Shannon Brownlee
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 Eventually, clinical trials would show that cobalt bomb therapy was no better than standard, less-damaging radiation treatment. The immediate result of the therapy was that her mother's chest, says McAndrew, "looked like she'd been sunbathing topless at Hiroshima." The long-term result for Jean was that by the early 1990s she was having chest pains and finding it increasingly difficult to breathe. The radiation treatment had scarred her right lung, and this subsequently overtaxed her heart as it tried to pump blood to her stiffening lung. |
| In 1962, Jean underwent a radical mastectomy and "cobalt bomb therapy," intense radiation treatment that her doctors hoped would prevent the cancer from returning. Eventually, clinical trials would show that cobalt bomb therapy was no better than standard, less-damaging radiation treatment. The immediate result of the therapy was that her mother's chest, says McAndrew, "looked like she'd been sunbathing topless at Hiroshima." The long-term result for Jean was that by the early 1990s she was having chest pains and finding it increasingly difficult to breathe. |
Bill Sardi
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 Patti would fly by airplane from Northern California to receive gamma knife radiation treatment (radiation therapy in which high-energy radiation is aimed at a tumor from many angles) at a southern California medical center. The treatment had no chance of curing her cancer, but it was all she had to hope for.
Later, back in Northern California, Patti endured chemotherapy, and called me on the phone, not knowing who to trust any more. She was looking for a way to conquer cancer without poisoning herself, and her caregivers were telling her to suffer through more chemotherapy. |
Bottom Line Health
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| Andre Konski, clinical research director of the radiation oncology department at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in
Philadelphia, and his colleagues studied 84 men who underwent external beam radiation treatment for prostate cancer five years before.
They compared the outcomes of patients younger than 55 with those 60 to 69 years of age and with those 70 and older. All of the men were in similar stages of the disease.
At the five-year mark, Konski's team found no statistically significant difference in the health status of the men in the three groups. |
Joan Liebmann-Smith, Ph. D., and Jacqueline Nardi Egan
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 Unfortunately, as most of us are all too aware, sudden hair loss can be a reaction to chemotherapy and radiation treatment for cancer. Just as these treatments stop rapidly dividing cancer cells from multiplying, they also stop the rapidly growing hair
SIGNIFICANT FACT
SIGN OF THE TIMES
The Polish-French composer and pianist Chopin was purported to have had a beard on only the right side of his face—the side seen by the audience.The unseen side, he claimed, didn't matter. |
| Both hair texture change and hair loss are also common reactions to chemotherapy or radiation treatment for cancer. The good news is that both these changes are usually temporary.
VYour hairdresser can be your friend in more ways than one. Hairdressers are often the first to recognize and remark on hair texture changes.These changes may be the early clues to thyroid conditions and other underdiagnosed disorders.
HAIR COLOR CHANGES
Hair color, like eye and skin color, depends primarily on how much melanin (color-producing pigments) we inherit from our parents. |
| It's also a common result of chemotherapy and radiation treatment. A metallic taste signals to some epileptics that a seizure may be coming on.
SIGNIFICANT FACT
If your taste in music leans more toward heavy metal than light rock, the metallic taste may be an unexpected result of another one of the latest trends—tongue piercing with a small metal barbell. It can also be a tip-off that your tongue—or even your gums or nose—is bleeding. The iron in your blood gives off a metallic taste. |
Thomson Healthcare, Inc.
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 The effectiveness of Calendula ointment was compared to that of trolamine, a commonly used topical nonsteroidal compound for enhancing skin healing, in preventing radiation-induced dermatitis in a phase III study involving 254 women undergoing radiation treatment after breast cancer surgery. The women were randomly divided into two groups. In one, 126 participants were instructed to apply the Calendula to the irradiated area after each session and two other times during the day, or more if dermatitis and pain were felt. The other 128 patients applied the trolamine. |
Shannon Brownlee
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| The long-term result for Jean was that by the early 1990s she was having chest pains and finding it increasingly difficult to breathe. The radiation treatment had scarred her right lung, and this subsequently overtaxed her heart as it tried to pump blood to her stiffening lung. By 1995, Jean was tethered to an oxygen tank and declining steadily. It was clear she was going to die of either sudden heart failure or her lungs simply giving out.
In March 1998, nine months before her death, Jean told her daughter she'd had a mammogram on the remaining breast. |
Joan Liebmann-Smith, Ph. D., and Jacqueline Nardi Egan
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| Occasionally, dry mouth signals an injury to the salivary glands from a neck trauma, surgery, radiation treatment, or chemotherapy. Radiationrelated dry mouth is permanent, while the dry mouth from chemotherapy is usually temporary.
Dry mouth may be an early warning sign of certain autoimmune disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis and Sjogren's syndrome. (See
Appendix I. |
Bill Sardi
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| A stockbroker by trade, he had undergone successful radiation treatment for lymphomas, which were visible on his neck. But now the lymphomas were back and his doctor feared they were spreading.
