Vitamin pills and supplements are no substitute for eating our vegetables. Scientists are now finding out why. It just so happens that fruits and vegetables are loaded with compounds called phytochemicals and antioxidants that demonstrably lower the risk of cancer.

Phytochemicals are not related to vitamins or minerals. They are not even nutrients. Phyto is Latin for plant. These are natural chemicals only found in plants. These food chemicals cannot be obtained from animal products. What makes these substances so exciting is that study after study continues to reveal the many cancer-protective benefits of the different phytochemicals.

You can lower your risk of cancer quite a bit by eating more fruits and vegetables. More than 200 major studies over the past 25 years have consistently shown that high plant food eaters are about half as likely to have cancer as those who eat few plant foods. This is also true for heart disease, adult diabetes, and certain other lifestyle diseases.

Phytochemicals protect against cancer usually as a blocking agent or suppressing agents. Blocking agents work on the carcinogens. They prevent them from affecting the body’s cells. For example:

- Indoles found in cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli) work as blocking agents by increasing colon enzymes that can deactivate some of these carcinogens.

- Others block the ability of bacteria to attach themselves to the surface of the cell.

Suppressing agents work on the body’s own cells, combating malignant changes that have been started by free radicals or carcinogens. They can slow tumor growth by suppressing the cancer cells ability to reproduce. They can suppress certain enzymes that cancer cells need in order to grow.

Some fruits and vegetables contain more potent cancer fighters than others.

1. For colon cancers, it is the cruciferous vegetables.

2. A high fruit and carrot intake appears to decreases the risk of lung cancers significantly.

3. Eating one or more onions a day were found to have only half the stomach cancer risk of those who never ate onions.

4. Soy is an absolute treasure of cancer-protective phytochemicals. Studies suggest that soy foods diminish cancer risk in many areas, including breast, colon, rectum, lung, and stomach.

The good news about phytochemicals is that you do not have to eat the foods raw to get the benefits. While a few of these compounds might lose some effectiveness when cooked, most still hold their medicinal properties. It also does not matter whether the vegetables are canned, frozen, juiced, or peeled. Pickling, boiling, microwaving, baking, and drying, are also ok.

The National Cancer Institute advocates a minimum of five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Some people do not eat any at all.

Like phytochemicals, antioxidants are also natural chemicals found in food, but they are not limited to plant foods. The term antioxidant refers to a specific function they perform – they help the body dispose of free radicals that can genetically damage normal cells and set the stage for cancer.

“What are free radicals you ask?”

Every cell in our body is made up of molecules. Usually every molecule has electrons in range around its nucleus. These electrons usually come in pairs. This makes the molecule stable. However, some molecules have electrons that are not in pairs, leaving them extremely unstable. These molecules are called free radicals.

Free radicals have been found to have a role in at least 50 diseases. They have been known to damage DNA and are linked to cancer. It is important to strengthen our body’s antioxidant defenses with nature’s natural cancer fighters.

Jason Hunter is a natural health advocate. He is webmaster of a natural health web site called Home Health and Natural Remedies. To find out more about fruits and vegetables that contain the most phytochemicals and antioxidants, visit:

hhesonline.com/book_store/encyclopedia-of-medicinal-plants.htm The Encyclopedia Of Medicinal Plants and hhesonline.com/book_store/encyclopedia-of-foods-and-their-healing-power.htm The Encyclopedia Of Foods And Their Healing Power

Tags: cancer risk, colon cancer, healing, lung cancer, natural cancer

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Thean (not real name) was 86 years old when he was diagnosed with recto-sigmoid cancer in October 1999. There was no evidence of metastatic spread. Due to his age, Thean declined medical interventions. So he did not receive the standard medical package of surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Six month after the diagnosis Thean’s daughter came to seek our help on 2 April 2000. Thean had rashes probably due to the side effects of the antibiotics that he was taking, otherwise he was a normal, healthy person. Thean was prescribed Capsule A, C-tea and GI-tea.

After this first visit, I did not have any further records about him or his progress. However, his daughter came to our centre once in a while, to pick up herbs for her father. Seven years later, on 6 May 2007, I met the daughter who came to our centre to pick more herbs. I was told that in late April 2007, Thean had blood in his stools. He was sent to a private hospital where he stayed for two days undergoing medical examinations. At his age of 93, he declined medical interventions and was sent home.

