iconEVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO HELP YOU BEAT CANCER Y our personal copy from CANCERactive Winter 2007/2008

SPECIAL 5 YEAR SURVIVAL ISSUE

5 years of learning Europe’s 5 year survival tables - how does the UK perform? Everything you need to know to help you beat prostate cancer Near-Death and End-of-Life experiences Cancer of the womb Complementary support with Penny Brohn Cancer Care The healing power of the mind Spagyric Medicine

The magazine from CANCERactive cancer INTELLIGENT INFORMATION. INDEPENDENT VOICE.

OUR MISSION CANCERactive is a charity that aims to provide all people, regardless of age, colour, sex, race, creed or financial status, absolutely all the information available on cancer, its causes and possible treatments, so that they can make more informed personal choices and thus increase the odds of beating the disease. OUR VISION The UK’s Number 1, and most trusted, source of evidence-based information on holistic and integrated cancer therapies, and on cancer prevention. OUR ETHICS Easy-access, easy to read, easy to understand, jargon free, well-researched information. “People-speak”, not “Doctor-speak”. Independent - an objective and balanced voice. icon magazine is produced by the charity CANCERactive. cancer

OUR PATRONS

Geoffrey & Rachael Boycott, Former England Cricketer, now Madeleine Kingsley, Accomplished journalist, who currently commentator and his wife who helped him through his battle works for many national publishers, including, of course, icon. with cancer. Julie Kirkbride, Member of Parliament for Bromsgrove and Will Champion, Drummer of the highly successful rock band, Vice-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer. Coldplay. Their album ‘Parachutes’ is dedicated to Will's mother Professor Carlo Leifert, Professor for Ecological Agriculture, Sara, who lost her battle with cancer just before its debut. University of Newcastle. Specialist in Child cancer Vivien Clere Green, A Natural Health Consultant for the last Dr John Millward commenced practicing as a GP in 1962 and 7 years she has run a practice in Henley-on-Thames and before continued for 30 years before opening his own clinic for that for 16 years in London. complementary medicine and allergies in 1995. Former mayor Dr Rosy Daniel, founder of Health Creation and formerly of Bournemouth. Medical Director of the Bristol Cancer Help Centre. Patricia Peat is a registered nurse. Following years of Dr Philippa D Darbre, Senior Lecturer in Oncology,The experience in oncology, combined with research into natural University of Reading. Primary field is toxic causes of cancer. approaches to cancer, she now runs Cancer Options. Dr Michael Dixon OBE, NHS Alliance and Professor Trevor Powles, OBE, Former head Vice Chair of Prince of Wales Foundation for Integrated health. of Breast Cancer at Royal Marsden; now at Parkside Oncology Centre,Wimbledon with breast cancer Judy Evans, natural progesterone expert having spent the last still as clinical interest. seven years researching its benefits. Professor Karol Sikora, Professor of Cancer Medicine and Mr Nicky Henson, British actor who has conquered stomach honorary Consultant Oncologist at Imperial College School of and colon cancer. Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, London where he was Clinical Professor Tony Howell, CBE, Professor of Medical Oncology Director of Cancer Services for 12 years. at University of Manchester and based in the CRC Department Koo Stark,American photographer, writer and actress living in of Medical Oncology at the Christie Hospital. Britain's only London who has a strong personal interest in cancer after having Professor of cancer prevention. a double mastectomy. Gloria Hunniford, Dr Andrew Tresidder,West Country GP with the philosophy Radio and TV personality. Lost her daughter Caron Keating to to provide the best orthodox medicine to his patients and to cancer in 2004. use complementary approaches where appropriate. Mr David Jensen, Jan de Vries, is a man who has been synonymous with expert TV and radio personality. complementary healthcare for over 40 years, both in the UK and Dr Diane Keith, abroad. He has 7 clinics, 5 health and diet centres plus 3 GP with interest in complementary therapies. affiliated clinics in the UK offering osteopathy to acupuncture, Dr Julian Kenyon,The Dove Clinic for Integrated Medicine and herbal medicine to homeopathy and massage. Founder and President of the British Society of Integrated Diane Yeo, former CEO and driving force in the teenage cancer Medicine. charity Sargent Cancer Care. icon This magazine is dedicated to Catherine Woollams A magazine from CANCERactive Registered Charity No. 1102413 England icon EDITOR: Chris Woollams & Lindsey Fealey CONTRIBUTORS: 6 contents Chris Woollams, Patricia Peat, Madeleine Kingsley, Professor LIVING PROOF NOTICEBOARD Mike Richards, Dr Rosy Daniel, Janice Day beats breast 10 News and views Philippa Darbre, Elisabeth cancer with no chemo Bindschaedler, Carl Stonier. ART DIRECTOR: Jeremy Baker PUBLISHING TEAM: Chris Woollams & Lindsey Fealey 12 All profits go to CANCERactive 18 Light at the End For information on how to Womb cancer receive icon regularly, please Near death phenomenons contact us as follows: The facts about a cancer that’s on the increase Write to us at icon, The Elms, Radclive Road PATRICIA PEAT Gawcott, Buckingham MK18 4JB 21 Our integrative nurse answers your questions 22 Email us on [email protected] or to place an order - Everything you need to [email protected] know to help you beat or about any fundraising event - prostate cancer [email protected] 26 Fax us on 01280 824655 What have we learnt from Telephone us on 01280 815166 the last 5 years? CANCERactive: 01280 821 211 30 Visit our websites: www.iconmag.co.uk CENTREFOLD PIN-UP www.canceractive.com Our defences against cancer We would like to thank all 36 doctors, nurses, health workers and practitioners who made this 5 year survival rates issue of icon possible How does the UK compare to the rest of Europe? Every article and photograph printed in this magazine is the copyright of 42 CANCERactive and may not be reproduced without prior permission. Exploring the healing power IMPORTANT NOTICE 46 of the mind While every attempt has been made to ensure accuracy, neither the magazine, its staff, nor publishers accept any responsibility for errors, omissions or consequences. Penny Brohn Cancer Care Cancer is a very serious and very individual Complementary support disease and readers must consult with 49 experts in the appropriate medical field before taking any action or refraining from any action. The content of this magazine is in no way CANCERWATCH intended to be a substitute for any treatment recommended by a qualified The latest world cancer news medical practitioner or cancer specialist. 58 CANCERactive news Printed by: Stones, Unit 10, Acre Estate, What’s happened, what’s 56 IT’S ONLY NATURAL WIldmere Road, Banbury, happening and what’s Oxfordshire OX16 3ES Spagyric Medicine going to happen icon 4 EDITORIAL Celebratingicon 5 years atherine once said to me, shortly after she had Living Longer had her second operation on her glioblastoma, But providing information - even if it is about the C'You read the books Dad, I'll leave that all Complementary and Alternative Therapies your to you. I'm not interested in cancer, I'm Doctor won't mention (See our centrefold on interested in living'. Beneficial Bacteria), supporting it with research from other countries, or new Therapies that are It was her idea originally to have a magazine, I just working for a Japanese man or an American (See made it happen with the help from my cousin Cancer Watch) - this actually is just the mechanics Lindsey Fealey. Again, Catherine wanted to provide of what we try to do. information, the latest news, tid bits, anything and everything that could help patients when they were in We want to help you build programmes that will help icon Hospital. We started first with the magazine ; then some you increase your odds of beating cancer. We want to Doctors (seeing Catherine had not passed away after 6 months help you live longer. What do I mean by this? We all know as predicted) felt that I must have uncovered some helpful that there is a 5-year survival statistic for the ordinary, or therapies and suggested I wrote it all down. average, person treated by orthodox medicine with a particular cancer. (See the Eurocare-4 article in this issue). 'Everything you Need to know to Help you Beat Cancer' We try to inspire you to make yourself extra-ordinary was launched - it sold out in three months. Then came the Better than the average. Just like our Living Proof lady did. speaking invitations - America, Australia, Japan, Israel, But even this is not enough for us - we are not in the 'Survival' Germany, Russia and all over the UK and Ireland. Some venues business. could not hold everyone - I had to go back to Melbourne for two further nights. 28,000 people in one audience in Japan. Inspiring Lives Then we set up the charity, so that the books could fund the magazine - and the new web site. The magazine is now in 320 We don't just report on information - we try to provide ideas. cancer centres in the UK. The patients think it is wonderful - Inspiring ideas. we receive so many lovely letters. We estimate 160,000 people read each issue. And now 50,000 people hit the web site each Read our letters page and you will see that a couple of month (www.canceractive.com) Hospitals kicked out our magazine last issue because we dared to say that certain supplements/compounds/etc could Importantly, we've stuck to the original Catherine aim - of improve their radiotherapy. In previous months we have course, we have a 'mission': Providing truthful, full and angered certain drugs companies because we wouldn't print accurate information, not just on Orthodox therapies their Press releases verbatim. Why? The headline said, 'Drug x but on ALL therapies, so you can make more informed increases Survival'. When I read the research detail it choices. But that really is just the start. explained that the mean period had increased from about 8.6 months to 10.3. Now I do not wish to decry the scientists Empowerment work. But these people are missing the point.

Just as Catherine hit the internet to find out all about her People, ordinary people, with cancer care about the simple glioma, so now do more than half of all patients, according to things in life. 'If I take this drug, will my hair fall out?' 'Will I several research studies. Judging by the letters, e mails etc that be too tired to play with my grand children at the week end?' we receive this stems from a number of factors: Firstly, there is Can I afford to get to the hospital everyday for six weeks to an innate desire, inherent in all of us, to have some control have the radiotherapy? Will I be able to go out on Friday night over our own destinies - our own lives. No longer can the or will the burns hurt too much? Will I be able to make love to majority of us accept that our lives should be merely handed my wife after having the Prostate operation? I could go on. into a Doctor's total control. It doesn't help when the British Medical hierarchy and the drugs companies appear, to any nd that's why we report on research that tells them to free-thinking person, to be firmly in each other's pockets. take vitamin E because they need 25 per cent less Respect has been lost and continues to drain away. Couple this Tamoxifen, to use aloe vera gel to calm radiotherapy with a lack of time to see people, and then read my postbag: A burns, to look into HIFU instead of prostate surgery, to take 'I've been given no information'; 'My Doctor has no interest in selenium and isoflavones because it makes the radiotherapy Complementary Therapies'; ‘My Doctor humours me'; ‘My more effective, to try meditation before surgery because it Doctor thinks the therapies I do myself are a waste of time'. reduces blood loss and will get you out of hospital faster to 'My Doctor will not discuss anything with me'. 'My Doctor play with the grandchildren. We don't make these things up - doesn't have time'. there is always research, and often clinical trials. People know there are therapies out there that might just Having cancer is not just about 'survival' - Catherine went help. They have heard about someone who tried something diving, snow boarding, swimming, to parties etc for nearly 4 and it helped a lot. They want 'self empowerment' - we bring years, and to the South of France and Prague only weeks the facts to them - facts they can trust, on almost everything. before she passed away. Our aim is to inspire you to give You might enjoy reading our Living Proof on a lady, Janice yourself a real quality of life, while helping you fight the fight. Day, who has survived her breast cancer for more than eleven years - she had surgery, did her own research on the drugs on And this is where energy therapies, massage, EFT and a myriad offer, and all the alternative complementary therapies, and of other complementary therapies can all play a part. Read our made her personal choices. As she says, she wishes article about The former Bristol Cancer Centre - now renamed CANCERactive had existed 10 years ago - it could have saved Penny Brohn. They probably understand this desire to 'lead a her a lot of time!!! normal life' more than anyone. EDITORIAL icon 5

Or, you can also read Carl Stonier's excellent article on 'The And that's our main difference really. In the world of cancer, Power of the Mind to Heal'. Did you know that Mental State is dominated by Drugs companies and Doctors, scientists etc, not even a contributor to cancer according to the World Health we do try to bring a little balance. We are sorry but we do Organisation? Yet the facts on depression, lowered oxygen and not put the interests of Pharmaceutical companies first, nor increased cancer rates; or stress and cortical levels are well the Government, nor Doctors. And perhaps that upsets a researched. Do these people in authority really understand few of them. what people go through when they have cancer?' I wonder. nd if the truth be known, we don't really worry about Balance how the radiotherapy machine works, or getting more We make no apologies - CANCERactive is different. For example, Adrugs into clinical trials. But then, we are not our web site is written as a magazine on the web; you can print interested in cancer - we are interested in living. Inspiring, whole articles off and read them at your leisure - try our two people with cancer to live their lives to the fullest. To samples in this issue - one on Prostate, the other on Womb genuinely believe they have a realistic hope of beating this cancer. They really are everything you need to know. disease. And that's how this all started.

But we also cover the parts other charities cannot reach. So, Thank you without a clinical trial in site, we have also an article on Angels To finish, let me just say a big thank you - to all our Patrons in this edition. Who else could bring you this? and Regional Executives, to all our supporters and those who have jumped, run, shaved, walked, whatever, to all our We have learned a lot over the last 5 years - we have included donors, to all the people who have said nice things about an article where a number of people involved in cancer in the what we do, to all the people who have organised speeches UK, including the 'boss' of it all, Professor Mike Richards, tell etc etc etc. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. you what they have learned too. To every body, 'Enjoy the magazine, I hope you find it We have our critics, of course. Certain people will not have us inspiring, not merely helpful'. in their hospitals 'because we go on about vitamins'. Actually we 'go on' about Herceptin and Temozolomide too. We 'go on' about new ways of targeting radiotherapy, or new Chris Woollams screening techniques. But the patients already can get enough of that information in their hospital. We simply try to bring PS And to the unscrupulous people going round homes in Balance. For example, in this issue - after a constant stream of South London selling icon to people to raise monies for requests from readers - we have included a short piece on cancer research - I say, 'Shame on you'. This magazine is from Spagyric Medicine. CANCER active - and it's free. ¡ ''We set up CANCERactive to be a truly independent and impartial source of information on ALL the things that could possibly help you beat cancer. It's your right to know. Unfortunately, that independence comes at a price. We need your help, to help others like you. PLEASE.'' There are many simple ways you can help our important and unique work, especially by making a small monthly donation.To do this you can log onto our web site ( www.canceractive.com ) and go to 'Donate'. Or you can go to 'www.justgiving.com' and make a donation to us there. Or you can fill in this form (or take a copy of it and fill that in if you don't want to cut up your personal copy of icon!). Send to FREEPOST ANG 7812, BUCKINGHAM MK18 4BR - But if you use a stamp it saves the charity money. Thank you.

I WISH TO MAKE A DONATION OF £ Gift Aid means that for every pound you give, we receive an extra 28 pence from the Inland Revenue, helping your donation, and Or I WISH TO MAKE A MONTHLY DONATION OF £ our work, to really go further. It doesn't cost you a thing. Please tick this box and fill in your details below so Bank Name we can reclaim the money. Bank Address I wish to treat all donations from the date of this declaration for the next six years to be Gift Aid. I confirm that I am currently a UK Tax Sort Code payer. If my status changes I will inform CANCERactive. Bank Account Number Name Mr/Mrs/other Full name Signature Address

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I would like to receive your free e-newsletter. icon 6 LIVING PROOF Breast cancer 11 years on.

Mending a life.

When Janice Day developed breast cancer she asked her Doctors an important question. “What difference would having the chemotherapy make to my chances of survival?” LIVING PROOF icon 7

he answer later. To my surprise, the On the first day I took home which offers more surprised her: Just radiographers were worried. some leaflets given to me by information about 5 per cent. So she They said they could see “a the cancer counsellor alternative ways to approach embarked on a density”. attached to the hospital and healing for cancer. T rang all the contacts: Breast thorough learning curve and built a complete After several tests at the Cancer Care, Backup, and The first night after my programme of therapies breast clinic, the registrar Cancerlink. They were very diagnosis I went home and for herself – including said that if I did have cancer supportive and sent me yet opened an exercise book, diet, supplements, the team would probably be more leaflets and which I titled ‘Getting exercise, energy recommending a information such as “How to Abreast of Things’. I decided therapies, healers, indeed mastectomy, but that I could Tell the Children” and that I would mount a Mind, everything we have an immediate descriptions of the operation Body and Spirit Campaign to recommend everyone reconstruction. that I might be having. organise my survival. In this with cancer attempts to Cancerlink put me in touch exercise book I wrote down use. After all you are At that time it was quite merely trying to increase unusual to offer a your personal odds of simultaneous mastectomy survival. As Janice says, and reconstruction. It was “It’s a pity CANCERactive more common to leave a wasn’t around 11 years gap of six months between ago” – she could have the operations. But it saved herself a lot of sounded good to me, time. Our web site because it meant that I (www.canceractive.com) would never have to cope has it all on there. So, in with the idea of losing a keeping with our 5-year breast. I would go into survival theme, and our hospital with two breasts belief that everybody and come out with two… should build their own Though the results of the personal therapy tests were highly suspicious, programme using the the consultant oncologist best of Orthodox, was on holiday and his Complementary and registrar would not reveal Alternative Therapies whether or not I had cancer (after all – it is YOUR life), until he returned. So I had to who better to tell us how wait ten days from the first she survived, than breast clinic for a diagnosis. journalist Janice. his waiting was the “I was shocked to be worst time of my diagnosed at the age of only entire cancer 39 with invasive ductal, Texperience. I couldn’t multifocal cancer in my left help hoping that there had breast (the one whose nipple been a mistake. I never really loved, obviously causing it to want But the consultant to pack its bags and leave eventually confirmed that I home). had a grade 2 invasive ductal multi-focal cancer of the left I had had a milk cyst after breast. I’ll translate that: the birth of my first child in 1991, which was picked up 1. Grade 2 = moderately with a lady who was on their everything I was learning: by my GP at the six week aggressive support register: a volunteer Notes, quotes and useful check and identified as a cyst 2. Invasive ductal = travels by with experience of cancer telephone numbers. And I at the Royal Marsden passages rather than the who could talk to people continued to read everything Hospital. Thereafter I invasive lobular which who had just been I could find about breast examined myself every creeps through the diagnosed. She told me cancer. If only the couple of months, having system. I felt that this was about a self-help group CANCERactive website had been made aware by this a better class of cancer – which was meeting every been available then, the experience that lumps could more up front – since it Tuesday in Shalford, just research would have been so appear in my breast and it travels rather than creeps. outside Guildford and it’s much easier. was a good idea to look out 3. Multi-focal = several still going strong even now. for them. That was lucky and lumps, all over the breast, It’s called the Guildford ithin the first probably saved my life. which made a Cancer Self-Help Support week or so I So when I felt a change in lumpectomy an Group and the contact attended a my breast – a thickened area inadequate response number is 01483 421 661. Wsupport group - in August 1996, I was not at the health clinic, which unduly alarmed. I went to My oncologist offered me later discovered another was run by the breast nurse see my doctor and he pre-operative chemotherapy helpful organisation and which I didn’t like. booked me in for a and radiotherapy, which I called ‘New Approaches to Everyone seemed to be mammogram three days declined. ICancer’ (0800 389 2662) showing off their badly icon 8 LIVING PROOF

made wigs and talking about There was a general that this was in 1996 and the treatments. dying. It seemed to me that attitude of rebelliousness situation has changed since Eleven years later, I’m still there was an atmosphere of amongst that group that then): here. despair in the room. As a appealed to me. And after a) The consultant said that cancer patient I hated it studying the subject and the evidence that Self-healing. when people talked softly at thinking very carefully I chemotherapy had me and put their heads on decided I was not keen on improved survival in Dr Patrick Quillin’s book one side. I preferred them to chemical intervention. breast cancer patients was ‘Beat Cancer with Nutrition’ behave normally around me; only empirical and not influenced me heavily. He maybe even to crack jokes, o after my operation, based on scientific studies. said that if you had mould but never to pity me. It when cancer was They may have survived growing in your bathroom, turned me into an invalid found to have spread because of the surgery you might be able to remove and a victim, which I wasn’t. to three of the alone. it with chemicals, but if you I didn’t go back to that S didn’t change the thirteen lymph nodes that group. And I never attended were taken from my armpit, b) It occurred to me that environment in which the the follow up groups, except I decided to question the they may have survived mould thrived, then sooner once, to talk to them about oncologist’s recommendation because of other reasons. or later it would return. spiritual healing. (or rather the team’s I wondered what is I set about changing the recommendation, because he known about the environment in which my went to my first meeting was working with a changed lifestyles of the cancer had grown. of the Guildford Group. It chemotherapy consultant 5% whose chances of was a complete contrast from the Royal Marsden) survival had been to the NHS one. They Mind… I that I should have a six “improved” by chemo ie were, if you like, medical month course of how many of those Personal development books. mavericks, and set me on a chemotherapy, a short women had boosted their The most significantly path of discovering course of radiotherapy and a immune system and helpful books were: alternative approaches to five year course of changed their lifestyle? cancer treatment. They told tamoxifen. I asked for more Surely this has to be an 1. Louise Hay’s ‘You can Heal me about the Bristol Cancer than one interview with the influential factor which Your Life’. (Louise Hay Centre. They introduced me chemotherapy team. I felt it was not being quantified? also had cancer and to a magazine called ‘What was a very serious decision produces a very helpful doctors don’t tell you.” and that I had to get it right. c) Since all the macroscopic relaxation tape called (ie detectable cancer) had ‘Cancer’. They had photocopied The chemotherapy treatment been removed and the www.louisehay.com; articles from that magazine that was offered to me was: microscopic cancer was about chemotherapy, which undetectable, it was only 2. Susan Jeffers’ ‘Feel the exposed evidence that it G 5FU, epirubicin an assumption that I Fear and Do it Anyway’ causes secondary cancer. needed chemotherapy www.susanjeffers.com and G cyclophosphimide anyway. I thought, “If it’s Several members of this not broken, why mend it?” 3. Brandon Bayes’ ‘The group had refused G or a trial of cysplatin. Journey’ conventional treatment d) Chemotherapy kills www.thejourney.com altogether, although most In my second consultation, healthy as well as ( I have experienced ‘The had undergone surgery. It this time with the unhealthy cells and Journey’ and found it hadn’t occurred to me chemotherapy expert, I weakens the immune enormously helpful in before meeting them that I asked the all-important system. It seemed to me, learning how to could refuse the chemical question… with my layman’s clarity, experience and process treatments too. They put the that this was a completely feelings – something idea into my head. They had “What difference would illogical approach. Since which emotionally refused chemotherapy and having the chemotherapy cancer had occurred in my dysfunctional people find survived. Of the four that I make to my chances of body because my immune extremely hard to do, and met in 1996 that refused survival?” system had failed, why which has a significant chemical therapy: should I treat it by effect for reducing stress He said “5%”. attacking my immune levels) G One died two years later. system? This lovely lady already The prognosis they had I have had many kinds of had emphysema when she given me was that after ten e) There is evidence that therapy to deal with my got cancer and had been a years, if they were to review chemotherapy treatment psychological issues and chain smoker. She got the situation of 100 women starts cancer in other hugged my demons secondaries in the lungs. in my age group who had organs (see issues of the same disease as me, 50 ‘What doctors don’t tell Body… G One died of pneumonia 20 of them would be dead. And you’) years after having cancer. then he said that G I had a mastectomy and chemotherapy would only reconstruction with the G s a result of my One I lost touch with, so I change that statistic by 5%. cogitation, new breast made out of don’t know if she’s dead or To me it seemed ludicrously rumination and my transabdominal muscle alive, and low. careful study….and and flesh from my stomach G One is alive still. A flap (commonly known as despite the protests of my My arguments against friends and family… I “the belly”) having chemotherapy were And then, of course, refused the chemotherapy, as follows (but bear in mind G Through drastically there’s me! tamoxifen and radiotherapy LIVING PROOF icon 9

altering my diet, I have lost G I eat three meals a day and G I took Tai Chi lessons nd I am alive, and a total of seven stone over nothing in between living proof that the eleven years since my G I had homeopathic despite having no breast cancer and have G I used only to eat fruit for treatments for the first six chemotherapy, maintained that weight for breakfast and massive months A radiotherapy or tamoxifen a long time. This has been amounts of vegetables. and given a 50/50 chance of an important factor in my Now I don’t even eat fruit G I took a dietary surviving ten years, my recovery. but I still eat MASSIVE supplement for six months, actions of changing my diet, amounts of vegetables, recommended by the losing seven stone in weight; two or three cooked cups homeopath – which taking vitamins, anti- G Most importantly, I believe, with every meal. contained the following oxidants and essential I do not eat refined sugar ingredients: minerals, exercising or anything which contains G I eat oily fish 100mg pure Vit C regularly, drinking lots of it as an ingredient 100iu, Vit E (natural d-alpha) cold and boiling water and 150mg of Betacarotene prep taking a house-cleaning 45mg Selenium (as approach to all aspects of my Methionine) life, in mind, body and spirit 10mg L-Cysteine ACL …do actually work. 20mg Grape seed extract 10mg lycopene As for what I gained from 10mg Pycnogenol having cancer… 10mg Curcuminoids 10mg Bilberry extract 4:1 I walked a mile with Sorrow, 120mg Gingko Biloba and ne’er a word said she; extract 8:1 But, oh, the things I learned G I took aloe vera juice for a from her year When Sorrow walked with G Now I take Maximol juice me! and Revenol tablets (more vitamins, essential I have always thought and minerals, anti-oxidants etc) still do, that whilst the distributed by Neways. I whole experience was am even a distributor painful and difficult, it has myself now. also been both beneficial and positive. G I try to get 8 hours sleep a day It brings life into sharp focus, which is a gift. G I walk briskly in the fresh air for 35 minutes nearly As a result of getting this every day cancer, I have systematically sorted out my major physical G I attend Pilates classes and emotional problems and twice a week turned my life into a masterpiece. I have pruned away unsupportive people Spirit… and filled my life with joy. I G I have regular spiritual am doing the work that I healing as offered by have always longed to do, qualified members of the which is cabaret singing and National Federation of being a professional writer Spiritual Healers. I full-time. personally believe that this has been the most I have survived. And I feel significant therapy in my more attractive and survival to date. It is not contented than I ever did G I do not eat dairy or wheat G I eat only 5oz of protein expensive as the healing before I had the with each meal and 8oz of centres only ask for a mastectomy. G I avoid processed food carbs a day (two lots of 4 donation. Contact the oz) and make sure I have a NFSH website and find ancer is a wake-up G I do not drink alcohol or teaspoon of oil with each your nearest healer or call, as is any life caffeine. meal. healing centre. threatening illness. (www.nfsh.org.uk) As Patrick Quillin G C I do not smoke. G I avoid red meat says, “It is a light shining on G I repaired my relationship your dashboard which says G I try to drink 8 glasses of G I don’t usually eat after with the God of my pull this car over and mend water a day (and usually 6pm at night or before understanding, and walk a it now.” And that’s exactly fail) 8am in the morning spiritual path to the best what I did.” of my ability… icon 10 NOTICEBOARD - LETTERS, NEWS AND VIEWS