Mike knew he had to learn more than he ever wanted to know about cancer. He began supplementing his diet with extra vitamin D, some herbs (curcumin, green tea and resveratrol) along with some vitamin C. About a year later, with a large growing 3.2 centimeter lymphoma on his neck, he had to do something. He increased the amount of resveratrol. |
Thomson Healthcare, Inc.
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| Limited evidence suggests it may help prevent altitude sickness and the side effects of cancer radiation treatment.
Bee pollen is thought to balance the endocrine system and provide specific benefits for menstrual and prostate disorders. Proponents also claim that bee pollen can improve sexual performance, prevent infection and cancer, prolong life, produce weight loss or weight gain, and aid the treatment of renal disease, colitis, and skin blemishes (Mirkin 1989; Mansfield et al 1981). |
Bill Sardi
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| International Journal Radiation Oncology Biology Physics Jan 31, 2006]
—? radiation treatment after breast cancer surgery increases the incidence of local artery disease and hemorrhagic arterial plaque. [American Journal Pathology 168:649-58, 2006] Cancer doctors will blame the death
Estrogen receptors: Positive/Negative Cancer
Estrogen _n
A. Positive breast cancer
Tamoxifen
Estrogen receptor
Cell proliferation
Controlled by estrogen Inhibited by tamoxifen
B. |
Tanya Harter Pierce
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 Lorraine Day shows medical manuals that list the possibility of secondary cancers due to radiation treatment. She also talks about the many other very serious and life-threatening side effects that can be caused by radiation treatments for cancer. Dr. Day makes the point that the ACS, AMA, and FDA refer to radiation treatments as "safe and effective" for cancer patients, yet radiation technicians, doctors, and nurses are all urged to protect themselves against much lower, indirect doses of the same radiation by wearing lead vests and carrying out other protective procedures. |
Bill Sardi
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| Based on what she tells me, her father is of advanced age and probably has the invasive form of prostate cancer that is spreading throughout his body, for which there is no effective treatment. The radiation treatment they are doing is to relieve pain and shrink the tumor at its site of origin, while nothing is being done to stop the flames of cancer from reaching the other organs in the body.
I bring her a bag of dietary supplements for her father to take, and inquire if she thinks he would be interested in using them. She says, "yes. |
| If just 10% of malignant cells over-activate HIF-1 the tumor is more likely to resist radiation treatment. [Molecular Cancer Therapeutics 3: 647-54, 2004]
Cancer investigators believe HIF-1 inhibiting drugs may overcome the problems posed by fast-growing solid tumors. Researchers exclaim that "the most exciting possibility would be the discovery of small-molecule inhibitors of HIF-1." [Nature Medicine 9: 677-84, 2003] Small molecules would be able to penetrate inside the nucleus of tumor cells, to genetically inhibit the activity of HIF-1. |
Dawson Church
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 Once again, he received weekly radiation treatment in the area of his abdomen. After eight weeks of treatment, the cancer had cleared.
"In 2001, the lymphoma returned, this time in his neck. It was removed surgically. Tim again received radiation, though this time it left severe burns on his neck. The following year, a growth on the other side of his neck, moving over his trachea, was diagnosed as a fast-growing lymphoma that required emergency surgery
"He was told that the lymphoma was widespread. |
Dan Buettner
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 In the basement of the Children's Hospital Pavilion, the world's first hospital-based proton radiation treatment system treats about 160 patients five days a week (many for brain or prostate cancer) and provides research for NASA scientists. Down the hall is a wall covered with pictures of happy, healthy children. Through the pioneering work of Dr. Leonard Bailey, a few hundred of the United States' infant heart transplants have occurred at LLUMC. |
The Editors of FC&A
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| Researchers hope some women can eventually use it as the sole radiation treatment for early-stage tumors.
Harvest some cancer prevention
A traditional American Thanksgiving dinner could help you prevent breast cancer. But why wait for a holiday? Feast on these festive treats year round, and you may get protection you can be thankful for.
Binge on beta carotene. Pumpkin pie, sweet potato casserole and cooked carrots are not just great Thanksgiving dishes. They're also great sources of beta carotene, a cancer-repelling antioxidant found in foods. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 State-sponsored medical terrorism: Texas authorities arrest parents, kidnap their teenage daughter, and force her through chemotherapy against her will - When parents of 13-year-old Katie Wernecke decided to refuse radiation treatment on their daughter, they were charged with neglect and had all their children kidnapped by Child Protective Services. A judge ordered the girl to undergo toxic conventional treatments before "releasing her" to her own parents. |
Frederic Vagnini, M.D. and Barry Fox, Ph.D.
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 We see the same problem in radiation treatment, because we can't yet focus it precisely enough to destroy only the cancer cells without including nearby healthy cells.
