It is devastating for someone to be told that medicine has run out of options and there is no more treatment that can be offered. Some patients adapt to what they consider the inevitable. However some people fight tooth and nail to have a longer period of time before they die. They want to explore every option. Is this realistic? Are there any cancer remedies or natural cancer treatments that have been shown to work?
The official medical answer to that is, no, or medicine would be using them. However it has to be acknowledged that there are some people who, despite their medical prognosis, do much better than expected, and most medical people have no idea why that is. Much research has been done but few doctors know of it and even fewer believe that it is their role to tell patients about it.
I was talking to a medical professor about the research which showed that cancer patients who exercised did much better, on average than those who didn't exercise and about other research which showed that psychological stresses lead to reduced immune function. He knew the research existed, but did not believe it was his role to tell people how to live their lives and so was very vague about the results.
When asked whether a woman with breast cancer would want to know that if she undertook three hours of moderate exercise a week she might cut the chance of future cancer problems in half, he just shrugged his shoulders. It was the same when asked if someone with high blood pressure might like to know that good social support helps regulate their cardiovascular system. He made some comment about such research coming up in the year 3 medical curriculum but there was no emphasis on it thereafter. It wasn't his role to go into the psychosocial mire of people's lives.
It was similar when we talked about diet. When presented with evidence that some foods can reduce the damage done by sunlight (hence a skin cancer preventive), other foods which reduced the chance of mutation damage, nutrients which helped the body attack the cancer cells, he drew himself up to his full height and said, "I very much doubt it." He turned away.
What is really sad is that this doctor is one who believes he is open to research, open to alternatives and there to meet the needs of his patients.
To be fair, there is a huge amount of research out there. It is impossible for one person to stay up to date in regards to every aspect of medicine. This is even more difficult for the family physician or general practitioner who must cover all disciplines. Most of them make do with the guidelines given to them by governments and drug companies.
There is also the huge impact of the pharmaceutical companies who provide instant answers to dealing with the patient in the consultation. If the patient can leave the surgery with a prescription, in very many cases, both practitioner and patient are happy.
A great many when faced with matters of severe illness need to trust their doctor and just accept what they are told.
However there are a group who remember the few that do much better than expected and the cases of miracles they hear about in their religious tradition and on the TV. Many of these want to know, in detail, everything possible which might improve their outcomes. Sadly few medical professionals can tell them.
But now with the internet and the huge amount of information online it is possible for people who need to know to find out what they can do to improve their chances of recovery. I do offer a word of warning. It is not likely that there is just one herb, or highland berry, or magical elixir which will make the difference in terminal disease. It is much more likely that your cancer remedy will be a mixture of a healing diet, exercise, good self care, a useful psychology, social support and a connection to nature and place.
The fact that some people do much better than expected indicates that there is a physiological process by which cancers can regress and sometimes disappear altogether. So do keep hope alive and in the meantime explore what improves your quality of life. As one of the survivors in my research said, "Quality, quality, make every second count."
Dr Harriet Denz-Penhey is an internationally recognized health researcher who has done groundbreaking research into patient self care in serious illness. The web site http://www.cancerremedies.org discusses aspects of natural cancer treatment and remedies for good general health.
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