Dear A ll at CANCERactive, Hello Mr Woollams I have a staunch supporter of eagerly devoured all your information on your Keep up the good work - I am websit osed with breast e, in your magazines and in Chris's newsletters yours! In Feb 2003 I was diagn and bo skett route back to oks for the past three-and-a-half years, and am cancer and took the Gerson/Pla immen ve blood work done sely grateful for every word. health after I had surgery. I ha nd they have been stable over Recently I changed my email address and then every 3 months or so a realised that I wouldn't be getting Chris's newsletters the last few years. anymo was given only a 30% re! So today I registered as though a new It will be five years soon, and I recipie people need to know nt. chance of getting there. More s, and even more importantly, In doing this, I saw something that is bothering me a about these option about the successes. I attribute little bit. I was asked what my interest is - general, more need to know y systemic therapy, family or 'cancer sufferer'. I know i my success to not having an t is just one word - e one but 'suffere he urgings and pleadings of th r' took me back a bit. Although I have despite t d hen 5 years comes up, I will sen indeed suffered greatly with the various treatments oncologist I saw. (W d to remind him.) I've endured - I try to be positive as far as possible. him a really nice car Ractive when I was So - and I do hope you won't mind I did not know about CANCE me suggesting this it was hard - I wondered if at ways of helping myself, and you might consider changing 'cancer looking fer e information together. You of sufferer' to 'cancer patient', perhaps? (At some point work getting all th thing the person with when you're updating things) an excellent short-cut to every cancer needs to know. Please Please PLEASE don't take this as a criticism. I'm he research on DCA? I have an probably only here because of you, and cannot thank Are you covering t escribes Iscador and low dose you enough for all that you do for me through yo excellent GP who pr ur prescribe Phenergan if information. Naltrexone for me. He will also whether he will prescribe DCA? Yours most si necessary. I wonder ncerely, ption, and there are so However, that is just another o N.M. e are for the average many. Probably more than ther ose the conventional (Ed: Our expert Malcolm is on the case) breast cancer sufferer who cho route. ishes. Sincere regards and very best w Hi Chris J.G. I would just like to say a big thank you to you for the Sheffield encouragement and positiveness your book gave to me and my husband John when he was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour. Your inspirational words encouraged us to go on with a positive Dear Chris outlook when conventional medicine had little effect. The results of my la Good luck in the future for whatever you do. test scan – STABLE. One remaining liver lesion thought probably cystic, plus a small Best wishes cluster of liver lesions more clearly detected by better L.G. equipment but not thought to be malignant, otherwise no change. On 19th December 2003, I was told: Hi Chris. G you have six months possibly a year I am going to G chem your talk at the Wirral with an otherapy will not effect your longevity unwilling hus band who “does not want to b G you will die of this de e pressed” about talking about C ancer. This is the and to expect a man who has bowel ca round 3 months of quality time. ncer that has gone to his liver, who fought with m So, after basic chemotherapy a e not to take your advice from nd immunology, some your book, but did so 46 months later….. I owe a debt of gra anyway, “no harm in giving it a titude to many try” he says. including CANCERactive, whose magazine ‘ i c o n ’ He is alive tod confirms much of what I heard informally and says ay because of you, not the pow be ers that much of what the Penny Brohn Cent . The butterfly* certainly does re believes to be flap her wings and helpful to the b what a beautiful butte ody in fighting cancer. rfly she is. Great big thanks to Lindsey for all the hard I say to readers if you know someone work that she has done and I with cancer and wish her well in her new job. want to help them try a subscription to i c o n : http://www.canceractive.com/s Keep going Chris, you are trul hop/home.php?cat=248 y an inspiration. &join=1 P.O. From the heart – thanks and best wishes to you *(Ed: Readers can read Ch ris Woollams piece I.D. about his daugh ter – called the Butterfly, on www.cancera (Ed: People who do ctive.com/page.php?n=1814 nate over £3 a month to Originally written fo CANCERactive via Direct Debit wi r a book Chris felt this very ll receive all personal account future copies of i c o n , post was probably too strong to ed direct to their UK appear in the magazine.) address on day of issue)

All correspondence into our offices maybe considered for publication, unless otherwise specified by the sender. The Editor of icon reserves the right to edit any such correspondence. NOTICEBOARD - LETTERS, NEWS AND VIEWS icon 11

Dear Chris, My mother, Julia Singh, passed away recently. You first helped her in 2000. Thank you, Chris. One thing I three US cancer web sites and 2 UK ones. The article remember very clearly is how much hope your book was then sent to one of the top UK oncologists in ‘Everything you need to know to help you beat this field and to a radiotherapy manager at a top cancer’ gave her, how empowered she felt, and how London centre. Their comments were incorporated. that kept her going through the really bleak The points about possible side effects are taken from moments. I know how much she respected and recent research in the Lancet and the Lancet oncology admired you, and how much she cried when you lost and covered in i c o n Cancer Watch. If the results your daughter. were ‘alarmist’, we wonder what these hospitals tell I will of course keep spreading the message - Mum their radiotherapy patients about possible side taught me that knowledge is power, and I live by effects. Radiotherapy is ever more targeted and that. accurate but the beam can affect surrounding organs. Best regards, My daughter had significant loss of short-term memory from her brain R. tumour radiotherapy; breast patients can have damage to lung and heart tissue; CancerBACKUP records on its web site that radiotherapy is not appropriate with certain cancers because of the proximity of important organs. Are we guilty for Not all our letters are so praising. Following the last telling the truth? llowing e mail: issue of i c o n we received the fo The use of supplements causing conflict with Radiotherapy Dear Mr Woollams is an old chestnut. We have been asking for hard evidence from the critics on this for 5 My attention was drawn to the most recent issue of years and never receive any. On the contrary we i c o n by a colleague, who felt that the centrefold know there has been research at St Thomas’, the in-up regarding radiotherapy was “alarmist and p Royal Marsden, M.D.Anderson and UCLA – all misleading and for some patients would be contra- previously covered in i c o n - and so we told readers indicated because of their current or some co-existing that supplements like selenium, astragalus, soya dition“. I obtained a copy from our Cancer con isoflavones can improve the success of their Information Centre, and entirely agreed with this radiotherapy. Only recently we covered the Ralph view. I also asked one of our Oncologists, Dr Gareth Moss review in PUBMED on this. John Boik of the Rees, for his opinion on this and his response was that M.D.Anderson center and The experts at UCLA have was appalled at the content and also felt that he all argued that certain supplements enhance some of your patrons would be very dismayed at their radiotherapy’s killing effect on cancer cells whilst d faces being associated with this. He names an protecting the healthy ones. Should w esting that the e be ignoring confirmed that my action in requ this evidence? Cancer Information Centre withdraw the issue Equally after immediately was entirely appropriate and that I radiotherapy is finished there are certain prove should make our grave concerns known to you. n supplements for re-booting the immune system. Proven? Yes, in research. And with Yours sincerely great success in my daughter’s case – they worked J.C., Radiotherapy Service Manager. Radiotherapy better than the therapies St Thomas’ Hospital Department Bath; South West NHS provided. This was then followed a few days later by a curt To repeat: We are open-minded and will change email from TM at The Velindre Cancer Centre in anything where we have made an error. But our only i c o n Cardiff, saying simply ‘Cancel our copies of ’. responsibility is to Patients – not to Doctors, nor The same reason was given – the Radiotherapy Drugs companies, nor Government. Just to the centrefold. People. We take this matter very seriously. We do our And if something has risks, or if certain factors can ss homework and pride ourselves on the thoroughne reduce the risks and improve results, then we believe of our research. But we are open-minded and it is your right to know. certainly not infallible and we are prepared to correct And if Hospitals kick out i c o n because it contains any point that is inaccurate or misleading. And so something a doctor doesn’t like, then this is little replied to each, encouraging them to detail exactly more than bullying. Denying patients a magazine what was alarmist, what facts were inaccurate and to that included such items as ‘Diet Therapies that are provide us with any research or evidence showing supported by Clinical Trials’, or a Living Proof where the article was factually inaccurate. someone used Interferon, or the latest research from We have repeated that request 5 times to each, but all over the world on cancer seems totally improper receiving no replies at all. to us. Patients can go to the Internet right now and find out the alternatives to orthodoxy To show readers the lengths we go to when – better they come from a body like CANCERactive th preparing an article let me detail what we said to JC. at has conducted proper, objective analysis of the research ’ of one that originally ran The article was a ‘polishing than let patients risk believing the quacks that ver all too over 3 years ago, and has been on our web site e often frequent the net. since. It was written and checked with reference to L

All contributions and comments from readers will be most welcome. With a magazine and a website, icon really does aim to provide “Everything you need to know to help you beat cancer”. Address details on page 3. icon 12

Light at the End

Near-Death and End-of-Life experiences

by Madeleine Kingsley icon 13

Catherine was dying. Her breathing sounded like a worn out however unusual, could offer consolation to the dying and motor boat. The nurse, a fifty-something lady from New the bereaved. It also offers - if you are open to the idea – Zealand turned to me and asked, ‘Who are the three people optimism of life beyond the last breath. To Dr Peter at the end of her bed?’ Seeing no one, I asked her to Fenwick, a London neuro-psychiatrist with a special research describe them. She then described my father, his mother and interest in Near Death experience (NDE), anecdotes like her husband to a tee. Only a few days before when those above are credible, significant and similar to the Catherine’s mother came in to visit, Catherine had broken numerous unusual experiences he has logged. He says that her two-week silence to utter a single sentence: ‘I’m ready to one in 10 of us will have some such experience to tell, and go and be with Grandpa now’ those who do are not necessarily at all religious. Dr Fenwick’s interest in the NDE field was piqued by a patient he treated I do not claim to know anything of angels. I do once over three years, for a chronic anxiety state. This man remember an interviewee on breakfast television when a suffered a cardiac arrest during a heart procedure and, person who claimed to be able to see them described to unbeknown to his medical team, witnessed the whole Adrian Holmes a little Indian Gentleman who was sitting on horrific process of his touch-and-go resuscitation as part of his shoulder – his guardian angel. Then last year I gave a two- an NDE. Back on the ward, he freaked out and rushed from hour speech on the Brain and the Mind, and the scientific the hospital after the consultant visited to explain that the studies on their interconnection and the various research procedure had not gone as planned and would have to be studies that linked them both to your good health. Whilst repeated the following day… learning about Tibetan monks who could sit in the snow meditating by controlling their own body heat, I came across some electro-magnetic pictures….. of angels. Catherine had felt a very real power when she visited John of God in Brazil, ‘I felt I was going away to something confirmed by other readers who have been there. People see flashing balls of energy, and, literally, have their somewhere light and so peaceful spirits raised. So I thought it would be interesting to attempt to explore the unexplored. After all, there are no clinical trials that I wanted to stay.” on the effect of Angels in cancer therapy. Sometimes you just have to believe. So I set Madeleine Kingsley on the case.

ome weeks after surgery to remove a large, benign, brain tumour my daughter collapsed whilst taking her first walk in the country. She crumpled to the ground, Sunconscious and terrifyingly unresponsive. It soon transpired that the pressure in her brain, was sky-high where undiagnosed fluid had collected. To save her life and her sight an emergency shunt was fitted and her recovery then proceeded apace. But as Sally later recalled that episode: “I felt I was going away to somewhere light and so peaceful that I wanted to stay.” she said “But Dad looked so sad bending over me, that I had to come back.” Sally is a scientist and sceptic, a practically-minded vet, who would ordinarily dismiss anything remotely metaphysical as hocus pocus – even if it happened to herself.

There are, she would say, some sickbed stories we are moved to share, and others that we tend to guard. That’s because, traditionally, talk of near-death experience, of tunnels and light, feelings of peace and painless pleasantness, sightings of archangels and loved ones long gone, are viewed askance by the medical profession and fall on uneasy ears in the material world beyond hospital gates. Janie, a high-flying, n l987 Dr Fenwick broke silence on this previously, pretty- hard-headed PR is also cautious about relaying what much taboo topic in a TV film, Glimpse of Death, for the happened when she almost died of complications following science series QED. After the broadcast he received 2000 routine surgery. “There aren’t many people” she says “who Iletters from those who identified with the NDE would credit, or be comfortable with my experience: I don’t phenomenon. “Many of them” says Dr Fenwick were along want to be judged flaky for an event that meant a lot to me. the lines of “Thank you so much for the programme. Finally I remember being rushed down the corridor to intensive care I’ve realised I’m not mad…” 500 of the correspondents then and the houseman shouting ‘I can’t find her pulse.’ Then I completed questionnaires, from which Dr Fenwick concluded seemed to be looking down on my body from a high shelf as that “These experiences tend to occur” he says “in a male nurse worked on me, setting up drips and tubes. I extraordinary life situations, when a person is very was drawn into a field of light that grew brighter and frightened, during serious illness, when the heart stops or brighter and I remember thinking that, at last, this was the someone is caught up in an accident. These stories have their solution to my disastrous marriage. No more violence, no standard form, like the boy who goes down a tunnel into more rows…I was out of it, free! But just as I reached the heavenly light or a perfect English garden. People may whitest core of the light, I saw the children in my mind. I undergo a life review or meet a dead relative who says ‘It’s recognised with absolute clarity that I couldn’t leave them not your time yet…’ In our series, three quarters of and almost before the thought was formed, I was back on respondents were sent back to the world, whilst the the bed, in my body and looking up at the solicitous face remaining quarter could either choose, or decided for behind the mask and green gown.” themselves to return. Most who expressly decided to return reported, that like Janie, they had unfinished tasks to deal How curious that we suppress a mass of information that, with, or loved ones they would not leave behind.” icon 14

“...like the room flooding with light, a mist or some vibration...”

There’s another whole raft of experiences recorded, mainly phenomena in the world. It also raises the question about by nurses and relatives of the dying, known as end-of-life what happens when we die, in a form that for me makes a experiences. “When someone has reached a stage of cancer, huge difference. What the data shows has changed my where hospice nurses recognise that he or she will die in the model of thinking, but I’ve long given up the idea that just next week, then a whole set of phenomenon may start because I have shifted, other scientists will too.” Dr Fenwick occurring,” says Dr Fenwick. “You may have the experience however, is in the vanguard of change, having initiated a of a relative who has already died entering the room and study in two hospices where these experiences will be taught sitting in a chair by the patient. That patient may indeed still as part of regular palliative care courses: “I think it terribly be able to talk about the visitation. You sometimes get the important that nurses caring for those at the end of life and impression of late relatives who have come to take the sick also members of the general public learn about these person through the dying process. This of course is phenomena. It would change our whole society if people enormously consoling, because the message is that the understood and believed that death is not the most process is actually going to be OK, and the patient looked frightening thing.” out for throughout. Sometimes the patient can go a little way into the process with a relative and return, reporting a It’s not experiencing the phenomena that’s crazy according place of light and love.” to Dr Fenwick, but failing to studying what is going on – including such after-death experiences as clocks stopping, a ther phenomena take the form of time-of-death robin coming to the window as the person dies and for coincidences in which someone who has just passed several days thereafter, and a strong sense that the deceased away, appears to another person they have known is still in the room immediately after death, though a day or very well, breaking the news of their demise, but two later, that powerful presence disappears. Some people O even see an apparition of the person who has died returning also conveying that they are going to be fine. Dr Fenwick recalls the case of a son appearing to his mother after a to visit them at home. Researcher Julie Rhys found that some suicide by drowning: “She found it very reassuring to be told 30 per cent of bereaved spouses ‘saw’ their loved one after that she need worry about him no longer.” These visitations he or she had died. In their book on post-death have no geographical boundaries – someone dying in communication ‘Hello from Heaven’, authors Bill and Judy London may appear in Australia. But those actually sitting by Guggenheim rate the percentage of those sighting people the bedside of a fading relative report other extraordinary who are already dead at some 80 per cent. “We just don’t and unexplained occurrences – like the room flooding with talk about these things with friends on the telephone” says light, a mist, or some vibration leaving the body at the time Dr Fenwick. “But the logical significance of these findings of death. Others talk of a teardrop rising out of the body, must be that an afterlife is more than wishful thinking. suggesting to Dr Fenwick that ‘something very interesting These are not just hallucinations, because they are often happens at the time of death, with the teardrop accompanied by touch and by the particular scent of that representing love and light. You might characterise it as the person. In the next 10 years” Dr Fenwick adds, “I would like soul leaving the body.” Occasionally even a nurse will see a to see nursing staff and hospices come to understand the stranger who is not present in the flesh, slipping into the spiritual process of dying, as they now understand so much room of her terminal patient. more about the physical process. I would also like greater awareness in the community – for people to realise that It’s intriguing that these phenomena persist in our age of there is a real process to dying. I’d like courses for the dying, dwindling piety and faith, many centuries after they were and courses to raise awareness among kids that death need first reported. A late 13th century fresco by the Italian artist no longer be seen as a scary thing. If you are actually Giotto, depicts St Francis of Assisi having a deathbed vision collected by your dead loved one, then you are clearly going of angels come to bear him away. In another frame he to be Ok after leaving this world. There is no need, then, to appears to a fellow prelate elsewhere in Italy announcing his worry about annihilation, because that doesn’t seem to fit departure and being told by his monastic brother, who is the facts.” also frail, ‘Wait for me.’ r Diane Corcoran has for the past 20 years lectured “As a true scientist” says Dr Fenwick, “You look at the data, on the implications of Near Death Experience in and though it has not made me more religious in the patient care and the management of grief and churchgoing sense, it certainly enhances one’s awareness of Dbereavement. A health care consultant and former icon 15

understand it clinically or psychologically. As a brand new nurse, however, I was at least smart enough to listen and thereafter I tried to listen harder for other patients with such stories to tell.”

ver the years what she heard, transformed Dr Corcoran’s practice of caring for people, helping them to die and their families to embrace what Owas happening, “so that they could assist the transition rather than holding the person back.” But somehow Dr Corcoran managed to combine an understanding of this very spiritual transitional experience, with her career in the very rigid and structured military. “There must have been people, especially in the early years, who thought I was out of my mind, but I just refused to let the subject go. As time passed and I became more senior, it became more believable to others because I was speaking as a nurse with a PhD from a very normal, grounded field and management experience. I recently lectured to nurses, doctors and social workers in a military hospital. The resident psychologist approached me to ask why she had never heard US military nurse, who rose to Chief Administration in about these phenomena before. She felt that her lack of Frankfurt Army Medical Centre during Operation Desert knowledge and inability to work with this area, was criminal. Storm, Dr Corcoran is also President Emeritus of The You can only drop the seed” adds Dr Corcoran, “so that International Association of Near Death Studies. Like Dr physician and nursing colleagues begin to think more about Fenwick, she too has concluded that the “nothingness” that how they might talk to people who are dying – an area that renders thoughts of death so frightening is an improbable has been for far too long a closed-door syndrome in clinical prospect. Not that she was immediately convinced: “I wasn’t practice. It’s also essential that people reporting what they inclined to believe the first story of NDE I ever heard. Back have experienced are not wrongly categorised as having a in l969, when I was in Vietnam, I was very scientific and mental health problem. I believe in the reality of what they logical, so that was my frame of reference. I had no name say, that these near death experiencers have had an for the experience described to me by a young solder who exceptional spiritual experience that we can’t measure. We had suffered amputation following a blast injury. I had no must put in place the support systems to reassure people clue what to say when he chronicled this profound mystery, that it’s ok to talk about what they’ve sensed, seen and the happiness and awe that suffused him. I didn’t heard, so that they won’t shut down, but can grow in icon 16

stand, dying of cancer, or AIDS so desperate and without hope because they have been told that there is nothing more conventional medicine can do for them. I am not against orthodox medicine – quite the contrary – but I think it’s so sad and so dishonourable that a person should have to feel that way, because doctors have run out of options for the body. If you treat someone holistically, if you treat the mind – even if only to relieve a tiny part of the stress, or if you try to formulate a path whereby the person can organise their spirit before they die, you can at least give “She turned and ran from the light, them back a wee bit more power.” Having worked a good deal with doctors, Margaret is was aware of falling and the next familiar with their scepticism, and their strict adherence to the physical-only pathway. “They will regularly say ‘Well can minute looking up from her bed into you show me a meridian? Or they will ask ‘If I did an autopsy would I see a chakra?’ In their misconception of what energy a sea of anxious faces.” vortexes and energy pathways are, many doctors construe humans as just literally blood and flesh, with no mind or spirituality about us. They see us as two-dimensional, whereas for me, the physical is just a tiny part.” understanding and make what’s occurred part of their life. These experiences can change people at a profound, spiritual argaret’s great forte is energy work, and healing. level that can be difficult not only for them, but those She practises therapeutic touch both here and in closest to them – one mother, for instance, observed in the Swiss school and clinic of her colleague bewilderment that her little boy had been six before the Hannes Jacob. She has a great sensitivity for NDE and woken up seeming 36. A sergeant approached me, M picking up what she calls ‘dross energy’ or blocks for the very distressed because, quite typically, he thought he was soul. As a teacher of mediumship too, she is uniquely placed going crazy, as after his NDE life in the military no longer to make meaning of the experiences brought to her seemed feasible. He had lost all sense of the macho and was Yorkshire consulting room, these past three decades. “I’m no desperate to talk. A very wealthy businessman, a household longer a Catholic” she says gently “but I am very spiritual, name, in fact, was so altered by his NDE that he – also quite and I do believe that there is life after death: I had a very typically – lost his interest in money and the stock market. good friend, a Jewish lady, very intelligent but totally He wanted to be by the beach and write. This shift of without faith in any after life. When she was in her eighties, priorities was extremely hard for his wife and family to take and dying I said to her ‘Bertha, if, when you pop your clogs, on board. Like so many people whose stories we hear, this you find there is something over there, you have got to man had walked away from his hospital bed with a different come back and tell me.’ Two years ago, she did, whilst I was take on life.” sitting for a medium friend of mine. Bertha was just cracking her sides, because for her, this was so unexpected. She The myriad of ND accounts that Dr Corcoran has heard explained to me that energy over there was not as it is in include a sense of nurturing womb-like darkness, of angels, or this life, but more an energy of the intelligence, a freedom angel-like figures, the colour purple, of light, landscape and of intellect and the mind. And for me, that totally above all dead loved ones. She is particularly impressed by the corresponded with my view. Why should we live on in testimony of children, who have described seeing people they another mirror image of this world? From the information could not possible identify as relatives. One small, American, she, and others, have brought, I am sure wherever we are boy, recovering from grave illness said that he had seen a man going is much better. And it was very relevant that she who was married to Sarah, and lived in England where his disclosed recent information about me personally that house had burned down. He had lots of detail, but no prior nobody would have known. That, for me, was evidence of knowledge of this branch of his family, which his mother life after death.” subsequently checked out. She worked out that without doubt the child had encountered his great-grandfather. “This So in times of great need or distress, when in pain or in kind of fact-tally is not evidence in the pure scientific process of dying, can people from this world put one foot in manner.” reflects Dr Corcoran, “There’s no real methodology the world beyond? Margaret believes so. “My to it, and yet, there’s a truth about it that that leaves you understanding is that when we die, the emotional (or feeling you had better pay sit up and pay attention.” etheric) body, slips away first into a twilight space, where it’s like a non-world. As a psychologist I believe this can also erhaps the medical world is starting to pay heed: last happen to people who are healthy enough of body, but are year’s US Near Death Studies conference was held, not very stressed and so not healthy in the mind. So I think we in some small town hall, but in the world-renowned have this side of us that is actually moveable – the non- PMD Anderson Cancer Hospital, well attended by tangible mind which (as opposed to the physical brain) can doctors, nurses, researchers and clergy. Here in England not actually be destroyed and persists after death. I believe Margaret diPetro, a therapist of 30 years standing, a this side, which is picked up in mediumship is not Auntie qualified psychotherapist and a Reiki Master is passionate Mabel or Uncle Fred as such, but an essence of mind that about engaging the medical profession in the recalls being Auntie and Uncle and comes forward. My complementary support work to which she’s given her whole thought is that we are omnipresent and that we have many working life. “My dream of leaving a footprint on this capacities like the wheel of life. As in this world we are earth” she says “would be to take what I do into hospitals so made up of many different parts – somebody’s lover, that the mind and spirit would receive support along with somebody’s mother, somebody’s sister - so in a completely the body. If you go east, it’s just automatic to be offered different, but spiritual way, our soul, and who we are is both conventional and complementary hospital treatment. made up of many different essences.” But here, many people have come to me as a last ditch Margaret’s friend Bertha ‘survived’ death, despite her icon 17 unbelief. But Margaret intriguingly speculates that some that this was her dying. As she continued into the brightest people, who have had imprinted from infancy, that once we epicentre, she suddenly heard her brother shouting her die we are but dust, could be limited by these barriers of the name. He was bi-polar and she often took the role of his mind. “Your spirit won’t necessarily become Einstein, just carer. She turned and ran from the light, was aware of because you’ve popped your clogs. It seems to me that it will falling and the next minute looking up from her bed into a still be in the same state of understanding, so it may be that sea of anxious faces. an afterlife is not for everyone in that sense – though it is possible that even in that state something may prompt the lthough she seemed physically to recover this spirit to evolve.” woman was left depressed by her experience, by a sense of alienation and inability to focus on her Margaret is used to being sought out by people who have very high-key teaching job. “The first time I saw had unexplained spiritual experiences through trauma or A her” Margaret recalls “I had the sense of half of her hanging near death. “Quite a few come to me because their stories out, because her aura, instead of being nice and bright and have been pooh-poohed by doctors and loved ones. They close to her, had a lump like a lava lamp hanging out to the come for reassurance that they are normal, and seeking side. I explained to her that, from what she was telling me, a some insight. ”One particular woman came following a very part of her was not quite back where it needed to be, as a serious car crash in which her Mercedes crumpled against a result of the shock sustained. I then did something unusual stone wall. It took hours for the fire Brigade to cut her free, and quite controversial with her energy field. The woman during which time she screamed to the Archangel Michael immediately afterwards, but when she recovered enough to for aid. She heard the ambulance crew agreeing that it was sip a glass of water said “I can’t believe the difference now. too late, that she was gone. They took her to hospital and It’s almost as if I was in the middle of two places, with a left her on a gurney in a side room, before taking her to the foot in neither.” This woman, previously so scientific and morgue because it was so busy. Although she couldn’t open rational in her thinking then found a completely new her eyes, this woman was aware of nurses coming and perspective in her life. She took Reiki up to master degree going, of much clattering and noise. Eventually with extreme and now lives in America. She could relate better to her effort, she was able to flicker her eyelids, and luckily a very brother who had attempted suicide many times and make observant nurse whisked her into the emergency room. Here her peace with his eventual death, because of how she now she recalled feeling up on the ceiling watching her body understood her life.” being pummelled as the nurse who had found her urged the crew “Come on! Let’s do it for her.” She remembers Can we look forward to the opening of brand new hospital panicking that they wouldn’t succeed, and then falling out units dedicated to post NDE counselling and spiritual of her body into a magnetic, warming light. As she walked medicine? Margaret diPetro believes that there is currently into its vortex she could see shadowy people around her, but a great void of care in this field, but that the benefits of although she called to them, they just walked past. She very nurturing the human spirit and all its mystery would, much wanted to be in the light, though it dawned on her indeed, be huge. icon 18 WOMB CANCER

A short summary of the cancer that has risen by a third in the last 10 years.

