The doctor removed a lump from the breast of a lady and found it to be malignant. Next, the doctor wanted to remove the whole breast. After mastectomy the usual “recipe” would be: chemotherapy, radiotherapy and probably take an oral drug called tamoxifen. This lady and her husband came to seek my advice. We made it clear to them that they had to make their own decisions. We could only advise and give information.

We advised them to relax, take time to reflect and do not be hasty in wanting to do something very quickly, for each step taken may mean a lot in terms of a possible recovery, alleviating emotional problems and sufferings. Of course, the easiest option would be to hand over all responsibility and accountability to the doctor. Just follow exactly what the doctors say. To some patients, this is the obvious and best option, as “doctors know best”. But some patients would prefer or want to explore other options for healing.

Below is a brief, one-page summary of advice of what they should do if they have cancer: But take note: If you have cancer, know that no one on earth can guarantee you a cure. At best, there will only be remission.

1) The remission can last for a few months or for a few years. The cancer may come back again.

2) In general, it appears that neither modern medicine nor holistic natural medicine can claim great
success at curing cancer. At most, there is a 30% to 40% success rate. What is meant by success? When people mention a success rate, the term is vague. Anyway, the fact is that about 60% of cancer patients would, unfortunately, be left high and dry not knowing what else to do after their treatments have failed them.

3) Even if you are well after you have undergone the necessary treatments, it is foolish to assume that you are done with cancer. Cancer may not be done with you, yet. Take appropriate and necessary steps to prevent recurrence or to prolong your remission period.

4) What seems to be a realistic aim in managing cancer is to be able to live a quality life, i.e., to be as normal or healthy as possible knowing that cancer cells may still be in your body. It may be wiser for you to learn how to live with your own cancer cells.

5) The doctors may prescribe drugs, e.g., tamoxifen, to prevent the cancer from coming back. This is not necessarily effective, although popping pills into the mouth is an easy task. The holistic healers ask you to change your lifestyle and diet, take herbs, exercise, etc. For many people, these are hard chores to put into practice, for herbs may taste repulsive to some people. But in the long run, a holistic approach to health may be better for you.

Consider the Following Three Options

OPTION ONE:

Seek only treatments of modern medicine i.e. surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, etc. Bonus: YOU CAN EAT WHAT YOU LIKE and also continue with your old lifestyle.
Literature says some people suffer badly from the side effects of these treatments — vomiting, total loss of hair, suffering possible damage to the liver, kidneys, heart, etc. Some people may even die from the treatments themselves rather than from the cancer. But to most people, medical treatments are still considered the best, for it is perceived to be a scientific and proven method. So they follow and do what the doctors say without questioning or thinking.

OPTION TWO:

Seek alternative medicine with no aggressive medical treatments. This is as good or bad just as there are good and bad apples. If these alternative healers promise you a cure or you need to spend a great amount of money for the procedure, my advice to you is to be very cautious. He may be after your money not the cancer. For various reasons, most doctors consider alternative medicine as quackery.

OPTION THREE:

Seek integrative therapy. This is marrying the above two options. Unfortunately, you need to change your diet and your old lifestyle. It does not make sense to continue polluting and abusing your body further. We advocate this path although we also end up being called quacks at times. But we also know that there are many people, even those in the medical fraternity who silently and morally agree with what we are doing.

To help you make a decision, we have drawn up a check list of eleven affirmative statements associated with each option. Put a tick in the appropriate column, whether you agree or disagree. At the end of the exercise add up the number of items you agree or disagree with and this should represent what you ought to do.

Consider the following carefully

OPTION ONE: Go for medical treatments only.

1. I have total trust in medical doctors for they are the best persons to know how to handle my cancer problems.

2. I consider all those talks about alternative or complementary/ integrative medicine as quackery.

3. I consider a change of diet, lifestyle and doing exercises as too much of a chore or routine to practise.

4. I have no time and I want everything done quickly and be done with.

5. I leave my life in the hands of my doctors. In that way I need not worry so much. I only need to follow what my doctors tell me to do.I am very sure that my doctors can cure my cancer.

