Tips For Healthy Lifestyle

Juices May Cause Bacterial Infection While on Chemotherapy, Said the Oncologist

Chin (T576) is a 68 years old female. About ten years ago, she was diagnosed with left breast cancer. A mastectomy was carried out followed by six cycles of chemotherapy and ten radiation treatments. After the completion of these treatments, Chin took tamoxifen for five years. Every year she went back to her doctors for routine medical check up and at each visit she was given a clean bill of health.

In May 2007, Chin suffered pains throughout her body. An ultrasound done showed a nodular area of slightly altered echo pattern measuring 41.2 mm in the right liver lobe. A blood test done on 7 May 2007, showed elevated ESR, at 46 (normal less than 30); Alkaline phosphatase = 381 (normal 32-104); CA 125 = 166.6 (normal less than 35) and CA 15.3 = 68.0 (normal less than 28.0). A CT of the brain showed a tiny enhancing nodule with mild surrounding hypodense oedema in the left upper parietal lobe suggestive of a metastatic deposit. In addition, numerous lung metastases were seen on both left and right lungs. There were also multiple thoracic vertebral metastases and a solitary right rib lesion. A solitary hypodense lesion (2 x 2 cm) was noted in the liver, indicating metastasis. A separate study done on the spine indicated destructive lesions involving T3, T4 and L1. A barium swallow showed tertiary contraction at the distal end of the oesophagus.

Since Chin had pains in her chest and difficulty in swallowing, she received ten radiation treatments to the affected areas. She felt better after radiotherapy. The doctor then prescribed her an oral chemo-drug Navelbine. After taking the drug, Chin's condition deteriorated and she again had difficulty swallowing and felt as if something was stuck in her chest.

Each dose of the oral chemo-drug cost RM 2,000 and it was recommended that Chin take a total of eight doses. The doctor told the family that Chin's condition was serious. Without chemotherapy Chin has only three months to live, but with chemotherapy she would have six months.

Chin's daughter came to see us on 1 June 2007 and asked for help. She told us that before chemotherapy, Chin was on juice-diet and her condition was still not "bad". However, after Chin was started on the chemo-drug, the doctor forbade her to continue with juices. According to the doctor, juices are raw, not cooked and therefore contain a lot of bacteria. These bacteria would cause infection. Chin therefore stopped taking juices.

Comments

There are a few lessons we can learn from this unfortunately and incredible story.

One, Chin had undergone the standard package of medical treatment for her breast cancer. Was she cured after surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and tamoxifen? Medically, she WAS cured since she had crossed that imaginary five-year-survival mark. In my practice, I have come across numerous cases of such recurrences after an apparent "cure". Therefore, Chin's case is not an isolated episode. This leads me to believe that there is no such thing as a cure for cancer -- irrespective of how much the Medical Establishment wants us to believe that there is a cure.

Two, Chin underwent routine medical check up every year and after each visit she was told that she was well. How could it be that out of the blue, cancer deposits were found in her lungs, liver, bone and brain? How reliable was such routine checks? Again, this episode is not an exceptional case. I knew a lady who had a bone scan done in a prestigious private hospital. The result showed not bony metastasis. However, a scan done in another hospital a week later showed that the cancer had actually spread to the backbone. This leads me to this belief that "if the doctors tell you that there is no cancer it does not mean that there is no cancer. The cancer may be there, except that present expertise and technology cannot detect it. However, if a cancer or metastasis is found, then there is no reason to say it is not there."

Three, heroic medicine wants to preserve life at all costs. Even in the face of "known inability to cure" something must be seen to be done. Unfortunately, what can be done must only be done based on "approved professional worldview" -- in this case, more chemotherapy. Chin embarked on chemotherapy that would cost her family RM 16,000 in total. By doing this, Chin is expected to live an additional three months. Patients need to decide whether the extra time is worth the additional expenses and side effects. Perhaps patients need to ask too whether that "extra time" could be achieved through a more humane method.

Four, it is sad to note that some medical experts do not seem to understand the real cause of serious infections. It is unbelievable that drinking freshly prepared juices is considered "dangerous" and may lead to serious infection. Ask this question: Isn't chemotherapy a much greater danger to infection?

Dr. Robert Mendelsohn, in his book: "Confessions of a Medical Heretic" wrote: "the hospital is one of the most dangerous places on earth ... There are germs in hospitals that you can't get anywhere else in town." The hospitals are "such dirty places" and the "dust and dirt isn't the kind of dust and dirt you find anywhere." In short, the hospitals are full of superbugs -- germs that are resistant to antibiotics."

Robert Youngson and Ian Schott in their book: Medical Blunders, pg.157 wrote: "Doctors are all too often not the source of a cure but the cause of disease or disability itself. Arrogance, presumption and plain foolishness have caused some doctors to persevere with theories and treatments that caused appalling damage and suffering to their patients."