CANCER OF THE WOMB

The Womb For older women, increased risk has been linked to

The womb is the organ of foetal care. It is a muscular organ G use of synthetic hormones in HRT, especially for more than with a lining called the endometruim. It is this lining that is 5 years shed monthly with periods. The vagina leads upwards to the G use of tamoxifen cervix, the lower part of the womb. G being overweight Cancers of the vagina and cervix are covered on our website. In the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and This review just covers cancer that originates in the lining of Nutrition (EPIC) 2007, obesity, abdominal fat and adult the womb – Endometrial, or womb, cancer. weight gain were shown to have a strong link to endometrial cancer. Risk more than doubles where a The cancer and its Causes woman has gained more than 44 pounds since the age of This cancer, which affects almost 6500 women in the UK each 20. Women with a waist of over 34 inches have double the year is growing rapidly. It is now the fourth most common risk of women with a waist less than 31 inches. CRUK have female cancer after breast, colon, and lung cancers. The stated that they believe this is due to higher oestrogen incidence amongst women 60-79 years of age has risen by 35 levels. per cent in less than a decade. 90 per cent of all cases occur in women over 50 years of age, and 75 per cent in women And there does seem to be a lot of circumstantial evidence who have been through the menopause. However, there is a pointing a finger at oestrogen, including the synthetic genetic factor involved in some instances and in this case the version. Other risk factors seem to include never having been cancer can strike at any age. pregnant, starting periods at a very young age, irregular ovulation and taking synthetic oestrogen in HRT. Early diagnosis is important but also very common, since vaginal bleeding in post-menopausal women is an early sign. Then there is research by O. LAVIE, O. BARNETT-GRINESS, S.A. Overall 5-year survival rates are 77 per cent – but they have NAROD, G. RENNERT in a paper entitled ‘The risk of improved by just 16 per cent in the last 30 years. If the cancer developing uterine sarcoma after tamoxifen use’. is diagnosed late, the 5-year survival figure falls to 25 per (International Journal of Gynecological Cancer (OnlineEarly cent (CRUK – icon 1; 2006) Articles):doi:10.1111/j.1525-1438.2007.01025.). The researchers studied the history of Breast cancer patients, and WOMB CANCER icon 19

the disease; it balances oestrogen levels in younger women but is virtually non-existent after the menopause.

There are many other ways of balancing or reducing oestrogen levels. For example:

G ensuring adequate melatonin levels G cutting oestrogen mimics/xenoestrogens (in household products, toiletries, pesticides). You might like to read our article ‘As Safe as Houses’ on our web site.

Above all, patients are recommended to read our short book “Oestrogen – the killer in our midst”, which details various ways of reducing or balancing this dangerous hormone in full.

Endometrial cancer is itself slow growing and takes a number of years to develop. Symptoms The most common symptoms are:

G Abnormal bleeding – for example between periods, or especially post-menopause after periods have ceased. G Pain in lower abdomen. G Vaginal discharge. Diagnosis A thin tube with a light at the end, called a hysteroscope, may be inserted up the vagina. The doctor may at the same time take some samples of cells (this is called a biopsy). No anesthetic is needed.

An Ultrasound, (rather as with a pregnancy), can be useful – a metal rod connected to a TV screen emits radio waves into the womb area and depending upon their absorption or reflection, a simple picture is formed. This is an external test and is painless. Stage and Grade followed whether they had used Tamoxifen or not. They then compared the 875 women who had used Tamoxifen Stage measures the ‘spread’ of the cancer; grade measures with those who had not. In conclusion they stated, ‘There the aggressivity. were 17 uterine cancers observed among the 875 exposed to tamoxifen compared to 4 uterine cancers Stage 1 – means that the cancer is confirmed to the lining among the 621 women who did not use tamoxifen. and the muscle wall. There were four uterine sarcomas among the tamoxifen users, but none among nonusers. Five of Stage 2 – means it has spread to the cervix. the 875 tamoxifen users died of uterine cancer, compared to no deaths among nonusers. We conclude Stage 3 – means it has spread into the ovaries or abdomen. It may have spread to adjacent lymph nodes.

NORMAL CERVIX LOW GRADE CANCER HIGH GRADE CANCER FULLY DEVELOPED CANCER that in this national breast cancer cohort, tamoxifen use was associated with elevated risks of uterine Stage 4 – Means it has spread to other parts of the body like cancer incidence and mortality. Uterine sarcomas the bowel, brain, bones or lungs. appear to be overrepresented among women who use tamoxifen.’ Treatment Encouragingly, most womb cancers are discovered early and Natural progesterone has proven to be a significant aid with surgery (a hysterectomy to remove the womb, or one that icon 20 WOMB CANCER The female reproductive system FALLOPIAN TUBE EGG LIGAMENTS

UTERUS (womb)

OVARY ENDOMETRIUM (lining of the uterus) VAGINA CERVIX (neck of the uterus)

LABIA (inner and outer lips) also removes fallopian tubes and ovaries as well) is very anyone about to take a drug to ‘Google Search’ it on the effective. Lymph nodes may also be removed at the same internet and find out all about it. time. This is however a major operation but it seems to be successful in most cases. You might want to look into Diet therapies – on our web site you will find all the details about the famous Gerson Radiotherapy may be used to kill off any remaining cancer Therapy, or Dr Gonzalez in New York, who has clinical trials cells, but there is a realistic fear of long-term damage from to support his diet and supplement therapy. the beam on adjacent organs especially the bladder or bowel. Readers might like to read our article entitled ‘20 You might simply want to look at diet to support your things you should know about Radiotherapy’. It too is orthodox treatments – we have that too. Our book, ‘The on our web site. Tree of life – the anti-cancer Diet’ gives you lots of information, even a shopping trolley of foods to buy! We Radiotherapy may also be used to shrink the tumour prior to even have articles on our web site covering which herbs are surgery. known to make a difference.

Radiotherapy is commonly ‘internal radiotherapy’ or You might want to look for the best supplements to take - brachytherapy, although more normal external not merely the everyday antioxidants but natural compounds radiotherapy is also used. In internal radiotherapy an supported in research as anti-cancer ‘helpers’ like vitamin D, applicator (a metal rod with radioactivity) is inserted much Fish oils, total vitamin E, curcumin and probiotics as a tampon would be. (beneficial bacteria). There are even clinical trials recorded. And buying them is easy. We’ve done all the hard work for The text books say that this method gives a high dose of you. Our Products of choice is a list of the products we have radiotherapy to the local cancer cells, but negligible amounts tested ourselves: the best of the best. So you can buy with to the organs further away. However, those same books and confidence. leaflets talk about risks to visitors – and how children are not even allowed in the same room on occasions! You may want to look at how daily light exercise can help (US research says it cuts mortality in certain cancers by up to Ask. And obtain the full details to the point where you are 50 per cent). Then there are clinical trials on meditation. You happy that you fully understand the benefits and risks. can access our ‘kiddies guide’ to everything from massage to yoga (www.canceractive.com/page.php?n=1550). In the USA synthetic progestin is often used as ‘Hormone Therapy Treatment’. It may have side effects but does help Then there are energy therapies – like acupuncture. People significantly. with cancer always have an imbalance in their body energy. It is relatively easy to fix and get it working for you again. We would counsel readers to look into Natural Progesterone Therapy, which can be equally effective with Finally you might want to try Hands on Healing, or even fewer side effects. Readers might like to consult the body pay a visit to John of God. He’s free – you just have to get progesterone-link. to Brazil. He doesn’t cure people, ‘God does’. We do know people who went who were very impressed. Chemotherapy may be used where there is spread. The most common drugs are carboplatin, mitomycin, cisplatin, All this and more can be found on our unique web site. chloroambucil, vinblastine and methotrexate. We have a CANCERactive is, after all, the UK’s number 1 charity for simple guide to these drugs on our web site but encourage integrative therapies. QUESTIONS & ANSWERS icon 21

Someone has told me that there is a cyberknife treatment which can treat lung Ask nurse Patricia Q cancers, I can’t find any information about it apart from for brain tumours, am I misinformed?

No you are not misinformed, cyberknife is a treatment also known as radiosurgery. It is very similar to gamma knife which has been used for A years for treating brain tumours. Cyberknife is a development on form that, it is a method of using radiotherapy like a scalpel with great precision and without the need to make an incision.

It was successful with brain tumours because you can keep the head very still by, without putting too fine a point to it, bolting it to the table so there is no movement. Obviously this method could not be transferred to the rest of the body because there is tremendous movement inside the body even though we are not aware of it. Apart from the obvious movement of the lungs going up and down the stomach, bowel etc are all in fairly constant motion, making precision impossible.

The difference now is really computer development, they Patricia Peat is a registered nurse. Following years of have computer programmes that experience in oncology, combined with research into Tracks, detects and corrects for tumour and patient natural approaches to cancer she now runs Cancer Options. movement in real time throughout the treatment. The Cancer Options is a specialised team of practitioners who computer adjusts eight times per second to ensure the provide individual consultancy and coaching into treatment radiotherapy beam hits directly on exactly where is should and making decisions for all approaches to cancer. without damaging normal tissue. Also compared to standard radiotherapy it is a much smaller dose so can be Details of their services are available on: used more than once. It is also surprisingly pain free, www.canceroptions.co.uk or by calling 0845 009 2041 requires no anaesthetic and is frequently done as a day case. In relation to lung cancer, which as we know surgery is often not feasible, and recent research has shown there What I personally do at the moment is; I live in an area is debatable gain from it, it is changing things where they put fluoride in the water, if I poured a glass of tremendously. Many primary lung tumours that have not water and put it to my lips the smell of chemicals is metastasised are being cured, which is a remarkable overpowering, I can tell on which day the chemicals are achievement, obviously the picture changes if it has added (2 days per week) because the concentration is metastasised as you need to deal with things systemically. powerful.

With tumours in other parts of the body, it is making Even if I chose to drink a glass full of chemicals, the smell treatment possible where surgery is not. We have had and taste would prevent me from doing so, and I am several incidences where people were told treatment was certainly not allowing my young son anywhere near it. I not an option and they achieved a great deal with this currently have a double carbon filter put in when we treatment. moved in, not what we wanted but what we could afford, The not so good news is that it is only currently available obviously by the standard of water it is not doing the job privately in Europe and America, there is a service opening so we only drink bottled water (stored in the dark and soon in London, but it will be some time before it is away from chemicals). available on the NHS. I was going to have a double osmosis filter put in, but our research indicates they they take too much out of the What is the safest source of water to drink, water and leave it dead, better than tap but lacking the does it affect health and what do you use? beneficial elements of water. I am now saving up for a Q water ionizer which does a much better job of filtrating That is a good question; there are lots of conjecture the water and alkalising it at the same time, which is pretty on water supplies and lots of contradicting important as far as I am concerned. At the moment they evidence about different sources for water. For each are around £700, but double osmosis filters were very source there are pros and cons in the arguments expensive until they became popular so I am waiting for A from them all being full of chemicals to the most the price to drop over the next year or so which I am sure pure water you can drink, as yet nobody has done they will do. I recently came across a company that rents, definitive research so we have to make our way through and then gives you back 70 – 80% of the price when you the information as best we can. There is no way I can buy a brand new unit, but the total cost was a bit more personally believe that our tap water source is as safe as expensive, however, a useful way of getting a good water we are told. supply in the shorter term.

Patricia Peat can be contacted on 01623 438733 www.canceroptions.co.uk, or write to her at Ask Nurse Patricia, icon, The Elms, Radclive Road, Gawcott, Buckingham, MK18 4JB or Email her on [email protected] icon 22 PROSTATE CANCER Introduction The lifetime risk may be one in thirteen PROSTATE CANCER for men (7-8 per cent), but if you reach 50 years of age your chances of being diagnosed with prostate cancer are 40 per cent. 95 per cent of the cancers are The Growing Menace in men over 60.

Prostate cancer, or adenocarcinoma as it BLADDER is called in most cases, is now the most common male cancer in the UK. At its current rate of growth it will overtake all lung cancer cases and breast cancer NORMAL PROSTATE cases within 15 years. Despite this, its causes are still rarely acknowledged, its treatment currently imperfect and research into it massively under-funded.

The UK ‘official’ charities seem equally confused – one prostate helpline, when we called them, said the reason for the rapid growth in the number of cases is 'better diagnosis'!!! Nothing could be further from the truth. Diagnosis The whole area is fraught with mis- diagnosis. The PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test is notoriously unreliable - indeed at the 2003 Cancer Support Groups’ UK Conference, Professor Julian Peto of Oxford and Cancer Research said 90 per cent of younger doctors wouldn't have one themselves as it wasn't worth it. Professor Thomas Stanley of Stanford University Medical School has gone so far as to dub the test ‘Useless’ adding, ‘The PSA era is over; it indicates nothing more than the size of the prostate.’ would have ‘officially’ been deemed to What Is the Prostate? Critics add that even after a high PSA have had prostate cancer – but none of reading and a biopsy which indicates them even knew!! The prostate is a gland situated cancer, there is still no real indication between the pubic bone and the whether the cancer is fast or slow The conclusion is that too many people rectum and around the urethra, the growing. rush, or are rushed, into operations. tube passing from the bladder to the penis. Its function is connected with the The fact is that few prostate cancers are Is it all in the genes? whole urine and reproductive system. fast growing (possibly around 5 per The tubes of the reproductive system cent of total) but these can appear in Until recently several genes had been through which the sperm pass, meet quite young men. ‘The great majority identified (including BRCA 1 and BRCA the urethra in the prostate. The are slow growing and may be left for 2) which were linked to increased risk, prostate gland contracts at orgasm to ten years or more’. So says the US and sometimes prostate cancer was fire out the sperm. In a boy, the gland National Cancer Institute. The Royal 'seen to run in families'. The incidence is the size of a pea, growing at puberty Marsden has now plumped for ‘Active occurs, however, in less than 8 per cent to the size of a small to medium plum. Surveillance’ saying that at least 50 per of men and anyway there is much you However, in the Western world it seems cent of cases did not need any other can do to protect yourself. Then icon to grow again in men in their late form of action. In an analysis of 20 covered research that showed some forties and here lies the problem. years of data from the Connecticut genes seemed more at risk from Cancer Registry, USA, researchers found chemical exposure, and this linked to Many, many men in the Western World that men with a low-grade prostate increased prostate risk. Now, according have an enlarged prostate. Mostly cancer (Gleason grade 2-4) had a small to Nature Genetics 10 Feb 2008, usually it is benign, but in some cases it risk of cancer progression, even after 20 scientists have turned up seven new does become malignant. Even then years. 20 years on, the risk of death was genome sites linked to risk - one they there may be no further distress for ten only 6 per 1000 deaths. say is a potential target for new or more years. treatments, another for screening. We Finally there was a research study in Los shall see. The symptoms of either form are very Angeles amongst about a thousand much the same and are principally the men over 50 who had died in car Let’s go back to basics: symptoms of the enlargement. accidents – over 40 per cent of them PROSTATE CANCER icon 23

that would negate this conclusion. Do not rush into surgery and, if relying on PSA readings, take one a fortnight for Everything you need to know three months before planning action. But there's another problem. Even if the tumour is cancerous, to date there to help you beat prostate cancer is no way of telling how aggressive the growth will be. The problem is that some men with small, yet rapidly BLADDER growing cancers have not been spotted ENLARGEMENT CAUSES in time. Others with enlarged and DIFFICULTY IN PASSING malignant prostates may have had URINE them operated on unnecessarily. New ENLARGED PROSTATE tests, reported in September 2003 icon, attempt to measure the levels in the blood of an enzyme only produced in cancer cells. But we seem to be quite a way off their use amongst the general male population.

3. Biopsy: If the PSA test proves positive, the specialist may recommend a biopsy to confirm the cancer. This may be done at the same time as an Ultrasound scan (where a tube is passed up your rectum in an attempt to ‘see’ (via an ultrasound image of your prostate) what exactly is going on. This doesn’t always ‘work’ either! In a normal biopsy, tissue is taken from ten or more places in the prostate using a fine needle. Beware; and ask for evidence of the risks. It leaves many patients in pain for quite a long period, can result in infection (since the needle passes through the rectum which is full of nasty bacteria) and even incontinence and impotency. And that's just from the biopsy! Worse, there was an article in the Lancet (the famed British Doctors' Journal) suggesting that What Are the Symptoms? 1. Digital Rectal Examination: Firstly, prostate biopsies might even spread the your doctor can simply feel if you have disease! The UK charity "The Prostate Cancer an enlarged prostate (a Digital Rectal Charity" defines them as: Examination). The straight fact is in about a fifth of 2. PSA test: If he finds such an cases even the biopsy may prove G Difficulty or pain when passing urine. enlargement he will probably send you unclear, promoting your doctor to want G The need to pass urine more often. for a PSA test. This measures a specific to do more PSA tests and even another G Broken sleep due to the need to pass protein in a man's blood, the level of biopsy. urine. which was originally thought to G Waiting for long periods before the correlate with prostate cancer. This test 4. A scan: If the specialist feels that the urine flows. has been found to be flawed. In one cancer may have spread, he may also G The feeling that the bladder has not research study factors found in the suggest: completely emptied. blood due to high dairy consumption increased PSA levels. Vigorous exercise, G A Bone Scan – if your doctor is Almost all of these symptoms are or even riding a bicycle to the doctor’s worried about ‘spread’, he may shared with the non-malignant prostate surgery, can also increase PSA levels. suggest a ‘bone scan’ – which will growth form (termed Benign Prostatic either be a normal X-ray, or involve Hyperplasia). Indeed, the test does not seem able to using a radioactive isotope injection fully distinguish between enlarged and an X-ray of your whole body. With prostate cancer you may also malignant prostates and non-malignant Orthodox medical professionals insist suffer from blood in the urine, and/or ones. One USA report concluded that as there are no side-effects from this lower back pain and/or dribbling. Be many as two thirds of those testing radioactivity aware that many of the above positive, probably are not! symptoms can be caused by other G A CT scan – where a number of X- factors e.g. bacterial infection. Sloan-Kettering in the USA recently rays are taken to build up a 3D conducted research on men, (average computer picture of whole areas of So what is the Diagnostic age 62), whose PSA levels were high the body. You will be given an enough to warrant an immediate injection and your doctor should procedure? operation, and concluded that 50 per discuss allergies, asthma and iodine cent had PSA readings a month later concerns with you before hand. (NB: icon 24 PROSTATE CANCER

Too many CT scans should be avoided Stage 1 is where the tumour is level of risk of prostate. The study where possible. Research from confined, and probably cannot be felt showed a straight line correlation. High Columbia University (icon Vol 3 Issue using a Digital Rectal Examination dairy consumption increased risk by 50 4) calculated that the radiation per cent. produced from an annual CT scan Stage 2 – it is still confined, but is large risks a 1 in 50 chance of death. ‘The enough to be felt and shows up on Another report suggested the herpes risks of a full body scan are ultrasound virus (the version that causes cold sores) reasonably well quantified’ says Dr might play a part. There is also a David Brenner) Stage 3 and 4 – it has spread, general view that too much red meat probably to local lymph nodes first, consumption doesn't help either. G An MRI scan - similar to a CT scan, then the nearby bones, then on to this uses magnetism rather than X- other organs. The major charities will tell you that rays. You may be given an injection there is no definite evidence that of a dye. No metal objects (necklaces, The Grade tells you how fast this is anything causes prostate cancer, pacemakers, metal plates from growing – how aggressive is the cancer. although Western diet seems the most former operations) are allowed. This is done using a 10-point scale likely culprit. However, some will point called the Gleason System. 6-7 is the finger at testosterone the male 5. Cystoscopy: This involves (don’t roughly the ‘norm’; scores below it are hormone. wince) a flexible tube with a light and slow growing, scores above it are camera on the end being pushed up aggressive. But the ‘scoring’ is done This is just not true. your penis, and right up into the after looking at the cells under a bladder. microscope – which is rather like asking In early 2003, a number of major how fast a race horse will be when it is research studies from Singapore Cancer After all this, there is a reasonable still in the womb. Centre, and both Concord and Monash chance that your doctor may be able to tell you whether you have cancer or not. If you do have cancer he will try to assign a grade and a stage.

You can, of course, ask for second opinions – and you can even go outside ‘the system’. A good homeopath with a VEGA machine should be able to tell you whether or not you have a cancer; a Kirlian photograph should do the same (some Homeopaths and Naturopaths can do one of these), and Iridology ought to be able to spot a problem if the therapist is good.

