Posted on 12/05/2014 9:43:02 PM PST by Tired of Taxes
Tom Telford ’s stomach ached. The New York City teacher had been drinking cup after cup of coffee as he labored to finish year-end grading and coach his high-school baseball team through the playoffs. He worried he might have an ulcer.
When school let out, though, Mr. Telford looked forward to relaxing on a 25th anniversary cruise with his wife. But once in the Caribbean, he struggled to swim and climbing from one deck to another exhausted him. Back at home, he collapsed while running a TV cable in his bedroom.
His family doctor told him he had lost two pints of blood. Further tests revealed a tumor the size of a quarter on his small intestine. He had surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, followed by months of chemotherapy. But the disease spread to his liver and kidneys. The diagnosis: Stage 4 melanoma, a skin cancer typically fatal within a year.
“Death is not an option,” he told his doctor.
Nine years later, against all odds, Mr. Telford is still alive. What saved him was an experimental immunotherapy drug—a medication that unleashes the body’s own immune system to attack cancer.
When his tumors began melting away more than eight years ago, Mr. Telford’s good fortune was largely an anomaly amid a mostly dreary landscape for advanced cancer. But his remarkable survival caught the attention of researchers, who began to realize that the way immunotherapy drugs were affecting tumors was unlike almost anything seen with conventional treatments.
Today Mr. Telford is among a growing group of super-survivors who are transforming the world of oncology. In both total numbers and duration of survival, they are charting new territory.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Bump
Once I read about a link between cancer and viruses, I have come to believe that perhaps all cancers are triggered by viruses.
Cancers begin with abnormal cells that divide, if I remember my college Anatomy class. I guess if the virus is strong enough to cause the abnormal cell to mutate and divide, that could be true.
Some cancers can be caused by parasites in the body that attack a certain region in my beliefs. Doing a yearly parasite cleanse really helps a person, who spends a lot of time outdoors...but they can be anywhere... pets, motels, water, etc.
Many chemotherapy drugs are derived from plant, bacteria, and other natural occurring organic items. It has to do with refinement, isolating, synthesis, concentrations of the desired molecular compound.
Herbal supplements will not have the same efficiency as a developed drug.
I have no issue with people choosing their approach to health care treatment as long as the don’t limit others.
I had many people recommend odd treatment advice from seed extracts, cleansing concoctions, berry juice,.... None of them could explain to me what a monoclonal antibody was or why their idea was better than the standard chemo regime coupled with high dose steroids and a cd-20 monoclonal antibody. I’m still here. I guess I was lucky. I
I thank The Lord for watching over me and looking over those good men and women who dedicate their lives in labs doing research trying to solve the thousands of puzzles that are the different genetic anomalies we simpletons simply call cancer.
Cannabis oil is getting amazing results. And on all kinds of cancer and other diseases as well. High remission rates but they don’t advertise it I guess due to the ongoing controversy over legalizing medical marijuana.
www.prostateawarenessfoundation.org. 4 point regimen- diet, supplements, optimistic outlook and exercise. Exercise is really important in maintaining immune system strength. Dozens of men following the PAF regimen now have negative biopsies. Prostate cancer has a latency period that can be extended indefinitely with this regimen.
My oncologists warned me about "chemo brain." It was a big worry of mine. I don't know if chemo is the only culprit, or if other factors - such as other medications, stress, anesthesia given for surgery, etc. - are at play. But, anyway, when chemo was finished, for a short time I had some major trouble: Sometimes I would forget where I was or what I was doing. It was pretty scary. But, within a few months, my thinking became clear again. I still experience some cloudy moments, but probably not more cloudy than the thinking of any other very busy person who is under stress and isn't getting enough sleep.
I never looked into chemo brain further. But, just now I found this article on a study that's a few years old:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/breast-cancer-study-ties-chemo-to-foggy-thinking/
I don't laugh at it.
I always said that, if I ever were diagnosed, I'd take the all-natural, alternative route. I was diagnosed at 46. While waiting for testing and surgery, I checked into every possible "natural treatment." I was very disappointed with what I found out. I ended up taking chemo.
So, conventional or alternative - the type of treatment that's right for one patient might not be right for another. It's a personal decision. If conventional treatment had offered me no hope, I would try every possible natural alternative treatment I could.
I’ve never heard of “chemo brain” before. Thanks for the info.
Thanks - I’ll pass this along to my spouse, who receives Nutrition Newlsetters and has for years - you could say it’s a hobby, with lots of benefits.
And we do have our favorite companies, but no harm looking around.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.