Better PFS but not better OS?

Stefanie, thank you for your response.

RosesToeses, I hope you find your true mate in the tried and true Xeloda after being jilted by the trendier new drugs.

Woke up thinking about other promising cancer treatments and cures and how they've changed over the past 25 years.

While I could write pages about the supplements (shark's fin, anyone?) or clinics (Mexico, Europe or other?) or various practitioners around the world, I'll stick to the dietary advice that we're all too likely to get from well meaning folks.

Trends come and go. Used to be macrobiotics and low fat McDougall diets, then Weston Price Nourishing Traditions. These days it's all Crazy Sexy raw foods, green drinks and low carb diets (raw or paleo).

It does make sense that the SAD (standard American diet) isn't the healthiest, vegetable rich diet for reducing cancer risk and healing, but I've seen many many cancer patients and their loved ones go overboard into extreme diets. Recently, I wrote about orthorexia vs. healthy diets and quoted from http://www.orthorexia.com/healthy-eating-vs-orthorexia/

It's worth thinking about - in cancer our very lives and well being are at stake, so it makes sense that we'd become more scared and more inclusive of all foods and preparation methods we think are medicine and exclusive of all we perceive as toxic.

BUT, I know two very thin friends of friends who've eaten well for years (no SAD or bad health habits for them). One has a recurrent brain tumor and they're talking about going to a monthlong raw food retreat to beat the cancer. Both are already underweight and I worry about them going on a catabolic diet that will break down what little stores they have...I think they need an anabolic diet to build their strength and stamina for dealing with cancer, recovering from surgery and radiation, etc.

Of course, their lives are their own, but the extremism of the raw food diet is worrisome in their case.

We cancer folks have been offered so many dietary treatments and cures. While most have worked for a few, few have worked for most.

And don't get me started on cannabis medicine...helpful, but not a cure-all for all.

(((Carrie)))

I don't have a clue what is right for you now.

This disease and the treatments so suck vital energy and we're too often in the position of making impossible choices, er, decisions.

May your way be cleared as you move forward.

much love & good wishes, Stephanie

Hi Shetland Pony,

Thanks for bumping topic this forward!

I didn't remember it, but felt like we'd explored PFS & OS and that Musa Mayer's wise words had been included.

When I wrote, I shared that a friend and her spouse were considering a raw/live food diet with fasting to fight his aggressive brain cancer.

She dropped by out of the blue last night, so I asked what diet they did pursue and she said, Rebecca Katz's Cancer Fighting Kitchen. I was so relieved! And she looked much healthier than when we'd talked last time. Whew!

You just never know how someone's life will go!

http://www.rebeccakatz.com/recipe-box/

Wishing health and well-being for all, Stephanie

Please see too the bco topic:

Unsolved mysteries of MBC