First, the things people say that get under my skin:
* "It's sooooooo ssssaaaaaaadddddd." (overheard my aunt saying this a month or so ago in reference to my husband and me)
ME: Okay, yes, I wasn't exactly thrilled to experience the past half year so soon after husband and I got married. I would have liked a lot longer than a year and a few months before we got to the "in sickness" part of our vows. Given how unhealthy my husband's diet and lifestyle had been, I expected him to have serious health issues in the future, but I pictured that happening when we approached 60. I was unaware until recently that he had been up to over 400 lbs at his heaviest sometime in his 30s, so I did not realize just how extremely unhealthy he was at an earlier time.
But, no, no, it's not sooooooo ssssaaaaaaadddddd. This isn't a death sentence (even though he has chosen to do chemo). When we use the prognosis calculator at Memorial Sloan Kettering's website, the predicted rate of disease-free survival at 5 years is 87 or 88% (I can't recall exactly which) and of disease-free survival at 10 years is around 81%. I don't think that makes for a sad situation in the least. Sure, chemo will take its toll and the next year or so will be really rough, but we will get through it.
* On a similar note -- "I'm soooooooo soooorrrrrryyyyyyy to hear about M---" as if he died. ME: You haven't even heard the details. All you know is that he has the dreaded "c" word as if it's like he's dead already. You've already written a eulogy and checked your wardrobe for a black outfit. Put them away, you won't be needing them for a long, long time.
Now, the things I would greatly appreciate hearing:
* Bowel cancer is probably one of the cancers where lifestyle habits have the highest impact on risk. (ME: no duh) Therefore, lifestyle habits have the highest impact on cure. In other words, when it is estimated that 47% of colorectal cancers could be prevented by appropriate lifestyles, it stands to reason that CRC could be reversed by extremely healthy lifestyles. Besides, it couldn't hurt to try and if husband is doing chemo, it certainly would help to try to be in the best physical shape possible to counteract the damaging effects of such treatment.
There are decades of research on these subjects. Lately, new studies provide these findings in greater detail and higher specificity. Let me share them with you.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3950624/https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2015/871613/https://www.livescience.com/8837-5-life ... ancer.htmlhttp://www.nature.com/bjc/journal/v109/ ... 3310a.html* The World Health Organization has recently classified processed meat as a Group I human carcinogen. Red meat has been classified as Group 2A, which means probably carcinogenic to humans. Your husband would likely benefit from dramatically reducing his consumption of these.
http://www.who.int/features/qa/cancer-red-meat/en/https://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/pr/ ... r240_E.pdfME: This also has been known for a long time. It's only now being confirmed by the WHO.
* Cancer feeds on fructose. Your husband would likely benefit from dramatically reducing his consumption of high fructose corn syrup. (ME: Awesome. We will kill two birds with one stone there because he's mitigating his diabetes with diet.) Tumor cells feed on sugar (glucose), but the tumor cells use fructose for cell division in order to speed up the growth and spread of the cancer.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magaz ... .html?_r=2Cancer Res. 2010 Aug 1;70(15):6368-76. Epub 2010 Jul 20. PMID: 20647326
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/cancer ... ion-cancerhttp://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/resear ... ses-cancer* An animal study found that bromelain (an enzyme found in the core of pineapples) has anti-tumor properties superior to 5-FU. Your husband might benefit from ensuring his supplements contain bromelain. (ME: They do.)
Planta Med. 2007 Oct;73(13):1377-83. Epub 2007 Sep 24. PMID: 17893836
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/article/pin ... uorouracil* Cancer may not be a strict random mutation process, but an ancient survival program unmasked. New developments in immunology and genetics have confirmed the science behind the paradigm shift away from the idea that cancer is something bad that happens to the body, to something the body does in order to survive vis-à-vis an increasingly toxic and nutrient-deprived environment. ME: That's interesting!
Cancer: A de-repression of a default survival program common to all cells?: A life-history perspective on the nature of cancer. Bioessays. 2012 Jan ;34(1):72-82. Epub 2011 Nov 22. PMID: 22105565
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/cancer ... m-unmaskedhttp://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/cure-c ... tanding-ithttp://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/has-ca ... understoodhttp://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/nichol ... ory-cancerhttp://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/cancer-just-crapshoothttp://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/cancer ... ic-disease* Beta glucans (found in medicinal mushrooms) have been shown to have anti-cancer properties in addition to being well-known modulators of host immunity. It's also safe and effective for suppressing the adverse effects of chemotherapy as well as improving quality of life.
