Tag Archives: radiation

From TB to Nose Cancer. After chemotherapy and radiotherapy, extensive bony metastases. What has gone wrong?

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FR is a 40-yer-old male, private school teacher from Indonesia. In November 2017, he had a swelling in the left side of his neck. A biopsy was done by a doctor in his hometown. FR was told he had tuberculosis (TB). He was prescribed Rifastar — a TB drug. FR took Rifastar for about two months. Another lump appeared on his neck.

FR went to see another doctor. He was again told he had TB. This time he was prescribed more drugs: Rofamtibi, Lovesco (antibiotic) and Lesichol (for liver).  After one month on these drugs the swelling in his neck became smaller. But after the second month, the drugs were not effective anymore.

FR went to a hospital in Melaka for further management.

A trucut biopsy of left cervical lymph node on 28 March 2018, suggested a metastatic undifferentiated or poorly differentiated carcinoma, highly suggestive of undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC – nose cancer).

CT scan report stated: Tiny right middle lobe lung nodule and aorto-pulmonary lymphadenopathy (1.1 cm). Infection or metastasis ? No suspicious bony lesion.

MRI showed multiple enlarged left jugular nodes as large as 4 cm. There is no obvious tumour in the postnasal space.

FR was referred to the oncologist in the same Melaka hospital. He was told to undergo chemotherapy and radiotherapy immediately because this was a Stage 4B cancer.

FR came to Penang and consulted us. He was prescribed some herbs for his NPC, lung, lymph nodes and liver. However, FR’s father asked FR to undergo medical treatments instead of just relying on our herbs.

So FR went to a private hospital in Kuala Lumpur and had six cycles of chemotherapy with cisplatin — one cycle every week. He also received 33 sessions of radiotherapy.

In all, the cost of the treatments was about IDR 200 million (approximately RM58,000).

PET scan results below showed amazing results after the medical treatments. The swelling were all gone!

But there is no time to celebrate yet.

Unfortunately, the PET scan also showed (below) that the cancer had spread extensively to the bones — the skull (white arrow), T4, T5, T6, T7, T8, T9, T10, T11, T12, L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, and sacral vertebrae, head of humerus, left scapula, sternum, right 3rd and left 6th rib, pelvic and femoral bones.

FR was told to undergo more chemotherapy, this time using carboplatin + Gemcitabine. Six cycles of this treatment is going to cost RM42,000.

FR refused further medical treatment and came back to seek our help for the second time!

Comments

This is indeed a sad morning for me to see how “lost and fearful” FR and his wife were. Why the extensive spread to the bones? And this happened so fast. Barely five months ago — the PET scan in May 2018, before chemotherapy and radiotherapy — showed no traces of bony metastasis. What has gone wrong?

Most patients, after being diagnosed with cancer, generally opt for the so called “scientific, proven” medical treatment. Yes, they believe medical treatments can cure their cancer. I have no problem with that. By all means, go and see your doctors and do whatever they want you to do. I also tell patients that if or when these treatments fail, they can come to us. No hard feelings. We do NOT promise we can cure you. But we shall try our best to help the way we know how.

Dr. Laura Nasi, an integrative oncologist, in her book, Cancer as a wake-up call explained clearly what medical treatments for cancer can offer patients. Let me quote what she wrote:

page114: Fifty percent of those who receive a cancer diagnosis — and up to 90 percent with some kinds of cancer — are cured with conventional medicine. 

page 115: Eastern medicine, e.g. Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, are excellent for preserving health, but they are not always fast enough when cancer is already established in the body. When the situation is urgent, Western medicine’s surgery, radiation and chemo take effect immediately. 

page 117: When cancer is detected during its early stages, conventional medicine considers that there is a cure … the treatment is usually aggressive. In these cases, it’s considered more acceptable to tolerate serious adverse effects, since a cure is the intended outcome.

page 117: When cancer is more advanced or has spread to other organs, conventional medicine generally doesn’t have the tools to cure it. A long-term treatment can help control the cancer, reduce pain, relieve symptoms, avoid complications and sometimes extend a person’s life. 

I am sure many oncologists everywhere in the world would say the same thing as Dr. Nasi. I guess most patients are also on the same page and believe their oncologists fully.