Thean is an independent man who cherished his freedom. He insisted on living on his own, in spite of his advanced age. Since his wife passed away he has been living by himself in his own home, refusing to move and live with his son’s family.

When asked what the doctor said about his condition, the daughter’s reply was: “I don’t know.” I asked if Thean has been taking herbs. She did not think that he has been taking them anymore. At best, Thean only took Capsule A. In view of the deterioration of Thean’s condition, I suggested that Thean take Capsule A, GI-One and GI-Two Teas. Her answer to me was: “I need to ask the son first (i.e., her brother first) if he is willing to boil the herbs for him or not.” The daughter does not live in the same town as Thean and does not know much about what is going on. Her responsibility is to come and buy the Capsule A and pass it on to her brother’s family. On the other hand, the son’s family who lives in the same town as Thean has the responsibility to see the old man lives a normal life in his own home. I requested that the son bring me the medical report.

I was told that Thean has nine children and the one who comes to collect the herbs regularly is the first daughter in the family.

Comments: This is a straightforward medical case history. Medically, it is interesting in that even without medical treatment the patient survived his recto-sigmoid cancer. He had already lived for seven years with the help of the herbs, without any medical intervention. It is interesting to note too that Thean’s nephew is a medical doctor and it was he who asked Thean’s family to seek our help. CA Care is known to have helped many patients with cancer using herbs. Many people who know and want another option often come to us. From the “rational and traditional” viewpoints of patients in Malaysia, the options available to Thean at this point in time (then aged 86 and now 93) is a choice between the “devil or the deep blue sea”. The result obtained from this herbal therapy is indeed amazing. And even with a recurrence Thean is not about to give up yet. If he decides to take the herbs diligently we predict that Thean can still live on.

Another facet of his case is about the nature of human being. Though Thean has nine children, most of them have moved away from his home and found their own priorities in life. Thean ended up a lone, independent and stubborn (that is what the daughter described him) old man fighting a battle against cancer. I don’t know if this is a sad case or not. I would love to imagine that as we grow old, we would be surrounded by many loving children, grand children and great grandchildren. With them around us, our battle against illness is made easier.

Unlike the cultures of the modern world, to us Orientals, filial piety is our way of life or lifeblood. It is expected of all children to respect, honour and to take care of the parents and elders in old age. I am reminded of a Chinese saying: “A mother can feed, care and educate ten children, but ten children cannot take care of one mother.” Now, I wonder if the norm has become obsolete or we have outlived such era.

For more information about complementary cancer therapy visit: cacare.com cacare.com NaturalHealingForYou.com NaturalHealingForYou.com BookOnCancer.com BookOnCancer.com

Tags: chemotherapy, colon cancer, healing

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Tags: chemotherapy, colon cancer, healing

Power of the Mind

The main basic difference between medical science and holistic healing is the perception of what we are. The holistic view regards man as a trinity, made up of the body, mind and soul. Indeed, the body is only the physical case that houses the mind and soul. Medicine, however, is based on the philosophy proposed by Rene Descartes, a French mathematician and philosopher in the 17th century. He regarded man as a machine that obeys only the physical laws. The mind and soul play no roles in the body.

Given this conflicting view about man, it is therefore up to you to decide what you want to make out of yourself. You may believe that you are just a pile of chemicals, bones and flesh that has no mind and soul. Worry not, for like an old car, you can remove any worn-out parts of your body and replace them with some newer parts from somewhere, if you can. Hopefully by doing so, you can function better. BUT, can you?

I am reminded of an article in Newsweek (Special Issue 1999) about a man who had undergone a heart transplant. After everything is done, the man recovered very well. Modern technology had saved him. However, what surprised the cardiac surgeon was that the man with the new heart did not behave as he did before. He had the tendency to become suicidal.

From the holistic point of view, the mind is the root cause of problems. Carolyn Myss (in Creation of Health) says that cancer is created through excessive fear, guilt feelings, inability to cope with changes, self-hate and self-denial. Debbie Shapiro wrote (in The Bodymind Workbook): “Cancer appears to be the result of many years of inner conflict, guilt, hurt, grief, resentment, confusion or tension surrounding deeply personal issues. It is connected to feelings of hopelessness, inadequacy and self-rejection.”

