Cancer Treatment Centers of Amereica (CTCA) experiences

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

It's been a long time since I have lurked or posted. I have been

doing traditional chemo for stage 4 rectal ca. (mets to liver and

lungs) My oncologist just took me off the last chemo option (I had

had 2 others). This was Erbitux and iritican (sp?) We had great

initial results. CEA #'s went down from 250 to 10, and there was no

growth in any of the tumors. Well, my #'s started going up and there

was some growth in 2 of the liver tumors-so he stopped treatment.

This was 2 months ago. I feel good not having that poison put in me

weekly. I allowed myself to eat bad foods (i.e. sugar). He ran a CT

scan last Thursday and bllod tests. My CEA #'s went up to 450!!! and

there was a 5 cm growth in 3 of my liver tumors. We are out of FDA

approved chemo options. He wants me to go on a phase 1 trial-

otherwise he has nothing to offer me treatment-wise and this is at

the U of Mn!

I have been reluctant to use alternative treatments due to all

the " snake oil " out there and not knowing what to trust. I am now

convinced that nutrtion, Qi Gong and other alternatives are going to

buy me time if not outright heal me.

I am planning on going to the CTCA in the next couple of weeks

because they do traditional and alternative medicine to fight the

cancer. Has anyone here gone there?? If so, would you please post

or email me your experience there. Thank you for reading this and

offering any helpful suggestions.

Sincerely,

Jim

[Guest guest]

Jim,

I currently treat at CTCA in Philly. I, after 6 months, still feel it was

and still is the best place for me.

Please feel free to email me privately.

nataliemedium @ adelphia.net

You will go for three days at first to meet all the people that are on your

healing team. Everyone from

Naturapathic medicine to your Dr and what his thoughts are. Do you know

which one you are going to?

From: pokie55120

It's been a long time since I have lurked or posted. I have been

doing traditional chemo for stage 4 rectal ca. (mets to liver and

lungs) My oncologist just took me off the last chemo option (I had

had 2 others). This was Erbitux and iritican (sp?) We had great

initial results. CEA #'s went down from 250 to 10, and there was no

growth in any of the tumors. Well, my #'s started going up and there

was some growth in 2 of the liver tumors-so he stopped treatment.

This was 2 months ago. I feel good not having that poison put in me

weekly. I allowed myself to eat bad foods (i.e. sugar). He ran a CT

scan last Thursday and bllod tests. My CEA #'s went up to 450!!! and

there was a 5 cm growth in 3 of my liver tumors. We are out of FDA

approved chemo options. He wants me to go on a phase 1 trial-

otherwise he has nothing to offer me treatment-wise and this is at

the U of Mn!

I have been reluctant to use alternative treatments due to all

the " snake oil " out there and not knowing what to trust. I am now

convinced that nutrtion, Qi Gong and other alternatives are going to

buy me time if not outright heal me.

I am planning on going to the CTCA in the next couple of weeks

because they do traditional and alternative medicine to fight the

cancer. Has anyone here gone there?? If so, would you please post

or email me your experience there. Thank you for reading this and

offering any helpful suggestions.

Sincerely,

Jim

[Guest guest]

Looking at their website -- it looks like their treatment is pretty

traditional, mainstream, with just a bit of alternative stuff thrown

in to support the traditional stuff, not to replace it. I don't know

if you are comfortable with that.

You would probably want to talk to them in person. I think I read

about them getting FDA approval for IV C trials awhile back, but now

I don't see that on their website.

One thing is for sure -- you have multi-drug resistant cancer. In

the alternative realm, I've read the best herb / supplement for this

is paw paw. I'm not an expert on paw paw, however. Perhaps others

could pitch in at this point. If you want to continue doing

traditional, perhaps there is a way to work paw paw into this.

>

> Hi all,

>

> It's been a long time since I have lurked or posted. I have been

> doing traditional chemo for stage 4 rectal ca. (mets to liver and

> lungs) My oncologist just took me off the last chemo option (I had

> had 2 others). This was Erbitux and iritican (sp?) We had great

> initial results. CEA #'s went down from 250 to 10, and there was

no

> growth in any of the tumors. Well, my #'s started going up and

there

> was some growth in 2 of the liver tumors-so he stopped treatment.

> This was 2 months ago. I feel good not having that poison put in

me

> weekly. I allowed myself to eat bad foods (i.e. sugar). He ran a

CT

> scan last Thursday and bllod tests. My CEA #'s went up to 450!!!

and

> there was a 5 cm growth in 3 of my liver tumors. We are out of FDA

> approved chemo options. He wants me to go on a phase 1 trial-

> otherwise he has nothing to offer me treatment-wise and this is at

> the U of Mn!

>

> I have been reluctant to use alternative treatments due to all

> the " snake oil " out there and not knowing what to trust. I am now

> convinced that nutrtion, Qi Gong and other alternatives are going

to

> buy me time if not outright heal me.

