Killer cancer treatment: How toxic chemotherapy kills both cancer cells and cancer patients

Tuesday, October 25, 2005 by: Dani Veracity
Tags: chemotherapy, cancer treatments, cancer treatment

"If cancer specialists were to admit publicly that chemotherapy is of limited usefulness and is often dangerous, the public might demand a radical change in direction—possibly toward unorthodox and nontoxic methods, and toward cancer prevention. ...The use of chemotherapy is even advocated by those members of the establishment who realize how ineffective and dangerous it can be." - Ralph W. Moss, author, The Cancer Industry

Imagine that you own a house that is absolutely perfect and beautiful with all the necessities, except that it has some rodents inside. When you call the exterminators, they tell you that they won't be able to target just the rodents, as these rodents are of an especially stealthy breed. They tell you they're just going to set off a series of explosions in your house that may kill the rodents. They warn you, "Oh yeah, it may destroy some of your house in the process, but, hey, you want those rodents out of your house, right?" There's probably no way you would allow that; instead, you would do some research and find other, more specific and less generally destructive ways of getting rid of the rodents.

The allegorical exterminators' logic makes no sense; yet, it's the same logic that doctors who prescribe chemotherapy follow. Like the exterminators' explosions, chemotherapy doesn't exclusively target cancer cells; it also harms your good cells, destroying some of your body – your "house" – in the process. As a result, many chemotherapy patients lose their hair, develop immune deficiencies, lose weight and vomit. Chemotherapy poisons your body as a whole in an attempt to kill the cancer cells before the "treatment" brings your body to an unrecoverable state.

As Gary Null and James Feast write, "(After chemotherapy,) the hope is the cancer is going to be totally dead and you are only half dead and recover." Unfortunately, some people are more than "half dead" after chemotherapy and remain damaged for the rest of their lives, no matter how long or how short that life may be. They never realize that according to many alternative health practitioners, there are safer ways of combating many types of cancer.

Former chemotherapy patient Anne explains in Michio Kushi's and Alex Jack's book, The Cancer Prevention Diet: "My mind rebelled at the thought of another six months of that poison. On several occasions, the doctor couldn't perform chemotherapy treatments on me because my white blood cell count was dangerously low. I promised my body I would not undergo any further chemotherapy treatments."

Anne's account reflects the feelings of all too many cancer patients who have suffered through months of often debilitating chemotherapy. The side effects that chemotherapy patients feel and others see – the extreme nausea and vomiting, the hair loss, the weight loss – are indicative of the intense havoc that chemotherapy is causing within the body. According to the Life Extension Foundation, chemotherapy drugs are "cytotoxic," meaning that "they kill cells that are extremely active." Cancer cells are, of course, extremely active. However, so are the cells of the hair and the immune system, for example, which accounts for chemotherapy's destructive side effects.

As if these side effects are not enough, cancer therapy commonly includes surgery and radiation, both of which have their own dangers and side effects. As Professor Null writes in his Complete Encyclopedia of Natural Healing, "The mainstream medical establishment often prescribes mastectomy, radiation and chemotherapy to treat cancer, an approach that has been described as a slash-and-burn strategy." The treatment for breast cancer is unfortunately often the general rule among cancer treatment – cut off the affected organ, poison the body with chemotherapy and then harm the body even more with radiation.

In Get Healthy Now, Professor Null describes one woman's experience with mainstream medicine's approach to breast cancer treatment: "Three days later, she had her breast lopped off. That was followed up with lots of chemotherapy. Her hair fell out and she vomited 24 hours a day. She couldn't keep any food down. Then they did radiation and her skin burnt up and two of her ribs broke." He concludes, "Most people don't know how dangerous radiation is. I had seen enough. I wouldn't touch any of that medicine with a 10-foot pole." Surgical removal of the cancerous body part also has its own aftereffects, of course, requiring not only the normal recovery after any surgery, but also coping with the psychological effects of having a body part removed.

It may all be unnecessary in the first place

As cancer patients suffer from the side effects of chemotherapy and other methods of mainstream cancer treatment, the fact remains that according to many medical practitioners, these treatments are unnecessary and sometimes do more harm than good. In response to chemotherapy's many side effects, Dr. Atkins says in Burton Goldberg's Alternative Medicine, "Only in situations in which chemotherapy is proven to be effective and curative would I recommend it. In general, this might be testicular cancer."