NB. In some cases where (malignant or not) an enlarged prostate is causing constriction on your tubing and thus discomfort, a rigid cystoscope can be Metastasis is ‘Doctorspeak’ for the word Cancer Centres in Australia produced pushed up the penis and a scraping ‘spread’. You can go to our article on the conclusions that: form of surgery on the innermost cells the web (yes, it’s a bit tongue in cheek) a) Localised oestrogen (the 'female' of the prostate can be performed to called Doctorspeak, which we hormone) caused a swelling of the widen the urethra. produced after research reports said prostate in men. that most patients frequently did not b) Anti-oestrogens like Finasteride and It's a Mess! understand their doctor. It gives you IC1 could reduce this swelling.* the simple English translations! c) That to develop prostate cancer, a Well, yes – it’s certainly not perfect. man needed both testosterone and Many people may only have non- What Causes localised oestrogen present. malignant but enlarged prostates, whilst others may have very slow growing Prostate cancer? * N.B. In one study (Cancer, Feb 28th cancers, which could continue for ten or Prostate cancer does run in families. 2005) Finasteride reduced the fifteen years before any treatment is occurrence of prostate cancer by 24.8 really needed. And a very few people Men who have a father or brother with the disease have a five to twenty fold per cent – it can cut localised oestrogen have a fast growing cancer that doctors levels and reduce the size of the will find hard to check. There is a increased risk, depending upon which study you read. prostate as well. In a very few cases, serious need to fund prostate cancer these anti-oestrogens actually provoke properly and sort this out, because the a very rapidly growing prostate cancer. treatment (and even the diagnosis) of Men in the Far East (Japan, Thailand, South East Asia) have the lowest The research concluded that the prostate cancer is something no man benefits outweighed the risks. wants to go through unless it is incidence, but this changes if they move essential. But more of that later. to the West. Black people living in Western capital cities have a higher High testosterone does not ‘cause’ incidence than whites or Asians. prostate cancer. The fact is that, sadly, Stage and Grade men over the age of 50 make less testosterone, and if high testosterone The Stage tells you how far the cancer There was a research study from the were to blame, then every red blooded, has progressed to date. Hence: Karolinska Institute in Sweden linking the volume of dairy consumption to the 18-year old male in the world would be PROSTATE CANCER icon 25 running around with prostate cancer! Given a choice, I'd rather have the which reduce harmful fat production It’s a daft theory, but one that prevails. weaker phyto-oestrogens blocking my (like chlorestrol) In August 2003 Dr Thomson of Houston, receptor sites, and thus the action of G can actually chelate to (bind to) heavy Texas produced his research results and oestradiol. metals and help excrete them explained to the world what was really G can actually neutralise and eliminate happening. He concluded that localised Phyto-oestrogens are found in plants - harmful chemicals like oestrogen and oestrogen turned nice, safe in particular pulses like beans, peas, nitrosamines testosterone into something quite nasty lentils, soy, and red kidney beans, called DHT, which was actually the chickpeas etc. Eastern diets are full of There are over 800 strains of bacteria in driving force for prostate cancer. these foods our Western diets have the gut – about 400 have been forgotten. Indeed, Eastern women can identified and a dozen or so seem, Is this such a surprise? Not at all. Several have 1000 times the protective phyto- according to the research so far, to have centres in the world, for example the oestrogen levels of their Western the greatest impact on our health. 60 Althone Institute of Technology in equivalents. or more years ago we would consume Ireland, have long told us that daily supplies of a number of strains – chemicals from plastics, toiletries and Men also increase their oestrogen in a but we no longer live on farms nor pesticides could mimic the action of number of ways. As we age so our drink raw milk and, instead, we oestrogen and greatly affect the male testosterone levels decline and our chlorinate our water, fill our chickens reproductive system. Research carried in oestrogen levels grow. Animal fat is a with antibiotics, irradiate our food and icon showed that some men carry wonderful solvent and will dissolve and pasteurise everything. Worse we take genes which are particularly influenced hold the animal’s own hormones plus a drugs, antibiotics and anesthetics which by xeno-oestrogens (the chemicals that number of toxins (for example, deplete our stores further. once inside your body mimic the action chemicals from pesticides and of the hormone oestrogen). herbicides). Some chemicals upon There is another school of thought that entering our blood streams will act like explains that these Beneficial Bacteria oestrogen – these chemicals are called at night feed off the yeasts, microbes Xeno-oestrogens or oestrogen mimics. and non-beneficial bacteria we They are formed from chemicals in accidentally consumed during the day. some pesticides (DDT and Lindane, Yeast infection is now endemic. It is being two) or from certain plasticisers estimated that 70 per cent of the in plastic bottles, from certain chemicals population has excess yeasts – signs in (BPA) in the white lining of cans and men include bloating after meals, even from some perfume and perfumed yellow toe nails and athletes foot. Try products (soaps, after shave, reading Can Candida cause cancer? deodorants etc). We really do on our web site. Consider this quote: recommend all men read 'Oestrogen - “Cancer patients undergoing the killer in our midst', as it looks at the chemotherapy did not ultimately causes of certain cancers in more detail succumb to cancer, but to an infestation and clearly tells you what you can do of Candida albicans”. That comes from about removing unwanted oestrogen the 1993 Spring edition of the from your lives. It's only a 2 hour read prestigious US medical journal and well worth it. Contemporary Oncology. Topping up with probiotics (strains of beneficial The Oestrogen Factor Being overweight doesn't help, since bacteria shown in clinical trials to fat stores these chemicals and excess deliver a benefit) and following a Oestrogen is known to fuel the fire of a hormones we should be excreting, and prebiotic based diet – lots of whole number of cancers – in both females also fat metabolism produces steroids foods and whole grains – with no sugar, and males. For example, Professor and thus oestrogen. Fat males can dairy or alcohol and certain yeast killers Wang and his team at Columbia actually have higher oestrogen pools in will help defeat the Candida albicans. University showed in November 2004 their bodies than their thin post- It’s all in the article. The recent finding that stomach cancer could result from menopausal wives. Weight gain has that women who take more than 25 stem cells which, instead of converting been linked to increased cancer risk in a lots of antibiotics in their lifetimes have to new stomach lining cells, stayed as number of major studies. twice the risk of breast cancer, is just stem cells under the influence of one more factor pointing the finger at localised oestrogen, growing rapidly yeast infection and a lack of enough and uncontrollably to become a cancer. Beneficial Bacteria beneficial bacteria in the body. Recently there has been an enormous Oestrogen is not a single hormone, but flury of research on the role of a family of hormones. Oestradiol is the beneficial bacteria in our bodies. You How Can I Protect Myself? most aggressive form; oestrone is its really should read our article on the Professor Howell, of Christie much weaker sister (about 40 times subject, and the links to cancer. Over Manchester and one of our Patrons, at weaker). Plant ostrogens (phyto- 4000 research studies and 100 clinical our Cancer Prevention Conference told oestrogens) are about 40 times weaker trials have shown that Beneficial the audience all about the new drugs still. All have the ability to bind to Bacteria in the gut: designed to prevent the return of your receptor sites on prostate cells, but cancer. Well, good diet, exercise, mental oestradiol can then cause havoc inside G stimulate and strengthen the immune therapies and much more are available the cell, reducing oxygen levels, system for you to start as soon as you wish – all reducing potassium and magnesium G help produce certain cancer fighting with the very same aim: Preventing this levels and reducing energy production, vitamins like B-12, folic acid and cancer returning. And they can be whilst increasing unwanted sodium salts vitamin K extremely successful. So we do not and the internal pH. G help produce short chain fatty acids differentiate between preventing the CONTINUED ON PAGE 32 We asked a number of people from different areas of the cancer ‘community’ to tell us what they had particularly learned in the last 5 years. Here Professor Mike Richards, the UK Cancer Tsar, Dr Rosy Daniel, Integrative Practitioner and former head of the Bristol Cancer Centre, Dr Philippa Darbre from the School of Biological Sciences at Reading, and our own Chris Woollams give you their views.

For me, two highlights of the last five vast experience and vision for the future, years have been the reduction in cancer to this work. waiting times - which has brought real benefits to patients reducing anxiety e are very fortunate to have and delays – and the introduction of the such strong partners working bowel screening programme – our first Walongside us, striving for the programme to screen men and women same things – fewer deaths from cancer, which will help prevent 3,000 cancers improved care and more research. I each year when fully rolled out. believe the last five years has provided us with many good examples of how More recently, we have started to different groups of people working in consider the next stage in the fight partnership can bring about changes against cancer. Cancer services are facing which they would not have achieved so new challenges and opportunities. successfully by working alone. Patients’ expectations are increasing as are the number of new cases. Alongside For example, on cancer research over 20 this new medical technologies and more organisations, including Government, effective drugs are being developed. The charities, industries and patients, work in Cancer Reform Strategy will recognise strategic partnership through the Cancer Services – these new challenges, build on the National Cancer Research Institute, to progress of Cancer Plan and set out the identify and support cancer research THE LAST FIVE YEARS development of cancer services over the and, to promote co-operation between next five to ten years. all its members. By Professor Mike Richards, National Cancer Director As with the Cancer Plan, the Cancer In hospitals, I believe that multi- Reform Strategy will aim to save more disciplinary team working has Nearly a quarter of a million people are lives, improve patient experience, reduce contributed hugely to ensuring patients diagnosed with cancer in England each inequalities in cancer care and build a are offered the best possible care. Today year. With new drugs, new technologies service for the future. the vast majority of cancer patients now and improvements in cancer services, have their care and treatment plan the outlook for many of these people is ne of the important differences thoroughly considered and discussed by a positive one. Around half of people between developing the Cancer a team of specialists including surgeons, diagnosed with cancer can expect to OPlan and the Cancer Reform oncologists, pathologists, radiologists, survive at least 5 years. In the early Strategy from my point of view is much nurses and other health professionals. seventies, less than a quarter would greater involvement of a wide range of have expected to survive as long. partners in developing the strategy We also established close working ties itself. Over a thousand people from with industry. Through the When we published the NHS Cancer many different sectors have already Pharmaceutical Oncology Initiative Plan back in 2000, we set out a contributed their valuable time and Partnership, Government, the NHS and challenging programme of investment energy to help us ensure that the Cancer the pharmaceutical industry come and reform to raise the quality and Reform Strategy will bring about the together to identify opportunities to standards of our cancer services, to maximum benefit for patients. collaborate on projects to benefit cancer make them the best in Europe and to patients by improving uptake and access save more lives. It was the first Representatives of service users, to cancer drugs. comprehensive strategy to tackle cancer charities, health professionals and health in this country. Since then much has service managers have all given The final highlight of the last five years been achieved. generously of their time, bringing their for me has been the introduction of 5-YEARS LEARNING icon 27

Smokefree legislation which will make a Well, Ute, I now have to eat my hat, as neck and lungs! By now I knew we were real and lasting difference to the health you were right all along! really onto something really big. of people in this country. Nine out of ten lung cancers are caused by either Back in 1998 an Indian lady called Yahsu But increasingly my patients turned up smoking or second-hand smoke. With Amlani MBE came to see me to tell me more and more confused because of the Smokefree legislation expected to of an Indian Ayurvedic Doctor who she conflicting advice being given about reduce the number of smokers by said was curing people of cancer with ‘acid-forming’ foods and ‘alkaline 600,000 and reduce virtually everyone’s herbs. I noted his work with interest, but forming’ foods. To my horror I exposure to second-hand smoke. This is she came back to me over and over discovered that people were eating a huge and important step forward. again saying that if I was really so lemons and other quite obviously acid passionate about the natural treatment foods in the belief that these foods The last five years has delivered of cancer, I must go and meet this guy. would alkalinize their bodies! So I have enormous progress which we can build So in 1999 I set out to Rajasthan in now to explain to every one of my on over the next five years and beyond – North India to meet Dr Nandlal Tiwari. clients that it is simply acid foods they and through the Cancer Reform Strategy must avoid. and working closely with our many I discovered this gentleman working in a partners, we undoubtedly have the small unassuming clinic treating So to get alkaline: potential to reduce the proportion of hundreds of people with cancer with a 1. Avoid all acidic drinks – wine, people who develop cancer, improve traditional herbal mixture from the champagne, coffee, black tea, fruit teas, outcomes for those who do and ensure Assam tribesmen, which he had named cordials with citric acid, fizzy drinks, and all people with cancer get the best Carctol – phonetically constructed in even fruit juices – replacing these until possible care. English to mean ‘Stop Cancer’ in his you are alkaline with vegetable juices, language. He introduced me to a whole green tea, rooibosh tea, herb teas and room full of survivors, along with their neutral or alkaline water medical records and scan results, 2. Avoid all sour fruits – favour melon, showing a whole range of utterly bananas, papaya, figs and dates remarkable recoveries from supposedly 3. Avoid sour sauces – e.g. vinegar, terminal cancer. I was extremely vinaigrette, red and brown sauce. impressed. 4. Avoid excess protein getting your protein mainly from beans, lentils nuts hen I asked him about the and seeds. mechanism of action of the W medicine he said that it had I believe that this error in understanding many actions to stimulate has occurred because when we take detoxification by supporting the strong acids like lemon into the body functions of the liver, kidneys, bowel there is a huge surge of alkaline ions and lymph – but that most important produced within the gut to neutralise of all was its effect to cleanse the body the incoming acid. One’s saliva is never of acids which create an unfavourable as alkaline as straight after sucking a environment in the body in which lemon or drinking a glass of cancer, infections and arthritic champagne! But in reality this is just the conditions flourish. He said to me in buffering reaction, which over time very plain English ‘cancer cannot grow drains the body of available alkaline in an alkaline body – so whatever else ions. And where do all of these alkaline My most important you do, get your patients alkaline.’ ions come from? Out of our tissues, learning in the last five which then become progressively more This he said involved, alongside the 8 acidic, promoting the worsening of all years – Sorting out the Carctol tablets per day, drinking around degenerative conditions. 3 litres of cooled boiled water per day controversy and confusion (which can go up as high as 5 litres in So my message from Dr Tiwari is really very hot countries like India) and simple – avoid all foods which are acidic, about acid and alkaline avoiding absolutely all acidic foods. taste sour or become sour on chewing. diets to prevent cancer. Also avoid excess protein as protein I came back to the UK raring to go and intake over and above what we need for Dr Rosy Daniel BSc MBBCh, Integrated after discussions with the Medicines tissue repair (40grams per day) is broken Medicine Consultant Control Agency, was allowed to down with the release of acids. As well prescribe Carctol as an unlicensed as this remember to breathe! Carbonic www.healthcreation.co.uk medicine on a prescription basis. Within acid builds up in our bloodstream if we Helpline 0845-009-3366 6 months I had witnessed my first do not exhale deeply to get rid of the remarkable happening. A lady from Bath carbon dioxide build up. When I was working at the Bristol with a pancreatic cancer had gone into Cancer Help Centre as a doctor in the remission with no chemo or surgery o get the best impression of tissue 1990s our senior nutritional therapist whatsoever! At 18 months her cancer pH, always check the saliva and not Ute Brookman said to me, “Rosy, we had disappeared altogether. The next Tthe urine. The urine is full of must stop the patients eating oranges miracle was a lady called Gillian Gill who excreted waste products and does not and tomatoes as they are just too acid”. has fully recovered from stage 4 ovarian give a clear picture of what is going on I dismissed this advice completely saying, cancer, purely with herbs, nutrition and in the tissues. Also check the saliva first ‘that will just make everyone neurotic healing. Another doctor colleague Dr thing in the morning before toast, Ute – I am sure that the benefits of Jani in Brighton witnessed one of his toothpaste and tea. This way you are these fruits far outweigh any possible patients recover entirely from an checking the pH of the saliva, which has downside’. inoperable melanoma that was in his reached equilibrium over night, with no icon 28 5-YEARS LEARNING food or drink going in to disturb the further showed increased levels of balance. You are aiming for a pH of 7.5 genomic instability in outer regions of just on the alkaline side of neutral. Once the human breast (7) and cancer would this level has been reached and is stable, be more likely to arise in areas where you can then start adding back in the there are genetic alterations. really valuable foods which are acidic, such as tomatoes and berries. isk factors for breast cancer are Meanwhile I advocate getting plant anti- known to include inherited inability oxidants through the genius Rto repair DNA (BRCA1/BRCA2 Cytoplan/Health Creation product Fruits, breast cancer susceptibility genes) and Roots and Shoots which contains hormonal (especially oestrogen) Quercetin, Lycopene, Bilberry, Blueberry, components, and over the past 5 years Curcumin, Green Tea Catechins, Grape the mechanisms of action of many seed and Ginger extracts, Beta-Caroten cosmetic chemicals have been studied and Lutein all in one capsule! One of and shown to include ability to damage these per day is a great prevention DNA and to mimic and/or interfere with package for all of us, along with a good oestrogen action (4). I await the day multi vitamin such as the Lifeline when the national research agenda Formula from Cytoplan. They also includes, as priority, this proposed link provide a 20mg purer Lycopene for between cosmetic chemicals and breast those with breast and prostate cancer. cancer, and when other cancer charities are less quick to reassure the public of Another big learning has been the are applied to the underarm and breast the safety of using cosmetics at any level discovery that many of the water filters area on a daily basis through use of around the human breast. on the market are acidifying the water underarm antiperspirant/deodorant that passes through them! I realised that products, body lotions, body sprays, In the meantime, a precautionary some of my clients were not turning moisturizing creams, breast-enhancing principle could be to cut down or cut alkaline after weeks of diligent dietary creams and suncare products. These out on chemicals applied under the arms change. It occurred to me to get them to products are applied frequently and left and around the breast on a daily basis. check their drinking water. Clients of on the skin allowing not only for In particular, shaving prior to cosmetic mine have been saying that their reverse continuous dermal exposure but also application should be avoided because osmosis water comes out at pH 5.5 and absorption and accumulation in shaving can create abrasions in the skin also Brita filters do the same!! This is underlying tissues of the breast. These allowing easier access for chemicals into because they are taking out the calcium products are used in increasing underlying tissues. I gave up using any salts that alkalinise the water. So when frequency (do we need to use a can of such products ten years ago. I wash with aiming to get alkaline, it is vital to check antiperspirant every 5 days?) and by soap and water twice a day and I now that you are drinking neutral or alkaline ever-younger children (do babies smell question the need for such products. water and that you have a water filter so much that they need spraying with How was it that the human population which keeps the water alkaline. underarm antiperspirant?). Over the past managed for millennia without these 5 years, chemical components used in products and yet we have become so I can report that on checking myself, my these products have been shown to be dependant on the daily use of underarm patients and my clients with litmus present in either human breast tissue or cosmetics in the world today? paper at first appointment that 97% of human breast milk (which has been the time the person with cancer is the secreted from breast cells) including References: most acidic of the three of us. I can also parabens, aluminium, triclosan, 1) Darbre PD. 2001. Underarm cosmetics confirm that all of those I have cared for phthalates, UV screens, and although in are a cause of breast cancer. European who have had remarkable recoveries most cases their exact source cannot be Journal of Cancer Prevention 10 389-393. have turned themselves alkaline. So we traced, their presence in breast indicates 2) Darbre PD. 2003. Underarm cosmetics must spread this information, and with the need for more detailed research on and breast cancer. J Appl Toxicol 23 89- all due respect to the originators of the exposure/absorption and any relation 95. theory, make a concerted effort to dispel between chemical overload and breast 3) Darbre PD, Aljarrah A, Miller WR et the myth about acid-forming and cancer (3-5). al. 2004. Concentrations of parabens in alkaline forming foods. human breast tumours. J Appl Toxicol 24 or me, compelling evidence of a link 5-13. comes from the unexplained 4) Darbre PD. 2006. Environmental What have I learned in the Fdisproportionately high number of oestrogens, cosmetics and breast cancer. breast cancers which start in the upper Best Practice & Research Clinical past 5 years that can help outer quadrant of the breast and which Endocrinology & Metabolism 20 121-143. is the area to which underarm cosmetics 5) Exley C, Charles LM, Barr L et al. 2007. people beat cancer? are applied in highest amounts (1,2,4). Aluminium in human breast tissue. J By Philippa Darbre, Analysis of annual quadrant incidence of Inorganic Biochem 101 1344-1346. School of Biological Sciences, breast cancer in Britain published in 6) Darbre PD. 2005. Recorded quadrant The University of Reading 2005 showed not only that there were incidence of female breast cancer in now 54% of breast cancers in that Great Britain suggests a disproportionate Why is the obvious so often overlooked region but that the relative proportion increase in the upper outer quadrant of and so difficult to accept? I have in that region had risen linearly on an the breast. Anticancer Research 25 2543- pondered these questions many times annual basis since 1979 (6). This is 2550. over the past 5 years in relation to a inconsistent with current dogma that 7) Ellsworth DL, Ellsworth RE, Love B et possible link between cosmetic chemicals the high incidence of breast cancer in al. 2004. Outer breast quadrants and breast cancer (1,2). In the modern that region relates solely to more breast demonstrate increased levels of genomic world, an extensive array of cosmetics tissue there. Studies published in 2004 instability. Ann Surg Oncol 11 861-868. 5-YEARS LEARNING icon 29

rogue cell production, the truth is far Thirdly, one wonders why Doctors and more likely that nowadays your cancer is Oncologists ignore the immune What have I learned in the more likely to have been indirectly systems of their patients. How many caused by a WEAKENED IMMUNE Doctors looking at their new patient last 5 years that could SYSTEM. ever say, “Right, before we get going on the treatment programme, let’s get help you today? Nutritional toxicity can come in several your immune system in tip-top By Chris Woollams forms – for example an excess of sodium condition”? Worse, the therapies used (simple salt) and a deficiency in in orthodox medicine make matters magnesium will lead to too much significantly worse. This is how my sodium in the power stations (the daughter was left fighting her brain mitochondria) of your cells. This makes tumour with no Natural Killer white them less efficient (they normally use immune cells left in her body. How was potassium), drawing in less oxygen, she supposed to beat the cancer? producing more cellular acidity and less Sadly, whatever talk there is of new energy. In extreme cases the energy targeted breakthrough drugs, the produced is insufficient to power the majority of cancer patients are still p53 protective gene and cancer treated with weapons of mass formation is on its way. destruction.

However that is just one possible way of ut if your Doctor and Oncologist producing your first cancer cell. In 2004 don’t recognise the advantage of Wang and his team at Columbia made a Ba healthy immune system, help is ‘Revolutionary Breakthrough’, claiming on its way. The cavalry, in the form of the text books needed to be re-written. microbiologists and biochemists are In cases of stomach cancer they showed trying to find ways of stimulating your that, under the influence of the own immune system to kick out that hormone oestrogen, your very own cancer. Of course it’s not that easy. stem cells simply became stuck in that Some cancers block the process of primitive state, dividing rapidly into a immune recognition, If the cancer cancer tumour. It is now well started with your own stem cells then understood that brain tumours can be the cellular DNA is hardly ‘rogue’ and ver the last 5 years so many the result of such a process, and the probably undetectable – so yet again worried, new cancer patients influence of oestrogen is seen in cancers this may not be a ‘universal cure’. But Ohave approached me – by fax, from breast to prostate to colon. it is the hot topic in certain cancer labs email, letter, queuing after speeches, or right now. In Newcastle University via Personal Prescription requests and But oestrogen doesn’t just influence Colin Self and his team are injecting more. It usually takes less than a couple stem cells. Oestradiol, an aggressive ‘cloaked’ antibodies directly into the of minutes to determine that, in 90 per form of oestrogen, can bind to healthy tumour. After light is shone to cent of cases, these people at the time cell receptor sites and create the same breakdown the cloak, the antibodies their cancer was diagnosed were both high sodium/low oxygen/high acid stimulate the immune system to kick NUTRITIONALLY TOXIC and conditions described above. Other out the cancer. Early days yet but one NUTRITIONALLY DEFICIENT. theories include colonisation by yeasts can see a time when natural agents in certain areas of the body cutting off are used to do this – not the Toxic because they have consumed too oxygen supplies to healthy cells and debilitating chemotherapy drugs. much salt, sugar, dairy, coffee, alcohol turning them anaerobic – in other etc. Deficient because they lack essential words into cancer cells. Indeed there So what can you do, today? Answer: cancer fighting vitamins like folic acid, may be many other ‘ways’ cancer can Give yourself the very best package of B-12, Vitamin D or K and minerals as develop clarified by scientists in the therapies possible to rebuild your basic as potassium and magnesium. The years to come. broken body. LOVE YOUR IMMUNE latter may be due to a combination of SYSTEM – cut out the bad food, poor diet, lack of beneficial bacteria, or So what are the lessons learned? alkalise it and nourish it with good yeast/microbe infections. ones. Cut out the factors that weaken irstly, there is no stereotype for your immune system – from smoking The traditional text book view of cancer cancer – your cancer is as individual to EMF’s, from pesticides to development (that mutation of a cells Fas you are. This is one reason why xenoestrogenic chemicals. Supplement DNA causes a rogue cell to form and this there is no blueprint for universal cure – to correct deficiencies, Take daily light leads to cancer) is woefully inadequate. nor is that likely in the foreseeable exercise to increase oxygen levels and Everyday, you and I make several future. Some cancers might be beaten move your toxins out by moving your hundred rogue cells, but for several in the short-term by ‘therapies’ such as lymph. Try energy therapies (like hundred thousand years our wonderful surgery, or even corrected by good diet, acupuncture or cranial osteopathy) to immune systems have simply mopped but none should ever be labelled ‘cures’ further boost your immune system. them up. US researchers in Croatia under the strictest definition. Build an active programme to cut the icon (covered previously in ) showed people and things that cause you pain conclusively no presence of cancer in Secondly, the conditions that cause the and stress out of your life. Etc Etc Etc. skeletons older than about 100 years. disease may be localised but, more The sad truth is that our modern likely, exist throughout your body. In fact, do everything we’ve been immune systems just aren’t up to the job An all-over-body disease demands an telling you at CANCERactive for the anymore. While Governments and all-over-body solution. Janice Day in her last 5 years! Cancer Groups debate whether a factor Living Proof talks of ‘mending your (radiation, smoking etc) directly causes body’. icon 30 C ENTREFOLD PIN-UP

The Good Guys?

Many orthodox medical nasty questions about the Thirteen strains have stimulating the production ‘experts’ claim there is no direct conflict with 3 been studied most of immunoglobulins, research evidence behind current orthodox frequently. All offer cytokines and Natural Killer Complementary and treatment methods? significant benefits to your cells. Alternative Therapies. Yet Judge for yourself. health and well-being. They when there is evidence – are Lactobacillus Bulgaris, Kids growing up on consistent evidence – it Over 80 clinical trials Acidophilus, Shirota, Caseii, 5 farms and those with often gets ignored. When 1 and more than 4,000 Lactis, Rhamnosus, pets in the home have it comes to Beneficial research studies have Plantarum; Bifidobacterium stronger immune systems – Bacteria, perhaps the been conducted in the last bifidum, langum; you need to eat a bit of dirt. experts have not had 4/5 years on the essential Streptococcus thermophilus; You need more bacteria to time to read and digest role of Beneficial Bacteria in Saccharomyces boulardi. build your defences. the research results? your good health. Perhaps they are not A fundamental finding Natural birth babies aware of it? After all Scientists believe over 4 running throughout 6 have stronger immune there is so much of it – 2 800 strains of bacteria the research is that systems. Mothers give and all very recent. Or inhabit your gut – they many of key beneficial their children some good could it be that the have already identified over bacteria strengthen your bacteria as baby passes down research poses some 400 strains. immune system, particularly the birth canal. Breast milk C ENTREFOLD PIN-UP icon 31

contains important prebiotics etc all reduce the levels of products and to heavy – the perfect food for good guys within us. metals, helping the body to beneficial bacteria - these eliminate these dangers. stimulate the growth of Worse still, the drugs important good bacteria. (So 10 your doctor prescribes Some beneficial much for ‘caesarians’) actually kill off even 17 bacteria destroy the more; for example, Helicobacter pylori antibiotics, chemotherapy, bacterium known to play a even certain statins and part in stomach cancer; they mercury in vaccines. Most may even neutralise a drugs actually weaken your microbe US researchers defences.

