Co-Existing with Cancer, or Curing It?

Of course, every cancer patient hopes for the words “remission” or even better, “cure.”

Those things are possible and do happen regularly, especially with early-stage cancers. But, one thing that has been a surprise to me in my studies thus far is that practitioners almost universally talk about how cancer does not have to be a death sentence, while admitting that they cannot always make it disappear.

In other words, Contreras and others talk about co-existing with cancer. They tell stories of patients who have spots on their lungs and in their bones, for many years, even decades, without them growing or causing health problems. (This was the case with my grandfather, who had a cancer behind his eye for most of his adult life—you can tell by looking at photos—before it finally killed him in his late 70’s. His M.D., whose treatments my grandfather refused, told him that the healthy diet he ate with my grandmother, for many years, made that possible.)

Co-existing peacefully with cancer is possible due to solid integrative treatment in the beginning, and excellent detoxification practices, mental/emotional self-care, and nutrition for the long haul after that.

Who knows what ONE thing makes the difference. Both Drs. Contreras and Connealy said to me that it’s not just one thing—but many pieces in a puzzle that accomplish these objectives:

–break down tumor tissue

–cut off its blood supply

–oxygenate tumor and surrounding tissues

–alkalize the body and tumor tissue

–detoxify to eliminate chemicals and metals

–strengthen the immune system

–stop feeding the cancer

This whole-body, integrative treatment makes it hard to compete for print in the medical journals. Dr. Contreras said to me, “I hope one day soon, whole-system therapies are published in peer-reviewed medical journals.”

Many patients go in to have their tumor markers monitored, and the tumor masses measured, and then increase their diligence with green juices and avoiding sugars, if there has been any activity, to get it in control.

I’ve talked to patients who have done this for decades—and practitioners who describe it as a common occurrence. Did you see the video of Andie, treated at Oasis of Hope Irvine? She eats a raw vegan diet with virtually no sugar—and thinks cabbage is a treat because her tastes have changed so much. Her breast cancer, which she believes began during her horrific divorce and custody battle several years before a 2-cm. tumor was detected, is not gone—it’s just gone except for scar tissue.

Most patients going to Oasis of Hope are Stage 4. Unfortunately,  the cancer revolution I predict — Medicare cannot sustain $100K to $1 million chemotherapy invoices, and the American public is getting sick of it—is still in embryonic stages. So people do chemo FIRST and go to the integrative or alternative docs when they are full of cancer.

Dr. Contreras says, of his mostly Stage IV practice, that his statistics “show that we are making progress toward the goal of turning advanced cancer into a chronic disease that can be managed in the long term, rather like diabetes, as opposed to a rapid death sentence.”

He continues, our treatment protocols are in a constant state of evolution. Barely a month goes by that we don’t add some new element to our regimens, or modify them in a way that seems likely to improve their efficacy.”

Posted in: Emotional Health, Health Concerns, Lifestyle, Whole Food