Many people also think that surgery can sometimes do more harm than good: Biopsy, for example, may in fact spread cancer cells, according to Professor Null. Furthermore, the most extreme example of unnecessary cancer therapy – treatment for false positive cancer diagnoses – is more common than we'd like to believe, according to Critical Condition authors Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steele.

If, as many people believe, mainstream cancer treatment is sometimes ineffective and always harmful to the body as a whole, then what is the alternative? Goldberg writes that Ukrain, which is made from the alkaloids of the greater celandine plant and the pharmaceutical Thiotepa, "can do everything chemotherapy does but without the side effects, so it renders chemotherapy largely unnecessary." The beauty of Ukrain is that it, unlike chemotherapy drugs, it only targets the cancer cells and not your healthy ones. Furthermore, good nutrition – vitamins, minerals, fiber, fresh fruit and vegetables, juices and medicinal herbs – can do wonders against cancer. Of course, you need to discuss a treatment plan that is right for your type of cancer and your body with a medical professional, preferably a naturopath. But before you say yes to chemotherapy, remember what it does to your body and consider all available treatments.

The experts speak on chemotherapy:

"Chemotherapy poisons your body as a whole in an attempt to kill cancer cells"

As Duesberg explains, AZT had been designed to work as would any other chemotherapeutic drug. "chemotherapy," he says, "is a rational but desperate treatment for cancer." The toxic drug given in the process will kill any and all growing cells in the patient. After a short round of chemo, "the hope is the cancer is going to be totally dead, and you are only half dead and recover." Duesberg points out that the dangerous violence of the method, which is slaughtering cells wholesale, not targeting only cancer cells, is evident in the side effects. "You lose your hair, you lose weight, you get pneumonia, you get immune deficiency, because it's severe cellular intoxication. You kill a lot of good cells, too."
Aids A Second Opinion by Gary Null PhD with James Feast, page 429

"How chemotherapy harms your body"

In September 1986, Anne decided to stop chemotherapy despite the opposition of her oncologist. "My mind rebelled at the thought of another six months of that poison," she observes. "On several occasions the doctor couldn't perform chemotherapy treatments on me because my white blood cell count was dangerously low. I promised my body I would not undergo any further chemotherapy treatments."
The Center Prevention Diet by Michio Kushi & Alex Jack, page 131

Other treatments, with significant side effects, are being investigated for more serious forms of the disease. Immunosuppressive drugs that have been used for cancer chemotherapy and organ transplants may reduce the autoimmune response. These drugs are cytotoxic; that is, they kill cells that are extremely active, which in autoimmune disease are white blood cells.
Disease Prevention And Treatment by Life Extension Foundation, page 1373

Nausea is usually a passing symptom that will almost always go away by itself. In most cases, I recommend natural remedies for nausea because they are often as effective as some of the prescription antiemetic drugs, but they do not cause unnecessary side effects. The only exception to this rule, however, is in the case of cancer patients who are receiving chemotherapy; the kind of intense nausea they may experience can be so severe that stronger measures may be needed.
Secret Remedies by Earl Mindell RPh PhD, page 204

"The tri-fold approach to mainstream cancer therapy"

The mainstream medical establishment often prescribes mastectomy, radiation, and chemotherapy to treat breast cancer, an approach that has been described as a slash-and-burn strategy. This approach may be in for a reappraisal with the recent insight by the medical world that breast cancer is actually three different diseases, with indistinct boundaries, rather than one. In other words, only some breast cancers fit the image of a disease that is fast-growing and fast-spreading. Two other categories of this condition exist, the slowest-growing of which may never spread or be life-threatening at all. With this realization comes the idea that giving everyone with breast cancer chemotherapy may be unnecessary. Considering the harmful effects of chemotherapy, the belated nature of this realization is disturbing, to say the least.
Complete Encyclopedia Of Natural Healing by Gary Null PhD, page 72