Perhaps that could be the reason why FR’s father told his son to go for medical treatments instead of just relying on our herbs!

But look at what happened to FR. Barely five months later, FR ended up with more metastases than anyone could ever imagine. Why? Is this the first time such a thing ever happen? My answer is NO. I have seen similar cases.

I have been helping thousands of cancer patients over the past two decades. Most of them who came to us had already undergone medical treatments. These treatments failed. These patients came to us as a last resort. So it is hard for me to fully agree with what Dr. Nasi wrote above.

For one, I have come to believe from my long years of observation that there is no such thing as a cure for cancer! Remission yes, but not cure. I have seen cancer patients suffered recurrence even after six, 12, 14 or even 20 years! I am skeptical when doctors tell patients about cure!

The idea of “whacking” the cancer real hard with toxic drugs or radiation trying to get rid of the cancer quickly seems a sensible proposition. Good logic but take note also that such aggressive treatment can not only weaken the immune system but also kill the patient!

Many patients who came to seek our help refused to undergo chemotherapy as suggested by their oncologists. Why? Because they have seen how their loved ones or friends suffered or died during or after the treatment. I wonder why people don’t realize that! If this doesn’t happen to you, it does not mean it is not true! Read more to know what others have gone through.

I also find it odd that people can sell the idea that chemo or radiation treatments can “control the cancer, reduce pain, relieve symptoms, avoid complications and sometimes extend a person’s life.” What about the short-term and long-term side effects?

Some of our patients have outlived their doctors prognosis many times over. Because they live long enough, we started to see the long-term side effects from their previous medical treatments. Of course if they die soon after their treatments, no one will know what these long-term side effects are!

I am not being anti-doctor by telling you all these. I am just sharing the reality from my perspective. And I am not alone on this. Many doctors and oncologists themselves shared similar experiences.

Read what they said.

Dr. Nasi wrote: Fifty percent of those who receive a cancer diagnosis — and up to 90 percent with some kinds of cancer — are cured with conventional medicine. How do you reconcile such way off claim when some oncologists said the contribution of chemotherapy to 5-year-survival is only 2.3 or 2.1 percent!

 

 

 

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Stage 2 colon cancer spread to liver, bones and lymph nodes less than two years after surgery, chemo and radiation. What had gone wrong?

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When I first came to Penang some forty plus years ago, I met a lawyer — let’s call him Mark. Since then we became friends.

About a year or so ago, Mark suddenly dropped by the centre — it had been many years since we last met. Mark was diagnosed with colon cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy at a hospital which is supposed to be the “best” in the country (one doctor told me this!).

After relating his story, Mark left. No, I did not give him any herbs. Neither did I give him any advice. This is because from our conversation, I sensed that Mark seemed to know what he was doing. And during our conversation Mark did not ask for any advice or help either. So I just left it at that.

One of our principles that we uphold at CA Care is this: If you are still on chemo or radiotherapy (or are planning to do chemo or radiotherapy) or are taking other treatments elsewhere, please go ahead and continue with these treatments first. Do not take our herbs yet. We do not wish to intervene. 

If you have done everything and have nowhere else to go and need help, when you come to us, we shall try our best to  help you.

In early March 2018, as  I walked into our centre, someone greeted me but I could not recognise him, not until my wife told me that it was Mark who said hello. No, I was not being “arrogant” but Mark had “changed” a lot. He looked “much older”.  Perhaps I should not say that. My faulth, because I did not put on my glasses that morning (but generally, I don’t need to do that!).

Briefly, this was what happened to Mark.

  1. In 2016, Mark was diagnosed with cancer of the rectum. Surgery was not done. Mark was fitted with a colostomy bag.
  1. In September / October 2016, Marked received 25 sessions of radiotherapy and 2 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with FOLFOX.
  1. In early January 2017, Mark underwent a surgery. The tumour was removed. It was a moderately differentiated colo-rectal cancer, Stage B2.
  1. On 3 August 2017, Mark had his stoma reversed and the colon rejoined. A colonoscopy was done a day before the reversal procedure. There was NO sign of malignancy.
  1. Everything seemed okay.
  1. Disaster — 30 January 2018. A follow up CT scan showed:
  • Tumour recurrence at the anataomosis site and 6.5 cm anal verge. Biopsy of anal verge done on 8 January 2018 showed NO malignancy.
  • Multiple ill-defined lesions at both lobes of liver – confirming the cancer has spread to his liver.
  • Extensive intraabdominal and pelvic lymphadenopathy.
  • Bone metastasis — both iliac bones, both sacral alae, right and left femoral heads were invaded by the cancer.