According to Freud, the mind is an iceberg and only one-third floats above water. However, Avni Sali, a professor of surgery at the University of Melbourne, Australia, said: “But I’m sure that in cancer patients it’s probably 10%. Most of it is under water.” Paramahansa Yogonanda said that “there is an innate connection between the mind and the body. Whatever you hold in your mind will be produced in the physical body. … all diseases have their origins in the mind. The pains that affect the physical body are secondary diseases.”

The holistic healers view pain, sickness or the disease of the body as a signal that there is an imbalance within, perhaps due to conflicts of emotions and thoughts deep down within us, and is threatening our survival. This disease represents a wake-up call for us to do something in order to heal ourselves. However, few ever understood this message.

Contrary to medical views, body-mind healers have pointed out that:

1) The healing power of the body is within us. There is a physician within us and this power heals us absolutely.

2) Many of us are ignorant or are unaware of our own body’s healing potential.

3) Many of us block ourselves off from this potential, preferring to trust others whom we think can cure us rather than trust our own Infinite Intelligence within.

4) Many of us create unhealthy circumstances by thinking negatively and harbouring self-denying thoughts that eventually make us sick. We fail to recognise that these are the root causes of our many illnesses.

5) We are unaware that from the day we are born, we have been bombarded with negative suggestions. Negativity begets illness.

The seat of our real mind is the subconscious. Joseph Murphy (in The Power of Your Subconscious Mind) wrote that we view our world through thoughts in the subconscious mind. “Think good and good will follow, think evil, evil follows. Change your thought and you change your destiny.” Ralph Emerson said that “man is what he thinks all day long.”

From the above, we can conclude that the very first step in healing is for every cancer patient to recognise the influence of his own mind on his illness and recovery process. Many a time, we ask patients if they carry any emotional baggage or harbor any unresolved emotional conflicts within them. Invariably the answer would be: “No, no, I have no emotional problems at all.” They simply do not want to admit or discuss them, perhaps for fear that people know their secrets or they do not see the relevance or relationship between unresolved personal emotions and their cancers. After all, in schools we are taught that illness is caused by some kind of bug, virus or germ and it has nothing to do with the mind. Most patients would tell me that whatever problems they have are all old issues and have long been forgotten.

However, as we began to probe deeper, some of them just broke down and cry. So, my first advice to all cancer patients is to be honest with your own self, especially your subconscious mind. Think again, do you carry any baggage? Remember that you are not just a machine – devoid of mind or soul. You are sick because “something inside is eating you up.”

Let me suggest a list of some active steps that you can take to heal your mind, your soul and lastly, your body and its cancer.

1) Think positively: as you think, so you become!

According to Susan Bannerman, a clinical psychologist working with cancer patients (in As you think, so you become. Proc. 1st World Congress on Cancer, Sydney, 1999, pg. 199): “Illness is a reflection of a person’s negative perception and self-defeating ways of thinking. Hatred, envy, selfishness, jealousy, self-judgement, self-doubt, self-criticism, lack of self-respect, feeling of unworthiness, etc.” All these are negative and destructive thoughts. Do not harbour them for they do not help you at all. On the other hand, cultivate positive attitudes of love, joy, happiness, sharing, caring, self-esteem and self-confidence.

When you see a glass of carrot juice that is not filled up to the brim: how would you see it — as half full or half empty? Our perceptions of many situations can be either negative or positive. Learn to see things positively. Alex is a colon cancer patient. He told us: “I do not consider myself taking herbs. I just drink tea and it brings me a lot of good”. On the other hand, we have patients telling us: “Yuck! The tea tastes horrible!” Think for yourself, do you think you will benefit from drinking a ‘yucky’ drink?

What messages do you think the following remarks convey to you?

“Are your herbs hygienic?”

“You mean I to boil the herbs? I have no time to do so. It is so cumbersome!”

“The herbs are so bitter!”

