No chemo

[Release]

I was diagnosed with inoperable metastatic pancreatic cancer on 5/2/19. I had one session of Folfirinox and it nearly killed me. I was starving to death. I prefer fewer good months than more months of that. Can you survive with nutrition only.........?

[Mc-uk]

I can only speak for my wife who has Stage IV Colon Cancer [currently inoperable] and while its 4 days of real unpleasantness, she's immeasurably better for the rest of the cycle, actually far healthier than she was post diagnosis for quite some time! Treating the side-effects seems to be key however - with strong anti-nausia and steroidal medicines; without that it would be way harder…




Certainly the research on the cancer type I know of (above) is that with treatment you have a far longer life expectancy than without it. I believe its about 3-5 months without treatment for Stage 4, and about 2-2.5 years with modern chemo therapy, and a chance at far longer if perhaps it become operable…

While there may come a point that treatment isn’t worth the downsides, i can say that for our case that would seem to be a long, long way off…

(Plus with a young child it would need to be truly unbearably bad I’d say for my wife to make that decision..)

I would suggest going back to your oncologist - some drugs people just react very badly too, and at least try a change of treatments and medications for side-effects first…those made a massive difference…


None of which isnt to say that healthy living still isnt a good idea..

Indeed there is now growing research that exercise during chemotherapy extends helps it work, and that healthy eating (particularly the Mediterranean diet) helps also…

I’ve seen my [at the time undiagnosed] wife slowly dying from Liver metastasis, and I’d rather give it a very good shot first…

Life is life…




[NoMoreMondayBlues in reply to Mc-uk]

I agree with the last contributor that it’s worth going back to see if they can change your regime and that your diet and exercise can make a difference to how you feel during chemotherapy.

I had 8 rounds of FEC-D last year for aggressive Triple Negative Breast cancer; I can honestly say I wasn’t ill at all during treatment and other than the odd day I had great energy levels. I ate a mainly plant based Mediterranean diet (with a small amount of organic meat and wild fish), walked every day (especially on chemo days to help get it out of my system) and practiced yoga which helped manage the stress you feel.

Whilst I appreciate not everyone feels well enough to exercise but it does contribute to well being and increases your blood oxygen levels even if you can only manage a short walk.

[Mc-uk in reply to NoMoreMondayBlues]

Here are some links to the exercise research (its actually exercise making the chemo work better by pushing the chemotherapy drugs into the tumour it seems...

mdanderson.org/publications...

Here is a quote from another researcher..

They found that the rate of tumor growth was significantly slower in mice treated with exercise plus cyclophosphamide [a chemotherapy drug] compared with all other groups....

“We were truly amazed by these findings,” said co-senior author Mark W. Dewhirst, DVM, PhD, the Gustavo S. Montana Professor of Radiation Oncology, and vice director for Basic Science at DCI, in a DCI press release. “I have spent the better part of the last 30 years trying to figure out how to eliminate hypoxia in tumors, and have looked at a lot of different approaches—drugs, hyperthermia, and metabolic manipulations. None has worked very well, and in some cases, made things worse. So these findings with exercise are quite encouraging.”

"significantly reduced tumor growth and a 1.4-fold increase in apoptosis [cancer cell death] - (putting that into percentages I think thats a 140% improvement in the effectiveness of chemotherapy...!?)

Of course you still need to supply your own mouse-wheel..! (that last part was a joke!)

[mamazura in reply to Mc-uk]

Hi there. The exercise and subsequent oxygenation is key to the success here. I chose to NOT have chemotherapy and used cannabis oil, Budwig diet, cut out sugar and unhealthy foods - much of it dairy and meat and concentrated on oxygenating my cells and giving my body what it needed to heal. Meditation, looking at my relationships, dental health and lots of walking. I did not want to reduce my immune function with chemo. That was 11 years ago and I am cancer-free and if I had known then what I know now, not only would i refuse the chemo again, I would also refuse the surgery which has left me with only one breast and an unsatisfactory implant. We must all make our won choices and what mainstream terms 'alternative' is actually the oldest and most holistic healing system know to man. I know many people who had ovarian and late stage pancreatic cancer who have turned their health around with holistic therapies which work with the body and immune system to great effect. I wish you well in your journey.

[spraymerritt]

I would not suggest that. Maybe trying homeopathy and the person therapy. Also healing.?

[Lily57]

I have always been against chemo and refused it first time round but I am now Stage 4 and when diagnosed was really lucky it was found then.......some of the doctors were full of negativity but said the ONLY treatment was chemo and the first cycle I did was two cycles but after the second treatment i started to feel awful and carried on feeling awful, like not able to get out of bed. I am now taking a different chemo after I did nothing for two months and I am leading almost a normal life on it.......I do get more pain and anaemia related tiredness but by comparison to the Taxol its nothing.............

I now also use full spectrum cannabis oil and other natural remedies...........

Can you get a second opinion? There are things that can really help you and I believe lung and pancreatic cancer respond well to cannabis oil