 3 months (PFS survival with everolimus – 4.9 months versus 1.9 months with placebo). PFS means the length of time during and after treatment in which patient is living with a disease that does not get worse.

Medical literature reports effectiveness of Sutent and other drugs, in terms of tumour shrinkage, median survival, progression-free survival, etc. All these are evasive tactics to distract the real issue. What patients want is a cure, after paying for the drugs through their noses. Tumour shrinkage and all these confusing terminologies are meaningless to patients.

Sutent for Advanced Kidney Cancer

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SC (TK826) was a 53-year-old male. He had a history of pains in his right shoulder for almost a year. An X-ray did not show any problem. Then in October 2008, his right hand became weak. MRI showed tumour in his spine – T1 / T2. Titanium stent inserted to support the crushed T1.  Further investigation indicated the primary as cancer of the kidney. He received 20 radiation treatments. In spite of the treatment, the tumour grew bigger and spread to his liver, lungs and abdomen. He was started on Sutent in January 2009. As of 3 February he had started on the second cycle of Sutent. In spite of the drug, MRI on 11 February 2009 showed a large mass in C3 to C7 and there were more metastases in T1/T2 and T5/T6.

 

 

This video was recorded on 9 February 2009. Sadly, SC died on 30 April 2009.

SC suffered the following side effects:

  1. Lost of appetite.
  2. Diarrhoea up to 10 times per day.
  3. Swelling of face.
  4. Ulceration of mouth.
  5. Yellowing of skin.
  6. Difficulty breathing.
  7. Peeling of skin in the feet and hands.

Comments

Below are vital information about Sutent – sunitinib which patients ought to know.

Use: For treatment of refractory unresectable and/or malignant gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) and advanced kidney cancer (advanced renal cell carcinoma or mRCC).

Cost: RM 20,000 per cycle of treatment which last 4 weeks. Take 4 tablets per day. Rest for 2 weeks before starting a new cycle of 4 weeks.

Effectiveness

  • Approval for kidney cancer was based on a review of the drug’s efficacy in reducing tumor size. Approval of the GIST was mainly based on studies showing that sunitinib delay tumor growth.
  • Sutent shrank tumors in 26% to 37% of patients, according to the FDA. Studies have not yet shown that Sutent improves survival.
  • Liz Szabo, USA TODAY Jan 26, 2006, wrote: Sutent doesn’t cure cancer, but experts say it is an important advance – both for patients and for science. Sutent is a product by Pfizer. Another drug used to treat advanced kidney cancer is Nexavar by Bayer.
  • The median OS for patients receiving SUTENT was 26.4 months vs 21.8 months with IFNα (Note: IFN-α has been used extensively in the treatment of metastatic melanoma. Human IFN-α1 is a type I interferon. It is for research use only, not for diagnostic or therapeutic use)

Side effects 
The adverse events included:

The most serious adverse events associated with Sutent therapy included

  • pulmonary embolism
  • thrombocytopenia
  • bleeding from the tumor bleeding or bruising under the skin; coughing blood
  • febrile neutropenia
  • hypertension
  • may harm an unborn baby (cause birth defects). Do not become pregnant. Do not breastfeed while taking SUTENT.
  • may cause heart problems.
  • may cause a hole in the stomach or bowel wall. This could cause symptoms such as painful, swollen abdomen, vomiting or coughing blood, and black, sticky s tools.

Recent research findings on Sutent

  •  Researchers in Canada had reported that Sutent accelerated metastatic tumour growth and decreased overall survival in mice receiving short-term therapy (Cancer Cell 15: 232-239. March 2009).
  • Using mouse model researchers in Spain and California, USA, also showed that Sutent promoted the incidence of highly invasive tumours. The incidence of liver micrometastases was significantly increased by 3.5-fold in treated animal (Cancer Cell 15:220-231. March 2009).

 


Kidney Cancer: A Success Story – Fifteen years on herbs and doing great!

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Lee, male, was 53 years old when he was diagnosed with cancer of the kidney in March 1997. A CTscan showed a well defined solid mass in the right kidney. This could be an adenoma or a low grade carcinoma. Lee underwent an immediate surgery to remove his right kidney. The pathology report dated 14 March 1997 stated: Specimen of kidney: 225 gm, measuring about 11 cm x 5 cm x 4 cm. Yellowish tumour with fibrous areas seen in the middle of the kidney. The tumour measures about 4 cm in diameter. Interpretation: right kidney consistent with clear cell adenocarcinoma.

After the surgery, the surgeon did not consider mop-up treatment like radiotherapy or chemotherapy necessary. There was no medication to take either. Lee came to know us through our book:  Cancer Yet They Live, which was given to him by a friend. Since then he has been on our therapy.

On 31 August 2006, we had a three-hour long conversation with Lee.

Lee: My operation was in March 1997. So by March 2007, it would be ten years after my cancer diagnosis. I am doing fine.

Q: So for the past nine years, you have been taking the herbs and taking care of your diet?

A: Yes, I had been taking your herbs very seriously since my operation and I took care of my diet as you recommended.

Q: Now that you have lived for more than nine years after your cancer diagnosis – did you ever feel that cancer has been a threat to you?

A: No. I didn’t think that cancer is the only threat to my life. Everyday we all face many threats to our life. So cancer is just one of these things. In this world you face threats when you step out of the house. Even in the house, there are dangers. The idea that just because someone has cancer, he is more vulnerable than others is not right. I may die of other causes.

Q: So, during the nine years, was there a time when you felt you could not make it?