Dr. Atkins regards chemotherapy as otherwise dangerous and best avoided in treating the majority of cancers. Only in situations in which chemotherapy is proven to be effective and curative would I recommend it, he says. In general, this might be testicular cancer …
Alternative Medicine by Burton Goldberg, page 595

Three days later, she had her breast lopped off. That was followed up with lots of chemotherapy. Her hair fell out and she vomited 24 hours a day. She couldn't keep any food down. Then they did radiation and her skin burnt up and two of her ribs broke. Most people don't know how dangerous radiation is. I had seen enough. I wouldn't touch any of that medicine with a 10-foot pole.
Get Healthy Now by Gary Null, page 762

I try never to use radiation treatment -- which is even more dangerous than most forms of chemotherapy -- without also using hyperthermia, says Dr. Atkins. Thanks to hyperthermia, we can shrink tumors with far less radiation to get the same therapeutic outcome, and our patients' immune systems and overall health are faring much better as a result.
Alternative Medicine by Burton Goldberg, page 609

If prostate cancer develops, mainstream medicine typically offers prostatectomy, or removal of the prostate, chemotherapy, and radiation. All are ineffective and often dangerous. Surgery, like biopsy, can actual spread cancer cells, and often decreases sexual potency and urinary control. PACT, a prostate support group, advocates hormonal blockers to induce cancer shrinkage, which may hold the disease at bay for several years, followed by a prostatectomy or cryosurgery (freezing of the prostate). The most common hormonal blockers are Lupron and Fludamide. As prostate cancer is generally slow growing, patients, especially those in the early stages, have time to try less harmful methods of treatment.
Complete Encyclopedia Of Natural Healing by Gary Null PhD, page 308

Rufer and her husband sued Abbott Laboratories, UWMC, and the cancer specialist who treated her. UWMC and the doctor argued that they had relied on the Abbott test results. Abbott denied all responsibility, even though the literature distributed with its tests made no mention of the potential for false positives. What's more, according to a court opinion, it turned out that Abbott also had access to reports that false positive results on its assay led to unnecessary cancer treatment before 1998. It received over forty complaints of false positives, including multiple complaints of unnecessary chemotherapy and surgery before Jennifer Rufer's first treatment in April 1998.
Critical condition by Donald L Barlett and James B Steele, page 63

To reduce the need for steroids, immunosuppressants such as azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine (also used in the treatment of some cancers), or cyclosporine may be substituted. Various chemotherapy agents and organ transplant antirejection drugs are also used. Again, these medications have their own problematic or dangerous side effects. Therefore, thoughtful consideration of a treatment plan coordinated by the patient's physician is required.
Disease Prevention And Treatment by Life Extension Foundation, page 614

The diagnosis of bilateral lung cancer was confirmed by x-rays, a CAT scan, and a lung biopsy. Like Dr. Meshad, the physician at the center recommended against chemotherapy. Ruth's prognosis was not good: the cancer was aggressive and her history of liver disease made the use of chemotherapy dangerous.
Sharks Still Don't Get Cancer By Dr I William Lane, page 155

"Alternatives to chemotherapy and other forms of mainstream cancer treatment"

In other words, alternative therapies may pose a serious threat when a patient, if swayed toward alternatives, loses the opportunity to receive the (extremely) effective orthodox treatment? Run that by me again. Time and time again it has been confirmed that the proven medical treatments are not only ineffective but dangerous. The vast majority of patients with cancer live longer and better if left without the orthodox treatments. Oncologists will not accept these treatments for themselves. No scientific research is needed to prove that fresh vegetables, fruit, juices, medicinal herbs, vitamins, minerals, fiber, etc. are not harmful to the body. It would be nice if there were proof that surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy were not harmful.
Health In The 21st Century by Fransisco Contreras MD, page 224

Finally, if cancer specialists were to admit publicly that chemotherapy is of limited usefulness and is often dangerous, the public might demand a radical change in direction—possibly toward unorthodox and nontoxic methods, and toward cancer prevention. By constantly touting the promise of anticancer drugs, orthodox practitioners ward off this challenge to their expertise and scientists parry the threat radically new concepts represent to their long years of research. The use of chemotherapy is even advocated by those members of the establishment who realize how ineffective and dangerous it can be.
The Cancer Industry by Ralph W Moss, page 84