Ristorando Blog

Archive for the ‘Cancer’ Category

My first encounter with colon cancer that spread to the liver was with Tony in 1996. His doctor had told him that chemotherapy or radiotherapy would be of no use for him. Tony had a miraculous healing after taking herbs. Unfortunately, Tony died one and half years later after reverting to his “bad diet”. A video on Tony can be viewed at cacarevideo blogspot below. Another case that came to mind is Dass. He had a recurrent colon cancer after surgery and chemotherapy. He was asked to undergo chemotherapy again after this recurrence. He refused and came to us for help in January 1998. It has been nine years now and Dass is doing very well and is leading a normal and happy life.

Herbs, change of lifestyle and diet had helped numerous patients to live a normal, happy life after their colon cancer, without the need for chemotherapy. Is the medical profession ever interested to know? To brush this off as a mere quackery or empty claim is a great mistake. The strength of our work is that we are able to predict the possible outcome of our herbal therapy and also repeat such outcome. Is this not scientific enough?

I have seen numerous cases of healing after chemotherapy had led patients to nowhere. The following are two cases to substantiate my claim.

Case 1: Han (not real name), 62-year-old male, was diagnosed with colon cancer that had metastasised to his liver in October 2004. He underwent an operation to remove the diseased colon. Upon hearing this, I called him at his home and asked if I could in anyway be of help. In fact, by doing this I had violated my own code of ethics. I generally do not do such a thing, lest I be accused of trying to promote my herbs. But, Han was my classmate way back in the 1960s. I provided him with all the information he wanted to know about his disease and started him on herbs. After his surgery, his doctor recommended chemotherapy which he readily agreed. I respected his decision.

Han went through twelve cycles of chemotherapy, unlike most patients who do six cycles only. But the tumor in his liver remained unaffected. Chemotherapy was abandoned and he was asked to try RFA (radiofrequency ablation). He underwent this procedure twice and twice it failed. Then the doctor recommended surgery to remove the tumor from his liver. This time, Han declined! He had learnt his lesson. But all along Han was taking herbs for both his colon and liver cancers. As of this day, three and half years since his diagnosis, Han is still doing fine. In a recent four-hour-video interview with him, Han told us that he could play golf better than his healthy friends. He can drive, eat and sleep well. None of his friends ever suspect or believe that he has cancer! When asked what made him what he is today, he answered: your herbs, change of diet and belief in God.

Case 2: June (not real name), 57-year-old female was diagnosed with colon cancer that had metastatised to her liver in January 2005. She underwent surgical resection of her colon followed by six cycles of chemotherapy. She did not suffer any side effects because she was at the same time on our herbs. June told us that when her platelets were down she took the juice of papaya leaves after reading our newsletter (Letter 41: The lowly juices of Papaya and Pegaga leaves? Do they beat scientific medicine?) After taking it for three times, the platelet count increased.

June and her husband, Paul (not real name) flew in from Jakarta to see us on 11 May 2006. This was what June said about her experience with her oncologist.

June: My oncologist said I am a very stubborn woman because I did not want to undergo anymore chemotherapy. I also declined surgery for my liver metastasis. I also did not want to go for RFA (radiofrequency ablation). I was prescribed Xeloda, but I did not take it. Now, my oncologist wants to see me. Once in a while, I received SMS from her nurse asking me to come to Singapore for a check up.

Paul: I asked the oncologist, “By doing more chemotherapy is it going to cure my wife.” The answer is NO. The oncologist was not sure. We also consulted another doctor who saw my wife and knew that she is taking herbs. This doctor told us: “Go ahead and take your herbs for as long as it is helping you.”

Our conversation shifted to diet. I asked June if her oncologist said anything about diet. “My oncologist said I can eat anything I like. There is no need to “pantang” (prohibition) at all.”

June’s condition has not deteriorated in spite of declining further medical treatment. In fact, her blood works had improved! Her CEA which was at 47.4 in March 2005 was at 3.6 in May 2006. Her liver function values– AST, ALT and GGT were once elevated but they had since gone down and were within normal limits. As of this writing (more than two years after diagnosis) June is doing very well. She has since put on weight and leads a normal life.

Liver disease may not show any symptoms at first, as symptoms can be vague. This includes weakness and loss of energy.

Other symptoms include jaundice that is a disease of the gall bladder. Jaundice is one of the main symptoms of liver disease. Jaundice can turn the skin color to yellow. Another symptom is related to digestion and appetite. Poor appetite is a very common symptom. It leads to loss of weight and anemia. Along with this vomiting, nausea or diarrhea can also manifest.

Another important symptom is light colored stool. Due to the lack of bile production, the stool will appear light and can be gray colored or pale.

Distention and bloating can be considered as another symptoms to watch out for and can cause a pain during breathing.

Polyuria or excess urination and polydypsia or excess thirst are the other symptoms typical of the liver disease.