6. I am very sure that my doctors can cure my cancer.

7. When I do chemotherapy/radiotherapy, I am aware that both the good and bad cells in my body get destroyed.

8. When I undergo chemotherapy, I am aware that I may suffer many side effects like vomiting, hair loss, the destruction of blood cells and even failures of the vital organs. But I trust my doctors to be able to help and revive me.

9. When I undergo radiotherapy, I am aware that I may suffer numerous short-term and long-term side effects. But I trust my doctors all the same. These do not bother me.

10. I am aware that some chemo-drugs or radiation used on me are themselves cancer causing. As a result of their use, I have the additional risk of getting more or other cancers as well, besides the one I am currently having. Anyway, this is a small risk which I believe may not happen to me.

11. After all the expenses, sufferings, etc., I am aware that all these procedures may not necessarily give me a cure at all. I may be worse off than when I first contracted cancer

OPTION TWO: Go for alternative medicine only.

1. I have heard or seen many patients who suffer, spend their life savings to pay for the high cost of medical treatments which ultimately lead them nowhere. There is no cure. I therefore do not trust doctors entirely.
2. All along I have been taking herbs and seeing holistic healers for my health problems. So I fully believe in holistic procedures.

3. I am not concerned about taking herbs or doing holistic procedures. I am not bothered about comments if these are scientific or not. What matters to me is that the herbs or procedures DO help me and make me better.

4. I am not prepared to risk my life and health due to the various side effects brought about by the medical treatments.

5. I am not prepared to undergo chemotherapy because I do not want to suffer all the side effects associated with it. Even though the doctors can help with the immediate side effects by giving me more drugs, I am more concerned with the long-term side effects which doctors do not know about or are unable to help with.

6. I am not prepared to undergo radiotherapy because I do not want to suffer all the side effects of this treatment. I also do not want to risk suffering long-term side effects.

7. I do not want to undergo medical treatments because I may end up having more or other types of cancers as a result of the invasive treatments I would have to undergo.

8. After all the medical treatments, I am not sure if I can get better or not. I may be worse off than when I first started. Therefore, I would rather go for the less invasive methods of treatment. I may have a better quality of life.

9. I am aware that alternative holistic procedures cannot cure me but they are not necessarily worse than medical treatments.

10. I am aware that following holistic procedures mean I need to spend time cultivating my health. I am prepared to allocate time for my own self. I do not mind taking those herbs, change to a new healthy lifestyle and stick to a good diet.
11. I shall read, talk, ask and seek advice from experts of various fields in search of my own healing. I am prepared to do what it takes to make me well. My life is in my hands. Others can only advise me what to do.

OPTION THREE: Go for integrative medicine — Options 1 2

1. I am a person who cannot or do not want to make any decisions on my own. I depend on others to help me.

2. I do not fully trust the medical doctors but I cannot ignore them totally either. I do not have strong opinions for or against doctors or holistic healers. I believe that both have their roles and both want to help me with my cancer.

3. I want to get the benefit of both worlds. I wish to see what medical science can do while I also hope to adopt holistic ways to benefit me. In this way I do not put all my eggs in one basket.

4. When the doctor asks me to go for chemotherapy, I would follow his advice but I am fully aware that there are risks and side effects.

5. When the doctor asks me to go for radiotherapy, I would follow his advice too, although I know that there are risks and side effects because of the treatment.

6. When the doctor prescribes me drugs I would take them. In addition I am also taking herbs and doing other things that I feel are helping me in my healing.

7. I do not fully agree with the doctor’s advice that I can eat anything I wish. I cannot simply eat anything I like; I need to change to a healthy diet and lifestyle.

8. I am prepared to go through the various inconveniences of boiling the herbs, changing my diet, lifestyle, etc., for as long as these help me to get better.

9. The main reason why I want to combine both treatment approaches is because I want to get well. I am not bothered if it is the medical treatment or the holistic ways that help.

10. Though some people say that taking herbs is not scientific or an old-fashioned idea, I am not bothered by such comments. What matters to me is that they are effective.