But these good guys Now, fungal 11 do even more than 13 infections in the build your immune body are increasingly system: At night time when being linked to serious you sleep, they attack, diseases like diabetes, MS, neutralise and ingest the and cancer. invading microbes and yeasts you consumed during the Beneficial bacteria day. Without the good guys 14 are essential to the your enemies can take processes that release control. vitamins from your food. believe is linked to colon cancer. Our strong immune 7 systems keep invading Some beneficial viruses, bacteria and 18 bacteria can even cancer cells in check. rebuild and repair Without the beneficial the gut lining, damaged in bacteria – our defences are diseases like IBS and Crohn’s. greatly weakened, allowing disease to take hold more It’s not mumbo easily. 19 jumbo – you can increase your One hundred years ago, beneficial bacteria by 8 we ate beneficial supplementing with bacteria all the time – probiotics - a probiotic but pasteurisation, cannot be called a probiotic sterilisation and irradiation unless clinical trials have of food have ended much of proved it delivers a real that. Their action increases blood benefit in the gut! Yeast and fungal levels of anti-cancer vitamins Worse – our modern 12 infections are now like B vitamins folic acid and 9 world kills the good commonplace B-12, and vitamin K. guys, and alters the amongst UK adults – yellow balance nature intended in toe nails, thrush, cystitis, Some beneficial our gut. Chlorinated water, bloating, wind, allergies are 15 bacteria have been stress, alcohol, too much salt, all signs. proven to make short antibiotics in our chickens chain esters from your food – these pass across the gut wall and reduce bad cholesterol levels.

Every day you need 20 as many beneficial bacteria strains as you can ingest – and you need to feed them their favourite whole foods. Rare Some beneficial ones you ate as a child may 16 bacteria have been never be replaced if you shown to neutralise destroy them. Without them excess toxins, biding to all, can you really hope to nitrosamine and oestrogenic beat cancer? icon 32 PROSTATE CANCER

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25 release of certain cancer killing little sunshine there is in urban, grey enzymes. Our book, ‘The Tree of Life – Britain having any beneficial effect. cancer in the first place – and the Anti-cancer Diet’, will tell you preventing recurrence after your doctor much more, and even give you a Vitamin D is however very susceptible has given you the ‘all clear’. shopping list and recipes. to the effects of protein and calcium both of which reduce its action. You can learn far, far more about Several research studies indicate that Perhaps here lies one possible cancer, and prostate cancer, in our 'antioxidants' beta-carotene (do not connection to the Western diet and its book, 'Everything you need to know take if you are a smoker), Vitamin A, high levels of protein and blood to help you beat cancer'. Curcumin, Coenzyme Q10 and calcium levels from dairy. There is clear evidence that certain especially selenium and Vitamin E foods will help fight the disease. For each seem to reduce the risk of Another possibility with dairy, whether example, Harvard Medical School states prostate cancer. As regular readers will consuming the milk products or the that tomatoes, tomatoes and especially know, we worry about synthetic meat itself, is the consumption of the cooked tomatoes help prevent and vitamins so make sure you are taking animal's own oestrogenic hormones. A fight the symptoms of prostate cancer. natural vitamin E in all its tocopherol further concern with dairy is the and tocotrienol forms; and take natural presence of the hormone Insulin-like From tomatoes, lycopene is the much chlorella rather than synthetic beta- Growth Factor-1, which causes a new talked about antioxidant ingredient carotene. Two forms of Tocotrienol born calf to grow to full size in just ten where prostates are concerned. It vitamin E (alpha and beta) have been months or so. IGF-1 is known to cause actually binds to fats and lipids in the shown in Japanese research to directly this rapid cell proliferation - not exactly blood stream helping overcome our inhibit DNA polymerase (the enzyme something you want in your prostate. Western diets. The Harvard Medical that causes rapid division) and also to School study stated that seven to ten slow down blood vessel formation to Vegetarians do get far less prostate helpings of tomatoes per week reduced the tumour. risks by 40 per cent; another suggested that 40 per cent of prostate cancer In a USA tests amongst people deficient sufferers eating those quantities in Vitamin E, a 50mgs daily supplement showed relief of symptoms. Whatever reduced prostate cancer by 20 per cent. the study, lycopene is a strong As we report elsewhere on our web antioxidant particularly pertinent to a site, our vegetables are becoming healthy prostate and can be obtained poorer sources of Vitamin E all the from all tomato products e.g. sauces, time, so it is wise to supplement as well soups and especially cooked tomatoes as eating large quantities of fresh and which release the lycopene more easily... steamed vegetables. Polyphenols appear to be extremely helpful. We have carried research on The UK diet is often poor in selenium, olive oil and several studies from Perth so supplementation again is useful. In University which show Green Tea US research, levels of 200 micrograms having important prevention properties. per day for five years cut prostate cancer by 50 per cent. Indole 3 carbinol, (broccoli, ‘greens’) have been shown in research to turn Zinc is very important. The prostate nasty oestradiol into its safer sister seems to store zinc and zinc is an active cancer, and one report stated that oestrone. One study recorded in icon participant in maximising the effect of consuming two glasses of soya milk per showed that broccoli and tomatoes were several antioxidants. 15-20 mgs as a day also cut the risk by 40 per cent. This more effective against prostate cancer daily supplement should be ample. is possibly something to do with the than one of the leading drugs! This was Levels above 50 mgs are not to be genistein content. confirmed by a second paper from recommended and could be counter- Dr John Erdman at the International productive. Fish oils are known to cut prostate Research Conference on Food. cancer risk by 40 per cent (Harvard, Vitamin D is a very important vitamin again). Not just because they contain The British Journal of Cancer (2006) in the fight against cancer. It has been some vitamin D but because they reports on the benefits of one shown to significantly reduce the reduce the levels of localised phytoestrogen, genistein. Apparently it incidence of prostate cancer and a large inflammatory hormones. Many ‘solid’ can increase the repair proteins in a cell number of receptor sites are found on tumour cancers start with – even those in short supply due to the the cell walls. One study from Harvard inflammation and US research presence of BRCA 1 and BRCA 2. Some concluded that vitamin D reduced published by the American Medical women prefer to go this high phyto- prostate cancer risk by 40 per cent. Association has shown that women oestrogen route than take Tamoxifen. Vitamin D can even ‘normalise’ cancer who take more than 7 aspirin tablets cells. Be very clear, it is only present in per week have 29 per cent less risk of Other foods can make a difference. very small quantities in our foods – you breast cancer. Long-chain omega 3 has The same study above on Genistein, can obtain very small amounts through been shown time and time again since showed that Indole 3 Carbinol can also eating oily fish (and fish oils) or much the early 1980's to reduce increase repair protein levels in cells. greater amounts from the action of inflammation at the cellular level. Sulforaphane, also in broccoli and sunlight biosynthesising vitamin D from Nobel Prizes have even been won for brussel sprouts, can inhibit the the layers of cholesterol under your work in this area. Ginger and garlic development of oestrogen-driven skin. Black people in Western cities can also achieve this (Aloe Vera might cancer cells. US Dr Keith Singletary and have three times the prostate cancer be preferable to synthetic aspirin). his team claim it works as well as the rates of white people. Their chemotherapy drugs, by causing the pigmentation may well prevent what Finally a combination of rather odd PROSTATE CANCER icon 33 ingredients has been reported to have many of the same ingredients but no may recommend chemotherapy. an effect. Several prostate cancer books results to date. recommend that sufferers of enlarged Current 5-year survival rates in England prostates take: Exercise are approximately 56 per cent. We are below the European average, and well Research by the US magazine G saw palmetto oil (150-400 mgs) below the best country Austria (83 per Integrative Cancer Therapies has shown G panax ginseng (3-5 mgs) cent) according to the Eurocare 3 study. the benefit of building an integrated G pygeum bark (1.5-2 mgs daily) programme of complementary therapies around your orthodox Surgery Saw palmetto is known to interfere regime. Some experts state that it When the tumour is malignant, with hormone levels (for example, increases survival by as much as 60 per specialists prefer to operate through an testosterone) and may reduce prostate cent. Bristol University reviewed 52 area between the scrotum and the swelling. worldwide studies in 2001 and rectum, or through the abdomen often concluded that people who took removing the prostate, the seminal A few years ago, an importer in exercise developed fewer cancers; and vesicles and the pelvic lymph nodes at California brought in a Chinese Herb people who had cancer survived longer. the same time to see how far the disease mix, which he named PC-SPES. Word of Most of the recent research studies has spread and cut accordingly. This is mouth grew and grew. PC-SPES involve breast cancer subjects, but are termed Radical Prostectomy and is major relieved pain and symptoms of those still relevant to all patients - studies surgery; and as patients tend to be older with prostate cancer, especially from Seattle, Philadelphia and North it is risky, with the chances of advanced cancer. Carolina show that mortality is reduced complications growing as you age. Nerve by 50 per cent if you take exercise. damage is possible and after surgery Researchers from California to the there is a 70 per cent risk of impotence plus a 40 per cent risk of some incontinence one year later. You will be allowed home after about 10 days but there will be a tube to pass urine while the urethra heals for about 3 weeks.

In 1998 The Lancet reported that it was possible the operation itself spread the cancer.

All operations involving anaesthetic deplete the immune system, kill beneficial bacteria, weakening the body in its fight to neutralise possible secondaries as they move through the blood and lymph.

There is some research work being done using Keyhole surgery to see if it Why? Well, you will reduce certain is as effective at removing all the Czech Republic however, found that dangerous hormone levels (like diseased tissue. apart from the eight natural herbal Cortisone), you will lose weight and fat ingredients, the mix also contained DES mass, you will move your lymph to clear Radiotherapy (a synthetic oestrogen), indomethacin toxins away from your cells and you will (an anti-inflammatory drug) and oxygenate your blood and hopefully Radiotherapy is usually used if the warfarin (an anticoagulant). your cells. And that’s just for starters. surgeon doesn’t think he removed all Apparently, pre 1999, along with the the cancer cells. saw palmetto, ginseng, Exercise does not have to be ‘hard’. chrysanthemum, liquorice, etc., the Indeed all the recent research shows it is External radiotherapy requires six Chinese had been adding the three better to do 30 minutes every day, weeks of treatment, doesn't directly compounds before shipment, and rather than something more strenuous hurt but kills all rapidly-reproducing latterly just the warfarin. three times per week as the Government cells in its line of fire. It is commonly currently recommends. Some therapies used for men over 70. The side effects Doctors had been using PS-SPES with are actually very calming. Others boost may hurt. Diarrhoea and cystitis are great success but noticed side effects energy levels. You can then access a common side effects, there is possible like breast enlargement (typical of world of Complementary Therapies on damage to the bladder and rectum, taking oestrogen). When some people this web site – start with a ‘kiddies incontinence, and 20-30 per cent of had blood clots and bleeding problems, guide’ to them all and chose the best men report impotence. investigations started. ones for you. The Doctor behind these tests, For information on how to get the best Dr Nagourney of Long Beach, What are the possible out of your radiotherapy, see our California, believes PC-SPES is now website. Remember to keep taking your dead and he is turning to DES. One Treatments? supplements. UCLA and MD Anderson wonders why people can't ask the have shown they improve the success of If you need treatment the specialists Chinese to provide pure PC-SPES and radiotherapy. Claims that somehow will recommend a combination of test that; would it have worked antioxidants ‘interfere with’ surgery, radiotherapy and hormone without the DES? In Europe, there is a radiotherapy are without any scientific treatment. If the cancer has spread they herbal product called Prostasol with foundation, as far as we can tell. icon 34 PROSTATE CANCER Brachytherapy Also called Implant Therapy, this involves implanting "radiation" seeds into the prostate; this 2-day treatment is more localised, and can cause a burning sensation on urination. It is growing in support in the USA, but the UK has few centres. Long-term issues have not yet been noted.

In a study from St Luke’s Cancer Centre in Guildford, 300 patients were treated with low dose brachytherapy. This showed 93 per cent with early stage prostate cancer had survived 5 years. (Ed: this is where we get awfully confused. According to Royal Marsden 50 per cent of patients don’t need any treatment anyway, and US reports say that 90 per cent of people will survive 10 years from first diagnosis?! NICE has passed the treatment for general use, but many PCT’s refuse to fund it. Are we surprised?)

Brachytherapy typically involves a 24 Unfortunately it does – a basic law of contains liquid nitrogen or liquid hour stay in hospital and a general animal hormones is ‘homeostasis’ – put carbon dioxide) or building viruses anaesthetic. A needle inserts roughly in simple English, if you throw one of into carriers that attach to the cancer 100 tiny radioactive seeds into the them out, the body will try everything it cells and leave the healthy ones alone, prostate gland. can to restore the norm! are also being developed.

We feel you might enjoy the following Remember oestrogen in small doses Ultrasound - The New Hope non sequetor from the web site of equals danger. In large doses it can cut CancerBACKUP: ‘All the radioactivity is out all testosterone and therefore We have covered this several times in absorbed within the prostate and so it DHT production. The question is,'for icon. There is a whole line of therapy is completely safe for you to be with how long?' developing using ultrasound and other people. However, women who hyperthermia - heating cancer cells so are (or could be) pregnant and children All forms of hormone treatment have that they die. In icon (2005, Issue 3, we should not stay very close to you for side effects. Impotence, loss of sex covered the work of John Holt one of long periods of time. You should not let drive, hot flushes, even breast swelling Australia's top cancer experts in (2005, children sit on your lap, but can hold or and osteoporosis. Issue 2). Fighting cancer with waves. cuddle them for a few minutes each Holt was ridiculed and ostracised for 20 day and it is safe for them to be in the You can read a complete review of years. Now, as he retires, his work is same room’. prostate cancer drugs in icon 2005 finding supporters. Issue 3: Prostate Cancer Drugs: The Hormone Treatment Truth. Then you should read the CANCER WATCH feature 'Ultrasound - a real This method is often used as prostate breakthrough in prostate cancer cancer is hormonally driven. Chemotherapy treatment'. The treatment involves Other forms of chemotherapy may be High Intensity Focused Ultrasound and There are several options used where there has been spread to is called Ablatherm; it originated in a) Cutting the production of a pituitary other tissues - if you want more China, passing via Japan (where it went hormone that causes the synthesis of information on the drug proposed by through clinical trials) to Europe. The testosterone in the testes. (Goserelin, your oncologist try our list of ‘General treatment lasts for only about 90 triptorelin, leuprorelin are drugs Drugs’. minutes requiring a two to three day given at monthly or three monthly stay in hospital, it is virtually totally intervals) Note: Sometimes Steroids are given (For non-invasive and has an 87 per cent 5- b) Blocking testosterone receptor sites example prior to surgery) to reduce year survival rate where used so far. on the prostate cells with anti- inflammation and swelling. There are 61 centres across Europe, and androgens (e.g. Flutamide, increasingly this treatment is being bicalutamide, cyproterone) Other Treatments used by more 'enlightened' doctors in c) A combination of a and b. the UK. There is an 'official' trial taking d) The use of a synthetic oestrogen, In some cases the surgeons will place in Stockport but meanwhile some DES, to flatten production of recommend removing the part of the doctors are already treating their testosterone testes that produces Testosterone. This patients in London Centres. But then it is called oriechtomy. has been used for a number of years The biggest problem is that hormone with kidney cancers, for example. The control cannot be a long-term strategy. New treatments like cryosurgery problem is catch 22. Until doctors have It would work providing the body didn’t (involving tissue being frozen to more data on patients using it - they fight back and work harder to make destroy abnormal cells. This is usually don't want to use it. even more of the depleted hormone. done with a special instrument that PROSTATE CANCER icon 35

Having talked to several patients who patient on the protocol in the UK and The Final Word have used it - one who paid 5000 euros offers support and information to other to go privately in Europe, and two who sufferers. We have also covered the If you've read this far, you will have were treated in London - I cannot story of Ken Jones in icon Living Proof. realised that the world of prostate recommend this route highly enough. You can also find details of the Pfeifer cancer is changing fast – but driven by You simply must look into it. Where the Protocol on our website. external forces not necessarily tumour is confined to the prostate, the ‘officialdom’. therapy literally ‘melts’ the cancer Apricot Kernals and B-17 away. If, for some reason, the cancer Late diagnosis and the lack of a returns, you can have it done again. I apologise here and now to all the credible screening test is a major factor. extremely conservative Doctors in Shyness is a big problem. If women Britain but I just have to mention this. I find a lump in their beast they don't Professor Pfeifer's Protocol have interviewed Dr Contreras from the hesitate to go to the doctor. But men Since the start of 2006 we have been Oasis of Hope. He is Mexican and feel talking about the prostate is bringing readers news of the Pfeifer trained in Chicago. He is the World’s embarrassing, and so tend to avoid a Protocol, where clinical trials in expert on B-17 and will honestly tell visit to the doctor until it may be too Switzerland are showing this protocol you that it has no effect on brain late. Under funding is another result of successful in 65 per cent of the patients tumours, sarcomas and liver cancer. As I this shyness. Men should be shouting that Dr. Pfeifer has used it on, even travel the world speaking at various about prostate cancer more than though it has largely been used with venues I have been struck by how many women do about breast cancer. patients that have either failed men have come up to me and told me Although the UK Government has conventional treatments or have been that eating apricot kernals has greatly increased funding to £4 million plus, it unable to tolerate them. reduced their PSA readings. Far, far is woefully short of the near £40 more times than I have been accosted million put into breast cancer research It is important to note that Ben Pfeifer's by all other cancer patients taking from the Government and via breast protocol at the moment is only for apricot kernals added together! cancer charities. hormone refractory prostate cancer and The biggest UK prostate charity was the results vary depending upon the Now, given that scientists in the USA - only founded in 1996. case. The protocol has been less notably Dr Philip Arlen who presented successful when not tailored to the PSA a paper in Boston (spring 2004) on But the fact is we have one of the level and/or when patients stop taking using docetaxel combined with a worst survival rates in Europe. Unless their normal conventional medication. vaccine containing a recombinant new and accurate diagnostic tests are vaccinia virus that expresses the PSA developed, doctors open their minds to Pfeifer's protocol for hormone- gene together with a recombinant virus the knowledge that already exists on refractory prostate cancer is a regime of that expresses the B7-1 gene and was causes, and on the developing natural health supplements — herbs, happy that two of the twenty six 'alternative treatments', we will glyco-nutrients, vitamins and minerals. patients vaccinated had PSA declines of continue to lament the horrendous These nutrients come in the form of over 50 per cent - I pass this on as it nature of the current treatments with four commercially available food might be an awful lot easier and their dreadful side effects and poor supplements — Prostasol, Biobran, cheaper: Taking 35 - 50 apricot kernals survival rates. Imupros and Curcumin Complex. evenly spaced out across the day, never more than 5 in a 90 minute period The Final word? Despite this all-natural-compound seems to do a better job of reducing With the state of official Prostate protocol being the sort of treatment PSA levels if my straw poll is to be Cancer Treatment available it has to usually ridiculed by the more believed. (Figures from US Almanac of be… PREVENT. conservative corners of the UK’s medical Nutrition). But please before you try it othodoxy, Pfeifer simply cannot be read our article on B-17 on the web site The CANCERactive Difference: labeled a ‘Quack’ – far from it. and take the precautions we Intelligent Information. Professor Pfeifer is the Director for recommend. Independent Voice. Clinical Research at the Aeskulap Clinic in Switzerland - a cutting edge healthcare centre, which combines conventional orthodox medicine with complementary therapies in the form of clinical holistic medicine. Pfeifer carried out his medical training in Germany and went on to specialise in Cancer Immunology, receiving an Immunological Research Prize in Florida, USA. He has had 59 publications in peer-reviewed medical journals and has presented numerous papers at medical conferences. The protocol has been subjected to clinical trials in Switzerland and has support amongst certain medical professionals in the UK. A limited test is being conducted at St Bart's Hospital.

Al Smith, whose website is prostatecancernow.org was the first icon 36 5-YEAR SURVIVAL TABLES 5 Year Survival. What EUROCARE-4 really tells us.

A tug in the right direction. 5-YEAR SURVIVAL TABLES icon 37

number of years ago in the EUROCARE-3 cancer Ignorance, embarrassment or study, England had overall 5-year cancer survival figures below the average for Europe. Nor was vested interests? there any improvement when you looked at A Even the mighty Lancet has posed the question, “Why individual cancers: England was below the average for all countries and 10 points worse than the best (Sweden) for does our definition of science still seem to include only breast cancer; and a massive 30 points worse than the the laboratory experiment and the clinical trial?’ I best (Austria) for Prostate cancer. Following these remember being at a conference with Professor Peto who dreadful results, the UK Department of Health convened commented from the stage that all the drug trials were meetings and committees to draw up a battle plan to actually getting in the way of clever oncologists who improve – it was called the National Cancer Plan. would prefer to be studying their new ideas of beating cancer. But unfortunately in the UK there are companies paying for drug researchers – and nobody to pay for the So now we have the latest study, clever alternatives.

EUROCARE-4, has it worked? The world-renowned MD Anderson Cancer Center in Let me quote from the Editorial (Leading Edge) in Texas has already stated a few years ago that, ‘All the September 2007’s Lancet Oncology: interesting developments in cancer are coming in areas outside of chemotherapy’. The short answer is seemingly, no. The Russians develop non-toxic agents for Photo Overall survival for all cancers combined in the UK Dynamic Therapy and we all but ignore them. The Swiss as a whole is not only below the European develop herbal Prostate treatments that work and we average, it is also noticeably similar to some query the research. The Japanese develop Ultrasound Eastern European Countries that spend less than instead of surgery and it takes 7 years and 61 centres in one third of the UK’s per capita healthcare budget. Europe before we begin to even contemplate a trial for prostate patients (even though 5-year survival is The reports show survival for gastric, colorectal, reported at 87.7 per cent, against our EUROCARE-3 lung, breast, ovarian and prostate cancer in figure of 54.7 per cent). England is lower than the European average, and in some cases among the lowest in Europe. We pooh-pooh vitamins, herbs and supplements ad While supporters of the National Cancer Plan may nauseam. Our ‘top cancer experts’ go in the press to decry claim it is early days yet, or that (correctly) cancer dietary changes and improvements as part of an overall treatment has improved in the last seven years, the cancer therapy package talking, as if knowledgably, about bald fact is that England has only increased at the their limitations. Yet how many have even been trained in same rate as the other countries and has come nutrition? nowhere near to narrowing the gap that existed. How many have been trained in issues of ‘Mental State’, body energy systems and cancer? Yet there is strong Are we steering the wrong course? scientific evidence that shows depression is linked to The Lancet Oncology poses a number of questions one of lowered blood oxygen levels and an increased risk of cancer; which we find particular important – especially since we that high cortisol levels induced by stress can be linked to have been asking much the same question for almost cancer too. What action do our experts think is appropriate? 5 years now: Do they know the benefits of certain foods, omega 3 and exercise in reducing depression? Or that yoga reduces Why does the UK’s substantial research cortisol levels in the body by almost 50 per cent, no matter contribution not correlate directly with improved if it is your first ever class? Do they realise that The National outcomes? Cancer Institute in the USA has a section on its Government sponsored web pages on ‘Energy Medicine’ – including Is there a very simple answer to this? Maybe this research the benefits of Reiki and Tai Chi for cancer patients? programme is fundamentally flawed. Maybe we are researching the wrong things? Spending yet more money f course it is all mumbo jumbo to a very small but on a tanker that is going in the wrong direction, is still influential group of our medical establishment. not going to get you to the desired destination. When I think of these few... why am I always reminded of Will Carling’s famous quote about When you are off course, you need to turn the boat, not O 65 old farts running the Rugby world when I think of fill it with more fuel. British Medicine? Maybe they just want to hide their As regular readers will know I have written on this topic ignorance; maybe deep down inside they are embarrassed before. I was particularly horrified when we interviewed that they have never studied nutrition, never seen a a previous head of Cancer Research UK and asked him his Kirlian photograph, never had time to read the clinical aims, only to be told that one of these was: ‘To get more trials on meditation? people in the UK in to clinical trials than anywhere else in the world’. We already have almost four times the Meanwhile Harvard, UCLA, MD Anderson, Berlin, number of patients in clinical trials as there are in the Karolinska, Milan and others are publishing research USA as it is, even though per capita you would expect papers weekly on the benefits of vitamins and other the reverse. supplements. How vitamin D is essential in the fight against breast cancer; how medicinal mushrooms improve In my humble opinion, drug research is the over-fed bull the action of prostate drugs; how taking vitamin E in our pagan belief on cancer in the UK; the randomised reduces the need for tamoxifen by 25 per cent. How clinical trial the alter for the sacrifice. many UK oncologists are using this expert science? How icon 38 5-YEAR SURVIVAL TABLES

many are enhancing the effectiveness of the therapies they are recommending, in these proven ways?

Meanwhile what do our leaders do? They support the EU Committee that basically bans seven of the eight forms of vitamin E from public sale. Brilliant.

