Dr. Jim Chan - Vancouver

twink

Has anybody heard of or had any first hand experience with this treatment?

Advances in Cancer Care
by author Michelle Hancock

Complementary cancer treatment brings new hope to patients at the Vancouver clinic of Dr. Jim Chan, who uses the best of orthodox and alternative medicine to achieve impressive results. One ginseng extract in particular is showing amazing promise in helping bridge the gap.

After 13 years as a naturopathic doctor, Dr. Chan has seen 5,000 cancer patients, many of whom are diagnosed as "terminal" case-but not for long. When patients first arrive, their medical and personal histories are thoroughly reviewed, including all previous pathology and laboratory reports. Then they fill out Dr. Chan's own comprehensive personal survey. Additional tests may be conducted for immune function, digestion, endocrine system, level of stress and free radical load.

The point of gathering all this data is to get a picture of how healthy a patient is, to find out the body's strong and weak points, and to determine the possible causes of the cancer. "We know 15 percent of cancers are hereditary or genetic related," says Dr. Chan. "The rest are environmental." By environment, he means things a person is exposed to in everyday life, including food, water, chemicals, viruses and electromagnetic radiation.

Only after all the data is available for review does Dr. Chan lay out what he feels to be the most effective, individualized treatment plan. Like many naturopaths who work with cancer, he has no objection to orthodox cancer treatments, which may or may not be beneficial in a given case. "We must look at conventional intervention and ask, will it be meaningful or not?"

"Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation focus on attack. [Naturopathic physicians] also devise means to support the cells," he says. So, if patients choose to go the orthodox route, they can also use wholistic approaches to bolster the body's strength and healing abilities. The key is combining treatments to achieve the best possible results.

One treatment that Dr. Chan is very excited about involves a special ginseng extract called Careseng, which he calls the "first non-toxic natural cancer treatment that can be considered at par, if not better, in efficacy compared with most chemotherapies." Like regular ginseng, this product contains active compounds called ginsenosides, specifically, high amounts of Rh2 and Rg3, both known for their anti-cancer properties.

In animal studies, the supplement inhibited tumour growth, increased survival time, and, in some cases, caused complete tumour regression. Dr. Chan was involved in clinical trials in 1999. In one trial, 40 patients with various cancers-including lung, colon, liver and breast-took Careseng orally for 60 days. Seventy-five per cent of patients experienced tumour inhibiting
effects with no side-effects or toxicity. In a second trial involving 15 patients, the intravenous version was effective in 80 percent of cases-again with no reported drawbacks. More studies are continuing.

The treatment has been shown to work in several ways. First, it stops cells from entering the cancerous growth stage. Second, it causes cancer cell death, and third, it can actually reverse drug resistance. "So in cases where chemo doesn't work, we can fix it," says Dr. Chan. For example, if someone becomes resistant to chemo drugs, which is very common in late stage cancer patients, taking Careseng can make the body's cells sensitive to treatment again.

Today, Dr. Chan uses Careseng with about 80 percent of his patients, who may also undergo other treatments such as acupuncture, supplementation with vitamins, minerals and herbs, medicinal peat baths (soaking in mineral-rich water) and sauna therapy (using far infrared heat chambers) to help the body detoxify.

His advice to cancer patients is to evaluate the risks and benefits of any chosen treatment. "For a doctor, it's difficult because we can never guarantee results. What works for one [patient] won't work for another. We have to be individualized."

One treatment that Dr. Chan is very excited about involves a special ginseng extract called Careseng, which he calls the ‘first non-toxic natural cancer treatment that can be considered at par, if not better, in efficacy than most chemotherapies.'

If patients choose to go the orthodox route, they can also use wholistic approaches to bolster the body's strength and healing abilities. The key is combining treatments to achieve the best possible results [in treating cancer].

Source: alive #247, May 2003

twink

Anybody?

LisaSDCA

Twilah, the scientist in me just gets the willies over someone who purports to do testing for "free radical load" and whose 'therapeutic' treatment involves 'medicinal peat baths'. Referencing 'studies' that supposedly show incredible efficacy and safety while not providing data or primary sources is bad science.

I am wholeheartedly in favor of a holistic approach to patient care. But this "Careseng" sounds mighty bogus. Care-seng? It's ginseng - why gussy it up? If it "has been shown to work" quote your sources, Dr Chan - chapter and verse, and let the studies be scrutinized.

Lisa <--- not a lot of patience this sad evening</p>

twink

Thanks Lisa.  I'm a sceptic but am getting pressured to go in this direction.

anondenet

Yes, I've heard of him from one of his former patients. Not a good report.

twink

anomdenet, do you have any specifics?

anondenet

I can't even be vague here without being accused of liable. Sorry.

AnnNYC

twink and anomdenet, I hope you can PM each other -- if twink is being pressured, she needs all the info she can get...

althea

As I read and learn more about alternative treatments, I notice a recurring theme -- people in the altnerative crowd act as if the cause for cancer is common knowledge.  Even the guy where I get the superfood that I like so much does the same thing.  Sweeping statements about what causes cancer as if it's common knowledge.  Here, the assertion is 15% of cancers are derived from genetics and rest is environmental.  I get very frustrated at statements like this. 

How does this guy know what causes cancer?  Did I sleep through last night's news where they announced it?  Aside from cigarette smoking being a major cause of cancer, I can't think of anything that's been pinpointed as a specific cause for the multitudes of cancers people are getting these days.  Now, if the dr said we live in a world today filled with chemicals and people get healthier when changes in lifestyle remove toxins from the individual's body and environment, that I can believe.  

I do hope and believe that the answer someday will rest with something that's natural, nontoxic, affordable, and available.  I believe in my heart that it must be where the answer lies.  We are wondrously and miraculously made.  People have been around a lot longer than the pharmacueticals.  I think it simply makes sense that we are given the natural means to correct whatever imbalances our bodies experience, and that those means would be available to all, not just people with money and insurance.  

I think the pool of information has been muddied by all the people involved.  It's very difficult to figure out who is credible.  All I can share is my gut reaction on this one, and this guy doesn't resonate with me.   

anondenet

I don't think there is any such thing as "the alternative crowd." The advocates are widely diverse. And much disageeement prevails. All you need to do is go to the Cancer Control Convention over Labor Day to see the wide variety of opinions. Hormone-haters, hormone lovers, dairy lovers, dairy haters, spring water vs. distilled water...

Tho most alt cancer types agree fluoride, pesticides, bromide fire-retardents and toxins are making things worse.

I think we can agree cancer is not a chemotherapy deficiency and we need to get to underlying conditions that make us vulnerable by weakening our organs.

Anom 

pinoideae

When I consulted with my bs after I found out I had breast cancer (2001 Canada) this is what I was told, 1 in 9 women in Canada get breast cancer, 7 in 9 women who get breast cancer had no history of it in their family.  He also told me his patients who do everything right (i.e. don't smoke, eat a healthy diet, high fiber, low fat, very little if any alcohol, exercise, vitamins etc) get breast cancer.  Too much is unknown.  With knowledge is power, I agree.

snowyday

Thanks for typing that Summer I've some people try to more or less say it was my own fault for having a drink occasionally or not eating certain foods.  YaYa, I' wanted to choke them. I also have one friend who insists on wearing masks all summer so she doesn't breath in pollution and she highly recommends I do the same.  NUTS.