“My doctor said this … My doctor said that …”

“I have this problem for such a long time already, my doctor said there is no more cure…”

You may want to tell us: “No, I can’t change. Take me for what I am.” We remember one young lady who had breast cancer. She hated her father very intensely. The sight and thought of her father worked her up so much so that she felt pains in the lump of her breast. We told her to go home and hug her father and love him. She was adamant at sticking to her “guns” saying: “No, I hate him.” We then told her: “The problem is this. It is you who have to suffer and perhaps die. It is not your father who suffers if you hate him.” Again here, patients have a choice, to embark on the healing journey rightly or to be left in misery. In our Centre, there is a quotation: “when you hate people, the only person who gets hurt is you, because most people you hate don’t know. And the rest of the world don’t care.”

To cultivate positive thinking is simple and easy. It is just like letting go of your baggage. Put it down! This requires no skill at all but you must have a loving heart. Do not insist on hanging onto your baggage. You have a choice. And again, our advice is: Let go!

2) Free yourself of negative thoughts.

Many negative thoughts are ingrained into our subconscious mind and they become a part of us. You and I have similar problems. And more often than not, we do not even know that these negative thoughts ever exist or are causing us all the problems. We are the product of our environment and the experiences of our lives. So to be able to free ourselves from these negative thoughts we must first and foremost be aware and recognise that these negative thoughts are in us. If we keep insisting that they are non-existent, then there is no reason for change or wanting to be free. If we admit that negative thoughts are our problems, the next step is to consciously correct them and replace them with positive thoughts. Keep on doing this correction like cultivating new habits. With time these good values stick in our mind. Always tell ourselves that we want to change and are capable of doing so. In time we will see that we do change. Remember, you need not be trapped in your past. Life is not living in the past, or the future. It is living in the present.

Beng Im

For more information: cacare.com www.cacare.com

naturalhealingforyou.com www.naturalhealingforyou.com

Tags: breast cancer, cancer patient, colon cancer, healing

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Johnny (not real name) is a 46-yar-old male. He was diagnosed with a Stage II B colon cancer and underwent a surgery which turned out to have gone wrong. A second corrective surgery had to be performed. Later Johnny was asked to undergo chemotherapy which he declined. Johnny related in great detail the “frustration” about his meeting with an oncologist. The following is the transcript of our video-taped conversation.

Encounter With the Oncologist

Johnny: I went into his (oncologist) office. I sat down and did not say anything.

Nurse: Oh, you have to wait for so long?

J: Yes, three hours. The oncologist read out my name. Then he asked the first question.

Oncologist: Mr. Johnny, what car are you driving?

J: My car is Proton Saga (Malaysian made car).

Onco: What is your profession?

J: Housing Site Supervisor.

Onco: Now, I tell you. Your cancer is like a Mercedes, BMW, Japanese car or a local car. Your case is Stage 2. So you need to take a good medicine — like a Mercedes medicine to fight.

J: He (oncologist) started to ramble on. I just listened. After he stopped, I asked him: “How much is my cost, going through all this chemo treatment?”

Onco: Are you confirmed or not? You have to confirm first that you are going for chemotherapy.

J: I was stunned. Confirmed? Before knowing anything, I have to decide and make a confirmation? I asked him (oncologist): “Sir, can you give me two minutes to digest your question.” After digesting it, I asked him: “As a consultant, you should know better than me, what type of medicine you are going to use, how much it costs and all these. So, what is the cost and the type of medicine you are going to use on me? It is only then, can I decide what to do.” The oncologist went on rambling again.

Onco: There are many kinds of medicine. There is A – the good one; B, not so good one and C, which is an oral one. So which type do you want?

This author: He (oncologist) asked you choose?

J: He asked me to confirm first that I am going to do chemotherapy. He will then tell me which type of medicine he is going to use. But, I asked him for the cost.

Author: Why did he not tell you right away that A costs so much, B so much? Even in the nasi kandar (local food) shop we have a list of prices posted on a board in the shop. Why don’t they just do that?

J: No, he would not tell me that. He wanted me to confirm first and only then will he tell me how much and what medicine he is using. I asked him: “For my stage, is it necessary for me to take oral chemo. See, my job is to walk around here and there.” He did not answer my question at all. At one point, the oncologist asked me this question through his nurse: “Do you understand what I am saying?”

J: I said this to his nurse: “Tell your doctor that I fully understand what he is trying to say. But I am not sure, if he understands what I am saying to him.”

