| When a person has cancer that has a very poor | | | | who appear to be quite unrealistic and irrational in their |
| prognosis doctors are very wary about the patient | | | | beliefs about their potential longevity and quality of life. |
| having what they call "false hope." They get very | | | | Instead of trying to disillusion them and bringing them |
| angry with individuals and information websites who | | | | back to reality, they should encourage their patients' |
| suggest that the fatal consequence might not have to | | | | autonomy and positive attitudes, praising them for their |
| happen. From their perspective it is cruel to suggest | | | | work at improving their quality of life and for their |
| that someone has the power to heal when it is, in the | | | | survival to this point. They should recognize that |
| doctor's opinion, patently not true. But is that stance | | | | positive attitudes are just one aspect of cancer |
| justifiable? | | | | remedy self care. |
| I would have to answer both yes and no. It is justifiable | | | | My own research has found that long term survivors |
| as most people just want to do as they are told and | | | | interpreted every symptom as an indicator of |
| for those who believe in medical cancer remedies it is | | | | improving health, not progressing disease. They |
| probably accurate. However it is not justifiable in the | | | | preferred not to have the evidence of progression |
| sense that even if only one person has beaten the | | | | pointed out to them, but instead to focus on those little |
| medical odds and recovered when it wasn't expected | | | | aspects over which they could control. |
| then there is a physiological pathway for healing to | | | | This control could be physical, as in taking some |
| occur. | | | | exercise to assist lymphatic drainage, or it could be |
| If there is a biological mechanism for a cancer tumor | | | | imaginary, as in creatively visualizing the lymph finding a |
| to regress, to get smaller in size, then there is a | | | | new way to drain after surgery had removed some |
| mechanism for it to continue to regress, perhaps to | | | | of the glands. In one case the patient interpreted her |
| extinction. I was reading a medical journal article that | | | | badly swollen leg as an indicator, not of metastasized |
| discussed how the extended hours of summer sun, | | | | melanoma needing lymph glands removed, but of the |
| and the body's conversion of it to vitamin D could | | | | cancer being removed and her body now clear of the |
| encourage a regression of the size of metastases. | | | | cancer. She was now visualizing her leg as normal. |
| And if there are pathways such as this then hope is | | | | The leg did return to normal from being over twice the |
| reasonable. | | | | normal size, and her multiple chest metastases |
| One of the interesting pieces of research in people | | | | regressed fully so that she became clear of cancer |
| with HIV has shown that those who have positive | | | | for years. Sadly I lost contact with her. |
| illusions about how long they personally will live and | | | | This patient had refused to attend the oncology clinic |
| about how much they can control the illness, actually | | | | because the doctor was too negative. The patient's |
| do better than those who do not. This bothers some | | | | oncologist would sometimes meet up with her husband |
| doctors and researchers as living an illusory life is not | | | | at his work, ask after her health, and go on his way |
| generally considered to be indicative of good mental | | | | shaking his head saying, "Impossible, it just doesn't |
| health or good health generally. | | | | happen." |
| Additionally people do not do worse if or when they | | | | But it does happen. There are many natural cancer |
| find their illusions shattered by progressing illness. This | | | | remedies that can be undertaken but I would urge any |
| also bothers the same doctors and researchers. | | | | person who is ill not to put faith in just one herb, pill or |
| These behavioral aspects are likely to be very similar | | | | potion. Natural healing is much more complicated than |
| to people with cancer. | | | | that. It is a holistic treatment requiring not just one |
| As a result of these two findings doctors and | | | | aspect to be addressed, but the body, mind, social |
| researchers have to rethink how to manage patients | | | | relationships and more. Seek and you shall find. |