>

> I am planning on going to the CTCA in the next couple of weeks

> because they do traditional and alternative medicine to fight the

> cancer. Has anyone here gone there?? If so, would you please post

> or email me your experience there. Thank you for reading this and

> offering any helpful suggestions.

>

> Sincerely,

>

> Jim

>

[Guest guest]

Jim,

I called them immediately after I found  ca, and in fact melanoma.  I have only

medicare and no supplement b/c I am under 65 and have prior conditions and no

one will touch someone with melanoma-known.  So CTCA said , " sorry with only

Medicare we won't treat you because you could never pay the odd 20% remaining. 

I really got mad, not that I wasn't already, and mentioned that I wanted to call

her a name, which didn't, but she hung up.  They are in it for the money, but

hey if you have the money then OK for you.  There are other options perhaps. 

you can mail me at oceanrvn if you wish.

[Guest guest]

I have Medicare and no supplement either. I called CTCA and they were rude

and told me they didn't take Medicare at all. I deduced immediately that

they were only in it for the money. Their commercials sure sound good but

they subtley prey on your fear. In actually they are mainstream. As a

passing nod to complimentary treatment, they may have green tea bags in the

lobby. I was thoroughly UNimpressed.

~Amber

-- Re: [ ] Re: Cancer Treatment Centers of Amereica (CTCA)

experiences

Jim,

I called them immediately after I found ca, and in fact melanoma. I have

only medicare and no supplement b/c I am under 65 and have prior conditions

and no one will touch someone with melanoma-known. So CTCA said , " sorry

with only Medicare we won't treat you because you could never pay the odd

20% remaining. I really got mad, not that I wasn't already, and mentioned

that I wanted to call her a name, which didn't, but she hung up. They are

in it for the money, but hey if you have the money then OK for you. There

are other options perhaps. you can mail me at oceanrvn if you

wish.

------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

, so would you mind sharing what you are opting for instead, since CTCA

have placed themselves out of the picture?  Thanks. Jan

From: Yensen <oceanrvn@...>

Subject: Re: [ ] Re: Cancer Treatment Centers of Amereica (CTCA)

experiences

Date: Saturday, February 21, 2009, 2:50 PM

Jim,

I called them immediately after I found  ca, and in fact melanoma.  I have only

medicare and no supplement b/c I am under 65 and have prior conditions and no

one will touch someone with melanoma-known.  So CTCA said , " sorry with only

Medicare we won't treat you because you could never pay the odd 20% remaining. 

I really got mad, not that I wasn't already, and mentioned that I wanted to call

her a name, which didn't, but she hung up.  They are in it for the money, but

hey if you have the money then OK for you.  There are other options perhaps. 

you can mail me at oceanrvn if you wish.

[Guest guest]

Obviously you want to look forward not backward, but a quick comment on 'Snake

Oil'.

What more evidence of Chemotherapy being Snake Oil than your current situation?

Chemotherapy is very good at lowering markers, for a time, and shrinking Tumors,

neither of which is evidence of survivability.

Comments just received about the CTCA being primarily (they must be) more

conventional than alternative because a slightly better diet and a couple of

supplements show they are hardly Alternative.

Are there 'Snake Oil' salesman out there? You bet but not as many as those in

the White Coats who have Lost The War On Cancer to date.

You need to be working with someone that knows what works and what doesn't. It

was suggested you are already 'Drug Resistant' and while no expert, I wager this

was a correct assessment.

In the meanwhile you can start some of the well-established things that have

helped people. You need to start your own beginning and then find that person

that will do the best possible for you. How much experimenting do you think is

smart? You are going to get lots of information but which one is the one or two

for you?

Here's what I did, except the Asparagus routine. High Dose IV Vitamin C, Lots

of Curcumin and as the List 'expert' advised me for my Bladder Cancer, Copious

amounts of Pau D' Arco and, of course, why not try the Asparagus approach, none

of which are Snake Oil.

Joe C.

Good luck,

[Guest guest]

Jan,

I have opted for learning about the melanoma cell and what makes it work.  This

has been a learinng curve beyond all.  I just decided that realy no one but me

cares if I survive or n ot and what my life will be like while I am surviving. 

and I knew each other in the 90's so he was the logical one for me to

chose for a goto person.  I have read reams of information researched about the

melanoma cell as well as other cell lines since mine wasn't typed I do not

know. 

Mine is vulvar cancer with mets and I watched it grow whilst the onc enjoyed her

holidays!!!!!!!!!!!  So treatments for melanoma that you read and see do not

appear anything like this one.  So I am seeing the DNA and how that works and

how to interrupt that and keep it from attaching to me and beginning a vertical

rise.  When the tumors were all there my feet got so dul as if I was walking on

boards, nothing visible, BUT I received the DVD of my CT/PET scan yesterday and

have viewed it and the feet took up the tagged sugar a lot and it was slow to

recede, of course I am not a reader of these things just that I know what I am

seeing, also my jaw bone which has been id'd since as having " old " infectious

process., and it is all on this scan--right in front of your eyes but was deemed

normal by the reader who was l ooking for  malignancy which is also quit clear.

