A deeper look into “successful” cancer treatments

It was only a matter of time before people started to rebel against the conventional “cut, poison, burn” approach to cancer treatment… and more specifically, whether it’s worth the devastation it causes.

Of course, my patients have pushed back against this status quo for years—which is exactly why they come to see me. But apparently, the tide is shifting in mainstream circles, too.

And believe it or not, even they’re starting to question the benefit of the usual “scorched earth” cancer protocols.

A change of heart

Get a load of this:  New research concludes that—for patients with advanced lung cancer, at least—a “successful treatment” doesn’t just increase survival time. It also maintains quality of life and functional scores.

Now, isn’t that a novel idea???

Researchers interviewed 235 patients with advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) before, during, and after first-line chemotherapy treatments. And their responses tell a story that every conventional oncologist needs to hear.

At the first interview (that is, before chemo started), 60 percent of patients defined successful treatment as being about more than just survival—while 25 percent specifically defined success as having a high quality of life. (That is, they would be able to do the things they love—with the people they love.)

And nearly all of these patients—90 percent—held onto this opinion by the final interview.

But there was a smaller group, comprising just over ten percent of the patients, who believed that survival alone was the goal of treatment. But by the end of their chemotherapy sessions, more than half of these patients had expanded this definition to include quality of life. And nearly a quarter reported that they believed the sole goal of treatment was higher quality of life.

In other words, the definition of successful treatment changed dramatically over the course of chemotherapy. And really… why wouldn’t it?

Patients are people

Let’s face it—chemotherapy isn’t fun. And it isn’t necessarily curative, either. There are no guarantees in the fight against cancer, particularly when the disease is advanced.

And the fact is, we don’t have a cure for advanced-stage lung cancer. Sadly, treatment options for this kind of metastatic disease are still very limited. So, in these cases, the point of chemotherapy is to manage symptoms—and it might extend survival in some cases, too.

As a patient, it’s important to know this going in. Which is why I always encourage people to ask their oncologist exactly what they can expect from treatment.

And trust me when I say that the patients I see always prioritize quality of life. Which is exactly what I strive to offer—a way to stay alive, in more ways than just one.

So it’s not the least bit surprising to me that the patients in this study recognized that living longer isn’t always worth it if you’re feeling miserable every day. And that the best way to spend the rest of their days is with as much energy—and as little pain and disability—as possible.

Because even though this study only looked at one specific type of incurable lung cancer, in my experience, anyone with cancer feels the same way. It’s one of the main reasons for my Essential Protocol for a Cancer-Free Future… which I designed with greater quality of life as the primary goal.

The trick is getting conventional oncologists to start following suit. Because modern American medicine doesn’t ever think of you as a person—only as a disease. And while that might be good for business, it’s a disaster for patients, any way you look at it.

P.S. To learn more about the simple, science-based strategies to fortify your defenses and stop cancer in its tracks, sign up for my Essential Protocol for a Cancer-Free Future. Because you do have options… and your quality of life doesn’t have to suffer. Click here to learn more about this innovative online learning tool now!

Source:

“Treatment Success in Lung Cancer Is More Than Survival.” Medscape Medical News, 08/15/2019. (medscape.com/viewarticle/916886)


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