Ask Dr. Pam
Note: I have shortened this email and changed it somewhat
in order to address an important question I am often asked by readers
and members.
Dear Dr. Pam: I am a cancer patient who has been told
I only have a few months to a year to live. I have some difficult
decisions to make in terms of treatment; I'm not clear that the
recommendations I am getting from my doctor are going to be very
helpful. The other issue is diet. I've been eating the Standard
American Diet, which may be why I have cancer. I read The China Study
and if I had read it sooner would have changed my ways and maybe
avoided this. Now, I'm faced with asking myself whether changing my
diet makes any difference at all or if I should just let myself eat
anything in order to enjoy my remaining days as much as possible. Your
thoughts?
These types of emails, and I get them regularly, are painful
because I want to help everyone survive and thrive. I'm reminded when
confronted with situations like this that I can't fix everything and
that the advice to just practice dietary excellence is too simplistic in
some cases.
There are several issues to address, starting with treatment.
You are smart to question whether or not the treatments you are being
offered are productive solutions; while some cancers respond to
traditional treatments, most do not. Sometimes treatment only reduces
tumors in the short term but does not prolong life, which should be the
main goal. Furthermore, side effects from some treatments can be so
dreadful that a terminal cancer patient has little quality of life for
his/her remaining time. The decision to not receive these treatments is
understandable and should be respected by family members and friends.
Even if the traditional treatments offered by your oncologist
are not effective, this does mean that other and better options are not
available. For over 15 years, I have referred cancer patients to Dr.
Ralph Moss at
www.cancerdecisions.com.
Through his reports, many of our members have successfully identified
treatments that have sometimes saved their lives, prolonged their lives,
or helped them to conclude that effective treatments were not available
for their type of cancer. In response to this, some people have chosen
to finish their days enjoying life as much as possible without pursuing a
chance for cure, and I repeat my earlier statement that as difficult as
these decisions are, they should be respected by family and friends.
Now to address your very important question about diet. I
cannot promise that a Wellness Forum-style diet will save your life.
But I can promise that everyone gets better when they adopt this diet.
What that may mean for you is slightly longer survival time and better
quality of life. I cannot cite research studies showing that terminal
cancer patients live longer when they eat a plant-based diet. But many
people during the last 16 years have shared stories of family members
who have lived far longer than they were supposed to (some for a few
more months and some for a few more years), and enjoyed good quality of
life during their remaining months or years. This is considerably
different than the end-of-life scenarios we have all experienced with
family members and friends with cancer.
Some people with terminal cancer do recover and remain in remission.
Forks Over Knives
features one of them, Ruth Heidrich. Ruth had metastasized cancer (lung
and bones) and completely recovered after adopting a whole foods
plant-based diet many years ago. Now in her mid-70's, she is still
working and competing as an athlete.
There are several studies that show that diet and lifestyle
choices make a positive difference in reducing the side effects
associated with many treatments.
In making your decision, you must evaluate what is important
to you. Foods like cheese, French Fries and junk foods may taste good,
but they offer only momentary pleasure and do not promote health. Your
choice is somewhat dependent on whether you have chosen to accept your
prognosis or fight to regain your health and extend your life. It is
unlikely that you'll be able to recover while consuming
health-destroying foods. But only you can make this decision.
There are some additional factors that contribute to the
decisions made under these circumstances, which include the age of the
patient, the overall health status of the patient, the type of cancer,
and economic resources (which are a factor in the availability of some
non-traditional treatments).
In conclusion, the best we can do for cancer patients is to
make them aware of their options, encourage them to consider these
options carefully, and respect the decisions they make. While it may
seem that the way to be helpful is to talk patients into adopting a
Wellness Forum-style diet and focusing on survival, the choices are
ultimately theirs.
For a simple and easy way to get the nutrition of 17 fresh, raw, vine ripened fruits and vegetables every day for only $1.50 and FREE for your child. Please call me at 866-508-2910
www.sherryfritz.com
For more information about Dr. Pam Popper and The Wellness Forum, please click
HERE
www.wellnessforum.com
Creating a healthier world!