11. I shall give the herbs a try. If they work for me, I shall continue taking them If they do not, I shall stop taking them.

Quackery, Luck or God’s Blessing?

In July 1999, my husband was invited to be one of four panelists in a live talk show on Complementary Medicine on Cancer, which was aired on a Malaysian television (Global, TV2, RTM). The host posed this question to him (Chris Teo): “People tend to think of complementary medicine as quackery or hocus-pocus. What is your response to that?”

Chris Teo: “Definitely, complementary medicine is not quackery. It is based on experience. It is based on knowledge accumulated over thousands of years. I do not believe that technology by itself can solve this problem of cancer. To my mind, we have to look at it from a point of view that is different from what is being conventionally done. Well, the conventional method is to destroy the tumor. The methods of medical science need not be the best in this world. I am a scientist with 26 years of experience teaching science and I feel I know what science is. I feel that I am fortunate and lucky to be involved in traditional medicine. If anyone wants to accuse me of being a quack, he has to think twice because I understand science. I always tell cancer patients: See your doctors, by all means. But one thing, you should know the limits of medical science. Doctors are no more infallible as much as anybody else.”

As the discussion got “heated” up, the host shot another question: “You had patients who came to see you and they have been doing well, have responded you said. Do you think that you are just lucky and whoever have come to see you were also just lucky? Is that what it is all about?”

Chris Teo: “Alright, let us talk about luck. If I have helped one person and he is OK, you can call that luck. If he brings along another friend next week and I can help again, you might call that coincidence. If you bring another person and another person and another person and it adds up to a thousand, do you want to say all that is due to luck? Do you want to say that it is a fluke? My results with cancer people are not luck. That is God-given.”

Let us end by saying this. Many Chinese have known and lived by their traditional medicine for thousands of years. To them, the question of whether what they have been doing is scientific or not does not arise at all nor is it of any concern. To them, what matters is that the herbs work.

BengIm Teo

For more information:
cacare.com cacare.com
naturalhealingforyou.com naturalhealingforyou.com

Tags: cancer patient, chemotherapy, healing, mastectomy

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This disease is caused by an abnormal growth of cells. If someone in your family has breast cancer, there may be a chance that you will have it as well. Women twenty-five and up have a higher risk of developing this disease. There is no way of preventing cancer. Women need to go to the doctor regularly for check ups. They must learn to recognize the symptoms and know the causes and treatments available for breast cancer.

We do not know exactly what causes breast cancer, but there are several risks that we need to be aware of that may cause cancerous cells. You need to investigate your family’s history with breast cancer: early menstruation, and late menopause, and breast exposure to radiation are factors may affect your health.

If you begin to notice abnormalities on your breast, you need to get checked. Know your body so you can give yourself self-examinations. A sign of breast cancer is a lump in the breast or armpit area. Sometimes these lumps are the beginning of breast cancer, but may or may not be cancerous yet. These lumps may be removed by a simple operation. Other symptoms that may be detected during the self examination are the following: thickening in the breast or arm pit area, a change in the size, shape or color of the nipples, dimples or redness of the skin on the breast, or changes in the size or shape of the breast.

The treatments needed in case you have this disease will depend on how serious and developed the breast cancer is. The simplest treatment is the lumpectomy that consists of removing the cancerous lump. During this process they also remove some of the lymph nodes in the arm. Another treatment which is a more serious one is known as mastectomy. In this process, the doctor needs to remove the whole patient’s breast because the lump has become very large and cancerous and the patient runs the risk that the cancer will spread all over the chest muscle. In some occasions, the chest muscles that are around the breast and the lymph nodes of the arm are removed. This is called a radical mastectomy. If the doctor finds cancer cells on the lymph nodes, this means that the cancer has spread throughout other parts of the body. When this occurs, the patient will require a more aggressive treatment. There are three common forms of treatment for breast cancer: radiation, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy.

In conclusion, breast cancer is very common in women of all ages. For doctors, it is important that the patient knows her body and knows how to conduct self-examinations, and be aware of any changes in her breast area. Women need to take extra precautions if they have any history of breast cancer in their family. Make sure you examine yourself regularly to prevent any surprises. Remember that the lumps may or may not be cancerous, but to make sure you should go to the doctor and have a mammogram done before it is too late.

