Are all treatments chemo based?

angec
angec Member Posts: 924 Member
in Kidney Cancer #1
Just wondering if every treatment includes chemo or are there meds that do not destroy the good healthy cells in the body?

Anyone know which one has less side affects? Thank you.. trying to do all the research for mom which is so overwhelming to me. I am not feeling well myself and all of this is maker me sicker. How one day and a visit to the doctor can change your whole life.

Comments

  • Limelife50
    Limelife50 Member Posts: 476
    #2
    None
    I wish or we all would have done drug therapies just to make sure the cancer had not spread ,but every drug available to treat RCC are toxic to the body ,some maybe a little more or less than others depending on the drug and or patient health,sit and talk to a good oncologist ,try to look at it this way we all have a certain amount of time so sometimes quality could be better than quantity and please don't take that last comment wrong I hope you and your doctors will find a way to extend your mothers life as much as possible.
  • Limelife50
    Limelife50 Member Posts: 476
    #3
    Limelife50 said:

    None
    I wish or we all would have done drug therapies just to make sure the cancer had not spread ,but every drug available to treat RCC are toxic to the body ,some maybe a little more or less than others depending on the drug and or patient health,sit and talk to a good oncologist ,try to look at it this way we all have a certain amount of time so sometimes quality could be better than quantity and please don't take that last comment wrong I hope you and your doctors will find a way to extend your mothers life as much as possible.

    One more footnote
    Also I think there are around seven or eight drug therapies for RCC all with different side affects depending again on the drug and the patients response to the drug ,every one is different there even cases where combo drug treatments are used and with that opening possibilities for other side affects,good luck and please keep us posted (sorry about your mom).
  • Texas_wedge
    Texas_wedge Member Posts: 2,798
    #4
    Are all treatments chemo based?
    'No!' is the short answer.

    Naturally, you're feeling pretty worn down by all of this and need help in getting more information than just that one word answer.

    Being realistic, the odds on her tolerance of drugs of any kind, whether chemo (which as you rightly say has a bad record with RCC) or the newer targeted therapies, are not favourable. She is 79, diabetic, with heart problems, positive renal vein margin and her lymph system is compromised. You will need highly expert and compassionate advice, ideally from someone of the character of Dr. Janice Dutcher.

    You could also consider complementary therapies, in particular in the area of mind/body medicine. The homeopathy treatment could well have a payoff and certainly shouldn't do her any harm, which can't be said of the somewhat speculative new drugs.
  • angec
    angec Member Posts: 924 Member
    #5
    Limelife50 said:

    One more footnote
    Also I think there are around seven or eight drug therapies for RCC all with different side affects depending again on the drug and the patients response to the drug ,every one is different there even cases where combo drug treatments are used and with that opening possibilities for other side affects,good luck and please keep us posted (sorry about your mom).

    Thank you for the info..
    I am glad to have this forum. I am amazed at the wealth of information being shared here by patients themselves. What a wonderful group. You all help me to feel better. Thanks for your thoughts and i will stay around and keep posting.
  • garym
    garym Member Posts: 1,647
    #6
    MAARS...
    angec,

    There is at least one therapy that is not drug based, google Gerald White MAARS. Mr. White has survived for over 20 years since having a 20lb RCC tumor removed and a one point being given 3 months to live. He wrote a book Three Months to Life and developed the MAARS program which involves using your mind and immune system to target and destroy cancer cells. It is inexpensive and has worked well for many, its worth looking at.

    Its odd, when I was 20, 40 seemed old, at 40 60 was old, now that I'm 60 79 is still pretty young. Tell your mom to keep fighting and find a doc that suits your wishes, there are new therapies in the works and the "magic bullet" could be just around the corner.

    Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex. It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.
    Albert Einstein

    Hang in there,

    Gary
  • angec
    angec Member Posts: 924 Member
    #7
    Texas_wedge said:

    Are all treatments chemo based?
    'No!' is the short answer.

    Naturally, you're feeling pretty worn down by all of this and need help in getting more information than just that one word answer.

    Being realistic, the odds on her tolerance of drugs of any kind, whether chemo (which as you rightly say has a bad record with RCC) or the newer targeted therapies, are not favourable. She is 79, diabetic, with heart problems, positive renal vein margin and her lymph system is compromised. You will need highly expert and compassionate advice, ideally from someone of the character of Dr. Janice Dutcher.