And where there is, not simply research, but their beloved ‘clinical trials’ on a vitamin, they ignore them. Self-styled ‘experts’ go in the Daily Mail saying ‘no research exists’ when asked about vitamins, complementary or alternative therapies. And 25 year-old journalists scribble away, their columns to fill.

s this still ignorance, a lack of education or a lack of time to read? Or is it something more sinister? When you look into who pays their salaries at their Iuniversities and research centres, vested interests are hardly hidden. And if payment controls your tongue – isn’t this mis-information the worst form of Quackery? We are paying the price for selling our soul The fact is - the research on Complementary and Alternative Therapies does exist: How many examples would you like? US clinical trials which show meditation prior to surgery reduces blood loss (New York Presbyterian Hospital); how vitamin K3 and vitamin C The computer sitting on your GP’s desk will take him improve the action of certain chemotherapy drugs (MD straight to the drug to be used for your ailment. How Anderson), or Vitamin E and Tamoxifen, or 80 plus clinical many complementary therapies are included in this trials from all over Europe and the US in the last four system, which laughably is called ‘Best Practice’? Would years that show you have to have certain beneficial you like me to tell you about the drug that is deemed the bacteria in your body to have a decent immune system. gold standard in the UK that American hospitals say Even the US National Cancer Institute reports on the doesn’t work? benefits of hypnosis before breast cancer surgery. We have sold our souls to the clinical trial and, worse, the Meanwhile those 65 old farts laud any drug that shows a pharmaceutical companies’ shekel. The money lenders benefit over the last, in a clinical trial, forgetting one have taken over the Temple. Can we wonder why we lag important fact: Cancer cells are clever. They adapt. behind other nations? In France my local GP is also a Eventually they will just learn to live around your new Homeopath. In Germany the one I took my friend to was drug. So you’ll have to come up with yet another one. also a Naturopath. In Sweden the Karolinska is a leading light in causes and prevention. I’ve met Austrian and If drugs are the answer, why are our doctors busier now Swiss Doctors who were also herbalists. Our 65 good men than ever before, even though per head of population hate all this. we still have the same numbers as 30 years ago? Maybe the drugs don’t work as well as our 65 good men would Attitudes to Cancer treatment will like us to believe? Maybe they do create more problems than they solve? After all, US prescription drug deaths change, watch this space have leapt 68 per cent in the last 5 years and are now the second largest cause of unintentional deaths in America In the last 5 years, I have changed. I started as a man with (HealthWorld Online). The recent death of Hollywood a biochemistry and nutrition interest trying to save my actor Heath Ledger due to mixing different prescription daughter’s life. As I’ve learned more so the state of the drugs is just another reflection of it. You can read in ‘officialdom’ and its impact on you and your life makes Cancer Watch about the rapid but deadly emergence of me sad. this 'new disease' Polypharmacy. According to recent US research 'serious incidences' and fatalities have tripled in I am sent all manner of reports from all over the world. the last seven years - and 28 per cent of Hospital But the ones here in England are the ‘funniest’ – well, admissions are caused by prescription drug cocktails. It funny if it wasn’t so sad. puts a squabble over whether vitamins are helpful into context doesn't it? For example, I have had letters from top hospital dieticians who recommend all patients on chemotherapy In 2004 a ‘Megastudy’ or systematic review of American eat cheese burgers and sticky buns and drink milky sugary and Australian research on the effectiveness of cups of tea. Yesterday I had a new ‘Nutritional cancer chemotherapy concluded that despite the billions spent web site’ who thought much the same and wanted a link developing these drugs over the past 50 years there had from us! Neither have the first clue about a cancer cell; only been a 2.5 per cent improvement in 5-year survival how it metabolises and grows. Otherwise they would rates due to the drugs. know diets like these will actually hinder your doctor trying to beat your cancer. 5-YEAR SURVIVAL TABLES icon 39

hen I get press releases, ‘Drug X improves survival’. And take the information charities on the web – there’s What does that word ‘survival’ mean to you? To me CANCERactive, and the rest. Before we came along I used it would mean I was going to beat the disease. But the American sites. So much more information on so Tno, read the research detail in a separate document many topics. and it says ‘mean survival time before progression increase Take the web site of the MD Anderson Cancer Center, from 8.6 months to 10.3 months’. Obviously well worth the Texas. Their home page says it all: millions spent developing it, and the PR man’s fee for writing the headline. ‘Our mission is simple – to eliminate cancer.

But the funniest is when I get Press releases from top Achieving that goal begins with integrated charities telling me that we are beating cancer and it’s all programs in cancer treatment, clinical trials, down to the money that has been spent on drug research and clinical trials. Notwithstanding the fact that cancer education programs and cancer prevention’. rates have doubled in the last 30 years and are expected to double again in the next 20, let’s just suppose that we are ‘Integrated programmes in cancer treatment’, in some way ‘beating cancer’. For example, the five-year ‘prevention’, and elsewhere they cover ‘vitamins’, ‘new survival figures for England have improved in real terms, so treatments’, ‘energy therapies’, ‘complementary let’s not get picky, let’s suppose we really are in some way therapies’ – everything that might help improve survival. ‘curing’ people. Now, what evidence is there that this is Just like we do now at CANCERactive, down to the orthodox treatment, and especially the drugs? And mark my words: Just like Cancer Backup and We know that over the last 10 years there have been a Cancer Research will do.. They will be dragged into the host of new cancer charities in Britain. We know they all 21st century. And so will the 65 old farts – they won’t like have web sites. We know over half of all patients now turn it, there will more wars of words in the tabloid press. But to the web for information and self-empowerment. We it matters not. The tanker is turning, even if the Medical know that many of these charities – Bristol (Penny Brohn), Authorities are the ones with their hands on the rudder Maggies, The Haven for example – extol complementary still. There are too many ‘tug boats’ out there now to therapy programmes. Research amongst our readers stop it. And in the end the figures will improve. And, you, showed they were taking 5 supplements a day and 3 the patient will benefit. complementary therapies per month. Maybe, just maybe, it And that is the only reason why I do what I do. I’m a is not the drugs that are the dominant factor behind the tug boat! increases in 5-year survival. You can hardly go to a hospital now that doesn’t have a new bright shiny complementary Now. Do you want to know the EUROCARE-4 figures? centre. Are they having no effect? Women, children and the weak should turn away now... L

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EUROCARE-3 took place in 1990-94. EUROCARE-4 featured two reports 1995–99 and 2000-2002. The studies involved 80 cancer registries across 23 countries. I’ve taken just the top 5 countries each time. EUROCARE-3 A SURE WAY TO in brackets. Breast Cancer 5-year survival DETECT BREAST Iceland 87.6 (78.7) Sweden 84.3 (82.7) CANCER Italy 83.7 (79.7) Finland 83.6 (80.0) France 82.7 (80.9) Medical Tactile Imaging (UK) Ltd has introduced Average 79.5 (75.4) new technology designed to help doctors and women England 77.6 (72.4) with the early detection of breast cancer.

Note: Sweden was top last time; England is still a full 10 points behind the top country, meaning 10 more women The technology, the SureTouch™ Visual Mapping in every hundred in Iceland will reach 5-years. Northern System gives doctors their first ever opportunity to Ireland (77.4), Wales (76.9) and Scotland (75.0) are all electronically document the Clinical Breast Exam in lower than England. Scotland is not even up to the EUROCARE-3 Average. an accurate and reproducible format. SureTouch™ is able to effectively map dense breast tissue, Prostate Cancer 5-year Survival something that up until now has been difficult to do. Austria 84.9 (78.0) Switzerland 82.9 (68.7) Germany 81.6 (77.5) “SureTouch™ offers all women aged 18 and over the Holland 80.9 (70.3) opportunity to have an accurate, sensitive, pain and Finland 80.0 (62.3) radiation-free Breast exam by their own GP or Average 73.9 (61.4) screening centre” says UK Director Chris Blakey. England 69.8 (54.7) “The technology has been developed in America over Note Austria has stayed firmly ahead. England is still 15 people in every hundred behind the best country. In the the past five years and has been proven to be over UK after England comes Wales (68.7), Scotland (67.8) and 94 per cent accurate in recognising malignant then Northern Ireland (60.8). tumours in all breast tissue during clinical trials and Colorectal Cancer 5-year Survival in effect can reduce the number of needless benign Switzerland 59.7 (55.2) biopsies. Sweden 58.3 (54.9) Norway 58.3 (53.8) SureTouch™ uses tactile sensing technology to Finland 57.8 (52.9) France 57.5 (56.7) measure the reactive pressures generated by changes Germany 57.5 (52.4) in breast tissue caused by developing lesions. Average 53.5 (49.3)

England 50.8 (45.9) “For women under 40, SureTouch offers for the first time an accurate and comfortable screening France has slipped from top place. England is 9 people in solution,” he says. It also offers clinicians a vital every hundred behind the best, and also behind Northern Ireland (51.8), Scotland (51.5) with Wales lagging a very addition to their armamentarium in the early little at 50.6. detection of breast cancer, to support assessment Lung 5-year Survival and to view progress of treatment. Iceland 14.7 (11.2) Holland 14.3 (12.0) From a medicolegal perspective it is an invaluable aid Austria 13.9 (14.4) in electronically documenting the Clinical Breast Exam. Switzerland 13.6 (10.3) Sweden 13.1 (10.6) Average 10.2 (9.2) The SureTouch™ system is relatively inexpensive and can be used by trained medical and nursing staff. England 8.6 (7.9)

So in England we are dangerously close to being only half For more information email:[email protected] or call as good as the best European countries. Northern Ireland 0191 3730927 or visit their web site: www.suretouch.org achieves the EUROCARE average at 10.2; Wales is 9.0 and Scotland 8.0. SureTouch™ Visual Mapping System Digital Breast Exam - Visualising the Sense of Touch.

Accurate: Proven to be over 94% accurate in sheath covers the tactile probe and a non- Remote Support: MTI’s clinical research recognising malignant lesions in all clinical toxic, non-irritating lubricant keeps the patient partners, Artann Laboratories, provide valuable trials. Can be used on women of any age. comfortable while gliding it over the breast. on-line support and analysis via the integrated Effectively and accurately images all dense wireless protocols incorporated in each system. Real Time Imaging: breast tissue. Simply palpate suspicious lesions with the hand held sensor Customisable Report: Each full colour Objective & Reproducible: SureTouch™ and SureTouch™ instantly creates full colour report can be customised for your practice and provides palpation images that are 2D & 3D images on the SureTouch™ screen. include all the required clinic reference reproducible by different trained examiners, Collected data includes the size, shape and information. virtually eliminating the subjective nature of the relative hardness of the lesion. Lightweight & Portable: CBE. Allows for patient history to be The SureTouch™ Saves Time: established by any examiner. In seconds, SureTouch™ Visual Mapping System’s unique lightweight prints an objective record to augment the design allows for it to be easily transported for Non-Invasive & Comfortable: A sterile patient’s chart. home and or remote location examinations.

For more information email:[email protected] or call 0191 3730927 or visit their web site: www.suretouch.org icon 42 The might of metaphor and wellbeing. in my mind, to a little log cabin, all on its own, surrounded by a lake, up in the mountains. Apart from the fact that it Carl Stonier’s guide to a good place. was brick, not wood, the centre in Little Rock was exactly the place of my imagination.’ The first question, which was to lead Carl on a path beyond white-coated authority came to him during his nurse training in An ideal place mental handicap. ‘I’ve always been a bit of The guided imagery that Carl now uses grew from his an anarchist. I like to challenge’ he says. ‘So intensive week in Little Rock. ‘When someone comes to me, I what I observed in this work was that an awful lot of people begin with the journey to a special place for them. I get who had spent a lifetime in mental hospitals – and I mean them to imagine a place where they have been, or could be the bad, old-style Victorian bins – retained really robust safe and happy, at peace. We usually work on this for a physical health. Despite being totally shut off from the world couple of sessions, then move on to an imaginary Control and despite profound learning problems, many people in Room where you take charge of everything that happens their seventies and eighties were still as slim as a lath, within your body. You can, for instance, find a control walking everywhere, even gardening. I asked myself why this marked ‘cancer’ and turn it off.’ You can find a switch should be – is there a connection between a lifestyle where marked ‘pain’ and turn that off.’ The next stage is to everything is found for an individual and where that person imagine a monitor or tv screen on the control room wall, is very protected. These people don’t have the intellectual where you can track the effect of the changes you have ability to recognise that the outside world has something made to the controls. You then move on to deal directly with they lack, so there is no stress, no pressure there.’ the cancer, as seems most effective for you as an imaginative individual. ‘The Simontons’ says Carl ‘concluded that the And the second… more aggressive you are in ‘zapping’ the cancer, the more Once qualified, Carl moved into general nursing ‘where the effective you will be. They suggest that cancer sufferers questioning continued. I still remember a chap in his thirties deploy a shark and prey imagery to gobble up all the who had never smoked in his life – a very talented artist, affected cells. But I don’t find this useful for all those “nice who was dying of lung cancer. A fellow patient wondered guys” who get cancer: they are not naturally aggressive, so if aloud how such a thing could happen to this person – ‘It you ask them to be so, you are setting up an internal conflict always seems to happen to the nice guys’ he said. So I began that does them no good. I suggest a gentler way of to think about what is it about being a nice guy that might delivering healing rays, or perhaps seeing the cancer cells as cause illness. That question just hung around.” sick members of society and white cells as the healers, doctors, or stretcher bearers carrying off the sick cells so that they can healed and made whole again.’ Medicine and the mental paradigm By l984 Carl was a nursing officer in Castleford, Yorks where Who Benefits? he set up a working party to explore the provision for cancer Surely only those with visual minds can deploy this care across the district. Out of this came a Macmillan-funded technique? Carl concedes that guided imagery is not for nursing post for someone to support newly-diagnosed everyone, but says that if you can work not just with the patients in the oncology clinic and also the Castleford and inner eye, but with all the senses - hearing, smelling, almost District Cancer Self-Help Group – one of the first of its kind in believing you can touch the cancer-busting scenario you the country. In his quest for whole patient support outside create, then the technique becomes so much more powerful. the general medicine box, Carl read wide and travelled far. The Simontons found that a very significant few – some six He visited the Bristol Cancer Help Centre. He talked to Jean per cent managed to make themselves cancer-free using Sayre-Adams and Professor Steve Wright who went on to visualisation. At the other extreme, six per cent reported no found The Sacred Space Foundation (in the Lake District) for difference. ‘The 88 per cent in between felt some degree of people – many from health care backgrounds) who are benefit’ says Carl ‘in terms of pain relief or regaining control suffering stress and joylessness and therefore seek the right of their lives.’ environment for renewal and healing. Among his own clients, a certain bus driver with stomach Then he had ‘a light bulb moment’ turning the pages of cancer stands out. ‘He had a horrendous lifestyle: he smoked ‘Getting Well Again’ by Carl and Stephanie Simonton. This US horrible little roll-ups all the time, ate convenience foods and couple were committed to the concept of mental processes took no exercise because of his job. I told him straight, that bringing about a physical effect. The Simontons believed that these were the choices of a complete prat. But it turned out emotional and mental states play a significant role, both in that this chap – in his thirties - was absolutely awesome at susceptibility to, and recovery from, cancer. Their book made guided imagery – his saving grace.’ This particular man also meaning of the links that Carl himself had observed over the convinced Carl of one reason why it is so important it is to past decade, between reaction to stress, suppression of the use visualisation in tandem with counselling: ‘sometimes immune system and subsequent tendency to illness. It people will produce unhelpful images, so you need the suggested, (not instead of, but as well as orthodox counselling to help them reframe. This man, for instance, treatment) a programme of mental imagery, focusing on the initially saw the cancer as red ants and the defender cells as a desired outcome – the restoration of health, physical, kind of ant powder. But you know what it’s like if there are emotional and intellectual. Says Carl ‘The questioner in me ants in the house…. no matter how much powder you use, saw that this approach doesn’t fit into orthodox medicine – they keep on coming. Basically he was telling himself that but many things don’t and they too seem to work.’ the ants were going to take over... he might be able to slow their advance down for a bit, but not eradicate them. After He successfully applied for a travel fellowship to study with counselling, this guy went off and changed the imagery so Stephanie Simonton at Little Rock, Arkansas, where she had that the cancer became a lame animal and the white cells set up a health, training and research centre. ‘It was really became hungry lions. He was quite an aggressive character strange that during my own meditation I was by now using and he managed a total shift in the balance of power – that the concept of an imaginary safe place. I would always go, was critical.’ Barium studies had measured this man’s icon 43

The power of the mind to heal

Carl Stonier, 55, recently completed his doctorate exploring the relationship between physical and psychological health. The results of his study on patients with heart disease resoundingly reinforce the value of stress reduction and mind power in the healing journey. Carl is a counsellor and psychosexual therapist in private practice as well as a supervisor and trainer for Relate and a trustee of the National Conference of Cancer Self Help Groups. In the l980s he worked on the ground-breaking heart transplant unit led by Sir Terence English at Papworth Hospital. Through many years with the NHS, as a nurse, Nurse Manager and specialist consultant in counselling, Carl pursued a special interest in the wellbeing of cancer patients. He lives in Yorkshire but runs nationwide workshops on shamanic journey, healing, tai chi and meditation. Here icon learns how Carl came to recognise that there is more to healing than general medicine addresses. We report how he developed his unique treatment modality ‘an active process combining counselling and guided imagery’ and how those with cancer could benefit. icon 44 stomach tumour, and after working with visualisation for followed up at three, six and 12 month intervals. At this three weeks before surgery, it had shrunk to half the size. He point the control members were invited to switch, if they was out of hospital following much reduced surgery within a wished to the experimental programme so that they were week. He managed to clean up his act for a bit, but soon not deprived. Those in the experimental group had, on reverted to the roll-up lifestyle and then contracted bowel average, 10 counselling sessions and a taped programme of cancer. Again he used visualisation and again he recovered. guided imagery which they used at home. ‘The results were His next brush was with pancreatic cancer from which few astonishing – even to me’ says Carl. ‘After three months of recover – but he did.’ Carl has no idea what made this treatment the control group had improved a very particular man operate his anti-cancer imagination so encouraging 103 per cent over baseline. The experimental powerfully: ‘I wish we did know – how wonderful if we could group, however, had improved over 900 per cent, bottle his particular talent! But why this works and for whom demonstrating an 800 per cent intervention-related benefit.’ is part of ongoing research.’ Further down the line, at six months, the control group had Another of Carl’s clients met a fellow patient at Cookridge dropped 30 per cent below baseline, but the experimental Hospital, Leeds, where she was having radiotherapy for group were still measuring more than 700 per cent. After a breast cancer. He told her that he too was working with Carl year, the control group stood at minus 50 while the – but remotely, using Carl’s tapes, which he’d acquired experimental group were still up at 600 per cent through his self-help group. This man had actually declined improvement over baseline. ‘This shows’ says Carl ‘ that orthodox treatment for his facial skin cancer, but was coming guided imagery and counselling produce a huge into Cookridge to have his progress monitored. Week by improvement when dealing with physical issues – and it’s week, the woman reported, you could see the lesion getting smaller until eventually it disappeared.

A third patient, with liver secondaries from breast cancer was less fortunate – though guided imagery seemed set to save her. ‘She was wonderfully elegant, but you could see from her shape how swollen her abdomen was. When she came to me she had been on chemo for a couple of months, with no response at all. She’d then had to give it up because her blood count was so low, but within a month of us working together, it was normal again. She was recovering well, but sadly, her oncologist decided that the chemo was finally working so it had better be stepped up. The woman died of chemo-induced liver failure. I thought it really tragic.’ Proving the Case for Guided Imagery If the NHS was a tad broader-minded, then Carl Stonier might never have embarked on his remarkable visualisation Ph.D study. The visualisation clinic he set up was censured and closed down after being reported in the local paper ‘with journalistic excess and zeal’. So Carl cast around for a less emotive field of medicine than cancer in which to carry out a proper controlled study for his Masters in counselling. Turned down out flat by the closed-minded dermatology department of his hospital, he found a new consultant cardiologist much more ready to embrace the complementary. The study evaluated well, and on the basis of his MA Carl was asked to set up a pioneering counselling maintained. With standard medical care, however, you get a department at Pontefract General Infirmary. It was accessible good improvement at first, but then people get worse.’ to anyone in the hospital; area GPs could refer directly to it; Though not part of the formal evaluation, other statistics hospital staff could self refer. By l999 Carl (who was also intrigue: during the year studied, six people in Carl’s control teaching four basic counselling skills and on certificate in group died due to cardiac-related events. Nobody in the counselling course within the hospital as well as assuming experimental group who had completed his course died at responsibility for health and safety) had a personal caseload all, though one man on his way into hospital for the second of 108 clients for the service deemed by a national counselling session suffered a heart attack in the hospital car government audit to be a fantastic model – the only one of park, and subsequently died in A and E. Another man its kind in the country. ‘At which point’ sighs Carl ‘the NHS dropped out of the study, concluding that it was a ‘load of pulled the plug on the service and I parted from it quite rubbish and not for me.’ Six months later he succumbed to acrimoniously.’ another heart attack and died. The Heart of the Matter Of those heart patients in the experimental group. six actually came off the waiting list for bypass surgery because, Now, however, he had time to pursue his Ph.D and a further clinically, they no longer needed it. Clients reduced or came study evaluating the effects of visualisation with counselling off, all medication. They regained their exercise tolerance – on 40 cardiac patients in his experimental programme. This and even their lives. The NHS didn’t do so badly either, for as group received the same standard medical care as Carl’s Carl observes, his work constitutes relatively cheap medicine. control group, also of 40 cardiac patients. Both groups filled A course with him costs about £350, whereas bypass surgery in detailed questionnaires designed to measure their is about £15,000. ‘So, if six people came off the bypass wellbeing in terms of mental and emotional states, physical waiting list during his study year, that’s some £90,000 saved.’ ability, level of chest pain and exercise tolerance. This was In human terms, however, it is beyond price. icon 45

Carl’s shining example is the woman deemed by her specialist disease and another gets cancer. We don’t know that as yet, to be a ‘cardiac cripple.’ ‘She’d had two lots of bypass but metaphors are really quite powerful. So one might surgery, one elective and one emergency, and couldn’t have wonder about the relationship between the kind of illness anymore. She was on maximum medication. ‘But she was someone gets and the problem they have. With bowel another of those people who, once engaged with the cancer, one might ask what is it that the individual can’t let technique, prove fantastic at imagery. After three months of go of? Or what can’t he stomach? What makes the blood working this woman, who would get an angina attack just run dry?’ getting out to the car, was swimming three quarters of a mile every day. She stayed in touch with me for eight or nine Does everyone good at the guided years, so I know that for this period at least she continued in good health. So much so that when her husband, who had imagery game get well? been her carer, developed Alzheimers, she became his carer and was well able to do so.’ ‘It’s not necessarily so’ says Carl. ‘Some people may get better, but basically, people tend to take control of their lives more. So the people I’ve worked with who had died Crux of the Counselling eventually (and we all do) have died in a way that they were Looking at illness and who succumbs, Carl was intrigued to ready to go. They died with dignity, they died free of a lot of discover that every single person he saw during his doctoral medication – consciously rather than doped up to the research had experienced either some form of poor eyeballs with morphine. The difference lies in the quality of parenting, or was on the wrong life path for them. ‘The poor the life and death, as much as the quantity.’

parenting could be quite accidental – my star heart patient, for instance, was a three-year-old wartime evacuee from Thinking yourself well – London. At that age you don’t know about bombs. You how can this work? reasonably conclude that Mummy and Daddy sent you away, so you must be a bad girl. My client had spent the rest of her Carl says that we know from neuroscience research that life to date, trying to make up for that perceived badness.’ whatever the brain perceives it acts upon. ‘Whether I see you As for the wrong life path, one of Carl’s clients had only ever sitting in this room, or in my mind, I respond in much the wanted to work the land, but needing a better-paid job same way, So if you picture cancer healed, your brain will when his family came long, moved into industrial work. He create the right conditions. After I’d finished my thesis I came was very conscientious and so made foreman - not to across a wonderful book called ‘The Biology of Belief’ by mention decent money before the heart attack which caused Bruce Lipton. Lipton started out as a Professor of cell biology him to take early retirement on a nice package - In a way he at Harvard Medical School. He realised that the strict medical was able to get back what he’d wanted. Not everyone, of approach had got it wrong. Specialising in the cell course is able to make major life shifts, but perhaps through membrane, he discovered that the brain of the cell isn’t the counselling they can talk through alternative ways in which nucleus, but the membrane. It responds to thoughts; it they can build into the life they are stuck with, some form of responds to different hormones – and indeed it responds to the dream they always wanted. The would-be actor, for the beliefs that you hold.’ instance, can take up amateur dramatics; the potential Edmund Hillary could always train for the Three Peaks. Readers might like to know that Carl Stonier’s website is: Not to live the dream at all, and to regret and resent that www.personal-potential.co.uk. Carl has also contributed two shortfall, could be to risk your health. ‘Studies still need to chapters to the book ‘Cancer: a Personal Challenge’ by Ed be done’ says Carl ‘exploring why one person gets heart Bob Rich. (Anina’s Book Company) Penny Brohn Cancer Care Complementary support for people living with cancer

As readers know, at icon we argue that cancer patients should try to develop their own personal package of complementary therapies around the Doctor’s prescribed orthodox treatment. We believe this is simple common sense: It will empower patients to take more control over their own lives and it will increase their odds of survival.