What is Chemotherapy For?

Author: In your discussion, did he ever say that whatever drug he is giving you, is it going to help you or not?

J: No, no. He just told me it is just for prevention. He said that now I have gotten rid off my cancer, there may be some more cancer cells present in the lungs or anywhere else in the body.

Author: So, the whole idea is just for prevention?

J: Yes … and I must go for chemotherapy.

Author: In your conversation with him, did you ever discuss if chemotherapy is going to help you at all?

J: No, I did not ask. I was so fed with the way he talked to me.

Perusal of Medical Reports

J: I asked the oncologist: “Did you go through my medical report seriously?” I used the word seriously. The way I see it, he just flicked through the pages without even reading it.

Author: He did not really read the report? I mean, the way you saw it?

J: He did not take time to really look at it at all not to say read. He just looked at it and he told me that I had Stage 2. How am I going to trust him?

Author: When you asked him “Did you really read my report”, what did he say?

J: He just looked at me like this … (showing his face), and replied: “Are you confirmed or not. If you are confirmed that you are going to do chemotherapy, then come back tomorrow and I shall prepare all the things.”
I asked the oncologist again: “As a consultant, is this the correct way to talk to your patient? What if the patient tells you he does not want to go for chemotherapy?”

Onco: No, no. You have to go for chemotherapy. You have Stage 2 cancer.

J: But you still have not told me how much it is going to cost – just roughly, there is no need for the exact figure, but just give a rough figure.

Q: Okay, let me ask you about your file again. He did not read and study your medical records? What is your impression on that?

J: No, he did not read at all. That’s a fact. He is interested to know whether I can confirm if I wanted to go for chemo or not. That’s my impression.

The Explosion

J: I could not stand him anymore. I told him: “F (four letter word and other dirty words)” – right on his face. “Forget about it. I am not going for chemotherapy. You give me back all my x-ray films and file. I am not going to see you again.”

Q: You told him that?

J: Yes. He responded: “Oh, your cancer is very serious – very serious. You have to go for chemotherapy.”
He still insisted that I go for chemotherapy. I told him again: “You did not tell me how much it is going to cost.” This is the last word the oncologist said to me before I left this room. “Okay, it is going to cost around RM 4,500 per dose and you need six doses within three months.” He did not tell me what medicine he wanted to use or whether chemotherapy is going to be able to cure me or not.

The Walk Out

J: When I walked out of his room, his nurse came running after me.

Author: The nurse came after you?

J: Yes, and she said: “Mr. Johnny … er. I bring you to our Welfare Department to discuss.” I told her: “Okay. I trust you but not your doctor.” I wanted to give another try and I went to see the officer in the Welfare Department.

Welfare Officer: He did not write how much it would cost, how to negotiate with you?

J: But the last word, he told me was: RM 4,500 per dose and I have to do six doses. That means RM 27,000. So, tell me how much discount can you give me? Then I told the Welfare Officer: “Forget about it.” And I walked off from his office.

Why I Went to the Oncologist in the First Place

Author: You went to see the oncologist, but the way you talked to him seemed to be quite aggressive. I understand you. You needed information. You wanted to know many things. Your life was in his hands. Let me ask you this: Before you went to see the oncologist, have you already made up your mind NOT to undergo chemotherapy?

J: Yes.

Author: Then, why did you go and see him then?

J: Oh, because the nurse in the hospital (where I had my surgery) had been calling my wife every two to three days.

Nurse to my wife: Your husband still did not go for chemotherapy? We have made an appointment for him to see the oncologist. But he did not go.

Author: You mean the hospital was bugging you to go and see the oncologist?

J: Yes, exactly.

Author: How many times did the nurse called you?

J: As many times as I postponed the appointments to go and see the oncologist. So, at last, I had to give in and gave it a try.

For more information about complementary cancer therapy visit: cacare.com cacare.com, NaturalHealingForYou.com NaturalHealingForYou.com, BookOnCancer.com BookOnCancer.com

Tags: chemotherapy, colon cancer, healing

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Tags: chemotherapy, colon cancer, healing

I have just finished reading pages 28 to 42 of Dr. Jerome Groopman’s book: The Anatomy of Hope, and felt I need to stop reading and write this piece to share with you what I have learnt. For more that a decade I met with many cancer patients. Inside me I felt all along that many or most oncologists often misled their patients to their treatments. Today after reading the story written by no less than one of the world’s leading oncologists and researchers, I now feel I was right all along. Let me relate what Dr. Groopman wrote about what happened sometime in 1978-1979.