    You could also consider complementary therapies, in particular in the area of mind/body medicine. The homeopathy treatment could well have a payoff and certainly shouldn't do her any harm, which can't be said of the somewhat speculative new drugs.

    Homeopathy
    Thanks TW.. I hope you are doing better today. Just read your other post about the BMI index. I am amazed that you can observe so well with all the pain meds you are or were taking. You are as sharp as a tack! keep it up.

    I know you are right about the homeopathy. I have been using this Dr. through a telemed service for 6 years. He very successfully treats alot of cancers and other illnesses so I am very confident with him. The only thing is that I don't know if the docs will "convince" mom that she is dying and in need of the other treatments. If her doc spoke to her yesterday the way he spoke to me, she might have just run in front of a car.

    TW.. here is the doctor's website. Please look up his cancer info. He has treated many RCC and they are living long lives and a lot of asymptomatic and no side affects. I Would love your input on it. www.drpbanerji.com. They are medical doctors and the granddad was the first one to invent Lexin (did i spell that right? LOL) the snake bite antidote. He helped my dad with prostrate cancer a few years ago and dad is doing well. Cured my mom's pancreatitis while the hospital docs wanted to operate on her as that was the only cure they said. I said no of course and glad i did, but it was a fight to get family to agree, of course.

    My friend has melanoma and she has been on his treatment for two years and doing great, just swallowing little pellets that disolve in your mouth. I wish the hospitals here would adopt some of these standards but it is hopeless.

    Thanks for letting me speak. I feel so much better when i just hear from you and the others. I am just sick and worried what these other treatments might do to mom. My prayers for all are endless. You might want to try Banerji.. look up his testimonies and read about the stage 4 pancreas cancers he cured amongst many others. Feel good, the golf course is waiting..
  • angec
    angec Member Posts: 924 Member
    #8
    garym said:

    MAARS...
    angec,

    There is at least one therapy that is not drug based, google Gerald White MAARS. Mr. White has survived for over 20 years since having a 20lb RCC tumor removed and a one point being given 3 months to live. He wrote a book Three Months to Life and developed the MAARS program which involves using your mind and immune system to target and destroy cancer cells. It is inexpensive and has worked well for many, its worth looking at.

    Its odd, when I was 20, 40 seemed old, at 40 60 was old, now that I'm 60 79 is still pretty young. Tell your mom to keep fighting and find a doc that suits your wishes, there are new therapies in the works and the "magic bullet" could be just around the corner.

    Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex. It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.
    Albert Einstein

    Hang in there,

    Gary

    I am going to order the book
    I believe there is also some kind of cd that comes with it. I will get it and let mom read it. Mom is such a nervous person. She could barely even let the doc check her stomach when he was looking at the surgery site. She was crying and saying she wanted to go home. That is what makes it so much harder to deal with. I know it has to be rough on you all. keeping that postive attitude does help. Thank you so much for the info. And you are correct. Even to me 79 seems incredibly young. Especially since my husbands mom lived to almost 106 totally healthy!
  • Texas_wedge
    Texas_wedge Member Posts: 2,798
    #9
    angec said:

    I am going to order the book
    I believe there is also some kind of cd that comes with it. I will get it and let mom read it. Mom is such a nervous person. She could barely even let the doc check her stomach when he was looking at the surgery site. She was crying and saying she wanted to go home. That is what makes it so much harder to deal with. I know it has to be rough on you all. keeping that postive attitude does help. Thank you so much for the info. And you are correct. Even to me 79 seems incredibly young. Especially since my husbands mom lived to almost 106 totally healthy!

    MAARS
    Please order the CD, even if you don't buy the book. The book is very interesting but may not be the thing for your Mom. The book explains the approach and contains a lot of fascinating material about Jerry himself but the working part is the CD which is what might help your Mom. Actually, I think I'll go and listen to it now, after I've written to Jerry!
    Buy both, give your Mom the CD and read the book yourself - it's a good read.
  • angec
    angec Member Posts: 924 Member
    #10
    Texas_wedge said:

    MAARS
    Please order the CD, even if you don't buy the book. The book is very interesting but may not be the thing for your Mom. The book explains the approach and contains a lot of fascinating material about Jerry himself but the working part is the CD which is what might help your Mom. Actually, I think I'll go and listen to it now, after I've written to Jerry!
    Buy both, give your Mom the CD and read the book yourself - it's a good read.

    On it now TW. Thank you!!
    Big hugs and prayers for you....

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