Gerson Therapy

Northstar · October 2009

A relative of mine in her sixties was diagnosed in March with lobular bc, about 2 cm, ER +, PR-, and Her2 negative. She was under the care of a good surgeon who had dealt with her DCIS a couple of decades ago. She was taking Arimedex to shrink the tumor and had a lumpectomy scheduled for this Thursday. Today she has informed us that she has cancelled the surgery and intends to go to Mexico and be treated using the Gerson method (I have looked this up, so I do know what it's all about). Her belief is that diet will cure her cancer. She is also convinced that chemo is "poison" and that it is being foisted on us all by the pharmaceutical industry.

Frankly, although we love her dearly, we think that this is a very questionable decision, to say the least. In my own case, I used every possible method to insure that I would live--bilateral mastectomy, radiation, and would have done chemo if my Oncotype DX hadn't been so low. She is responsible for her grown daughter and two grandchildren and to do something that in our opinion is going to compromise her lifespan is not sensible.

Has anyone else used this method and then decided not to continue, and to use conventional and complementary treatment? And, if you were me/us, what could we possibly do to help her come to a decision that will extend her life?

idaho · October 2009

It is her choice--- maybe it will work. Tami

GramE · October 2009

Hope is the key word -- we each make our own decision on the hope that it will be the best for us. She is going to do what SHE thinks is best for her. I opted OUT of radiation after extensive research into the side effects and potential outcome. My family ALL agreed with me at my age (63). If I had been younger, had children at home, even a spouse ( I am a widow ) there would have been other things to consider. My decision was basically quality of life versus quantity, not that I am ready to go yet.

Northstar · October 2009

Hi, Nancy,

I'm wondering if you did chemo and herceptin? I guess my biggest worry is that she's doing nothing but a diet approach. I think diet is very important, but with other therapies as well. Yes, I guess in the end if she feels it will do her good, that is best for her. We, of course, can't MAKE her do anything!

baywatcher · October 2009

If I could do a redo, I would do exactly what your relative is doing. I agree with her.

Merilee · October 2009

Look on the Natural girls thread and you will find many of us using this type of therapy. I did not know there was a name for it however, just common sense.

Anonymous · October 2009

She was taking Arimedex to shrink the tumor and had a lumpectomy scheduled for this Thursday. Today she has informed us that she has cancelled the surgery and intends to go to Mexico and be treated using the Gerson method

It looks like the plan all along was to try to shrink the tumor before surgery. She may be postponing the surgery to see if she can get a better result from the Gerson method than she did from the Arimedex.

That is a perfectly reasonable approach. She can always decide to have surgery at a later point. Either a less extensive one if she gets the results she's hoping for, or one similar to her original plan if she doesn't get the results she expects from the diet.

From what you've said, she's given mainstream medicine more than 20 years to cure the cancer, and now has more extensive/invasive disease than when she started. At this point, quality of life may well be trumping quantity of life, and she is looking in other directions.

Chemo is not a cure, but surgery can be, so hopefully, she is not totally closing the door on that option, just looking at other scenarios, and timing.

She needs to explore the treatment(s) that will work best for her as a human being, not just as a cancer patient. The most important thing you and the rest of the family can do is to support her no matter which treatment choices she makes.

Gerson Therapy

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