The Actors in this Story

1. Patient: 52-year-old Frances Walker, an African-American with a teenage daughter, Sharon.
2. Main doctor: 50-plus-year-old, Dr. Richard Keyes at Russell Clinic, a town north of Los Angeles, California, USA.
3. Second doctor: Dr. Jerome Groopman, 27-year-old, up and coming doctor doing a fellowship in blood disease at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Frances had traces of blood in her stools during her yearly physical examination. A colonoscopy indicated a tumor in the lower bowel. She underwent a surgery to remove the tumor but the surgeon found that the cancer had spread to the lymph nodes and invaded the left lobe of her liver. Medically this was considered a Stage 4 metastatic colon cancer.

Frances and her daughter, Sharon, came to Dr. Richard Keyes’s clinic. They were greeted warmly by the doctor who proceeded to examine Frances’s operation wound. Everything seemed okay. They sat down to discuss follow-up treatment.

Richard: Frances, all traces of cancer were removed from your bowel and the surrounding lymph nodes. A few small spots of tumor were found on the left side of the liver. But we have chemotherapy to help take care of them.

Frances’s face showed great relief.

Richard: The chemotherapy I will give you is very active against those spots in the liver. I expect some side effects, like mouth sores, diarrhea and anemia, but you’ll be monitored closely. All of the side effects can be managed and will ultimately reverse. Any questions?

Frances thought for a moment and understood what needed to be done. Richard wrote into this patient’s file: “Patient and family understand the risks and benefits of the proposed therapy.”

Frances left the clinic.

Groopman to Richard: When I’m with the (patient), if direct questions come up, I should emphasize remission, correct?
Richard: Yes, I certainly wouldn’t look at Frances and say: “Madam, the cancer in your liver will kill you.” What’s the point of that? All it does is make the remaining time even more miserable. Or cause her to panic and refuse palliation. Richard continued further: Each doctor has his own style, his own way of doing things. Believe me, for patients in situations like this, too much information is overwhelming.

After the first shot of chemotherapy Frances had some nausea and dry heaves. But she seemed to be in good spirit despite the side effects. She said: “I’m a fighter.” Later, she suffered painful mouth ulcers and had to be hospitalized and put on drips. After that she had to be hospitalized again due to fevers and abdominal cramps and diarrhea.

Three months into chemotherapy

Richard to Frances: Look at that CAT scan. This is the liver … those are the deposits we are treating. They’re about half the size of what we started with.
Frances: Does that mean I am partly cured?
Richard: You are well on the way to a remission. Thank God. It’s going away.

Frances’s daughter, Sharon, closed her eyes and bowed her head in a silent prayer.

Time passed and it was January 1979

Dr. Groopman shook Frances’s hand and felt it trembled. France’s liver function tests showed elevated values as they had not been before. Dr. Richard Keyes examined her abdomen.

Richard: Your liver edge is tender and your blood tests are slightly abnormal. Sometimes the chemotherapy can inflame the liver as a side effect. You are due for a follow-up CAT scan in a week. Until then, I’ll give you a prescription for some pain medication. Don’t be reluctant to use it if you need to.

Frances left the clinic.

Richard to Groopman: You know, it really doesn’t make a difference clinically if it is the cancer and not the chemo. There’s little we can do about it. By telling Frances and Sharon now, we just add another few weeks of worry. This way they have something to cling to for a little longer. Richard looked at Groopman kindly and continued: You’re at the beginning of your career, Jerry … SUSTAINED IGNORANCE IS A FORM OF BLISS. May be she’ll be lucky and it will turn out to be a side effect from the drugs.

Two weeks later Groopman saw the report of Frances’s scan and wrote: “The liver metastasis had more than doubled in size, and new deposits had appeared in the spleen. The organs looked as though they had been riddled by large-caliber bullets, leaving gaping holes. The scan also showed the fluid was building up in the abdomen. I knew that patients like Frances rarely survived over a few months. I noticed a faint tinge of yellow in her eyes. It was jaundice, an indication that the cancer was blocking the liver’s excretion of bile. Her abdomen was so distended from the ascites that it pressed her navel outward like a bubble.”