Liver cancer has symptoms that include weight loss and loss of appetite. Abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, accumulation of fluid in the abdomen, enlarged liver, change of color (yellowing) of the skin and the whites of the eyes are also noticed. Bile duct obstruction has symptoms like pale stools, dark urine, abdominal pain, jaundice, vomiting, nausea and fever.

Portal hypertension that is a high blood pressure in the portal veins has no symptoms. But complications due to this disease can result in bloody vomiting and black, loose stools from varices, ascites; and signs of brain disease called encephalopathy.

Alcoholic liver disease has symptoms like loss of appetite, nausea, swollen abdomen, jaundice, abdominal pain, ascites, weight gain, mental confusion, excessive thirst, dry mouth and fatigue. Additional symptoms include vomiting blood or black, paleness, light-headedness or fainting, fluctuating mood and altered level of consciousness.

Liver cancer is to be feared being the eighth most common cancer in the world. Your liver plays an important detoxification role for your body. If your liver breaks down, digestion of your fats via bile cannot take place. Filtering of your blood to remove drugs, waste and toxins can also be severely affected. Getting liver damage or liver cancer would be disastrous as it means that all these important functions cannot be performed. In the worst case scenerio, liver cancer can result in death.

Liver cancer develops when liver cells multiply at abnormal rates. They then attack healthy parts of the same organ or neighbouring cells. Cancer cells soon spread beyond their original location to other parts and organs to establish new tumours, in a process known as metastasis.

Your liver, including every organ in your body, is comprised of cells. Cells are living things. Hence, they are born and they die. Your body is always making new cells to replace the old and dead ones. This process has to be tightly regulated. If not, there will be chaos. Cancer cells interefere with the normal functioning of this process.

Your liver, at approximately 1.5 kilograms in weight, is the biggest organ inside your body. You may not even realise the presence of a liver inside of you as it is hidden in your right upper abdomen, underneath and protected by your right rib cage. Your liver is perhaps the busiest organ in your body, tasked with numerous functions.

The liver makes the different proteins that your body needs, which include enzymes, hormones, antibodies, and other substances necessary for the proper functioning of your body. It is the power plant of your body since it is the primary source of energy. It also filters your blood to remove toxins and produces bile to help in the digestion of fat. It is the most parsimonious organ in the body, extracting anything that can be used from your blood and storing it for future use.

There are two types of liver cancer, primary and secondary. Primary liver cancer means the tumour starts from the the liver. Hepatocellular cancer (abbreviated HCC) is the most common form (90 percent) of primary liver cancer. HCC originates from hepatocytes, the liver cells responsible for most of its functions. Other types of primary liver cancer are rare. They include cholangiocarcinoma, a cancer arising from bile ducts within the liver and hepatoblastoma, which occurs in children, and gallbladder cancer.

Secondary liver cancer means the cancer started somewhere else and spread (metastasised) to the liver. In secondary liver cancer, patients do not have “liver cancer” technically. Patients are actually experiencing metastases to their liver.

Risk to developing liver cancer depends on various factors. Sex and age plays a part, as with diet and lifestyle habits. In terms of sex, men are 2.8 times more likely to be affected than women. Your risk also increases after the age of 40. High rates have been noted in China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, and the Philippines. Studies also show that rates are high among Chinese and Koreans in Los Angeles and among Chinese in the San Francisco Bay area, although those rates are about half of mainland China rates. A diet that comprises of processed and highly preserved foods is generally considered toxic to the liver.

The most important risk factor for liver cancer is hepatitis B virus (HBV). Patients who are located in areas with high rates of hepatitis also have high rates of HCC; conversely, HCC patients are far more likely to be hepatitis B carriers. Studies also show that men are twice or thrice more likely to develop HCC. On the other hand, women demonstrate greater survival rates than men at any stage of liver cancer.

Aflatoxins are the most potent carcinogens on liver cells per unit weight. Aflatoxins are toxins produced by an Aspergillus funcgus that grows on many crops. They have been suspected to be agents for human HCC. While nothing conclusive has yet been established, you should avoid foods
that are positive for aflatoxin. Many types of commercial crops or even commercial peanut butter contain minute quantities of aflatoxin, but they are usually below the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) recommended safe level.

There are no specific symptoms for liver cancer. One sign that you can look out for is pain in the right upper quadrant of your body. Another common indicator for liver cancer is unexplained sudden weight loss. Hence, you should always take preventative measures to protect your liver on a regular basis. You should reduce your intake of foods that are hard to digest, toxic and drugs. Also, perform regular liver cleansing for optimal liver health.

The liver is located just below the right lung and diaphragm. It is divided into right and left lobes. The liver receives blood from the heptic artery and the portal vein. The hepatic artery supplies the oxygen-rich blood, while the portal vein nutrient-rich blood from the intestines.

The liver secretes bile into the intestine to help absorb nutrients. The liver also helps in removing toxic wastes from our body.

Several types of tumors, cancerous and not cancerous can form in the liver. The liver cancer is seen in some parts of Asia and Africa and is rare in the USA. It occurs more frequently in males than females.