The cancer is now TxN2bM1b — call it Stage 4 if you like.

Comments

In an earlier posting, I wrote about AB who had Stage 3 cancer. She declined chemotherapy and opted for the CA Care Therapy. It has been three years and she is still doing great. Mark had Stage 2 cancer — appeared to be less “dangerous” than AB’s cancer — but problems appeared within less than two years of treatment.

Do you ever ask why? Medical treatments for cancer are supposed to be proven and scientific — but why the metastasis so soon and so seriously?

Herbs and alternative therapies are supposed to be unscientific and unproven — yet patients like AB did so well.

Take time to understand the implications of the following quotations:

Dr. Richard Horton is the  Editor-in-Chief of The Lancet, a very prestigious medical journal. In 2015 he wrote this:

  • A lot of what is published is incorrect ….The case against science is straightforward: much of the scientific literature, perhaps half, may simply be untrue.
  • Afflicted by studies with small sample sizes, tiny effects, invalid exploratory analyses, and flagrant conflicts of interest, together with an obsession for pursuing fashionable trends of dubious importance, science has taken a turn towards darkness.

Marcia Angell is the former Editor-in-Chief of The New England Journal of Medicine, one of the world’s most prestigious medical journal. In her article, Drug Companies & Doctors: A Story of Corruption she wrote:

  • … conflicts of interest and biases exist in virtually every field of medicine, particularly those that rely heavily on drugs or devices. It is simply no longer possible to believe much of the clinical research that is published, or to rely on the judgment of trusted physicians or authoritative medical guidelines. 
  • I take no pleasure in this conclusion, which I reached slowly and reluctantly over my two decades as an editor of The New England Journal of Medicine. 
  • One result of the pervasive bias is that physicians learn to practice a very drug-intensive style of medicine. Even when changes in lifestyle would be more effective, doctors and their patients often believe that for every ailment and discontent there is a drug.

 

Cancer Recurred After Liver Surgery: The same story again and again!

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In the past few weeks, three liver cancer patients came to seek our help. These are their stories and we hope readers and patients can learn from their tragic experiences.

Case 1

Patient is a 66-year-old man from Singapore. He did not have any symptoms. His liver function was normal but a CT scan in September 2014, showed he had liver problems. Patient was referred to a liver specialist in a government hospital. MRI was done and on 26 February 2015, patient underwent a laparoscopic liver resection of segments 5, 6, 7 and 8 of his liver. At the same time, he also had a cholecystectomy (removal of gallbladder).

Histopathology report confirmed a hepatoceullular carcinoma (HCC).

Five months later, 14 July 2015, MRI showed new foci of the HCC seen in segments 7 and 2/3 of the liver. The cancer had recurred.

In August 2015, patient underwent a second liver surgery. This time it was a wedge resection of segments 6 and 7 of his liver. At the same time FRA (radiofrequency ablation) was performed onthe tumour in segment 2/3.

Three months later, 13 November 2015, MRI showed the cancer had come back again — “interval progression of disease with numerous bilobar foci of HCC in the remnant liver.”

Patient was told another surgery was not an option anymore. He could go for TACE (transarterial chemoembolization) or a liver transplant.

Patient and his son came to seek our opinion. We told the patient: “If you come here expecting us to cure you, then we are sorry to say that we have no magic bullet to cure you!”  Patient went home disappointed.

Case 2

Patient is a 73-year-old Malaysian. Sometime in December 2014, he had jaundice. A CT scan showed his liver was really bad.

CompositeOoi

On 29 January 2015 patient underwent surgery in a government hospital. His gallbladder was removed. Segment 3, 4B and left lateral section of his liver were also removed.

Histopathology report confirmed hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with foci of angioinvasion.