In this Bumper edition of icon it seemed only proper therefore to go back to where it all started in the UK: The Bristol Cancer Help Centre, especially as they have just relaunched with a new name (Penny Brohn Cancer Care) and a wonderful new premises. After all, the centre has 27 years experience of delivering complementary care to people living with cancer and their loved ones. The Charity’s ethos, ‘the Bristol Approach’, works as a natural partner to mainstream medical treatment and is delivered by an experienced team of complementary therapists alongside a team of doctors, nurses, nutritionists and counsellors. We asked them to tell their own story. icon 47

What is the Bristol Approach? or the experience of a massage provides approach which has always been key to an immediate way to reduce stress levels the work of the Charity, it works with The Charity recognises that when people which helps to strengthen the body’s the flow of energy within the body. are faced with a cancer diagnosis it raises immune system, our first line of defence Healing does not claim to cure but to a multitude of issues and emotions; against fighting cancer. sustain and restore balance, often medical treatment alone is not simultaneously calming and lifting the enough. Cancer is the start of both a ‘spirits’. medical and emotional journey, and Residential courses many people benefit from finding Penny Brohn Cancer Care has a unique Creative therapies such as art and music support for themselves and their families. residential provision and is able to offer therapy are designed to be fun, non- residential courses to people on a invasive and beneficial, as they are This was certainly the experience of national and international basis thought to be uplifting to moods and Penny Brohn, co-founder of the Charity, alongside its other support services. Last improve immune function. Course who was in her early thirties and married year the Charity outgrew its previous participants on a five day retreat are also with three small children in 1980 when premises and moved to a new purpose- encouraged to keep their own personal her breast cancer was diagnosed. Penny built centre adjoining a Georgian house, journal which helps to focus the mind on realised that she, and others in her nestled in four acres of scenic grounds their experience and document their situation, needed not only medical overlooking the River Avon on the individual journey. treatment but also care for the mind, the outskirts of Bristol. spirit, the emotions, the heart and the Every aspect of a residential course at soul. No such support existed at this time During the residential courses Penny Brohn Cancer Care is supportive, so Penny and her great friend Pat participants are fully supported by a this often allows people to let go of Pilkington developed the support under team of complementary therapists, some of their anxieties and feel a sense one roof. doctors, nurses, counsellors and of balance returning, for some the nutritional therapists. Participants are experience is transformative. Penny Brohn Cancer Care combines a encouraged to put aside their day to day unique range of physical, emotional and responsibilities and give themselves “I returned home after my residential spiritual support in order to promote permission to focus on themselves and week at the Penny Brohn Cancer Care a wellbeing in the presence of illness. The be fully immersed in the experience on complete person once more, having been practical self-help tools taught at the offer. so lovingly given back all of the broken Centre such as relaxation, meditation and lost parts of my soul – and shown and breathing techniques can be The Bristol Approach runs over two days how to keep them safe. It truly was a practised at home, enabling those with and the Bristol Retreat is a more in-depth life changing experience.” Trish Hill, cancer to more easily manage day-to-day five-day experience. The courses both former service user. challenges and to benefit more fully include a combination of group and from their medical treatment. individual sessions; they give people an opportunity to explore the emotional Follow up courses and support Practical advice and emotional support is impact of cancer. For some people this is Once people have attended a residential also offered to close family or friends the first time they have had the course they very often want to remain who may also need support to manage opportunity to express their deeper fears connected to Penny Brohn Cancer Care. their own emotional distress and to give and worries, often about their diagnosis Course attendees can access services such them the strength to cope with everyday and their future. as free Doctor, Nurse and Nutrition challenges of supporting a loved one phone-ins. These are one-to-one living with cancer. Residential groups are always small and telephone appointments allowing the people often find benefit and comfort in caller a chance to review their The science behind the talking to others in a similar situation to supplements, discuss self-help techniques themselves. In the safety of the group or help with integrating the healthy Charity’s approach and within their own individual eating aspect of the Bristol Approach The Bristol Approach is based upon the appointments people look at practical into their lives as well as other issues. research into Psychoneuroimmunology ways in which they can incorporate what (PNI), the study of the connections they have learnt within their daily lives People may also choose to come back on between our mind (psycho), nervous such as dietary changes, or breathing other residential courses in the future, system (neuro) and immune system techniques and imagery to manage stress such as a Mini-Retreat for the Spirit or (immunology). Increasingly evidence and anxiety. Developing Self-Help Techniques. These shows that changes in our thoughts, courses help people to reconnect with emotions and beliefs can bring about In addition to the self-help techniques the Bristol Approach and develop and changes in our physical health and well- course participants also experience a renew the skills they have learnt and being. range of other therapies such as incorporate them into their daily lives. massage, shiatsu, healing and creative PNI shows that emotions such as fear, therapies such as music and art. Day Courses anger or shock can result in increased In addition to the residential courses, levels of the stress hormone cortisol in A great deal of scientific evidence exists single day courses have been created the body, which can stop the immune to support the use of massage and which explore particular aspects of the system from working at its best. It is shiatsu therapies for people with cancer. Bristol Approach. The focused day unrealistic to think that we can eliminate It can reduce anxiety, depression, nausea courses cover the following topics: these emotions from our lives and so it is and pain. Touch can relieve physical G Relaxation and Breathwork important to find ways to manage these symptoms, help release emotions and G Meditation natural responses to life’s challenges rebuild self-esteem leading to a greater acceptance of their physical and G Imagery G Emerging evidence indicates that emotional circumstances. Healing Nutrition for people living with cancer relaxation, meditation, creative pursuits therapy is a further complementary And a new Healthy Cooking course for people living with cancer has also been icon 48 introduced. These practical sessions help [email protected] or visit The education department at Penny to make the healthy eating guidelines www.shopatpennybrohn.com Brohn Cancer Care offers a wide range of even more accessible with a guide on courses. For more information, or to how to use ingredients and tips on The Helpline and information request a copy of the latest prospectus, cooking and juicing. contact 01275 370 110 or email on booking courses [email protected] Cancerpoint Penny Brohn Cancer Care offers a supportive National Telephone Helpline The Charity continues and Community Services 0845 123 23 10 which is available Penny Brohn Cancer Care is a national weekdays 9.30 to 5.00pm (a 24 hour to set the standard and international charity offering answer phone is available outside these in complementary cancer care services and support to a wide range of hours) or email Penny Brohn Cancer Care, formerly people. In addition to the courses on [email protected] Bristol Cancer Help Centre, has been in offer people living within reasonable existence for 27 years and has provided travelling distance of the Charity can also The Helpline is confidential and is there invaluable support and care to many use the Cancerpoint service. This is a pre- to offer a listening ear and provide thousands of people. The Charity’s team booked individual appointment service independent information on the wide of therapists have had many years of which can include sessions with a doctor, range of therapies, professional experience of working with people with counsellor, nutritional therapist, healer organisations and national and local cancer and are drawn from medical, and a wide range of complementary and support groups available. The operators nursing, psychotherapy and varied creative therapies. can also guide people through different complementary backgrounds. They are aspects of the Bristol Approach and give all members of their appropriate All Cancerpoint service users are given a out information about courses and how professional body and keep updated free introductory appointment with a to access them. with developments in the field of member of the therapy team. This helps complementary care. to find out more about the individual’s Penny Brohn Cancer Care is a charity, circumstances in order to offer the most which receives no government funding; a The Charity continues to set the standard appropriate package of support. The charge is made for courses for those who in complementary cancer care and has Charity also has involvement with can afford it. They do not turn anyone the backing of leading oncologists, community groups in the Bristol locality away on the grounds of finance and do healthcare professionals and and runs support groups for people offer payment schemes and have an complementary therapists. living with cancer and their supporters. access fund. The Charity aims to welcome all people who could benefit from using “The Bristol Approach represents the gold the valuable courses and support it has Other facilities available to use standard in complementary care in cancer” to offer. The Helpline is the gateway to Karol Sikora, Vice-President, Professor Once people have visited Penny Brohn finding out about any of the services of Cancer Medicine, Imperial College, Cancer Care they often like to remain offered. connected in some way or make use of Hammersmith Hospital, London. some of the other services. The Charity has a well stocked library with a range of For Complementary Therapists Although the work of the Charity books, CD’s and reference periodicals and Healthcare Professionals develops over the years the essence of relating to the field of cancer and mind, the work remains constant – supporting In addition to the support offered to body and spirituality. Service users from people to learn how to help themselves people affected by cancer the Charity all over the UK are welcome to become and transform the crisis of cancer into an also runs courses for complementary members of the library with its flexible opportunity to enhance their quality of therapists and other healthcare lending system, allowing people to life. professionals. The courses offer the borrow and return items by post once opportunity to learn more about the they have made use of them. different aspects of the Bristol Approach. They support professionals working with Those who visit or return for further people with cancer to understand how courses often like to enjoy sitting or to help people to manage their illness. walking in the peaceful garden with its This includes the social, psychological arboretum, labyrinth and water feature and spiritual aspects, the symptoms and or visiting the sanctuary for a period of side-effects of treatment, and how quiet reflection or contemplation. people with cancer benefit from the promotion of a sense of wellbeing in the There is also a restaurant which serves a presence of illness. delicious organic lunch with a wide array of herbal teas and an opportunity to “I applaud the work Penny Brohn Cancer browse in the charity’s shop. The shop Care is doing through its training stocks a wide range of items that support programme for healthcare professionals the centre’s work including cookery and complementary therapists.” books, supplements, a selection of For more information on courses and Professor Mike Richards, National recommended whole foods, a range of support available contact the Charity’s Cancer Director relaxation CD’s, environmentally friendly National Telephone Helpline on 0845 123 “ I am so happy that I am going to be household and natural skincare products 23 20 or email [email protected] able to spread the invaluable learning I along with other gift items. received from Penny Brohn Cancer Care For those who are unable to visit the The Charity also has a website which to many, many others here in my shop in person there is also a mail-order details all the services and support on community of Prince Edward County.” and online service. For more information offer, visit Jenifer Edwards, Holistic Care telephone 01275 370 158, email www.pennybrohncancercare.org Practitioner, Canada CANCER WATCH icon 49

cent and, while new cancer rates are growing at about 4 per cent per year, the overall numbers of people dying from the disease – if you refrain from using the meaningless statistical 5-year survival figure, and instead look at long-term survival - has hardly changed one jot. More people will die in 2010 from cancer than ever before. FACT. Testing public opinion on vending machine bans? What is Government if not taking decisions like this on behalf of the people? Are we to have a referendum on vending machines, but not on the European constitution? Massaging the figures, playing with statistics; cliche’s of ‘Road Maps’. Ugh! CANCER WATCH You deserve better than this.) Marriage brings a longer life “Our aim is to bring you the latest and better health The Office for National Statistics has information that can help you beat cancer” published the definitive proof: Married couples live longer and have better health than single folks. They can also rely on more home care in their £370m investment by 2010. Apparently, twilight years. AN IMPORTANT NOTICE there will be a greater emphasis on preventing cancer, and providing more And children who live with their TO OUR READERS: support with people living with the married parents are healthier and, whatever their economic predicament, As you can imagine, we receive a long-term effects of the disease, they are in full-time education longer. large number of press releases according to Johnson. The results showed these benefits over about new drugs. Invariably these single people and non-married couples. state that drug X ‘increases One plank is a continued attack on Single mothers and widowed men have survival’. We are concerned that smoking believed by the Government the worst health, suffering more acute this phrase misleads and creates an to be linked to one in three cancers. and chronic ailments. This health data over-expectation in many of our They plan to test public opinion on even extends to mortality rates. readers, being viewed as implying whether to ban cigarette vending Widowed and divorced men over 80 somehow a ‘cure’ or a success in machines, and reduce cigarette displays have a mortality rate one third higher surviving at least five years when in shops. than married men. neither is, in fact, true. Our policy from now on is to refer to ‘an Specifics in the plan however do not increase in life expectancy’ and, mention Prevention per se, but only Breast Cancer - where provided, to state the actual screening. Core developments are: A screening system to increases from the research. We G £200m investment to boost believe this is in the best interests radiotherapy capacity over the next replace mammograms? of our readers who are almost three years, with cash for new According to the Memorial Sloan- always patients. It reduces the equipment and staff. Kettering Cancer Center in New York, often-criticised elements of G Where possible, cancer drugs will be ‘Screening for breast cancer with euphoria and over-claim whilst assessed by the National Institute for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is reporting accurately on new and Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) significantly more effective at improved developments. at the same time as they go through the licensing process to make them identifying suspicious breast Latest World Cancer News available to patients more quickly. lesions than other existing G Measures to improve detection of screening methods such as Gordon Brown now leads cancer in primary care. mammography and ultrasound. The G Extension of the NHS breast cancer limitation is that MRI screening is not the fight on cancer screening programme to all women always accurate in distinguishing aged 47 to 73 by 2012. between cancerous and non-cancerous The Government has just announced a breast lesions, a fact that leads to a G Extension of the NHS bowel new plan against cancer called “The number of unnecessary and invasive screening programme from 2010 to NHS Cancer Reform Strategy”. Gordon biopsies. However, a recent study all men and women aged 70 to 75. Brown said it was a ‘road map to a conducted at Memorial Sloan-Kettering higher standard of care for all’. The found that combining MRI screening (Ed: This represents £100 for each Conservatives said that it just showed with a scanning tool known as person with cancer in the UK, given that that the previous ‘National Cancer Plan’ magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy 320,000 people were diagnosed last had failed. can help radiologists in diagnosing year, including those with skin cancer. 5- breast cancer by producing fewer false- year survival is not ‘approaching 50 per The plans, unveiled by Health Secretary positive results and reducing the cent’ as they claim, but about 44 per Alan Johnson, will be underpinned by a number of avoidable biopsies’. icon 50 CANCER WATCH

MRI is a diagnostic procedure that uses a magnetic field to provide three- dimensional images of body structures, Now falling ill can be a drug side effect. including the breast. MRI breast screening can detect both lumps and A 78-year old New York lady was major factor is that the elderly take what are known as non-mass lesions, found unconscious on the floor of her about 40 per cent of all the prescribed which are sections of breast tissue that apartment by a neighbour. She had drugs; almost twice the volume the are neither a mass nor a lump. Non- blacked out and fallen and Doctors young take. Yet all too often the mass lesions can occur either as a result were a little puzzled as to why. Until clinical trials used young healthy of benign, non-cancerous, changes in they looked at her medical history. adults for their research. Age related hormone levels, or they may be a sign changes in physiology as people age of malignancy. A biopsy is normally Our lady had had a number of heart can significantly alter the way the used to distinguish between cancerous ailments in the past, but recently had body handles these drugs, even if just and non-cancerous lesions. been suffering from a cold and cough. two or three drugs are taken. Just as a Doctors found that she was currently child is not the same as a small adult , MR spectroscopy is a screening method taking neither is an old age pensioner an that measures chemical substances G Lopressor - to control high blood older, young healthy adult. It is quite known as choline compounds, which pressure clear that major organs, hormone are produced by cancerous breast G Digitalis – to help heart rhythm systems and the circulation system tumors. MR spectroscopy helps G Coumadin – to prevent strokes from function less well. Drugs are less easily radiologists to differentiate between blood clots absorbed through the gut, the liver benign and malignant tumors, while G Furosemide – to lower blood detoxes the body less well, the kidneys adding only an additional ten minutes pressure excrete less well too. Senior citizens to the screening time. This ability to G Lipitor – to lower serum cholesterol have less lean body mass, and more differentiate between tumor types is G Baby aspirin – to reduce cardiac risk fat and fat is an excellent solvent and especially important in pre-menopausal from blood clots will ‘hold’ the drugs longer. All in all, women, who sometimes develop G Celebrex - for arthritis pain the elderly just find it harder to deal benign non-mass lesions as a result of G Paxil - for depression with drugs, than those healthy young guinea pigs in the tests. variations in their hormone levels. Dr G Vallium - to help her sleep Elizabeth Morris of Sloan-Kettering G Levofloxacin - antibiotic for her Of course it all may be different commented, “Breast MR cough when taking cancer drugs – with 80 spectroscopy is an exciting tool G Ibuprofen – for the cold that may make breast cancer or more per cent of cancers G Cough medicine diagnosis much more specific, so developing in the over 65 generation that a woman does not have to you would expect the clinical trials to This lady is not alone – in New York undergo biopsy for a benign be 80 per cent or more biased the average ‘older adult’ takes 4.5 condition.”(Radiology, October 2007) towards this group of people. prescription drugs and 2.1 over-the- counter items at any one time. Indeed But as the Hospitals in New York Womb Cancer - being poisoned by your cocktail of report Polypharmacy is a serious and drugs is so common that Doctors even Tamoxifen shown to deadly problem. have a name for it: Polypharmacy. increase cancer risk The new illness - drug cocktails Maybe Doctors in the UK should be We’ve covered it before, but now the paying closer attention to drug International Journal of Gynecological Dr Michael Stern, writing in the June interactions that haven’t been tested Cancer has gone into it in detail. They 2007 issue of Emergency Medicine says in clinical trials. To date we only seem have covered research by O. LAVIE, O. that Polypharmacy is now responsible to hear their incessant worries about BARNETT-GRINESS, S.A. NAROD, G. for 28 per cent of all hospital supplements or herbs and how they RENNERT in a paper entitled ‘The risk admissions, and if it were classified as might interact with the cancer drugs. of developing uterine sarcoma after an official disease it would be the fifth Certainly it is not unusual for a cancer tamoxifen use’. (International Journal leading cause of death in America. patient to be taking seven or eight of Gynecological Cancer (OnlineEarly drugs simultaneously by the time the Articles):doi:10.1111/j.1525- As it is Prescription drug related death steroids, pain-killers and antibiotics are 1438.2007.01025.). The researchers has increased by 68 per cent in the last added into the total. If they have other studied the history of Breast cancer 5 years and is the second largest cause ailments it can be more. Certainly in patients, and followed whether they of avoidable death in America. the 100 or more Personal Prescriptions had used Tamoxifen or not. They then I’ve seen this year half the people have compared the 875 women who had Stern as a specialist in Geriatric at least one other illness and are used Tamoxifen with those who had Emergency Medicine in the New York taking two or three drugs for that with not. In conclusion they stated, ‘There Presbyterian Hospital knows the the cancer drugs on top.. were 17 uterine cancers observed problem only too well. Stern points to among the 875 exposed to tamoxifen the fact that many of these drugs can Our lady on the floor? The drug (1.9%), compared to 4 uterine cancers use the same biochemical pathways, cocktail gave her a stomach ulcer - she among the 621 women (0.6%) who did causing system overload.. passed out because of the bleeding not use tamoxifen. There were four (she remembers having a stomach uterine sarcomas among the tamoxifen Older people just don’t handle ache). She needed a blood transfusion users, but none among nonusers. Five the drugs as well as younger and was told to stop taking the of the 875 tamoxifen users died of Celebrex, Ibuprofen and aspirin! uterine cancer, compared to no deaths adults do among nonusers. We conclude that in But that’s not the real problem. One (NXT wire service) this national breast cancer cohort, CANCER WATCH icon 51 tamoxifen use was associated with Ovarian Cancer – Chlamydia G The vaccination is not a one-off and elevated risks of uterine cancer may well need repeating every 5 incidence and mortality. Uterine poses risk for both sexes years sarcomas appear to be overrepresented Chlamydia, the sexually transmitted among women who use tamoxifen.’ disease that affects one in ten sexually Cervical cancer now kills around 1,000 active British Adults, has been shown to women per year in the UK. At least one Abortion and be capable of making men, not just in ten under-aged girls is infected with women, infertile, according to scientists HPV, and this rises to 40 per cent by age Breast cancer risk. in Mexico and Spain. Chlamydia cases 24. Boys carry the virus but often A report in an American Medical have increased by over 200 per cent in without obvious signs (although genital Journal has caused concerns by covering the last 10 years. warts are caused by an HPV strain). a study which predicts that breast cancer levels in the UK will rise from Antibiotics can help the condition. Jackie Fletcher argues that it would almost 40,000 per year currently to There is also some increased risk in make more sense to offer the smear 65,000 by 2025 and points the finger at cases of ovarian cancer from the test to girls at a younger age. Again the abortions. The figures are based on a bacteria. Government would have a financial study which claims abortion increases problem. But we have previously risk by 30 per cent. This latest research comes at a time reported the greater accuracy and when the Government is scaling back reduced cost of the ‘vinegar and light’ As regular readers will know we have screening due to lack of funds. Doctors method adopted in other countries, looked into this and there are a argue more screening should take place which is constantly ignored in the UK. number of research studies, which and it should include males. completely rule out any increased risk Harpal Kumar, Cancer Research UK’s of breast cancer following abortions. Cervical Cancer - chief executive, confirms this view: “The Cancer Research UK agrees with us. Dr cervical screening programme is very Lesley Walker recently stated that Boys targeted in HPV effective. For women between 25 and women should not be worried about 49, three yearly screening prevents 84 this; a number of large independent business plan cervical cancers out of every 100 that studies – including a recent re-analysis Not content with trying to persuade the would develop without screening. He of data from 53 studies – has found no British Government that all young girls further added, “The vaccine approval is evidence of a link. should be vaccinated against HPV, fans an exciting step towards preventing of the new Merck and Glaxo vaccines cervical cancer in the UK. However, Ovarian cancer – (which cost around 300 pounds per jab) while the vaccine has the potential to have found a new leading voice in Dr prevent many cases of the disease, the symptoms not so silent Anne Szarewaki of Queen Mary’s and impact of a vaccination programme won’t be felt for many years” According to Dr Judith Wolf, associate Cancer Research UK, who wants all boys vaccinated too. professor in the Gynecologic Oncology In icon, we have also reported on the Center at M. D. Anderson, the so- As we commented in the last issue, benefits of elagic acid, which in four cvalled silent killer is not so silent if you separate US research studies showed pay attention to your body. It’s true Merck have now actually stopped lobbying for the same blanket inhibition of HPV and cervical cancer. symptoms can be tricky, but the issue is The tests involved feeding women half to notice changes and new symptoms. vaccination programme on girls in the USA. There were simply too many a cup of raspberries each day! New US guidelines on symptoms include: objections on a variety of grounds. However, the UK Government is in the If every girl were vaccinated just once G Bloating at age 12 this would make the vaccines G Pain in the: process of agreeing to vaccinations for every 12-13 year old girl as a norm. into a 100 million pound business in the - Pelvic area UK alone. But if boys were vaccinated - Abdomen Whilst we can understand the logic of and the vaccinations on both sexes - Lower back trying to ‘treat’ boys who can be ‘silent’ were repeated every 5 years the G Trouble eating or a feeling of getting carriers of HIV we observe the business could easily be worth 2 billion full quickly following pounds to the two drug makers. G Urinary symptoms (increased urgency, G Not all cervical cancer is caused by frequency) HPV Throat cancer: G Fatigue G The vaccines are only effective G Nausea tobacco and HPV against certain strains thought to G Pain during intercourse cause about 70 per cent of HPV The M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in G Constipation based cervical cancer Texas has shown a link between throat G Unusual menstrual changes G As Jackie Fletcher of JABS, the anti- cancer, oral sex and the sexually G Bleeding after menopause vaccination campaign, points out transmitted Human Papillomavirus there have been concerns expressed (HPV). This finding has prompted these “The symptoms are non specific, and already on the inadequacy of the researchers to join the clamour for most women experience a lot of them safety trials to date. And the vaccines vaccination of boys. However only ‘if as their hormones fluctuate," Wolf says. have been tested with adult women. ongoing studies deem it safe and "Women are used to experiencing Who knows accurately about effective in preventing viral infection’, unusual symptoms and just chalking effectiveness, or safety in young girls according to a review article published them up to hormonal changes." But and boys? We have already reported in the Oct. 1 issue of the journal Cancer. these symptoms may indicate ovarian cases of hospitalisation in young girls cancer if they are new symptoms; last in the USA and Australia, post M. D. Anderson's Erich Sturgis, M.D., an more than a few weeks; and/or occur vaccination associate professor in the Department more than 12 times a month. of Head and Neck Surgery, and Paul icon 52 CANCER WATCH

Cinciripini, Ph.D., a professor in the The scientists developed a virus called There are several major studies looking Department of Behavioral Science, Delta-24-RGD, which spreads into the effects of long-term usage at wrote the review. "We encourage the throughout the tumours and destroys the moment. Readers wanting more rapid study of the efficacy and safety of cancer cells without affecting healthy and objective information should read these vaccines in males and, if cells. ‘Mobile phones – it’s your call’ on our successful, the recommendation of Next step – clinical trials in humans. web site. vaccination in young adult and adolescent males," Brain Tumour Vaccine Rare Blood Cancer after

