2nd Opinion from the Duke Tumor Board is in...

Kathryn_in_MN -
Are you saying that you have cancer in lymph nodes near the spine?

If so, did they suggest there was any indication that it's gotten into the
spine, or bone structure, or just in the lymph nodes?

Think positive.


John


(Link, Of Interest)

AnneCan said:

Kathryn
I am sorry this wasn't what you wanted to hear. It is good your CEA indicates you are doing well with your regimen. If that study was published in 2007, would folfiri w/avastin even have been a possibility? Particularly given that the study obviously went longer than 34 months? That would put the beginning of the study prior to 2004. I don't know what chemo they would have been on. As John says, "stay positive". You are doing all the right things. You can't really look at averages because you are unique. I think it is also important that what is true today may not be true in 6 months, a year etc. i.e. they may not want to remove now but things can change + they may want to do something later. How are you feeling? You are in my thoughts.

Kat.......
Like John says...Think Positive.....something will come up...keep pushing ..something will give.....Love to you, Clift

hope
I had a long conversation with my ONC PA today. In my opinion she is a great deal more intelligent then my onc who is the director of ONC. Anyway we spoke of advances. She knows of my degrees in Biochem and chemistry but we both see the key to a cure is just a protein strain away and one of the more promising systems to attack cancer in place is nano technology - kind of like microscoptic robots that act like white blood cells but see cancer as an enemy then search, locate and destroys only cancer. I know this has little to do with what you are going through but it lifted my spirits. I have never been an optimist just saw too much bad being a cop but who knows may be tomorrow or next month a break through. My Dad (actually father-in-law) I kind of adopted him when I married. My Dad died when I was 14 of heart atack but my father-in-law got colon cancer and the only treatment available many years ago was surgery. It came back spread to his liver and pancreas and he died soon after. Heck when I did treatment four years ago the treatments now were not available then. I had hope as a rookie cop/paramedic and despite the abused kids; murders; traffic deaths; wife beatings; corruption; etc. it not only makes you question faith over the years I lost hope. Then many miracles came my way. Over my years in cars and hallways, I got to deliver babies no matter what in life comes your way holding a newborn life in your hands... yea don't tell me hope is a myth! It is true for us all! Stay strong every day brings us closer to beating cancer. hugs Lou

Kathryn_in_MN said:

Thanks John
Thank you for the link.

The promising line from the information:
"Below is a formula given by Pan Ming-ji for supplementing the righteous and banking the root during chemotherapy for malignant lymphomas."

While I don't have Hodgkins or anything similar, the cancer is only in my lymph nodes, not in any organs.

I like that this is something that can be used in conjunction with chemo. As much as I hate chemo (and have always fought using any drugs unless absolutely necessary), I do seem to be responding to it, with my CEA dropping from 12 to just over 3 after only two treatments. But I do not like the idea of "chemo for life" which my oncologist thinks is the solution for me.

I'm not sure where to go to find someone to help me with Chinese medicine in my area. And I am clueless as to cost. Financially we are in awful shape due to my cancer. This limits my options for treatments too. I wanted to do acupuncture last year, but could not afford it. I have just found a community acupuncture with much lower rates, so I may be able to try it now. I would like to pursue the information you sent, and would like to look into options Chinese medicine might offer to help me keep my immune system strong and keep cancer at bay if I can get to a point where I look clear and get a chemo break. I'm hoping there is a chance to kill off the current cancer with chemo, and then try something else to keep me stronger once I reach that point - to avoid that plan (what I consider a death sentence) of chemo for life.

I have cancer in just 3 lymph nodes. My bones are clear as far as we know. The nodes are between the heart and spine. Two of them are very close to the spine. This is pretty rare, so not a lot of data.

Kathryn -
I'm trying to locate a cancer center in the USA, The link to NCCAM does
name two here, but I don't know how close you are to them.

Perhaps a call to both, asking if they have any information as to where else
you can go, may be worthwhile. Since they are doing WM/TCM combination
therapies, they would be in contact with other institutions doing the same!

TCM isn't considered that mysterious back-woods, third-world science anymore.
Each year, more and more well respected western medicine facilities are using
both models in an attempt to provide longevity to cancer victims.

The TCM approach is handicapped by the desire for a more "scientific" explanation
of the herbs used, along with some sort of guaranteed properties and dosage amounts
stated. Unfortunately, TCM doesn't provide such "exactness"; yet it manages to
work, and baffles the doubting continually.

I bought a gram scale (Even Harbor Freight sells them for $10), just to make certain
I was measuring the herbs correctly. But when I watched our own TCM doc, and
the TCM physician at the facility where I buy herbs, measure out herbal formulas
while filling their prescriptions, they rarely use a "scale". It's one fist-full of this,
and a half fist-full of that.... It is not an exact amount. The actual amount of
chemicals etc, that are in each herb, really isn't as important as the mixture of the
type of herbs they are using, as well as the combinations of herbs in the prescription.

Western cultures like to see exactness.... go figure? Make it in a factory, so everything's
exact..... Like Vioxx, or anything else that's later found to kill you? I guess.....

There are hundreds of websites that provide information regarding the use and
experimentation of TCM with western medicine. It seems to amaze people that
institutions like the Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, the NCI, etc, all have a great
interest in TCM.

I always try to explain here, that it's not "Colloidal Silver", "Oxygenated water"
and "Apricot Seeds", or any amount of other money-making brain-bubbles,
it's a science that's lasted over four thousand years, serving billions upon
billions of people, and is continuing to draw interest from the most scientific
of institutions today.

It's worth looking into; it is worth trying.


Of Interest and hope:

The Journal of the National Cancer Institute

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)

I'll try to find something in your area that might provide help, but it might take
me some time. You can try giving the clinics mentioned at those other websites
a call and asking them. They might surprise you!

Keep your positive mind-set!! You -will- do well!


John

Sorry
Sorry you didn't get the news you were hoping for. Please keep pursuing this as you have come through other obstacles and know you can beat this too. Good luck on the upcoming PET scan.

Kim