Treating triple negative breast cancer

bluepearl

OMbelt: I also am not into conspiracy theories about Big Pharma. Mr. Jobs decided that science-based medicine wasn't for him, although conventional treatments could have saved him. His alternative ones didn't.  Notice that the chemo studies are on ADVANCED cancers. Of course chemo isn't going to do much except for palliative purposes. However, for earlier cancers, it can and does help. All of the well-researched alternative treatments you mentioned are also old. Research all and every claim made by naturopaths, for example, would require even more huge amounts of money that eventually translate into huge costs for meds. This is a capitalistic country where everything IS profit driven including alternative doctors etc. The ONLY way to know anything has to be evidenced based by reliable labs, and repeated elsewhere independently. It isn't good enough to quote doctors...especially doctors (dentist) who "turned" to cancer therapy and reports somewhat unrealistic results. I will, however, check out your sources as this is what I always do and thank you for an intelligent debate giving me sources!!! Be well.xoxox

bluepearl

I looked up Dr. Abel's research papers and they are not exactly how alternative sites portray him. His many papers after the one you quote has him supporting many chemotherapy regimes.....for example...".Adjuvant randomized trials of doxorubicon/cyclophosphamide Vs doxorubicon/cyclophosphamide + tamoxifen and CMF chemotherapy Vs tamoxifen in women with node positive breast cancer.". There are many others regarding other cancers. As far as the Dr. Kelly Turner page, I see observational studies only. It is already well known that obesity, smoking and drinking/ lack of exercise affect cancer rates...and I said affect not cause//this is still hazy as there are many women who are active, thin, vegetarian that get it.  Apparently, having a positive attitude or prayer doesn't. (just look up under those titles). That said, there is the placebo effect and its twin the nocebo effect and if they work, great. Spontaneous remissions happen all the time, though rare with deadly cancers, but not unknown. I would hate to see someone give up conventional exclusively for alternative but it IS their decision. Every science journal paper must report conflicts of interest as well. In countries where doctors do NOT make huge money dispensing chemo treatments, it is still used because they have proven to work. The genetic research going on as we speak is huge and the knowledge contained therein is huge. Yes, tumeric has anti cancer properties but at blood concentrations that you cannot get through diet. Few of us have the expert knowledge required to even understand the first sentence in a paper about the genetic research on cancer and so, it seems reasonable to put our trust in something or someone that speaks reasonably well and simply. However, I put my trust in science-based medicine first. Chemotherapy, btw, comes from a lot of "natural" sources, like the yew tree, but at concentrations that kill fast replicating cells. Now with oncotypeDX tests, the need for chemo as been reduced. Big Pharma paid for that too. Anyway, stay well and stay happy and positive! My girlfriend is in her 6th year of remission and only had surgery for a 2.5+cm IDC, one node+, grade 3. She got lucky. I only had surgery the first time around, and got a second breast cancer for which I also only had surgery. None of my doctors pushed anything on me....in fact, I wanted chemo for the 2nd cancer but the oncologist said it would be way too much. I support anyone making any decision as long as they are just informed from any angle. I do not mean to offend. Just "here's another take"......

lightandwind

Bluepearl, Steve Jobs had pancreatic cancer. Conventional treatments, particularly chemotherapy do not have a high success rate or reputuation for treating this disease. The surgery that he was criticized for refusing (whipple procedure) only has a 20% 5 yr survival rate, so has an extremely high rate of death, and serious complications following surgery. Still it is the best hope that any conventional treatment can offer.  In addition, Steve Jobs underwent many aggressive mainstream treatments prior to his death, including a liver transplant. 

I just read this article today and am glad to see (thanks to the aggressiveness of cutting edge alternatively minded science, ie. increasing natural killer cell activity) that there may be considerable hope for pancreatic patients in the future. The problem is mainstream oncology currently ignores this science. Meanwhile, cancer kills 570,000 people in this country per year. 

http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2014/jul2014_Intole...

Momine

Light, as has been explained before, Jobs' pancreatic cancer was a rare form that IS highly treatable.

Momine

Rick, are you a patient yourself?