anyone using alternative med. w/ chemo

BWE

hi:  new to this site.  My mother age 84, was diagnosed with stage IV Ovarian cancer last December.  there were no tumors found.  So she had no surgery of any sort. Ca-125 was 4200 when diagnosed.  She did 6 treatments of carboplatin and pacitaxel.  Ca-125 went down to 17. Jumped to 39 after 2 months .  Then about fives months after last chemo it went to over 1100.  Now she is doing Gemzar treatments.  My real question is about alternative treatments/supplements.  My dad reads a lot on the Internet and he finds a lot of sites about alternative medicines.  He really wants her(his wife) to try some different products that he thinks would help her.  I don't know what to think about taking such products.  Does anyone have any insight or information or thoughts??  Thanks for listening or reading this . BWE

debrajo

I'd be careful about Dr.

I'd be careful about Dr. Google and the web!  So sorry to hear about your mother.  This must be so hard for someone her age...and for all of you.  There are a lot of diets and supplements that will help her body to fight the cancer and improve over all health.  Eating clean, organic, not eating sugar, eating green, all help the body.  I take Curcurmum and Biopene.  This is a concentrated form of Tumeric the spice and the biopene is black pepper that helps to absorb the Tumeric.  Someone will be here soon that can help more than me...just hang on.  Lots of great warriors on here!  Best, Debrajo

angec

Sorry about your mom.  My

Sorry about your mom.  My question is, how did they diagnose her without tumors?   What did they biopsyy?  Does she have cancer in other areas?  I hope mom had a second opinion.  My mom has kidney cancer and uses homeopathic along with Votrient.  So far so good!  drpbanerji.com.  This medical doctor only uses advanced homeopathy. He also does everything by mail Been using him for ten years. Brilliant!  All the best to your mom.

BWE

Anyone using supplements with chemo

Mom had fluid on her lungs, fluid was drawn off and tested, showed the cancer cells.  Yes she had second opinion and further testing done.  So they concluded her diagnosis was Ovarian cancer, her oncologist gives her a diagnosis of Fallopian tube cancer.  I don't really think that the dr's can really detect were it is coming from.   We have not been told that it has spread to anywhere else.  thank you for stating what supplements that you are taking.  Will definitely do some researching on these supplements.  Where do you purchase such supplements.  Looking for a trustworthy place or site on Internet.  If there are other members using such supplements please send me a note, very interested in what others are taking and using.  Than you.

abrub

BWE said:

Anyone using supplements with chemo

Mom had fluid on her lungs, fluid was drawn off and tested, showed the cancer cells.  Yes she had second opinion and further testing done.  So they concluded her diagnosis was Ovarian cancer, her oncologist gives her a diagnosis of Fallopian tube cancer.  I don't really think that the dr's can really detect were it is coming from.   We have not been told that it has spread to anywhere else.  thank you for stating what supplements that you are taking.  Will definitely do some researching on these supplements.  Where do you purchase such supplements.  Looking for a trustworthy place or site on Internet.  If there are other members using such supplements please send me a note, very interested in what others are taking and using.  Than you.

Please have your mother's pathology reviewed

by a major cancer center (Sloan Kettering, MD Anderson, or others).  They can determine the origin of a cancer cell when found remotely. The surgical pathologist where I had my hysterectomy recognized that the tumor encompassing my ovary had originated in my appendix (even tho my appendix looked fine.)  It had apparently ruptured, spewed cancer cells throughout my belly, and re-healed.  The top pathologists can tell what organ cells originated from.

NoTimeForCancer

BWE. what kind of other

BWE. what kind of other treatments are you talking about?  There are plenty of people out there to willing to take advantage of people looking for a miracle.  (My sister told me about the miracle "asparagus".  I have to imagine asparagus would be more valuable than GOLD!)

I can imagine your dad is terrified for his wife, but please tell him to be careful of the witch doctors out there.   

Tethys41

Integrative treatments

It sure sounds like a second opinion is approriate for your mother's case.  It is important for her to find out definitively where the cancer originated and what type of cancer it is.  I used integrative treatments throughout chemo and have used a variety of supplements and other treatments following chemo to help support my body.  I am a huge advocate for this approach, but this is not something that is safe to do on your own.  I saw a naturopath throughout treatment and still see her regularly to keep an eye on things.  Cancer and it's treatments are very complicated and to rely on something someone posted online that worked for them is not likely to work, especially when it comes to ovarian cancer.  Integrative treatments, in my opinion, are very powerful and effective and definitely improve quality of life and in many cases, long term survival.  But your mother really needs to find a naturopath, or functional medicine doctor with oncology experience, or integrative oncologist to help guide her through them.