Miracle 6 months after diagnosis

The placebo effect is temporary, Please do not mis-understand this. It does not offer a cure. Cancer remissions are rare but they do happen and in fact, may not be as rare as once thought because the original cancer was never detected before it was killed. As to chemo and radiation killing, alternative has had its fair share of that but is rarely publicized because it could embarrass the victims....or most of the time, conventional therapy is tried long after the herbs and salves didn't work. Placing the burden of "positive thinking" on people who have cancer is not fair either. That is a big woo idea promoted heavily in the 1980's and still is today although it actually does harm to people because they feel guilting for being "negative" and not dancing around with a pink ribbon. There is a simple solution to determining woo from facts...called double blind clinical trials. What works works. Alternatives shouldn't be afraid to find out the truth as to the veracity of the findings either. Even praying for someone in the hospital who knows you are doing this, have worse outcomes. I have to admit that this topic is somewhat of an odd place for a cancer site given that it allows desperate people to believe desperate things that could harm them. Even the title has a disclaimer....that should tell you something....and anecdotal evidence is not evidence that something works anymore than gossip is truthful. I think women on this site who conflict with alternative ideas have that right to explain why they do not accept these kinds of treatments without being rude. It could save someone's life if they choose, say, black salve to "cure" breast cancer and are asked to question that. The power of belief without facts has gotten us all into a pot of hot water and seachain and others are probably very concerned about misinformation, disinformation and snake oil salesmen hurting vulnerable people. No therapy is 100% effective, but myself, I would like to see more hard evidence that something works better. I have a friend dying from mets from renal cell carcinoma as we speak....the immunotherapy, state-of-the-art therapy only has a 40% chance of working but it is a chance, smaller for him since the cancer is so far gone. Chemo/rads/biologicals/hormonals/ all fit into that less-than-100% but have been proven to save lives and I do not understand why asking for scientific proof that something at least works most of the time, or even some of the time, is less acceptable than listening to hear-say or snake oil salesmen/women who have a disdain for well researched treatments. Anyway, I do wish the best for all the women here and hope everyone find peace in the new year.

Hello All,

Stepping in to say that Breastcancer.org respects the choices of our members, however to remind our readers that we do not recommend or endorse alternative treatment, only complementary medicine. Complementary medicine is not alternative medicine. Complementary medicine is USED WITH evidence-based conventional care. Alternative medicine is USED INSTEAD OF conventional medicine.Because complementary medicine can be combined or integrated with conventional medical treatment, it is also called "integrative medicine." We encourage you to talk with your doctors, and understand the research before making your treatment decisions. Here are a few links containing information that could be helpful:

Points to Consider If You Want to Add Complementary Medicine to Your Treatment Plan

Types of Complementary Techniques

Complementary and Holistic Medicine

Warmly,

The Mods

VL22, the purpose for juicing is to get a concentrated amount of nutrients into your body quickly.  If you have breast cancer, your body is not in need of excessive amounts of fiber.  Juicing 2 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables, for example, will yield approx. 1 cup of juice.  If someone is wanting to flood their body with nutrients when fighting any disease, they can have 3 cups of juice per day, as opposed to eating 6 lbs. of fruits and vegetables.  6 lbs. would be very taxing on the digestive system, if that amount is even possible to consume daily.  If someone is perfectly healthy and following the Federal Food Guide, they may not need the extra nutrients that juicing can offer.  If they are not well, they need to determine which additional fruits and vegetables would supply them with the vitamins and minerals that are being depleted while their bodies are trying to fight off their disease.  It is not a myth that juicing is "healthy".  Doing it in moderation is not going to cause any damage, unless allergies are present.  Unfortunately, there just isn't a lot of funded money put towards "Scientific Evidence" promoting juicing or anything else that is considered "Healing" when naturally found in nature.  

I started juicing upon my diagnosis one year ago and I have never felt better!!  That's all the proof I need )    Lori

I have just been diagnosed with dcis grade 3. Don t have a plan yet. I feel from the beginning ( March 2019 ) I am being pushed into a cookie cutter set of treatments. You story was inspiring and helpful for me. I have another app in 2 hours with a surgeon who is anxious to schedule surgery . I plan to tell him my next step is for a second opinion. I have been following a strict diet and using supplements. The emotional changes and spiritual focus was unexpected but welcome. I see this as a blessing not a curse, but sometimes still get scared. Thank you for sharing your part of your journey.

What cookie cutter treatments? Not everyone gets chemo. Not everyone gets radiation. Not everyone gets hormone blockers. Whatever has been decided for the patient is based on the type of cancer they have, and what will work most effectively. You don't have to go along with it, but please do not post lies about evidence-based treatments.

