To have the op or try alternative

very pleased to hear how well you are doing Chloecat

To people who disagree with Chloecat's chosen path, do not think she is alone in her veiws. Many women i have met through groups share her opinions that diet, environment and herbal supplements all have 

a part to play in healing from cancer. Regarding her decision to decline surgery and watch and wait, this is her's alone to make. 

I am sure many of us have read statistics that for every one woman who's life is saved through treatment at least 3 are treated unnecessarily. Everyone of us who have had treatment have had side effects which have compromised our quality of life. It takes a brave individual to prioritise quality over quantity and therefore I applaud Chloecat x

Have just spent the last hour reading the thread, Chloe's journey has been inspiring. I wish her well as she follows her own path. It was the post that caused concern, especially as some newly diagnosed, emotionally fragile, might stumble across it.

Dear Julia,

I took Annie's comment to mean that the majority of invasive breast cancers, left UNTREATED, will kill you sooner or later...and this is less often the case for DCIS.  Surely this is just plain speaking rather than scaremongering?

Both of my great grandmothers on my father's side died from breast cancer before the age of 30. This was in around 1910. They were poor, living in Ireland and there was no treatment. My paternal aunt and cousin have  had lobular cancer, as I have, and are alive many years after diagnosis, having gone down the route of surgery, chemo, radiation and drugs. 

I certainly think there's room for discussion about alternative healthcare...why not a combination of both, where practical? Having said that, where invasive cancers are concerned I believe the scientifically proven route will  give us our best chance. The fact we are even able to discuss it in this way is a luxury my grandmother never had.

Love to all.

Pepys xx

hi Pepys 

Annie could have meant that in which case it makes sense. Otherwise it doesn't. 

Hi annie,

I daresay you mean well but even DCIS can be a real bugger.

There is no 'better' cancer to get, they are all cr@p be it TN, Inflammatory, HER2, BRCA related and all the other many variations.

Those with DCIS that are triple positive (HER2+ ER/PR+) face mastectomy, 6 or 8 x chemo a year of Herceptin, then radiotherapy and to top it all off, 5 or 10 years of hormone tablets that make you feel you are aged 80 :(

Prior to Herceptin HER2+ in any type of BC was up there as just about the most aggressive and fastest growing type to get lumbered with and prognosis was really poor.

That is why there was hell to pay when NICE wasn't going to license Herceptin for use within the NHS (the original postcode lottery drug)

We're all in this together and a lot of members here appreciate the information Chloecat provides about her personal experiences from doing it 'her way'  -  Indeed some members have found nuggets of info that provides help easing some treatment side effects in a complimentary direction.

No one here (including Chloecat) would ever say this is the way to go but it's great she is willing to share her unconventional approach. 

Who knows in the near future maybe we may all be taking some of these compounds as a standard treatment for this evil disease ?

Just sayin'  G n' J

Great comment George

Hi All

Blimey, what a load of posts.  Thanks for all your comments.  I read them with great interest.

The doctors DON'T comment on the link between the various supplements, outside scans, other bits I do, etc, as they can't.  They are not allowed to under NICE instructions and could be brought before the BMA and possibly struck off.  An additional factor is the Cancer Act which stops doctors from going down alternative paths.  In conventional treatments they ARE the experts.  When I chose to go for a second opinion I deliberately chose Professor Keshtgar as I believed the new trial of Photodynamic therapy he was undertaking was a truly brilliant new treatment for BC.  This treatment is way out of the box on the conventional but the catch 22 was that I would have had to have a mastectomy done 2 days later.  I didn't meet the criteria anyway but because of this innovative thinking I chose to stay with this consultant and he is happy to continue to monitor me.  'Almost' every time I am at a consultation (6 monthly) they try to get me to agree to surgery but with the continued shrinking of the tumour I view that what I am doing is the right route for me.  If things change I will think again.

The change of diet and lifestyle has had numerous benefits on my wellbeing so that I no longer suffer with dyspepsia, bloating, headaches or any of the niggling things that occasionally take their toll on the body.  Any change in lifestyle to the betterment of health is a good thing.  I still have hot flushes and as the consultant said in one appointment the Anastrozole continues to work so why not continue on this part of the conventional treatment.  When I viewed the video film of Dr Dennis Slamon (discoverer of the endocrine therapy) women were given a second chance of life after the cancers had returned after conventional treatment.

For decades we have had surgery and radiation. Innovations have been added along the way - chemo and the endocrine therapy – but, sadly, they have still not cured cancer. Clearly new therapies are/will be added to, systemically, cure cancer otherwise why would scientists still be continuing to research new therapies for BC. On the books are Gene Therapy, GcMAF, Photodynamics, SonoPhotodynamics, HIFU - amongst a few. Will one of these be the end of our cancer/s?  As George says who's to say that something I am taking may be advantageous in the resolution of breast cancer?

My sisters have accepted my unconventional route but do sometimes come back with ‘negative’ answers when I ‘spout off’ on something I have learnt. I have learnt to accept their retorts just as I have accepted their stance on favouring the use of the conventional treatment. I understand the ramifications of my actions but so far I am doing fine. This discussion is for my benefit as are all the other discussions on this website for the benefit of the writers. I read the other discussions with great interest and pitch in where, I hope, I can help and support.

Thanks once again for all your comments and I will update my discussion when I have something to report. Lots of love and look after yourselves

…. still fighting this nasty little critter…

Hiya Girls

Just a short update.  Stumbled on the stairs on Friday and in grabbing hold of the bannister (to stop me from a fate worse than death) I bashed my little finger on the right hand.  Heard a crack and once downstairs trying to recover my finger hurt like hell.  Thought I had just 'cracked' my knuckle as some annoying so and so's tend to do - I bet they get arthritis when they're older..... Immediately put finger under cold water to stop swelling and headed off to A&E.  Yep, fractured the bone closest to the palm - now in a splint and taking Ibuprofen - just in case.  Asked them to double check my bone density there and all seems okay as well.  What a relief.  However because of the location of the fracture which is in the middle of this bone and no fractures near the joints (which is good they say) it's going to take 6 weeks to heal fully.  Sheesh, panic over and getting on with life as best I can.  Provided I don't knock it seems okay most of the time.  Never fractured a bone before - could I be lucky!!! LOL

Anyway, take care of yourselves - which I know you will do

.... still fighting this nasty little critter...

I hope it heels quickly Chloecat. Does sound painful xxx

Hi All

Find that I don't need to take the Ibuprofen anymore! But then I am being soooooo careful with my little finger.  Do find that I 'catch' it sometimes but nothing like it was when I first fractured it.  Is this a sign of 'healing quickly'!  Have to make an appointment for next week for a follow up so will try to do that tomorrow - that will be the cruncher!

.... still fighting this nasty little critter....