Tags: breast cancer, chemotherapy, mastectomy

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Tags: breast cancer, chemotherapy, mastectomy

In the past, the treatment options for a particular disease were limited to only a few. With the advancements in medical science, we have scores of treatment options available for any disease.

The various treatment options available for breast cancer have increased in number too. Today there are many ways to combat and deal with breast cancer. They can be broadly classified into the following categories:

1. Surgery: Surgery has been the traditional mode of treatment for breast cancer. However, changes have taken place during recent times. The surgery now is more precise and is directed to the exact spot of the disease so that the damage to the unaffected area is minimized.

a. Lumpectomy: The cancerous lump is removed surgically without removing the surrounding lymph nodes.

b. Mastectomy: This is performed if the lump has become large or in case the cancer has spread to other areas. The affected breast is surgically removed.
c. Lymph Node Dissection: This is the surgical removal of lymph nodes. Usually done in case of invasive breast cancer, it is a procedure performed at the time of mastectomy or lumpectomy. During mastectomy, it is an extension of the breast incision (to the armpit area). If done during lumpectomy, a separate incision is performed in the armpit. A part or all of the lymph nodes are removed. Usually it also involves cutting the nerve carrying sensation to the area.

2. Radiation Therapy: Radiation is a highly targeted and effective way of treatment, which destroys the cancer cells. High levels of radiation are sent directly to the cancer cells. Radiation therapy undertaken after surgery can also kill those cancer cells that could not be treated by surgery. It can also be combined with chemotherapy, to relieve pain, or to shrink the tumor. It is short and relatively easy but side affects can also occur. The traditional radiation therapy is external in nature. Internal radiation therapy is also being experimented. In this process, radiation-producing substances are either implanted directly in to the tumor or injected through a tube.

3. Herceptin: Applicable only to women with HER2-positive breast cancer, it consists of an antibody, the primary role of which is blocking the HER2 protein in cancer cells. It is useful in cases where the breast cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Also known as immune treatment, it is approved by US FDA for women with metastatic disease.

4. Hormone Therapy: It is another effective treatment. It is useful for women having hormone receptive positive breast cancer. Aromatase inhibitors are more effective in women with post menopause and Tamoxifen in women with pre menopause hormone receptive positive breast cancer.

5. Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy, or use of chemicals to treat a disease, is a systematic therapy. Since the use of chemicals affects the whole body by going through the blood stream, it is very effective as it can act on the cells, which are rapidly dividing. A major drawback in this mode of treatment is that the drugs act not only on the cancer cells, they act on healthy cells as well leading to various side-effects like losing hair, nausea, skin diseases and so on.

6. Alternative Therapies: In addition to the above modes of treatment, there are many alternative therapies as well e.g. yoga, acupuncture etc. Since sufficient research is not available in respect of such therapies, it is difficult to come to any decisive conclusion.

Since the disease conditions differ from patient to patient, the ideal treatment for an individual would depend on various factors. The best mode of treatment can be formulated with due consultation between the patient and the doctor.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to breast-cancer.treatment-and-guides.com/ Breast Cancer

Tags: breast cancer, chemotherapy, mastectomy

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Have you noticed a lump or thickening in your breast? Do you find your breast size uneven? Do your nipples appear retracted or inverted? Are you worried that you might have breast cancer?

The second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S among women is breast cancer, the first being lung cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, only about 5 to 10 percent of breast cancers are hereditary in nature. It is estimated that about 75 percent of breast cancers occur in women who do not even possess the risk factors. Breast cancer is also seen in men but this occurrence is often rare.

Breast cancer is a malignancy that starts as a single abnormal cell that duplicates itself beyond control. Breast cancer frequently develops in the ducts that carry milk to the nipple. This can also form in the milk producing small sac of the breast. Breast cancer can exhibit either a slow growth or a quick and aggressive growth that can spread to nearby lymph nodes or even to more distant areas.

