Study: Chemotherapy can backfire and boost cancer growth

Originally posted by LucidDreamer85

Originally posted by humphreysjim

Originally posted by Sinny

I watched a documentary some time last year that stated Chemo had a ridiclously low success rate, like 9

Totally depends on the cancer, stage etc.

The problem is, there is nothing better, and it is better than nothing. Note the study said "chemotherapy can backfire", not that it always does, this doesn't really tell us anything especially new or surprising. It is certainly not proof we should stop using it.

Altenatives prob won't work......

But if your telling me that my best option is to Poison myself , when I wasn't already poisoned, in order to cure myself, is about the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

Those who it worked for ...there is a good chance they could have survived anyways.

And those who didn't use chemo and died, there is a good chance that they would have anyways.


Poison will never be the answer. It's like fools gold.

Chemo shrunk my mass down to nothing. It's no different than using certain herbs that are healing in some doses and deadly in others. Chemo has saved many lives for many years.

Originally posted by fluff007
reply to post by humphreysjim

 

I am not touting chemo as a "cure" anyway, but the quacks are very quick to tout cannabis as a "cure" along with all other manner of nonsense.

im sorry im gonna have to pull you up on this one... i dont know if you're referring to me and other posters as 'quacks' but i dont think any of us have said cannabis is a cure................

but it obviously does something, didnt you look at the link....??

Boy, two, with brain cancer is 'cured' after secretly being fed medical marijuana by his father.

note the word cured is in inverted commas....

A desperate father whose son was suffering from a life-threatening brain tumour has revealed he gave him cannabis oil to ease his pain. And he has now apparently made a full recovery.

the boy has been declared cancer free... but, whether the cancer will come back again we dont know... however, it clearly had a massive effect on this wee boy. and clearly saved his life.... i am sceptical as to whether it truly 'cured' him, but when you get cases like this, surely putting some funding into researching something like this could be a positive thing.... and you never know maybe a cure could come out of it....

It is wonderful that cannibus has worked for the child. I lost a dear friend last year and he used the cannibus as well. With cancer, it is a tricky thing. Not all things work for all people.

Originally posted by fluff007
reply to post by humphreysjim

 

My only comments would be that losing weight and losing the will to live are also what happens when cancer spreads and destroys someone's body.

yes i am aware that this happens... however, he deteriorated quickly and he was a strong lad.
the majority of his friends agree that if he had passed on the drugs and chemo, that he would have been happy to live out the rest of his life (however long that may have been) surrounded by friends, family & love... not stuck in a hospital bed crippled by a treatment that is meant to help.....

When it gets to that point, a patient has the choice to live out the remainder of his time at home. All they can do at that point is make him comfortable.

reply to post by sonnny1

The success rate of chemotherapy = 2.1% … huh??

False. That is not what the study found.
The actual finding was that chemotherapy patients had a 2.1% better survival rate than those who used radiation therapy alone.

For each malignancy, the absolute number to benefit was the product of (a) the total number of persons with that malignancy; (b) the proportion or subgroup(s) of that malignancy showing a benefit; and (c) the percentage increase in 5-year survival due solely to cytotoxic chemotherapy.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov...

And what is that survival rate? I depends on the type of cancer but the average is better than 50%
seer.cancer.gov...

Originally posted by Phage
reply to post by LightSpeedDriver

 

Radiation and chemotherapy saved my life. 25 years ago. Cancer free since.

edit on 8/6/2012 by Phage because: (no reason given)

Yup I had the radiation as well. People have to stop scaring the hell out of others. They are already dealing with enough.

reply to post by rgzing


how is presenting fact a disservice..?

remember the old adage dont shoot the messenger... if i was suffering from cancer i would like to have all information available to me.

Originally posted by fluff007
reply to post by rgzing

 

how is presenting fact a disservice..?

remember the old adage dont shoot the messenger... if i was suffering from cancer i would like to have all information available to me.

There are facts on both sides of the fence. I know that having had cancer myself, it is a very frightening experience. You have people all around telling you to do this and do that and don't do this and don't do that. You have people telling you that the method you chose will kill you etc. That's pretty scary and overwhelming.

I think the doc, like myself and others, just don't want people to be afraid of a treatment that very well may save their lives. I know that people mean well, but I don't think they realize how much they scare people who have cancer. Of course there are alternative treatments, but people should never tell someone to stay away from chemo or that it will kill them. It has saved many lives.

There will always be those who will not survive no matter what course of treatment they decide on. Someone could die getting hit by a bus tomorrow. When it is our time to go, we go.

I know that my cancer could return. I know also that it might not. I know that many lives have been saved over the years with chemo and radiation and that is the hope and inspiration that I would like to focus on for myself and others.

It is not like years ago where you spent all your time heaving over the toilet bowl. There are meds now for helping with nausea. If you can't eat to keep your strength up, there are simple drinks you can have. You have people who can advise you on all aspects of your cancer, from treatment plans to diet and emotional well being.

