by Rick Shapiro
There is much to be learned from cancer patients who have faced dire cancer prognoses and who survive, and thrive, many years past their so-called expiration dates.
She was told: “You don’t understand. You must face this. You are dying and you don’t have more than a few weeks, maybe 2 months. We don’t think you will make it until Christmas.” Elizabeth is retired and enjoying life.
SHORT ANSWER: ABSOLUTELY YES. This is a deep and exhaustive cancer subject and has been a topic of debate for centuries. The so-called “Father of Modern Medicine” Hippocrates, born approximately 2,500 years ago, is well known for his famous quote:
Is a Biopsy-Proven, Terminal Cancer Diagnosis Equivalent to a Death Sentence?
Unequivocally NO, terminal cancer is not equivalent to a death sentence.
There are many people who have been given a terminal cancer diagnosis who are thriving today, many years later. More people have “beaten the odds” than you think. I have personally met hundreds who were given short “time frames,” such as: 3 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and 1 year to live. They have been afflicted with all kinds of cancer including brain cancer, pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, melanoma, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, kidney cancer and others. I personally know many cancer doctors, in the integrative and alternative worlds, whose clinical work and recommendations have engendered extraordinary long-term outcomes for patients after receiving veritable “death sentences” from their prior cancer doctors.
“You Are in Remission.” “You are Cancer Free.” Let’s explore.
These seem to be wonderful, comforting words, spoken by our trusted cancer doctors. They tell us that their diagnostic tools cannot see or detect the presence of any cancer cells or tumor(s). Sometimes they will utter these words after a patient is 5 years into remission, hoping the cancer will not recur again.
This provides patients with some form of “peace of mind” regarding the stress, high anxiety, and fears they may harbor about a cancer recurrence. The doctor may say words like: Go home and enjoy your life; do whatever you want …
In today’s world, the standard of care is generally defined as: surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.
Most conventional cancer therapies, which are prescribed and directed by mainstream doctors, are comprised of what is known as the “standard of care.” In today’s world, the standard of care is generally defined as: surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. These are the primary modalities used in conventional cancer therapy, however, there are others, including hormonal and, more recently, novel immunotherapies. We are at the dawn of the immunotherapeutic age and this is not a perfected therapy, but there appears to be new hope and progress in this treatment realm. In fact, there is “no perfect therapy” for all cancers and cancer patients. But, there are many therapeutic paths that can provide great benefit, and that includes therapies that “are not” strictly standard of care therapies.
Evidence-based cancer treatments, integrative and/or alternative therapies, and healing agents may be considered.
In the conventional cancer world, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) testing procedure (generally known as “the gold standard”) prevails as the barometer to prove the safety and effectiveness of drugs, treatments, and therapies. In brief, this standard revolves around large, randomized, placebo-based, double-blind, evidence-based research studies.