Once again someone that is interested in Alternative Medicine is judged unfairly. There needs to be a safe place for those of us that believe in it to any degree to post freely without being called names. We are here to support each other. Please do not say anything if you cannot be respectful of others' beliefs...

I just hate seeing the medical professionals, who, for the most part, work very hard to find the best treatments for us, being maligned and disrespected for not being able to sprinkle fairy dust on us for a magical cure.

Thank you Mods

Edwards750...I'm sorry but there is absolutely no reason why you should go on an alternative thread and say that you believe it's playing Russian roulette. Please be more respectful of others' wishes as the Mods have asked.There are countless threads that are devoted to conventional methods. There is one thread devoted to alternative methods. Those of us that believe in alternative methods or a combination of both need a safe place to discuss it.

https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html

If you click on this link from the National Cancer Institute and open the section Trends in Rates you can click to open a table titled New Cases, Deaths and Five Year Relative Survival. The data is from 1975 through 2016. The data clearly shows a decrease in deaths from breast cancer and an increase in 5 year relative survival. Advances in the treatment of breast cancer is one of the main contributors to the very positive trend. I am not preaching. We each get to make our own decisions about treatment choices, or lack there of. I just hope that we each make the best, most informed decisions for ourselves. Cancer sucks. Not everyone survives. Treatment sucks. I agree. But the numbers on that table continue to give me hope.

I'm just curious. If you go stage IV, would you post it?

I totally went conventional. And I am totally satisfied with my decision. That does not mean that others have to support my decisions or beliefs. I am so shocked at the self serving needs of others to claim they are saving others by providing their pathway and beliefs as the right way. People make choices. To smoke. To gain weight. And that may kill them. Yet to practise alternative measures is some how ridiculous. I drink too much. And I accept the consequences. None of us are doing the perfect thing. Lets just support each other in whatever works. After all we have been through, do we really need to prove our way is right? Differing opinions and beliefs should not be a threat to others. If you do not agree, go to another thread. Perhaps some restrictions should apply as they do for Stage IV forums. The insensitive comments need to stop for all. I support and question all beliefs equally. But I only own my own. I learn from everyone whether I am a believer or not. Others beliefs neither threaten mer influence me. But they do make me think. And thinking is good. Too bad it is so much easier to criticize

just curious what people are talking about with regards to the stage 4 thread? Am I missing something?


I am a practitioner of Classical Chinese medicine, an integrative nutritionist and a body worker. I am fully on board with “alternative medicine” which I hate the name of. It is ALL medicine, just a different way of looking at the body which typically includes that we have a spirit and an energetic body (or bodies) that conventional medicine does not acknowledge as it works from a more mechanical system. Both are good and both have their place in healthcare.


I would be very sad to not have my “alternative medicines” as part of how I make it through my cancer journey.


I have my own opinions about whether going full-blown “alternative” is wise or unwise but I keep them to myself at this point because our journeys are our own and I guess I follow more of a Buddhist belief that we each have to experience our own experiences in this lifetime. Our own experiences have their own value and worth and teachings. It is not my place to judge anyone else’s journey. I can only be present for them, should I choose.

thank you so much for this my mom has metastatic breast cancer and I am very scared I needed to read this i know she can do it she is just very depressed because the cancer came back I’ll tell her about this wonderful blog so she can regain some hope lost thank you so muc

hi purplehair,


Wondering if you’ve been getting mri’s and/or ct scans to show that the tumor has shrunk as well as the lymph nodes?


How do you know that your swollen arm is secondary edema and not due to the lymph nodes being invaded with cancerous cells?

We all choose to approach cancer mentally in different ways. Your approach is, to me, one that sounds like it is filled with hope and optimism and also deep fear. I believe the fear is about actually receiving conventional treatment for the cancer process your body is going through. The thing is, I also see a woman who is expending ALL her energy towards fighting the inevitable, that there is cancer and it is not being treated. And I wonder about how absolutely exhausting that must be for you.

The thing is, you can go through treatment and still feel the unconditional and beautiful love of the universe. You don’t have to NOT do treatment to feel this.

I am concerned for you that you are in a HUGE realm of very very strong denial about what your body is going through.

I probably had cancer growing in my body for 10 years before being diagnosed with MBC. I meditated, ate a clean diet, exercised, did qigong, taichi, felt the love of the universe, found a deep love and acceptance of my family and parents, forgave those who had hurt me, etc etc...and yet I still have cancer and still have to treat it.