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/article/bet ... r-patientsHepatogastroenterology. 2009 Mar-Apr;56(90):437-41. PMID: 19579616
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/article/bet ... -improvingAnticancer Res. 2009 Jul;29(7):2611-7. PMID: 19596936
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/article/sol ... r9-agonistJ Leukoc Biol. 2015 Dec ;98(6):1015-25. Epub 2015 Aug 21. PMID: 26297795
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/article/mus ... sion-tumorBiomed Res Int. 2015 ;2015:604385. Epub 2015 Jun 17. PMID: 26167490
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/article/phe ... programmedPhytother Res. 2009 Dec 8. Epub 2009 Dec 8. PMID: 19998418
* Research shows vitamin D prevents cancer. Your husband should make sure to get enough sunlight and/or Vitamin D.
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/article/rev ... es-cancersAnticancer Res. 2012 Jan ;32(1):223-36. PMID: 22213311
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/article/ult ... th-vitaminPhotochem Photobiol Sci. 2016 Sep 8. Epub 2016 Aug 8. PMID: 27714313
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/article/dou ... -mortalityEur J Clin Nutr. 2011 Jul 6. Epub 2011 Jul 6. PMID: 21731036
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/article/ult ... adjunctiveMed Hypotheses. 2006;66(6):1152-6. Epub 2006 Feb 17. PMID: 16483725
* I saw on
http://believebig.org/ that mistletoe extract has been used in Europe for decades. ME: Unfortunately, the nearest doctor who provides this treatment is located an hour away in a direction husband never goes. He probably would not go out of the way for this unless there was more definitive research.
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/mistle ... ncer-cells* I heard turmeric has very strong anti-cancer properties. ME: Yes! This was covered in the "what supplements do you take?" thread, if you care to see.
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/turmer ... malignancy* You should also check out ginger. It could help with chemo-induced nausea and in other ways. ME: Sweet! Let me check that out!
Cancer Manag Res. 2017 ;9:11-18. Epub 2017 Jan 31. PMID: 28203106
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/article/dai ... s-been-shoSupport Care Cancer. 2012 Jul ;20(7):1479-89. Epub 2011 Aug 5. PMID: 21818642
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/article/gin ... ced-nauseaPediatr Blood Cancer. 2010 Sep 14. Epub 2010 Sep 14. PMID: 20842754
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/article/gin ... emotherapyBiomed Pharmacother. 2017 May 2 ;91:415-424. Epub 2017 May 2. PMID: 28475920
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/article/phe ... in-b1-induEur J Nutr. 2017 Feb 22. Epub 2017 Feb 22. PMID: 28229277
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/article/com ... nticancer-Int J Prev Med. 2013 Apr ;4(Suppl 1):S36-42. PMID: 23717767
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/article/rev ... n-diseases* I know you have been very focused on your health since your mother died of atheroschlerosis in 2000 and especially so since 2011 when you discovered you had a genetic heterozygous SNP on your MTHFR gene and you had early atheroschlerosis. With your lifestyle so different from M---'s and your skepticism about conventional treatments, it must be a challenging household environment. ME: Well, thank goodness M--- has decided to control his diabetes with diet because now I don't face the temptations from constant supplies of donuts, cookies, cakes, and the like in our kitchen. Relatively speaking, he has made drastic changes in his diet to the point where I don't have to make entirely separate meals for us all the time.
* On the same note, M--- has decided to do chemotherapy and we know that you are very wary about it and would not chose it if you had cancer. ME: Yes, M---- has decided to follow doctor recommendations, although only when double and triple checked. However, he is very open to the idea of complementing conventional treatment with alternatives. In fact, he has already begun taking supplements and will continue to do so. We will be adjusting them as needed.
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/integr ... -radiation* Not all the cancer research has been corrupted by the all mighty dollar. ME: Well, that's a relief! How do I know the difference between the corrupt and non-corrupt "science"?