Frances came into the clinic.

Groopman: How are you?
Frances: Very tired. I have no appetite. I have to force myself to eat, since the food doesn’t go down easily.
Groopman: We need to drain the ascites to relieve the pressure. You should feel better afterward.
Sharon: Then that means it’s spreading quickly, doesn’t it?
Frances: I have no energy. I felt for a while that something was wrong … But Dr. Keyes said it was from the chemotherapy treatments.
Sharon: I thought you and Dr. Keyes said that the chemotherapy could cure her.
Groopman: He didn’t — we didn’t — quiet say that. We said that there was a good chance of going into remission, which happened. Groopman then explained what remission meant and how it differed from cure.
Sharon: Why didn’t you tell us before?
Groopman: Colon cancer behaves this way. Shrinking for a while from the treatment then becoming resistant to it and growing again. I am sorry.

Groopman wrote: “The last time I saw the (patient) was in early March. Frances was unable to eat more than a few bites of solid food. If drinks were too cold or too hot, she regurgitated them. Each drainage of the ascites provided only a few days of relief before the fluid re-accumulated. Frances declined further chemotherapy after hearing my frank recitation of data on its chance of working.

Sharon: I guess he (Dr. Richard Keyes) didn’t think people like us are smart enough or strong enough to handle the truth.
Groopman: It wasn’t a question of smart enough. Dr. Keyes and I were trying to spare you the worry. Well, we were both wrong.

Frances died soon afterwards. Groopman wrote: “A sense of shame and guilt gripped me. Richard and I had failed the (patient). It has been a delusion to tell myself that what Richard had done and what I have embraced as his apprentice was for the best for them. Ignorance was not bliss, not when it mattered. By abandoning the truth, Richard and I had abandoned Frances, and through our deception we left Sharon alienated and bitter.”

Comments: It amazed me that the same story is been played over and over again by different doctors everywhere. It does not seem to matter if it is in Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore or the United States.

Groopman felt ashamed and guilty. I wonder how many others felt the same way after having failed. How could they ever face their patients knowing that in “trying to do their best” they actually deceived or misled their patients?

Groopman was right when he wrote that the episode had left Sharon alienated and bitter. Who would not feel disappointed, cheated or deceived? In a decade of my own experiences, I have met patients and their family members who felt bitter and enraged at those doctors who had taken them for a ride. Many have lost their loved ones besides having to face a hefty medical debt to settle. For some who are poor, they resorted to selling their property — land or house. That was the bet that they took to “buy” the “misrepresented cure” which doctors told them was promising indeed. Patients fail to understand that there is “that much any oncologist” can do when faced with cancer.

All these years I have always maintained that patients must be told the truth or provided with enough and unbiased information to enable them to make a decision for themselves. There is no need for anyone to “play God” and try to be a hero. Groopman was right – he and Richard were wrong in trying to “protect” Frances by concealing the truth. Or by withholding the truth, were they trying to protect Richard’s “income”?

By writing this, I am not “anti-doctors”. I hope patients, their family members and even the doctors learn from what Dr. Groopman had written. I have great admiration and respect for this author, Dr. Jerome Groopman. From the early stage of his career, he had shown himself to be a man of integrity filled with love and compassion. I am proud of him and salute him for his righteousness and integrity. This is the kind of doctor that the world needs and patients should go to for help. Sadly, I am skeptical or not too sure of some oncologists. Patients or their family members told me that their doctors, more often than not, were “after my money not after my cancer.” These oncologists had no time for them or showed no compassion at all. When patients ask about the side effects of the chemo, the answer was often trivialized or downplayed: “Oh, it is nothing much — a bit of hair loss and nausea.” In actual fact, some patients went through “hell” while on chemotherapy without any assurance of a cure. If patients ask more questions, the answer was often: “Why ask so much. You doctor or I doctor.” There was an oncologist who said: “I am not cheap, if you don’t have the money go to other doctors. Otherwise, go home and sell your house and then come and see me.”

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Tags: cancer patient, chemotherapy, colon cancer, healing

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