So along with some off label drugs that have had trials but are too cheap to

earn anyone money or perhaps applause, I have decided to use interferon alpha 2b

since that is just about all they are saying and they want irradiation of the

pelvis because it was ulcerated, oh yes and I WAS going to a doc and I did c/o

of this " abscess "   for 2 months until " I " even knew he had  to be insane with

what he was saying and bingo bango I go to a gyn and there you have it cancer, "

and Don't come back here " YOU MUST GO HERE. So I am thinking an onc might know

something and low and behold, they do not read their own journals etc etc etc. 

Anyway I can just see me with fistula's and burned mucus membrane and how m any

women do you know with the backside of thier vagina on the outside covering the

35mm whole they resected, but I did insist on the radical because I knew where

it was and historically the only way to really " cure " it is to cut it out. 

Couldn't use the escharotics--too much tumor so i am a niinny, couldnt do the

pain either, which I have less of now.  The feet improved until last week and

then began with the paresthesia's again so who knows? 

Anything I do along with the diet I am on which is the usual for cancer, will

increase the odds which are that I have a 30% chance of living 10 years.  That

actually doesn't sound bad but I suppose it would if I didn't feel I was doing

everything I could myself with the help of sugestions of others .  I have

researched several herb preparations and tonics that have been proven for this

by even the indians in combo and also acappella.  So as I feed myself and rest

and heal and read and research I have gradually built things and have some more

ideas but need to be sure they aren't conflicting.

I guess they made me fighting mad and as this has progressed I have become even

more proactive for myself.  Going on the third onc and if I don't like him I

will find someone else.  If I allow someone to give me interferon then they

jolly well need to listen up and know just what I am about and be able to deal

with me.

I will, however attempt to present myself as  a reasonable person and not

overwhelm them on the spot this time.  Who knows??  Most of the stuff I am using

needs to be adjunctive and it is with itself , but the immune system is in bad

shape and so I am just hedging my bets.  I'm alive and healing and what else

should I be doing right now???  the best thing to do is to deal with what is

right in front of you and the rest just comes along seemingly.  I pray alot, I

got the DVD movie " Try it on Everything " and am using the EFT for the emotional

baggage that I have and that is a big thing when you get this old accidently. 

Layer upon layer of life to breathe out or tap out, or just change the energy

about. 

 I picture my middle as being a carwreck where all these cars are this way and

that and I need to get them all on the right road and on their way.  So the EFT

works.  If you don't know about it find out, so simple and so meaningful to each

in their own way.  Just google it.  I google stuff and print it aout everyday as

things come to me and then I go through  the bibliographies of the papers and

see what they have to say.  I called a doc who wrote a paper on vaccines as

being promising for melanoma and he wanted to know how I got to him and what did

I know.  I just explained who I was and what I was researching and he was quick

to say that there are no FDA approved vaccines on the market today.  So I

thought that is good, what had the FDA ever done right????  So I started

networking about a vaccine.  You know when they have thier names on the papers

they write, are we supposed to think they live on Mars??  No call 1411 and be

surprised who you can talk with.

________________________________

From: Jan Knight <waikikilights@...>

, so would you mind sharing what you are opting for instead, since CTCA

have placed themselves out of the picture?  Thanks. Jan

[Guest guest]

I'd recommend you check out the Budwig diet too. It has a proven record of

healing many types of cancer. You can do it at home, yourself, and don't have

to pay anyone a fortune to heal either.

Cyndi

Jim wrote:

Hi all,

It's been a long time since I have lurked or posted. I have been

doing traditional chemo for stage 4 rectal ca. (mets to liver and

lungs) My oncologist just took me off the last chemo option (I had

had 2 others). This was Erbitux and iritican (sp?) We had great

initial results. CEA #'s went down from 250 to 10, and there was no

growth in any of the tumors. Well, my #'s started going up and there

was some growth in 2 of the liver tumors-so he stopped treatment.

This was 2 months ago. I feel good not having that poison put in me

weekly. I allowed myself to eat bad foods (i.e. sugar). He ran a CT

scan last Thursday and bllod tests. My CEA #'s went up to 450!!! and

there was a 5 cm growth in 3 of my liver tumors. We are out of FDA

approved chemo options. He wants me to go on a phase 1 trial-

otherwise he has nothing to offer me treatment-wise and this is at

the U of Mn!

I have been reluctant to use alternative treatments due to all

the " snake oil " out there and not knowing what to trust. I am now

convinced that nutrtion, Qi Gong and other alternatives are going to

buy me time if not outright heal me.

I am planning on going to the CTCA in the next couple of weeks

because they do traditional and alternative medicine to fight the

cancer. Has anyone here gone there?? If so, would you please post

or email me your experience there. Thank you for reading this and

offering any helpful suggestions.

Sincerely,

Jim