A: No, there was no such feeling. This is because the body does not show any sign of problems at all. I always look at the positive side of things and I do not pay much attention to the negative. I accept cancer as part of my life.

Q: When you look back at your cancer experience, what do you think are the factors or things that had contributed to your well-being today?

A: Firstly, it was the people around me who directly and indirectly gave me their love and touch. By their actions they expressed their desire that I get well and this made me feel much wanted. Let me give you some examples.

There was this lady who came to the hospital with a bagful of money. She placed it on my bed and said: Brother, this is seven thousand ringgit for you. If this amount is not enough, mama said please let us know. This person is not related to me. She was just a friend – a former Hainanese neighbour, belonging to the same clan as I am. I never asked anybody for any help. She came and she did not even ask me if I needed any financial help. She just deposited the money on my bed. Her action showed me that people wanted me to get well. Therefore to me, I must get well because they wanted me to get well. This incidence created a strong feeling within me that I must get well for their sake. I felt so wanted. If I was left unwanted, there was no need for me to live anymore. I might as well die.

People showed their concern and love in different ways. There was a three-year-old boy. My wife used to take care of him when he was a baby. He came and held my hand while I was lying immobilised in bed. I called out to him: Ah Boy, Ah Boy. He responded: Uncle, no need to say anything and he cried. By doing this he showed me that I was wanted. There must be a purpose for me to live on. As I have said earlier, life has a purpose and by what these people had demonstrated, I should not die yet.

Another contribution was a lady friend who gave me your book. At that time I did not know anything about cancer or about you. She personally gave me your book for she wanted me to get well. She told me: This is something which can help you, read this book and then call Dr. Chris. I felt the love and concern she had for me. Again, I felt wanted. That book was the one with a simple white cover (note: our earliest version of Cancer Yet They Live).

I did not judge the book by its cover. I read it over and over again. What the book pointed out – or what you pointed out – was very true. The junk food and the negative emotions did not take care of my body. What you wrote made a lot of sense. All along in my life in the navy, I had been eating plenty of meat – meat for breakfast, meat for lunch and meat for dinner. I ate very little vegetables and even that was over cooked. I drank a lot of hard liquor. That book made a lot of sense and I could relate it with my lifestyle. It was there for me to see and compare. That book made me realise that I had been abusing my body all those years. After I found out the mistakes of my earlier lifestyle, I started to do the right thing. The information in your book woke me up and showed me where I went wrong. Knowing my mistakes, I started to make the necessary changes and corrections. The only way for me to carry on was to stop abusing my body. Without your book, I would not have known where I had gone wrong. When I wrote you, you asked for my medical reports and later prescribed Capsule A and Mt.Guava deTox tea.

Q: After reading the book, did you need to be “pushed” to do something or did you, on your own, willingly decided to practise what I said?

A: I decided willingly to put into practice what you wrote without any push from anybody. There were friends who told me that without chemotherapy, the cancer would spread, etc., etc. But I ignored such comments. My doctor did not give me any medication. I told him that I was taking your herbs. He did not object and said: Whatever you do, you must come back for a check-up. Initially I went back for a check- up every six months and later once a year. This routine lasted for six years – doing the X-ray and scanning. I stopped going for the check- up after the seventh year although I still continue with the blood test.

Q: After you read the book, did the knowledge you got from it help you very much?

A: The contribution arising from the knowledge obtained from the book has lasted even to this day. It has not stopped. That book was the one that started to move me forward and made me want to understand more about cancer. It has changed my destiny and the outcome of my cancer journey. When I read the book, I began to fathom what the authors wanted me to know and understand. Of course, if you just skim through the pages, you learn nothing. The book has changed my life. Even today I still read it – I have done it a thousand and one times!

Q: When you took the herbs, did you believe they were going to work?

A: Yes, my hair became black and I felt better just after one week. Even before I took the herbs, I had believed what you wrote.

Q: What would you say about your doctor?

A: I was very lucky to have a kind and understanding doctor who operated on me. He not only did his job well but also was wiser than just being a doctor who operated on patients. He went further to arrange for me to be operated earlier, on the day which was not his scheduled operation day. He was prompted to do so because I had already done a biopsy and the kidney had been poked. To him it was best that the kidney be removed as quickly as possible. This caring attitude made me feel really good. My doctor did not want me to go for chemotherapy. If he had asked me to undergo chemotherapy, I would have done that too. In his wisdom he did not see the need for chemotherapy.

All the above are things that have contributed to what I am today.

Q: Now that you are doing very well and are very confident, does it occur to you that one day the cancer may come back – have you given this any thought?

A: Yes, you use the word confident. I don’t want to use that word at all. Life is uncertain. If we understand that cancer has no permanent cure, you can accept that you may be able to live for two, three, ten or twenty years and then cancer comes back again. So, that is expected.

Q: What if the cancer comes back?

A: When it comes back, I will look at it again and find out why it comes back. Maybe at that time, my body is on the downward turn due to old age. Because of that, cancer takes advantage of the situation. So, we cannot blame anything or anybody. It is a natural process of life that the body shuts down. It is just like my old Opel car. I sent it to my mechanic and he told me: Uncle, the car is “lok” (beyond repair) already and cannot be repaired anymore. I had to accept it and write it off. Life is like that and is full of uncertainty. So in life, I cannot use the word confident. If I am too certain about things, I may end up disappointed. If you don’t hope for something, there will be no disappointment.

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As of this writing, September 2011, Lee has been doing well – 15 years now!