It is not knowing what to expect that scares the hell out of people. I remember my first day of chemo, seeing a pale woman sitting in a recliner chair with a blanket and fast asleep. What I didn't know was that some meds made you cold and some made you sleepy. I thought she was dying. LOL

Like some previous posters, I had cancer and received chemotherapy and radiation. I've been in remission for just over 6 years now. Both treatments combined lasted 9 months, and were a living hell, but I know I would not be here today if it weren't for them.

I was 14 when I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, so I had no choice in the method of treatment I was to receive. From the second I was diagnosed everything became a whirlwind. Hodgkin's responds very well to chemo and radiation, but it moves very fast so you have to act quick. It wasn't even 3 weeks later that I started treatments. Even if I would have had the chance to not take chemo and radiation, I don't know if I would have opted out. I had tumors the size of walnuts at the base of my neck, causing great pain when I turned my head. I had another tumor the size of grapefruit in the middle of my chest. I couldn't breath, couldn't sleep, never had any energy, and I was quickly losing my ability to concentrate on even the smallest of tasks. Chemo especially was one of the hardest things I've ever been through in my life, but I couldn't last a few more months living like that.

People like to talk like they know what they'd do if they ever found out they had cancer, but the truth is you really don't know until death is staring you down. Do I think chemo and radiation are the only methods that should be considered? No. In fact I think that they are barbaric and could be effectively used as torture devices. But that doesn't mean that I think that people should automatically rule it out or preach that it should not be trusted. No one really knows how their body will respond to any type of treatment, be it what I had or many of the alternative treatments out there. Treatments are constantly advancing, and doctors are learning new ways to treat these diseases every day. I'm personally excited about the advancements that widespread genetic testing could bring for future patients.

Radioactive materials are big business...

They KNOW it's bad but they don't really care and almost every other cancer treatments are silenced as soon that they are proven to work.

reply to post by theMediator

Radioactive materials are big business...

They are?
But chemotherapy does not involve radioactive materials.

almost every other cancer treatments are silenced as soon that they are proven to work

There seem to be a lot of "silenced" alternative therapies all over the internet.

reply to post by fluff007


Strange ,I was just questioning this thought about two days ago, now someone is speaking out about it! How coincidental! if radiation causes cancer, then some would thing that chemo could cause other forms!

reply to post by Phage


Chemotherapy, although not by itself radioactive, is not without some nasty side effects:

Chemotherapy drugs are toxic to normal cells as well as cancer cells. A dose that will destroy cancer cells will probably cause damage to some normal cells. Doctors adjust doses to do the least amount of harm possible to normal cells.

Some patients feel few or no side effects, and others may have more serious side effects. In some cases, a dose adjustment is all that is needed to reduce or stop a side effect. Some chemotherapy drugs have more side effects than others.

Some of the most common side effects are:
nausea and vomiting
loss of appetite
hair loss
anemia and fatigue
infection
easy bleeding or bruising
sores in the mouth and throat
neuropathy and other damage to the nervous system
kidney damage

Nausea and vomiting are common, but can usually be controlled by taking antinausea drugs, drinking enough fluids, and avoiding spicy foods. Loss of appetite may be due to nausea or the stress of undergoing cancer treatment.

Some chemotherapy drugs cause hair loss, but it is almost always temporary. Low blood cell counts caused by the effect of chemotherapy on the bone marrow can lead to anemia, infections, and easy bleeding and bruising. Patients with anemia have too few red blood cells to deliver oxygen and nutrients to the body's tissues. Anemic patients feel tired and weak.

If red blood cell levels fall too low, a blood transfusion may be given. Patients receiving chemotherapy are more likely to get infections. This happens because their infection-fighting white blood cells are reduced. It is important to take measures to avoid getting infections. When the white blood cell count drops too low, the doctor may prescribe medications called colony stimulating factors that help white blood cells grow.

Neupogen and Leukine are two colony stimulants used as treatments to help fight infection. Platelets are blood cells that make the blood clot. When patients do not have enough platelets, they may bleed or bruise easily, even from small injuries. Patients with low blood platelets should take precautions to avoid injuries. Medicines such as aspirin and other pain relievers can affect platelets and slow down the clotting process.

Chemotherapy can cause irritation and dryness in the mouth and throat. Painful sores may form that can bleed and become infected. Precautions to avoid this side effect include getting dental care before chemotherapy begins, brushing the teeth and gums regularly with a soft brush, and avoiding mouth washes that contain salt or alcohol.

medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com...

After just burying my fourth friend from cancer last month, in which they went through the whole treatment protocol, and died from the treatment (kidney failure or multiple organ failure or nasty infection which takes hold), I am not a big fan of this treatment.

If it saved some people on here, then good for them. The person I knew who lasted the longest ( he was originally given 2 months) was taking herbal supplements on the side, and when he tired of the yukky-tasting tea after 4 years, he refused to drink it anymore. Within 6 months he was dead from tumors all over the body.

I believe that there are many great cures in nature, and the future of cancer treatment should be boosting the immune system to recognize the tumor and eliminate it, without the need for invasive treatments, butchering surgeries, or chemo, which destroys the organs of the body and causes the tumor to send seeds to metastasize throughout the body.