Their review shows that a decline in begins Phase II trial transplants – Killer T-Cell smoking over the last 20 years (due to Biotechnology company Antigenics has Treatment shows promise increased efforts to raise public reported that the brain tumour research awareness about the effects of tobacco center at the University of California, Blood cell donations could be used to use) has led to a decline in most head San Francisco, has initiated a Phase II treat transplant patients with a and neck cancers, except throat cancer. trial for cancer vaccine Oncophage in particular form of cancer, according to Also known as cancer of the the treatment of recurrent glioma. a Cancer Research UK study reported in oropharynx, throat cancer includes the journal Blood. cancers of the tonsils, base of the 30 patients with high-grade gliomas tongue and soft palate, and side and will be involved and will undergo A team of researchers at the University back of the throat. They attribute the surgery to remove their tumours, which of Edinburgh generated killer T-cells steady throat cancer statistics to the are then used to manufacture their from healthy Scottish blood donors and HPV virus (specifically HPV-16), which patient-specific ‘oncophage’ vaccines. injected them into patients with a type can be transmitted through oral sex. Eligible patients will be treated after of blood cell cancer called PTLD. This HPV-16 also causes cervical cancer, but surgery with oncophage once weekly form of cancer is caused by a virus in researchers state that cervical cancer for four weeks, followed by bi-weekly transplant patients whose immune has been in decline in the United States injections until vaccine depletion. systems have been suppressed to stop (probably because of cervical screening, their new organ from being rejected which results in the successful Andrew Parsa, assistant professor in the and affects up to around 10 per cent of treatment of pre-malignant cervical department of neurological surgery at transplant patients. lesions). the University of California, San Francisco, and principal investigator of Around two thirds of patients Colorectal cancers the trial, said: "We are highly responded to the treatment. If further encouraged by the preliminary Phase I trials are successful, a single bank of T- increased in coronary results in which we observed prolonged cells could potentially serve as a global disease patients overall survival when compared with source of immune cells to treat the historical controls, as well as a tumour- condition. JAMA 2007, 298; 1412-19 features a specific immune response in all treated report from Hong Kong based on 414 patients. Commencement of this Phase PTLD is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, patients who had previously undergone II trial with Oncophage (vitespen) is an a viral infection that over 90 per cent of coronary angiography for suspected important milestone in the adults carry. Normally the virus causes coronary artery disease (CAD). Those advancement of this novel therapy.” no ill effects but it can reactivate in with CAD had a 34 per cent prevalence transplant patients and cause PTLD. of colorectal adenomas compared with 19 per cent for the non-CAD group. Brain Tumours - Ten years Because children are less likely to have mobile phone use can raise been previously exposed to the virus, Environmental factors triggering they are more prone to develop PTLD inflammation were felt to be behind cancer risk, say experts when they meet the virus for the first both diseases. Don’t say we didn’t warn you! time after transplant. Researchers from Sweden – Dr Lennart Brain Tumours - Virus kills Hardell of the University Hospital in Lead researcher Dr Tanzina Haque, now Orebro, and Professor Kjell Mild of at the Royal Free and University College Brain Tumour Cells Umea University – have analysed 11 Medical School, London, said: “EBV M.D. Anderson scientists have tailored a major studies carried out around the infection after transplantation carries a virus to target and destroy brain world and concluded that there is clear high risk of PTLD. Our results are tumour stem cells according to a report evidence ‘that those who have used encouraging and show that T-cell in the Sept. 18 edition of the Journal of their phones for at least a decade are therapy could present a safe alternative the National Cancer Institute. Since 20 per cent more likely to develop treatment for the disease.” 2004, doctors have known that brain neuromas, and 30 per cent more likely tumours are driven by defective stem to develop malignant gliomas’. PhotoDynamic Therapy – cells that duplicate, causing the tumour (Neuromas are not themselves to grow. malignant but can be a fair sign of Thought to be able to "We have shown, first in lab trouble to come.) The results were activate immune system too. experiments using cell tissue, and then published in the journal ‘Occupational in stem cell-derived human brain cancer Environmental Medicine’. Although we featured this benefit of in mice, that we have a tool that can PDT in our report on this exciting and target and eliminate the cells that drive The risks were more pronounced where potentially non-invasive therapy more brain tumours," says co-senior author the phone is normally used on one side than a year ago, a new report in the Juan Fueyo, M.D., an associate of the head, in which case a doubling British Journal of Cancer claims the new professor in M. D. Anderson's of the incidence of gliomas was discovery: that PDT can do more than Department of Neuro-Oncology. reported. treat the cancer it is directly attacking. In early studies using animal models, CANCER WATCH icon 53 Roswell Park Researchers in the USA Organic Food really is Better Sunshine – new report says found that treatment with PDT stimulated the immune system to move for you. Case proven. it keeps you younger out and attack cancer cells elsewhere in The arguments must now be over. The Researchers from King’s College, the body. research is conclusive. The 12 million London, led by Dr Brent Richards have pound research study from the concluded that: “People who have To recap, PDT uses an agent which European Union, higher levels of vitamin D may age more attaches to the cancer cells. Then by (QualityLowInputFood, or QLIF), the slowly than people with lower levels”. shining light of a certain frequency biggest of its kind ever, say it loud and Despite concern that UV rays can onto the agent it produces free radical clear: “Organically produced crops and actually damage the skin and cause oxygen and kills the cancer cell. dairy milk usually contain more premature aging under the surface the Hitherto, many of the agents ‘beneficial compounds’ - like vitamins, sun’s benefits seem to be producing a developed in the USA have essentially minerals and anti-oxidants”. been ‘drugs’ and can kill healthy cells long and healthy life. as well. A new breed of natural, algae Specifically researchers have shown that King’s College specialises in the study of based agents developed by the there can be 40 per cent more benefit twins – researchers have found that the Russians has been seen to be far more in crops and 90 per cent in dairy. All bodies of women with high levels of targeted on cancer cells and to manner of beneficial compounds were vitamin D are biologically younger – stimulate the immune system at higher levels – for example vitamin and the main source of the vitamin throughout the body. Readers may care C, omega 3, iron, copper and zinc levels came from exposure to sunshine. to read our report on our web site. to name but five. The team studied 2,160 women aged Meanwhile the Roswell Park ‘drug’ One of CANCERactive’s patrons, between 18 and 79 by looking at part seems to have many of these immune Professor Carlo Leifert, is in charge of of their DNA known as telomeres, which system developing benefits too. Dr the project. “We are now trying to are biological markers stuck on to the Sandra Gollnick, senior author of the identify the best agricultural practices end of certain strands of DNA. As research, explains: that achieve the best results”, he says. people get older, these telomeres shrink. But scientists have realised that “Solely treating the tumours in the In a previous and much smaller study a the rate at which they reduce depends shoulder worked as normal for PDT. But few months ago – and covered in icon on the lifestyle of the person involved. it also sparked off an immune response – we quoted the Chairman of the The shorter the telomeres get, the that reduced the number of tumours in British Soil Association who said higher the risk that the person will the lungs as well. We made sure this pointedly at the time, ‘It’s always suffer cell damage and disease. wasn’t due to activated drug reaching reassuring when science finally catches The latest study found women with higher the lung tumours, and we were able to up with common sense”. levels of vitamin D had longer telomeres identify the precise part of the suggesting that exposure to sunshine immune system being activated. There have been an increasing number can not only keep telomeres long, of studies in recent years that ‘organic which protects against disease, but also “It’s the first time this effect has been is better’, but the FSA has refused to means the body is biologically younger. seen and explained in such detail, acknowledge that organic food was although other scientists have predicted better, and in so doing, has left the UK Breast Cancer - More that PDT could trigger an immune Government arguing in the same vein response.” against organic foods. This must now evidence that your Mental surely change. PDT is almost one hundred years old, State can give you cancer but with new laser delivery methods Further, more detailed results will be In the October/November 2007 and new agents it is at last coming into produced over the next 12 months. edition of Epidemology a study of its own. 36,000 Swedish women showed that Think Purple to beat cancer stress at work can increase your risk of breast cancer. LATEST NUTRITION AND Researchers in Ohio State University, led by Dr Monica Giusti, have shown that Studying the women (all between the LIFESTYLE FINDINGS eating purple, blue and red fruits and ages of 30 and 50 at the start of the 14 Largest ever study shows vegetables – like plums, blueberries, year period ending in 2004) researchers chokeberries, beetroot – slowed the ruled out the effects of alcohol, weight, ‘food’ and ‘exercise’ do rate of growth of colon cancer and number of children and so on. actually killed up to 20 per cent of the The researchers reported that those fight cancer cancer cells. women with full time stressful jobs had (Ed: We have been telling you about A new report, Food, Nutrition, Physical a 30 per cent increased risk of breast anthocyanins, the colour compound for Activity and the Prevention of Cancer, is cancer. Dr Hannah Kuper of the London 5 years now. The sad thing is that, quite clear: Food and Exercise play a School of Hygiene and Tropical rather than tell people to get on and significant role in the fight against Medicine who was one of the leaders of eat those fruits and vegetables, the cancer. the team felt that the stress might result researchers are looking to refine the in higher oestradiol levels or simply pigments into drugs. If refining such The World Cancer Research Fund (not weaken the immune system. to be confused with Cancer Research) factors into vitamin pills is deemed so reviewed more than 7,000 studies for limiting by orthodox medical The results prompted Cancer Research the report. The overall results show that practitioners, why wouldn’t the same to state that they had never found a link cancer risk can be cut by up to 40 per be true of turning them into drugs? between stress or any ‘adverse life cent. Keep it simple: Eat the fruit and experiences’ and cancer, in any of their vegetables!) studies. icon 54 CANCER WATCH

Ovarian and womb cancer: darkened-room, full sleep, or from light on health as part of a study of its women sleeping in artificial light effects on the environment. And finally, Women who eat crisps or conditions. The blood taken in darkness the EU will finish its own major study slowed the growth of the tumours by on EMF’s and in particular the effects in chips every day may double 80 per cent, whilst that taken after the workplace in February of 2008 their risk exposure to light accelerated it. (Coordinated by Minna Wilkki) Studies have shown that the light at (Ed: You can read all about melatonin Dutch scientists reported on the eating night interferes with melatonin, "the and cancer on our web site and even habits of 120,000 people found that hormone of darkness" which is secreted buy Asphalia – a plant equivalent on women who ate crisps and chips by the pineal gland about 1 hour after our shopping trolley.) regularly appeared more at risk of falling asleep in a darkened room at cancer. The rogue element is night. Melatonin is known to restrict Cancer risk with Dairy, again acrylamide, a chemical produced when cancers and also boost the immune you fry, grill, bake or roast foods to a system. Electromagnetic radiation, icon has covered research before on high temperature. We have reported on given off by power lines, mobile phones links to ovarian, breast and prostate this chemical several times before in and WiFi, has been found to have a cancers. Now research from New York, icon. similar negative effect on melatonin where 5,000 people were followed for levels in the blood stream. 65 years suggests that those children About 5 years ago Swedish studies who grew up in families with the caused a panic with fingers pointed at Professor Denis Henshaw of Bristol highest Dairy consumption (nearly two all manner of foods from crisps to University said that the radiation cups per day each) had close to three biscuits. A European team of scientists "suppresses melatonin in the same way times the risk of colorectal cancer later was briefed to make recommendations as light does". Next, The Royal in life. The study led by Dr Jolieke van – the problem is that acrylamide is Commission on Environmental Pollution der Pols of Queensland, looked at produced by most cooking methods if is to look into the impact of artificial children from England and Scotland. high temperatures are involved. The EU safe level is zero, so dangerous is the chemical

Now the University of Maastricht study, published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, finds a link between acrylamides in the diet and cancer risk.

An EU spokesman said: "General advice, resulting from this project, is to avoid overcooking when baking, frying or toasting carbohydrate-rich foods”. Disturbed sleep may well cause cancer The International Agency for Research on Cancer, the foremost international body on the disease, is considering officially labelling night-shift work as a "probable" human carcinogen, (Ed: Seriously - this is not April 1st), after a study found that nurses and flight attendants are more likely to develop breast cancer.

The study is the latest to make the link between exposure to light at night and cancer. Cancer has been shown to be 60 per cent more common among night- shift workers and there is even a similar rise among women who stay up late more than two or three times a week. Conversely, totally blind women are only half as likely to contract cancer. icon has previously covered research from the National Cancer Institute and National Institute of Environmental Health in the United States where human breast cancer tumours were grafted on to rats. In the early hours of the morning, the rats were then given blood which had either been previously taken from women during normal CANCER WATCH icon 55 Spicy foods may kill cancers Neurology has shown that taking 300 CHEMICAL WORLD mgs of aspirin a day reduces colon Nottingham University Scientists have cancer risk by 37 per cent overall and 74 Coffee ‘triples found that an ingredient of spicy per cent during the period 10-15 years peppers (Capsaicin) can cause cancer after treatment started. Alternatively paracetamol risks’ cell death by attacking the power you could already know this because Or is it vice versa? Scientists from the stations (or mitochondria). you read icon. (Oxford Today) University of Washington, reporting in Their research used in vitro lung cancer the Journal Chemical Research in cells. Lead researcher Dr Timothy Bates Acupuncture not effective in Toxicology, have concluded that mixing said: "As these compounds attack the caffeine and paracetamol can cause very heart of the tumour cells, we preventing radiotherapy liver damage. The studies all involved believe that we have in effect discovered induced nausea rats and bacteria rather than humans a fundamental 'Achilles heel' for all but were dubbed ‘highly indicative’ by cancers. The ingredient attacks a unique According to researchers led by Ann researchers. Previous research studies enzyme in a cancer cell’s energy Enblom at Linkoping, Sweden, patients have shown that even small excesses of producing mechanism, a system which is who had two to three sessions of paracetamol can cause liver damage by very different to that of a healthy cell. acupuncture each week to reduce producing a toxin. In the presence of Indeed, the capsaicin does not attack a nausea during radiotherapy, had no less caffeine this toxin almost tripled. healthy cell. nausea than the group using a placebo. Previous research had shown that heavy alcohol intake could have the same The fact that capsaicin and other Scientists find fact in magnifying effect with paracetamol vanilloids are already commonly found and liver damage. Dr Sidney Nelson, in the diet proves they are safe to eat. Metabolic typing who led the study, did admit that The researchers feel that this could make Following two studies by British and dosages were far higher than would development of a drug containing them normally be the case in humans. a much quicker and cheaper process. Swedish scientists (Physorg.com Oct 12, 2007 and Journal of Proteome Research Dr Bates added: "Capsaicin, for example, 02-11-07) where chocoholics were Dozens hurt in Israel Druze is already found in treatments for muscle studied against the norm, scientists strain and psoriasis - which raises the believe genetic factors caused the village clashes over phone question of whether an adapted topical eating desire. Metabolic typing seeks to mast treatment could be used to treat certain analyse your biochemical type and types of skin cancer” provide the best foods for your health. Dozens of police and protestors were injured in clashes in a Druze village of However, a spokesperson for Cancer northern Israel where demonstrators Research UK stated that the Should there be legislation charge a mobile phone mast has caused development was in a very early stage against Salt? an outbreak of cancer. and that one could not jump from in vitro tests to conclusions about human Well, in the USA it could well be Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said reactions. coming soon. Dr Mercola reports that 30 people were hurt in the unrest when the advocacy group, Center for Science police went to Pekiin to make arrests Skin Cancer – in the Public Interest (CSPI), has filed a over the uprooting two days ago of a petition with the U.S. Food and Drug mobile phone transmission antenna rub in broccoli sprouts Administration (FDA). The petition outside the village. alleges that because of its negative Seriously, according to research in the health impacts, salt should no longer be Proceedings of the National Academy Local leaders said police came to the considered safe, and its safe status town after residents destroyed a of Sciences October 30, 2007, vol. 104, should be revoked. no. 44, 17500-17505, broccoli, and the cellular phone tower they believed was sprouting seeds in particular, contain a The FDA has scheduled a hearing in causing cancer. chemical called sulphoraphane, which response, where they will discuss activates cancer-fighting enzymes inside revising their salt regulations. "There have been a lot of complaints your skin cells. The researchers used about cancer cases here and youths Eating too much sodium has been destroyed a mobile phone mast... broccoli seed extract to reduce skin linked to high blood pressure and heart cancer risk, burning and redness from Clashes broke out this morning when disease. More than three-quarters of police arrived," Mohammed Khir, head UV exposure. They are now looking at the salt in the average American diet the effects on other cancer tissues. of the Druze community, told public comes from processed foods. radio. Colon Cancer – CSPI has petitioned the FDA about its salt regulations previously, asking for Taiwan dismantling 1500 risk decreased by Aspirin limits for sodium in processed foods, and suggesting adding warning labels phone masts If you wonder where all the cancer on packages of salt that weighed more In a slightly more peaceful frame, research money goes – here’s another than half an ounce. Taiwanese legislators have decreed that example. 25 years after John Vane won ”residential neighbourhoods and his knighthood for showing that aspirin (Ed: We do keep telling you this!!! schools must not be exposed to the risk could reduce localised inflammatory Sodium also disrupts the cell’s of radiation emitted by the Mobile hormones, prompting a plethora of mitochondria – the power stations. Too Phone Base Stations that could cause studies with aspirin, scientists are still much sodium reduces energy cancer, miscarriages and diseases of the reinventing the wheel. production and oxygen intake, setting nervous system, and could even drive up an acid cellular system which is people to suicide”. In all 1500 phone A study by Professor Peter Rothwell in dangerous, and a cancer risk. Our masts will be taken down as a result of Oxford University’s Dept of Clinical advice is maximum 1 gm per day) the ruling. icon 56 CANCERACTIVE NEWS GET ACTIVE IN 2008 A Close Shave AND RAISE MONEY FOR CANCERactive! For Cancer Here are some of the many sponsored fundraising (Extracts from Sue Dollimore’s events available throughout 2008. daughter’s fundraising letter)

In May last year my mum was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.This is a form of cancer that affects the lymphatic system.

There are more than 30 different sorts of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, and everyone’s experience is different. My mother has always had an interest in medicine and in particular, various forms of alternative medicine. She worked as a district nurse for many years before training as a masseuse and setting up her own business at home. She also worked for Marie Curie Cancer Care caring for cancer patients in their own homes.

More recently she has worked for North Devon Hospice as an aromatherapist.With this back ground she is educated enough to know that there are many ways of dealing with illness and wanted to be, in some ways, PARACHUTE JUMP in control of her own recovery. She did a Available throughout the year huge amount of research and has been having Minimum sponsorship £375 various different treatments.Alongside these If you have ever wanted to do a parachute she is also undergoing a course of jump, here is your chance! Encounter the chemotherapy. thrill of skydiving solo from up to 12,000 feet, a ‘tandem skydive’ from 10,000 feet attached As you can imagine this was a huge shock to to a professional instructor or ‘static line’ our whole family and the term ‘chemo’ jump up to 3,000 feet. Over 20 locations to conjured up allsorts of terrifying images choose from. Come on, it is an experience of although we all knew that it should, in the a lifetime! long term, be beneficial.

ICELAND TREK 16th – 24th August 2008 Minimum sponsorship £2500 If you want to do something exhilarating and adventurous, then this challenge is for you. Imagine treking through some of the world’s most spectacular wilderness areas in Europe with a mix of wild volcanic landscape, steaming lave fields, icecaps, waterfalls and much more!

What’s included? Our event organisers, Skyline, take care of all organisation, customer care and administration. All flights, transfers, accommodation and food will be taken care of as well as any other specialist items which LONDON 2PARIS BIKE RIDE may be required on each trip. Skyline also arrange a pre and post event party for the 2nd – 6th July and 10th – 14th participants. September 2008 Minimum sponsorship £1100 Ashamedly, my first thought was ‘oh my god So if you would like to have FUN whilst If you have a passion for cycling then why not she’s going to lose her hair’. FUNdraising for CANCERactive then take part in what promises to be the trip of a contact us now for more details! lifetime! Prepare to be overwhelmed as you This got me thinking.Why should I be Tel:01280 821 211 cycle through beautiful English villages and worrying about hair? I’d rather have a hairless [email protected] into the stunning countryside of rural France. mummy than no mummy at all! So I thought www.canceractive.com CANCERACTIVE NEWS icon 57 WE NEED YOUR HELP! Here are some easy ways to help us raise funds on behalf of CANCERactive. well if she’s going to lose her hair then I’m losing mine too. Show her that we’re in this together. Stand united! Everyclick.com

I was on a roll. I got on the phone to my Every month Everyclick donates to charities half of the gross revenue it receives. Make eldest brother, Peter, feeling a bit nervous as CANCERactive one of them by making everyclick.com your web search engine. To register, he’s had long ginger hair since his teens! But type in the following link: http://www.everyclick.com/uk/search/setup/charity no sooner had I mentioned it, he said he had Don’t forget to nominate CANCERactive as your chosen charity. Spread the word to friends been thinking along the very same lines and and family! was getting a bit sick of his old mane anyway. Our other brother,Tim, was up for it too, so THE UTILITY WAREHOUSE DISCOUNT CLUB we told mum. The Utility Warehouse Discount club provides everyday utilities like phone, internet, mobile phone, electricity and gas. They guarantee to save you money on these services compared to most other suppliers and what’s also great is that they put all your utilities on one clear and convenient monthly bill.

If you join the Utility Warehouse as a customer, they will pay up to 5% of your monthly utility bill to CANCERactive every month. It’s as simple as that.

Joining the Utility Warehouse is easy. Call them on freephone 0800 131300 quoting our unique appeal number B57155 to make sure your donation comes to us. It is an easy way to raise money and saves you money! Nothing changes at your home – you get the same gas and electricity in the same pipes and wires. It is an easy way to raise money and it saves you money! We benefit everytime your use your phone, turn on the heating or even making a cup of tea! The grand event was held on Sunday 9th December at The Old Smithy in Make a One-off Donation Devon. It was widely attended by staff, Making a donation is easy and every little bit helps. Our directors and trustees take no regulars and the local press and radio. If remuneration, so you know every penny is going to the areas of our work that matter. Simply you would like to find out more about go to our the DONATE button on our website www.canceractive,com, select the amount you this event go to would like to give from the drop-down box.This will add your donation to the shopping basket. www.acloseshaveforcancer.com Don’t forget to tick the GIFT AID.This means the HMRC will give us a further percentage of tax back on top of what you have donated. Over £1200 has been kindly raised for How easy is that? CANCERactive! A HUGE thank you to Sue, Mick, Peter and Tim Dollimore, Chrissy Robertson and their generous Why not make a regular donation to friends and family! CANCERactive by direct debit? Health update If you donate at least £3.00 per month to help us, we promise to help you.You will receive Sue Dollimore has recently been told that quarterly issues of icon magazine, e-newsletters and unlimited access to our web site. her bone marrow is clear of Lymphoma. Donate £5.00 or more every month and you will also receive big discounts on our books, Great News! personal prescriptions and Products of Choice.

Contact us on 01280 821 211 or email us at [email protected] to receive a direct debit form. OUR PROMISE: The money goes where it matters. You can be sure every penny you give helps people.

Our Trustees and Directors take no money at all for their work. cancer How many big cancer charities can say the same? icon 58 IT’S ONLY NATURAL SPAGYRIC MEDICINE AND CANCER SUPPORT

We have had so many enquiries about Spagyric Medicine we felt we had to include it in our magazine as soon as possible. Here Elisabeth Bindschaedler, a pharmaceutical chemist, naturopath, homeopath and aromatherapist from Geneva, gives us an overview. She frequently gives lectures on natural medicine in Switzerland and her web site is [email protected] IT’S ONLY NATURAL icon 59

t is accepted that conventional cancer treatments can cause collateral damage to healthy cells and body systems, often resulting in problems such as gastrointestinal Idisturbances, mouth sores, fatigue and insomnia, or excessive sleepiness.

Spagyric medicine is a term often unfamiliar to cancer sufferers and healthcare professionals, yet this medical system is proving to deserve close consideration not only due to its remarkable potential in reducing the damaging side- effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, but also because it is always evolving with new natural blends to help those on their cancer journey.

It was the great Swiss physician Paracelsus (1493–1541) who introduced Spagyric medicine in the West 500 years ago. The Spagyric system of natural medicine can be best described as a bridge between classical homeopathy and modern herbal medicine. There are many different brands of Spagyrics and there can be more than ten distinct ways of making these natural medicines and different philosophies. This article refers only to Spagyric essences made at Phylak Laboratories, Yew and Madagascar Perinwinkle are rich in anti-cancer which are often called PHYLAK- SPAGYRIC. components, the resulting Spagyric essence is devoid of such substances, due to the specific preparation process that As a supportive therapy to help cancer sufferers, the special eliminates all alkaloids and toxics, but keeps the energetic Spagyric combination RCTH01, produced uniquely in the healing potential of the plant. That explains why such Swiss-German Laboratories, PHYLAK- Sachsen, has no known accompanying treatments are perfectly safe and do not side effects or interactions with herbal or allopathic interfere with allopathic remedies. This curative energetic medication. power of the Spagyric essences therefore offers unique support to the patient undergoing orthodox medical treatment. This combination RCTH01 has been shown in various cases to help in the regeneration of damaged cells affected by cancer Although classed as a homeopathic product on the drugs. It may improve the quality of life of cancer patients. It Continent, Spagyric is not made by successive dilution as in also gives good results in pre-cancerous conditions (cysts, classical homeopathy, but by a special process that enhances warts and polyps) and is beneficial after cancer surgery, as it the energetic healing power of the plant. More information brings vitality, boosts the immune system and is a preventive may be found on www.spagyricmedicine.com medicine as well as promoting good health and vitality in general. This means that the essences referred to in this article can be ordered without prescription. In addition to RCTH01, a personalised blend of Spagyric may be given separately to the patient, depending on the type of cancer. For example, in breast cancer Symphytum officinale, pagyric essences are not intended to take the place of Comfrey, is usually included as it balances the intestinal flora cancer treatments recommended by oncologists. damaged by many allopathic cancer treatments. However, both orthodox and complementary medicine There is also Taxus baccata, English Yew, whose active Scan work hand-in-hand for the benefit of cancer ingredient, namely paclitaxel, now commercialised under the patients. Spagyric is mainly a vibrational medicine and trade name TAXOL®, was found to have a unique way of requires a leap of faith to use it. Though Spagyric is a safe preventing the growth of cancer cells. It has been used in support, it is not a total alternative to conventional breast, ovarian, prostate, lung, pancreatic and other cancers. treatment and no one should discard their doctor's advice.

Another important essence is made from Catharanthus PHYLAK SPAGYRIC is always evolving and research continues, roseus, Madagascar Periwinkle, the plant from which two while ongoing seminars are organised across Europe on this very powerful anti-cancer agents were discovered which area of natural medicine. inhibit tumour growth. Readers should note that we have an article on Paracelsus on Thuja occidentalis, White Cedar, is renowned for its our web site. immune-boosting properties. It helps in the case of appetite loss, nausea and colic associated with cancer treatments. For further information on Spagyric Medicine, you Thuja is often prescribed in homeopathy for hair loss. may contact Yvonne Ferrell (landline: 07071 780229. Overseas 00 44 1753 889528 or, even better, email her It must be well understood that although plants such as English on [email protected] ESSENTIAL READING ON CANCER

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