Fighting Cancer This book is available to you without charge with the belief that it offers you methods to improve the quality of your life and increase your chances of successfully fighting cancer. After you have read the book, please give it to another cancer patient. If you are unable to do this, please give it to a library or minister so that they may loan it to someone it can help. We would appreciate hearing from you after you read this book. Drop us a note. We care about you! Annette Bloch Bloch Cancer Hot Line One H&R Block Way Kansas City, MO 64105 816-854-5050 800-433-0464 [email protected] i ii Annette and Richard Bloch Fighting Cancer A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO HELPING YOURSELF FIGHT CANCER Foreword by Vincent T. DeVita, Jr., M.D. Director of the National Cancer Institute 1980 1988 Published by R.A. Bloch Cancer Foundation One H&R Block Way, Kansas City, Missouri 64105 816-854-5050 800-433-0464 www.blochcancer.org A not-for-profit corporation iii Copyright © 2008 by the R. A. Bloch Cancer Foundation Manufactured in the United States First Printing May 1985 Second Printing May 1988 Third Printing October 1989 Fourth Printing July 1990 Fifth Printing May 1991 Sixth Printing July 1992 Seventh Printing March 1995 Eighth Printing March 1998 Ninth Printing October 1998 Tenth Printing January 1999 Eleventh Printing October 2002 Twelfth Printing April 2005 Thirteenth Printing August 2008 Cover design by Gary Worth Cover photography by Mick McGee Typesetting Courtesy of H&R Block Creative Services Department by Christina Hankinson iv Editor’s Preface was terrified that I would lose my father, IRichard Bloch, after he was diagnosed with stage III lung cancer and given three months to live. That was March of 1978. Thank God he sought a second opinion, underwent a long and difficult treatment and was completely cured! For the remaining 26 years of his life, my father devoted himself to helping other people fight cancer, and my mother joined him in that mission. In 1984, my parents finished writing Fighting Cancer. They handed it to me to edit and publish. This is the thirteenth printing, and with each printing as I read through Fighting Cancer, I am surprised at how good it is! We have periodically revised the book to make sure that the statistics and treatments are current. In this edition, the University of Kansas Cancer Center staff aided us in updating the contents. I want to especially thank Lynn Marzinski RN MSN AOCN CNS for her work on this revision. We receive letters regularly from people who have found Fighting Cancer to be extremely v helpful. As long as that is the case, we will continue to distribute the book. So, even though my father passed away a (from heart failure, not cancer!), my family and I with the wonderful support of our dedicated staff and volunteers will continue with my father’s mission of helping the next person who gets cancer. This book is my father’s voice start to finish; it sounds just like him. I hope you, too, can hear Dad’s voice as you read, and that his unsinkable spirit will inspire and assist you as it has so many others. Linda Bloch Lyon vi Dedication his book is written for and dedicated to Tthe people with cancer who want to do everything in their power to help themselves and their doctor so they will have the best chance of beating their disease. Five days after I was told I had “terminal” lung cancer, another doctor told me he would cure me so I could work for cancer. I promised that if he did, I would. CANCER...there’s hope, Fighting Cancer and Guide for Cancer Supporters are three of the many projects we are working on to fulfill that promise. We trust this book will provide you with the knowledge, hope, inspiration and desire to successfully fight your disease. One woman wrote to us saying, “Last August 24, I had surgery for ovarian cancer. The doctor said the cancer had spread throughout the abdominal cavity and he saw no point in putting me through chemotherapy or radiation. He felt I should live whatever time I had left in peace and dignity. I refused to accept that and decided to read everything I could on my enemy. One of the first books I read was Richard Bloch’s vii CANCER...there’s hope. After reading this, I started practicing “imaging” and continued to read and practice attitudinal healing. When the doctor next saw me, he was so surprised at my appearance and progress, he decided to go ahead with chemotherapy. The cancer now seems to be localized in one mass that should be removable by surgery... I feel I owe a great deal to Mr. Bloch’s books...” We know everyone cannot beat cancer. If this book helps just one person overcome their problem, all our efforts will be worthwhile. Maybe that one person can be you. viii Acknowledgments ur sincerest gratitude to the wonderful Odoctors and other individuals without whose conscientious and dedicated time and assistance, this book would not have been possible: Dr. Vincent T. DeVita, Jr., former director of the National Cancer Institute, and his very capable staff who assisted in reviewing this manuscript. The outstanding medical oncologist, radiation oncologist, pathologist, diagnostic radiologist, surgeon and psychologist who, even though extremely busy, took their valuable time and meticulously went over this book, offering valuable comments and suggestions. The well-known and beloved minister who helped us examine the spiritual aspects of a life-threatening illness. Our daughter, Linda Lyon, whose countless hours of editing and efforts in publishing made this book a reality. ix And particularly to all those wonderful doctors who donated their efforts at the R.A. Bloch Cancer Management Center, from whose guidance and inspiration we were able to gain the knowledge to assemble this information. x Table of Contents Chapter Foreward 13 Introduction 15 1 Understanding Cancer 23 2 Initial Approach 45 3 Medical Treatments 69 4 Quiz 99 5 Mental Attitude 115 6 Physician-Patient Communication 121 7 Self-Help Exercises 135 8 Prayer 155 9 Smoking 161 10 Pain Relief 167 11 Diet 177 12 Conclusions 185 13 24 Most Asked Questions 195 14 Check List 227 About The Authors 235 xi xii Foreword his book is a product of Dick and Annette TBloch’s own experience with cancer. The overriding message that cancer patients must utilize all available information to seek out the best possible care and do everything they can to maximize their chances for therapeutic success is a vital one. This is a strong personal statement about striving for life. It should motivate many cancer patients to obtain state-of-the-art treatment and to play an active part in increasing their own chances of being among the growing number of survivors. Vincent T. DeVita, Jr., M.D. Director, 1980-1988 National Cancer Institute 13 xiv Introduction ancer is the most curable of all chronic Cdiseases. Today, the goal is not merely to prolong life the best that could be hoped for in the past but to cure the patient of the disease. Everyone cannot beat cancer. Some people are going to succumb to it. If you try to fight it, however, you have a chance of beating it. This book is not written to entertain or lecture. It is written as concisely as possible by a layman in layman’s language to help the individual who has cancer have the best possible chance of beating it. Be positive! Start with the assumption that everything in this book applies to you. Don’t be negative. Don’t assume that anything may be fine for someone else but not for you. That particular constructive suggestion is specifically for you! Don’t knock it until you have tried it. After you give it a fair trial, then and only then can you honestly say it isn’t for you. 15 16 Fighting Cancer You are a unique person. You have been brought up with individual standards, practicing your own set of customs based on your beliefs from the experiences to which you were exposed. Not only is no one else identical to you, but they are not even similar to you. There will be many things in this book that you can readily identify with and completely understand. Other facets will seem contrary to your nature and beyond belief or comprehension. I urge you to remember that these are generally not only my personal opinions or beliefs; they are the recommendations of outstanding scientists, physicians and other professionals who deal with cancer patients regularly. The only purpose in writing this book is to see that you have the best chance of beating cancer as easily as possible. We are not writing this book for money we will never get one penny from it. We are not writing it for ego we have had more than enough accolades, even though we always like to see your letters. We are not writing this book to keep ourselves busy there are more things we want to do than we have time for. We don’t know you and probably will never meet you. We are writing this book for your benefit only! Introduction 17 Nothing is put in this book to fill space. You got it to help you fight cancer, not to keep you busy reading. It is not possible to emphasize enough how important every item expressed is to the assurance of recovery.