Jessi FitzRandolph 36 dies after trying alternative therapies

cp418

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/health_med_fit/jessi-fitzrandolph-dies-from-breast-cancer-at-after-trying-alternative/article_e86dd53d-398b-584f-829e-7f7be52f5269.html

Jessi FitzRandolph dies from breast cancer at 36 after trying alternative therapies

vacationbound

its a shame that she thought all this expensive stuff was going to "cure" her stage 4 prognosis. stage 4 is what it is. many women with bone mets can live a decade or longer with the proper treatment, i do integrative-both conventional and complementary but to refuse basic cancer care is very risky and since she was so young, her cancer was more than likely aggressive, i guess it comes down to "you get what you give". RIP young angel.

juneping

i thought i read that she had the conventional and it wasn't working for her so she opted the alternative.

I am curious of what type though...

LtotheK

The bottom line is, Stage IV/metastatic is the forgotten territory of this disease.  Likely because it's terminal. I have friends who did allopathic, others who did ALL natural.  They all lived about the same amount of time.

We need a cure to this disease, anything less isn't enough.

exbrnxgrl

We don 't know anything about the particulars of her cancer. The article says she stopped chemo and refused rads but does not say why. It says the bone mets were found on a post mx scan. There is far too little info here to do anything beyond speculate. I am sorry to hear of her passing.

geewhiz

She had a blog where she mentions herceptin and tamoxifen. So she was at minimum, ER+ and Her2+.

Diagnosed with mets out of the gate at age 33. 

God bless her.

ziggypop

It would be a wonderful thing if somewhere on the planet there were a cure for stage IV BC; it is so especially sad when it hits someone so young. 

exbrnxgrl

So, it seems she was triple +. 

peacestrength

I thought about not posting because this is bothering me so much but Jessi is from my area and we attend the same church.  I can hardly keep myself together today.

wrenn

I think the title is misleading. It gives the impression (to me with chemo brain) that she died because of alternative medicine. You never know what will work and on whom. I try to just breathe and hope I am lucky.

May she rest in peace. I hate this beast of a disease.

exbrnxgrl

peacestrength,

I am sorry you have lost a friend.

Overall, without knowing all the details of her disease and treatments, it would be simply speculation to say whether the use of a particular therapy or stopping of another caused her death.

hopefour

peacestrength....sorry for the grieving of your friend. I know having someone so close pass of BC must be hard. Hoping you can grieve her passing, but realize you are alive and very likely will die an old old lady!! Hugs to you!!  

dlb823

I agree w/wrenn. Whether intentional or not, the article comes across as alternative therapies failing her, when, as exbrnxgrl points out, we don't know the specifics of her dx, tx or reasons for her choices, or if more conventional tx would have changed anything.

The tragedy is another vibrant, young life is cut short by bc. We desperately need more tx breakthroughs.

(((Hugs))) to all, especially peacestrength.  

  Deanna