In order to provide early treatment, it is important to be able to identify the signs and symptoms of breast cancer.

1. A person with breast cancer usually finds a thickening or a lump around her breast or armpit area.

2. The nipple often exhibits an inverted or retracted appearance.

3. Those who are suffering from breast cancer may find changes in their breast including a change in size, contour and color.

4. A clear or bloody discharge may appear in the nipple.

5. The breast skin will show pitting or dimpling which resembles the skin of an orange.

Without any doubt, finding any of the above signs and symptoms will be very frightening to any one of us. Breast cancer is undoubtedly one of women’s most dreaded illnesses.

Breast cancers treated during the early stage promise more than 95 percent success rate. The treatment procedures for breast cancers depend on a variety of factors which include the following:

1. The age, weight and general health of the patient.

2. The type and the development stage of cancer.

3. The characteristics of cancer cells.

4. The involvement of the other breast.

Even the menopausal status of the patient will also affect the type of treatment that will be provided. A combination of surgery is typically the treatment plan involved in breast cancer cases. These surgical procedures can include lumpectomy or the removal of only the lump, mastectomy or the removal of the entire breast, lymph node removal, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and hormone therapy. Hormone therapy is often administered with the drug tamoxifen which may prevent the recurrence of the cancer cells.

A patient has a higher chance of recovery if breast cancer is discovered early and proper treatment administered immediately. Therefore it is important especially for women to perform a routine self-examination to determine if any suspicious growth or lump is developing along the breast and armpit area.

If any suspicious growth is discovered, it is important to seek for medical opinion as soon as possible.

Michael Russell

Your independent guide to

Tags: breast cancer, chemotherapy, lung cancer, mastectomy

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How disturbing can it be for a woman to discover one day that she has a lump on her breast? This can bring out different reactions and probably unnecessary emotional strain. Even before proper laboratory tests, a woman with a lump on the breast may already entertain the frightening thoughts of having breast cancer. The prospect of having this distressing disease can render a person emotional and physical stress. She may not be able to rest and sleep well at night thinking about her condition. What if the lump is cancerous? How will she be able to cope with her situation? Will she be financially capable to pay for the required medications? What if she needs to undergo mastectomy? How will this affect her sexual life? Will this make her less of a woman? These are just very few of the endless questions women with probable breast cancer are asking.

Before throwing yourself into unnecessary mental and emotional distress, be sure to undergo viable screening tests to detect and confirm the development of breast cancer. As with any other diseases, early detection calls for a higher cure rate. There are several screening tests that can be done to detect breast cancer. These include self-breast exam, professional breast exam and mammogram.

Self-breast exam is the easiest test and everyone can do it regularly in the privacy of her own room. However, no matter how easy and manageable this test is for everyone, many women do not prefer to perform the test. The fear of finding out the presence of a lump is the most glaring reason for not practicing this essential breast cancer test. Women should understand that not all lumps are cancerous. Finding a lump in your breast doesn’t necessarily mean that you have breast cancer. This will necessitate further laboratory tests to confirm the presence of any cancerous cells. Even if the lump is cancerous, early detection will provide you higher chances of surviving the disease.

Most doctors routinely do professional breast exam during a woman’s general physical or pelvic exam. Aside from checking the breast for lumps using their fingertips, doctors will also look for any noticeable difference or changes in a woman’s breast. These include dimpling, scaling and puckered appearance of the breast skin. Furthermore, the doctor will look for any fluid leaking from the nipple.

Mammogram is the most effective method to detect breast cancer. Mammography is a low-dose breast X-ray. The smallest lump can be detected by mammogram. However, this test is not also perfect. In some cases, a lump discovered by tactile exam may not appear on a mammogram. Mammograms can also show abnormal results even when there is no cancer present. These types of test anomalies usually occur in one out of 100 mammograms.

Finally, mammogram together with a professional breast exam constitutes the most effective way to detect cancer in its earliest stages. Self-breast exam on the other hand is a good practice. This will help you check your breast regularly for any developing lumps. Any lumps discovered should need further investigation by a competent medical practitioner.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to

Tags: breast cancer, mastectomy

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