I have completely lost faith in traditional western medicine. We had all better come up with something better and quickly.....From the 1950s on, we were all given polio vaccines, cultured on green monkey kidneys and swimming with Simian Virus 40 (SV 40), the cause of many cases of cancer today. That means most of us are carrying this SV 40 time bomb within us. And NO, they haven't cleaned up the supply. Even today, the oral polio vaccine given to infants has SV 40 in it....And we wonder why the pediatric cancer wards are overflowing...

reply to post by fluff007


Anyone who's had a loved one die of cancer while going through chemotherapy, has probably witnessed a down hill turn once chemotherapy was introduced. I totally agree with this study. We need to start treating cancer that targets only the cancer cells and not normal cells.

The John Kanzius radio wave treatment using nanoparticles to target cancer cells while leaving healthy tissue unharmed continues to show promising results.

BREAKING NEWS FROM HOUSTON! Dr. StevenCurley, the lead investigator of the Kanzius Noninvasive Radiowave Cancer Treatment project at MD Anderson Cancer Center just informed us that large, non-human laboratory subjects are on the GenV Kanzius RF table, have been undergoing extensive testing and that the initial results are extremely exciting! As you have heard us say before, due to the confidential nature of clinical research, until extensive testing is conducted, validated, analyzed and published...we cannot share the details. We have a ways to go, but without question the buzz in Houston is VERY promising! This is an essential and landmark step in the journey to human trials.

John Kanzius Research Foundation

reply to post by FissionSurplus


One of the chemo drugs I was on had the nasty effect of making me throw up when I tried to drink water. So for 5 days a week, every other week, for 6 months, I couldn't drink water. I had to rely on milk, juice, and soda.

My young age at the time of treatment means I have an even greater chance of developing a secondary cancer caused by the very treatments that saved my life. Either way, the original problem was fixed, however brutal, and it has given me the gift of a second life.

I'm so sorry for your losses. Even with all of the good stories, there seems to be twice as many sad ones.

Originally posted by Phage
reply to post by sonnny1

 

The success rate of chemotherapy = 2.1% … huh??

False. That is not what the study found.
The actual finding was that chemotherapy patients had a 2.1% better survival rate than those who used radiation therapy alone.

For each malignancy, the absolute number to benefit was the product of (a) the total number of persons with that malignancy; (b) the proportion or subgroup(s) of that malignancy showing a benefit; and (c) the percentage increase in 5-year survival due solely to cytotoxic chemotherapy.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov...

And what is that survival rate? I depends on the type of cancer but the average is better than 50%
seer.cancer.gov...

So the Doc is lying, using his "facts" ?

Hmmmmm....

Will look into it, although you never give me bad data.

reply to post by WeRpeons

Anyone who's had a loved one die of cancer while going through chemotherapy, has probably witnessed a down hill turn once chemotherapy was introduced.

I didn't die from cancer but yes, my health suffered greatly from chemotherapy. I also recovered from it because the chemotherapy got rid of the cancer. No one says it's a picnic.

reply to post by sonnny1

So the Doc is lying, using his "facts" ?

Lying? Tricky call. He was wrong about what the study said.
Was he lying or ignorant?

Originally posted by Phage
reply to post by sonnny1

 

So the Doc is lying, using his "facts" ?

Lying? Tricky call. He was wrong about what the study said.
Was he lying or ignorant?

Hes a Doctor. I will call him out, cause its both, I believe.


Claiming "fact", is a bold statement......

Originally posted by loam
reply to post by fluff007

 

Many have said for years that this approach to cancer made no sense. Now, they are discovering that to be actualy true.

I wonder how many lives were needlessly shortened or lost because of it?

Meanwhile, the establishment does everything in its power to ensure alternatives are not fully explored.

Lovely system we have.

The system is designed to make money for a very few at the top at the expense of everyone else. You know this of course, this is how every system functions. It is time to change the systems my freinds. Maybe they give you cancer by all the additives to your food? Does it make sense that they give you chemo drugs that deplete your immune system when you need it most?

edit on 6-8-2012 by loam because: (no reason given)

Originally posted by rgzing
reply to post by fluff007

 

You have done nothing but a great dis-service to those that have cancer desperately looking for a cure and those that survived cancer. Chemo is no panacea and it is not sold as one. It is just the best tool we have at our disposal for various types of cancer. Cancer treatment has come so far in the 58 years I have been treating it. When I started only 20% of my patients survived. When I retired in 2009 over 85% of my patient's survived. I am sorry for the loss of your friend. The chances of survival are better with early detection. The more time the cancer has to advance the more difficult it becomes for a favorable outcome.

To post that all chemo is making cancer worse or is causing cancer is no different than the methods used by Washington DC to scare people. You should be ashamed of yourself. An old saying "there are no atheists in a fox hole” well cancer patients are in a fox hole looking for anything to save them. Chemo is a positive tool with major side effects. The only problem is it’s the only tool we have at this time. If you want to be of service become a scientist and find us a cure. If not shut up!!

Stats speak for them selves. Can you give me stats from 2012?