On January 4, 2002, I was diagnosed with Lung Cancer that had spread to the brain. I have an 8 year old, a 13 year old and a 15 year old at home. Because the cancer had already spread to my brain, the doctor is not very reassuring that we can beat it.

Does anyone know of any alternative medicine to try?

I've had 15 rounds of radiation and I'm on my 2nd set of Chemo (3 weeks and then no chemo for one week).

Anything you can offer will be appreciated. Please keep me and my family in your prayers.

I have no advice for you. I just want to tell you how sorry I am that you are going through such a horrific thing and I will definitely keep you in my prayers as you asked. God bless you.

JMSwan,

My father lung cancer has spread to his liver. He is getting his second round of chemo. What chemo are you getting? How do you feel?

Some of the things we have tried have been grape juice diet. We haven't had a CT scan this round so I don't know if it is working. His CT scan is on March 5.

I will keep you in my prayers. God Bless.

If your doctor says that at this point that you are no longer responding to conventional treatment, if I were you, I would look at alternative treatments that enhance the immune system, like better diet and herbs etc. (instead of doing nothing). In some rare cases, you hear of people healing themselves this way, like what was written on the Cancer section (about Cantron) in this healthboard. I don't want to give you any false hopes and sure some of this is not scientifically proven, but some people have claimed it has helped them.

I can't say that any of this could help you, but you could check it out. My heartfelt concern goes out to you and your family. I hope that you can get better.

I know of one other example of someone that I know that has stopped her cancer with herbs intermittently. She is quite elderly. She has been fighting this cancer for about 10 years or so (a remarkably long time). One time she said it was in her liver. She'll get it, then remove it with her herbal treatment. She has gone back and forth between chemotherapy and her herbs, as it goes into remission and then comes back. The last I knew (I asked about her a couple of days ago), is that the doctors talked her into taking chemotherapy again, and she developed a very bad reaction. Because of that bad reaction, I heard that she discontinued chemotherapy. So, as far as I can assume, she's back to taking her herbs. Her herbs have always helped her bounce back. I thought we would have lost her about a year ago, when I heard it spread throughout her inner organs, when she developed pneumonia in the hospital, and her immune system was compromised. But she's still here with us.

She sold herbs for a long time before she had to stop because of her illness. I met her at her herb shop years ago. She is in her mid-eighties. She's a remarkable person - she has a tenacious spirit. She and I would talk a long time how herbs have helped us. The only herb that she talked about taking for this cancer to me was Milk Thistle. I remember hearing that she was trying Yellow Dock too. There most likely were other herbs too, but I don't know what they are.

Herbal therapy is a science that is not very well understood in the United States, so it might be hard to find a health professional that could help you with this. This would take some research. With herbal treatment it's a must that a proper healthy diet be followed. You must do everything possible to try to stay healthy and build your immune system.

Try talking around and see if there are some holistic medical doctors that could give you some ideas. There's a lot out there, that I'm sure that I'm not even aware of. I'm always hearing of someone that claims to have beaten cancer with alternative medicine. There's also clinical trials of new promising treatments too.

My dauther was 18 years old when diagnose
on 6/7/01 right lung removed, diagnosed Nonsmall cell Adenocarcinoma lung cancer, stage IV. MRI 6/11/01 brain showed
1 1.3cm tumor and 8-10 sub centimeter lesions. Started chemo 6/18/01, on 7/12/01 another MRI brain shows significant reduction (15%-20%) in one of the major lesion and can no longer see some of the smaller lesions, have had no radiation yet. 9/7/01 another MRI it showed brain tumor and lesions are smaller by 80% and only showing 3 or 4 lesion in brain. Done 4 rounds (vp16 and cisplatin) of chemo, the doc’s can’t believe it. New plan, no whole brain radiation start on new chemo drugs (gemzar and cisplatin). 9/24/01 had a Hickman catheter put in the right atriun. Do all test again, PET scan, CT scan, MRI and a lung test. 10/5/01 CT scan showed no change. The last ct scan was 8/16/01. The PET scan was on 10/9/01 thing look good. This new chemo is very hard on the body. Red blood count gone down to a 6.8 so on 10/16/01 got 2 units of red blood cell. Had to stop chemo on 11/12/01 after 2 round body needs a break! Have a CT scan 12/7/01 (chest, abdomen, and pelvis) pulmonary metastic disease appears somewhat improved compared with 10/5/01. MRI on 12/7/01 shows 1 lesion 6mm seen in the superior aspect of the left frontal lobe of brain, decreased in size since prior examination. The other lesions are not visible and no other new suspicious lesion. On 12/21/01 been selected to participant in an expanded access Clinical Program with ZD1839 (IRESSA) for patients with advanced NON-SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER. Started on 1/7/02 taking 250mg IRESSA (pill form, once a day). 2/12/02 CT scan (chest, abdomen, and pelvis) the pulmonary metastatic described previously are barely discernible. Will have a MRI of brain on 3/13/02 and a CT scan (chest, abdomen, and pelvis) on 4/1/02.
WE BELIVE IN THE POWER OF PRAYER, WE HAVE GREAT PEOPLE AROUND US!!! I HAVE THREE DAUTHERS ADRIANE IS 19 NOW AND TAKING SOME CLASSES AT THE JC SHE HAS BEEN HELP COACH WATER POLO AND SWIMMING AT HER SISTERS HIGH SCHOOL (ANGELA IS 18 AND ALISON WILL BE 16 AT THE END OF THE MONTH) ADRIANE IS DOING GREAT HER BOYFRIEND NIC HAS BEEN RIGHT BY HER SIDE. YOU HAVE TO BELIVE,
YOU HAVE TO HAVE HOPE.
LUNG CANCER IS NOT GOING TO STOP THIS 19 YEAR OLD!!!
SO THIS MOM SAYS "THANK YOU GOD AND KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!"

Hi, JMSwan, I'm very sorry to read of your troubles. I don't know if this will help, but I know of a doctor whose mother recovered from Stage IV Lung Cancer
(the most serious kind). In addition to the trraditional therapies, she also took a soup, which her son, Dr. Sun, prescribed. She has now been tumor free for over 12 years. This soup is presently available to the general public - it has been submitted for FDA approval. It's being sold by Sun Farm Corporation for about $600-$700 for a one month's supply. I wrote another posting on this lung cancer message board in more detail under JASMINE, Non small cell lung cancer, Stage 4 - including Dr. Sun's credentials, clinical trials, ingredients in the soup, etc., if you are interested. (I'm too tired to re-write the whole thing right now - sorry.)

God Be With You,

Tien Lee


[This message has been edited by moderator2 (edited 03-23-2002).]