Two months later, March 2015, a CT scan showed a few spots in his liver. The doctor suspected recurrence.

A CT scan on 1 December 2015, showed “innumerable arterially enhancing nodules seen in both lobes of liver. Disease in progression.”

Patient was referred to a private hospital in Penang and was offered to participate in Phase 3 Clinical Trial — Selective Internal Radiation Therapy (SIRT)  versus Sorafenib.

Sorafenib (also known as Nexavar) is a so called targeted oral chemo drug. Normally it cost RM 15,000 to 20,000 per month. The SIRT (radiation) would normally cost RM 50,000.

Can the above treatments cure patients? This patient was told it would just prolong life. Prolong for how long? No one does not seem to know! Patient was also told that he “qualifies” to participate in this clinical trial, Nexavar would be provided to him for free but he was pre-warned about the following side effects of Nexavar.

Case 3

Patient is a 67-year-old Malaysian. On 16 December 2014, he had biliary sepsis (infection of the bile duct which is generally followed by obstruction of the bile duct). A biliary sphincterotomy was performed (Sphincterotomy is a complex procedure…. involves deep cannulation of the bile duct followed by severance of the sphincter of Oddi with the electrocautery).

Unfortunately, his problem persisted. On 29 January 2015, his blood test returned the following results.

Globulin 40     H
Alkaline phosphatase 135   H
ALT 46     H
GGT 363   H
AST 46     H
CA 19.9 85.17  H

A CT scan on 20 February 2015, showed an ill-defined hypodense lesion in the left lobe of the liver and para-aortic lymphadenopathy. Findings are suggestive of cholangocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) and bile duct obstruction.

Blood test on 23 February 2015 showed his condition had deteriorated.

Total bilirubin 239.8  H
Direct bilirubin 169.0  H
Indirect bilirubin 70.8    H
Alkaline phosphatase 245  H
ALT 91    H
GGT 666  H
AST 92    H
CA 19.9 85.17  H

On 23 February 2015, patient underwent another operation — a left hemihepatectomy and radical choledochectomy (removal of a portion of the common bile duct).

2

1

 

Everything seemed to work well for a while. Patient returned to his surgeon for routine check-up every 3 months. Unfortunately, 9 months later, the cancer started to recur in his liver again.

A CT scan on 7 December 2015 stated: There are “at least 9 low attenuation lesions in the right lobe of the liver, largest at anterior segment 8 measuring 4.1 x 3.8 cm. These could be due to recurrent tumour and metastases.

Patient spent RM 74,910 (covered by medical insurance) for the above failed treatment.

Like the patient of Case 2, this patient was referred to the same oncologist and was offered the following options:

  1. Sorafinib or Nexavar
  2. TACE – transaterial chemoembolization
  3. SIRT (Selective Internal Radiation Therapy).

Daughter Told About CA Care

While flying from Penang to Singapore, the patient’s daughter was seated next to an Indonesian lady who is our patient. During their casual conversation, the patient’s daughter came to know about CA Care. As a result, father and daughter came to seek our help and decided not to pursue further medical treatment.

Comment

For the treatment of HCC, Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine, 15th Edition, page 589 says:

  • Surgical resection offers the only chance for cure; however, few patients have a resectable tumour at the time of presentation.
  • Randomized trials have NOT shown a survival advantage after chemoembolization.
  • The liver cannot tolerate high doses of radiation.
  • The disease is not responsive to chemotherapy.

If there is a tumour in the liver, the answer is probably “CUT it out”. But take note that cutting does not necessarily cure your cancer because in the first place it is not suitable for cutting — it could be too big in size or the cancer has already spread too extensively. But cutting seems to be the only sensible option.  And many patients, like the above cases, have gone through it. Disaster.

One important aspect of liver surgery which you should know is that, as in the above cases, the cancer can come back again 3 to 9 months after an apparently “successful surgery.”  Patient No: 2 spent RM 75,000 for the operation and 9 months later, 9 new lesions were found in his liver.

After surgery has failed, patients are offered the next “useless” line of defence — Go for TACE, i.e. chemoembolization, radiation or chemotherapy. The above medical textbook says, all these are not effective.

Reflect on these Quotations

Insanity both

5 Ssurgery come back again