There are no early warning signs or symptoms of liver cancer. Some of the common symptoms of liver cancer are

Pain in the right upper abdominal area, abdominal fullness or bloating.
Weight Loss.

Breast swelling in males.

Loss of appetite.

Intestinal bleeding and

Blood clotting problems, bruises on the skin.

Weakness.

It should be noted that these symptoms may be due to other causes.

Copyright 2005, P. Mehta

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There are mounting evidence that alcohol increases the risk of many type of cancers including mouth cancer, oesophagus, larynx, pharynx, liver (especially in men), and also breast cancer.

Regardless of the type, alcohol consumption increases the risk of cancer. Whether it is in the form of beer, wine or spirits, it is the alcohol itself that does the damage. Our upper-respiratory tract has sensitive tissues that are directly exposed to alcohol; consuming alcohol will cause damage to our body cells and may lead to cancer. After many years, alcoholic liver cirrhosis will eventually develop and will finally lead to liver cancer.

To lower your risk of getting cancer, you should opt to not drink any alcohol at all or if you have to drink, you should drink in moderation only. Moderate drinking differ from men to women. The recommended amount for women is not more than a drink per day; a drink is equal to a bottle or a can of beer (12oz). For men, the recommended amount is an average of not more than 2 standard drinks per day. The different limit for men and women is because men can metabolize alcohol quicker than the women as they have more muscle. Muscle tissue holds more water than fat, so that more alcohol can be diluted. As woman’s body has less muscle and more fat, the alcohol will stay in their bloodstream longer than a man’s.

Of course, not everyone who drinks alcohol will develop cancer. But, cancer is more common in people who drink alcohol than people who don’t drink. People who stop their consumption of alcohol can significantly reduce their cancer risk. Other than reduce your intake of alcohol, you should also eat in moderation, exercise daily and lead a healthy lifestyle.

Liver cancer also known as primary or metastatic hepatic carcinoma is a fairly rare form of cancer in the western world (1% of all cancers) but much more common in Africa and parts of Asia (10% to 50% of all cancers). It is much more prevalent in men and incidence increases with age. Liver cancer is rapidly fatal, usually within 6 months from gastrointestinal hemorrhage, hepatic failure or metastasis.

TYPES OF LIVE CANCER
Most primary liver tumors are known as hepatomas (hepatocellular carcinoma and primary lower cell carcinoma). Some primary liver cancers originate in the bile duct and these are known as cholangiomas. Some rare liver cancers include Kupffer cell sarcoma and hepatoblastomas (which occur almost exclusively in children and are usually respectable and curable). Metastatic liver cancer is 20 times more common than primary liver cancer and after cirrhosis this is the leading form of liver related death.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
Liver cancer does not normally cause symptoms until it is in an advanced stage.
Clinical effects of advanced liver cancers include:

1. A mass in the right upper side.
2. Tender, nodular liver on palpation
3. Severe pain in the epigastrium or upper right side
4. Weight loss, anorexia, weakness, fever
5. Occasional jaundice or ascites (fluid in the abdomen)

CAUSATION
The exact cause of liver cancer is unknown in adults but in children it may be a genetic disease. Adult liver carcinomas may result from environmental exposure to carcinogens such as mold, contrast media (no longer in use), androgens and oral estrogens, the hepatitis B virus or by damage to the liver due to cirrhosis caused by too much prolonged imbibing of alcohol.

DIAGNOSIS
Liver cancer is difficult to diagnose in the presence of cirrhosis, but several tests can help identify it: The combination of an imaging study (ultrasound, CT, or MRI scans) and an elevated blood level of alpha-fetoprotein will most effectively diagnose liver cancer, electrolyte studies may indicate increased sodium retention, a liver biopsy can make a definitive diagnosis.

TREATMENT
Treatments for primary liver cancer depend on the extent (stage) of the disease, age, overall health, feelings and personal preferences. Surgery is the most effective treatment for primary liver cancer, but this is not always possible due to the size or position of the tumor. Radiofrequency ablation is an option for people with small, unresectable hepatocellular tumors and for some types of metastatic liver cancers. During this procedure, the hepatic artery (the artery from which liver cancers derive their blood supply) is blocked, and chemotherapy drugs are injected between the blockage and the liver. Cryoablation may be an option for people with inoperable primary and metastatic liver cancers. Removing the whole liver and replacing it with a liver from another person is another possible form of treatment for primary liver cancer.

Even when treatments fail to provide much improvement in the liver cancer itself, pain and other signs and symptoms caused by liver cancer can be aggressively treated to improve quality of life. In general, the treatments available for children are the same as for adults, and the best approach depends on the stage and type of cancer as well as the child’s age and overall health.

PROGNOSIS
Prognosis is poor when cancer is advanced, but for small tumors that are confined to the liver, ablative therapies are palliative and surgical resection or liver transplantation is sometimes curative.