Begley C.G. & Ellis L. 2012. Drug development: Raise standards for preclinical cancer research. Nature. 483: 531–533
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v4 ... 3531a.htmlNature. 485 (41) (03 May 2012)
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v4 ... 5041e.htmlAmerican Cancer Society. 2012. Cancer Facts and Figures. Available online at:
http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/conten ... 031941.pdfIrwin B, Hirsch BR, Samsa GP, Abernethy AP. 2012. Conflict of interest disclosure in off-label oncology clinical trials. J Oncol Pract. 8(5):298-302.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23277767Norris SL, Holmer HK, Ogden LA, Burda BU. 2011. Conflict of interest in clinical practice guideline development: a systematic review. PLoS One. 6(10):e25153.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22039406Jagsi R. 2009. 29 percent of cancer studies report conflict of interest. University of Michigan Health System. Available online at:
http://www.uofmhealth.org/news/1147canc ... f-interesthttp://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/could- ... untruthful* Your husband is taking 1g of vitamin C daily. Is that enough? I heard that high doses of IV vitamin C is selectively toxic to cancer cells if given intravenously. ME: Interesting! My doctor in NYC who I saw in 2000-2001 does IV vitamin C. I'm not sure husband wants to go through with it, though, because he hates needles and he's already being poked and prodded enough. We'll see...
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/intrav ... d-cancer-1* I heard that blueberries have chemoprotective properties. ME: My husband despises the taste of blueberry. In fact, he despises the taste of pretty much every fruit and vegetable except a handful (carrots, potatoes, green beans, and broccoli).
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/do-blu ... ng-cancersChi-Ming Lee, Yen-Hao Su, Thanh-Tuan Huynh, Wei-Hwa Lee, Jeng-Fong Chiou, Yen-Kuang Lin, Michael Hsiao, Chih-Hsiung Wu, Yuh-Feng Lin, Alexander T H Wu, Chi-Tai Yeh. BlueBerry Isolate, Pterostilbene, Functions as a Potential Anticancer Stem Cell Agent in Suppressing Irradiation-Mediated Enrichment of Hepatoma Stem Cells. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013 ;2013:258425. Epub 2013 Jun 26. PMID: 23878592
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/resear ... y-kills-itBlueberries are full of antioxidants and flavonoids that help prevent cell damage. Antioxidants work by neutralizing free radicals, atoms that contain an odd number of electrons and are highly unstable. Free radicals can cause the type of cellular damage ("oxidation", the same process that leads to CVD. Side note: Oxidative stress and inflammation are closely related pathophysiological processes, one of which can be easily induced by another.) that is a big factor in cancer development. Many other fruits and vegetables contain cancer-protective antioxidants, flavonoids, and polyphenols.
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/phyton ... lon-cancerhttp://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/cancer-fighting-foodshttp://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/eat-mo ... ncer-risks* I heard magnesium lowers colon cancer risk. Only about 20% of Americans get the recommended daily magnesium intake of 420 mg for men or 320 mg for women. ME: Americans also "enrich" white flour, which they consume a LOT of, with folic acid which also has been linked to cancer. Perhaps these factors, magnesium deprivation, excess folic acid (in 2009, before I found my current doctor, my serum folic acid level was 22 units, which is around 22x higher than the top of the threshold), and Monsanto pesticides, play a large role in the high incidence of colon cancer in the United States.
Magnesium intake and risk of colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis of prospective studies. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2012) 66, 1182–1186; doi:10.1038/ejcn.2012.135; published online 3 October 2012
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/magnes ... ancer-risk* Cancer proliferates in an acidic environment. ME: I recall hearing this years ago so we have been drinking alkalized water lately, just in case this is true.
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/article/chr ... nd-reducedClin Exp Metastasis. 2011 Dec ;28(8):841-9. Epub 2011 Aug 23. PMID: 21861189
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/article/las ... idic-tumorOncogene. 2012 May 14. Epub 2012 May 14. PMID: 22580606
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/nutrit ... hould-know* Chipsa hospital in Mexico has had great success in reversing cancer with a combination of natural and conventional therapies. My friend with Stage IV blood cancer who is being treated there with good success so far has been spreading the word. Go see his facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/eric.vinceletteThere are thousands and thousands of other comments I could write, but that would take way too much time. See for yourself:
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/disease/cancers-allI share all this with my husband who is both extremely intelligent and open minded which is why I love him so much.