Fortunately, we're developing new ways to protect healthy tissues from the ravages of cancer treatment, including the drug amifostine. Inside the body, amifostine is converted into another substance, thiol, which is absorbed into healthy cells. The thiol binds with certain anticancer drugs or their metabolites and deactivates them, thus warding off damage to healthy cells. |
Joan Liebmann-Smith, Ph. D., and Jacqueline Nardi Egan
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| Finally, black hairy tongue can also be a warning sign of poorly managed diabetes.
WHITE HAIRY TONGUE
Have you ever looked in the mirror and been dismayed to discover that your tongue's turned white? It may merely be from leftover toothpaste, or it might signal a reaction to peroxide-containing mouthwash. A white hairy tongue is, however, more often a sign of a recent fever. Or it can be a tip-off that you're a
I 111 smoker or a mouth breather, or even that you're eating a diet too low in fiber.
HEALTHY SIGN
A healthy tongue should be rosy and silky soft. |
Michael Friedman, ND
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 A positive correlation has also been established between high testosterone values and metastatic relapse in prostate cancer patients who underwent radiation treatment.42
Certainly, the most prudent course is to prevent supraphysiologic levels through careful monitoring of bioactive testosterone, avoiding excess levels that may promote the development of prostate cancer.
CLINICAL STUDIES
Salivary Analysis for Testosterone
A wealth of current literature supports salivary analysis of steroid hormones as the "gold standard" in endocrine assessment. |
James F. Balch, M.D. and Mark Stengler, N.D.
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 If you are undergoing radiation treatment or chemotherapy, drink fennel tea to reduce the side effects.
Garlic {Allium sativum) strengthens the immune system. Take 300 to 450 mg twice a day.
Cat's claw (Una de bato) stimulates the activity of white blood cells. Take 500 mg or 1 to 2 cc twice a day. n this study, researchers examined the association between consumption of green tea prior to clinical cancer onset among 472 patients with stages I, II, and III breast cancer. |
The Editors of FC&A
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| Studies suggest that soy isoflavones make radiation treatment for prostate cancer more effective. Tests are currently under way to see if eating soy foods before treatment helps.
It may be that calcium interferes with your body's use of vitamin D, which seems to protect against prostate cancer. Results were the same whatever the source — dairy foods, fortified juices, or supplements.
Healthy habits
Keep your prostate healthy with a few simple lifestyle changes to go along with your healthy diet.
• Get regular exercise.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Relax to reduce stress. |
Russell L. Blaylock, M.D.
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 As a neurosurgery resident, some of my all-too-frequent cases were patients who had become paraplegic suddenly—even years later—following radiation treatment for chest tumors. The scatter radiation from the x-ray beam damaged the spinal cord resulting in prolonged radiation-induced free-radical damage. No one thought to increase the antioxidant defenses of these patients, even though the medical knowledge was available at the time—more evidence-based medicine. |
Joseph E. Mario
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 Venus Flytrap plant enhances the Immune system, for neurodermatitis, arthritis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, herpes infections, viral lesions/shingles, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory breast disease/ carcinoma, has shown 82-87% remission rate for most carcinomas, if one's Immune system has not been damaged by chemotherapy or radiation treatment; lung and colon adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma; has success with cancers, shrinks hormone-induced tumors ofthe breast, ovary, and prostate; basalioma, histiocytoma, andhabdomyosarcoma. |
Leslie Taylor, ND
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 Williams, OMD, sums up sangre de grado's many uses by natural health practitioners, stating
There is a wide range of potential applications for sangre de grado, including as a broad-spectrum anti-diarrheal agent from causes such as side effects of drugs, chemotherapy or radiation treatment, microbial infections of the intestine, traveler's diarrhea, and viral-induced diarrhea as in AIDS. It may also have other uses in gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative diseases. |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
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 A recent study highlighted those getting radiation treatment and Cisplatin, a standard cancer chemotherapy agent. The study also noted that the higher the dosage, the greater the risk. Researchers are quick to point out that the benefits of both treatments far outweigh the small increased risk of leukemia.
Q Most people are unfamiliar with head and neck cancer, yet it is the fifth most common form of cancer. Patients with head and neck cancer suffer a high mortality rate. Head and neck cancer does not include brain tumors. |
| Supplemental L-glutamine can be helpful in the treatment of arthritis, autoimmune diseases, fibrosis, intestinal disorders, peptic ulcers, connective tissue diseases such as polymyositis and scleroderma, and tissue damage due to radiation treatment for cancer. L-glutamine can enhance mental functioning and has been used to treat a range of problems, including developmental disabilities, epilepsy, fatigue, impotence, depression, schizophrenia, and senility.
It preserves glutathione in the liver and protects that organ from the effects of acetaminophen overdose. |
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