Chemotherapy: Another Study Shows that it ‘Just Doesn’t Work’ with QOL during Stage 4 Cancers

A new study demonstrates that those with terminal cancer do not necessarily benefit from chemotherapy. In fact, the results show just the opposite can occur.

The closer the cancer patient is to death’s door, the more likely that chemotherapy will accelerate the dying process, as well as considerably affect their quality of life for the worse. The better their quality of life, the more it will be eroded by the ravages of chemotherapy.

The older the cancer patient the more compromised the immune system, which then makes the individual more susceptible to all sorts of secondary infections and opportunistic pathogens. By administering chemo to the elderly with terminal cancer, the body’s natural defenses are simply overwhelmed. Oncologists have observed this phenomenon for decades. Nonetheless, hospital cancer patients are routinely administered their chemo regardless of these significant factors.

NOTE: These chemotherapy procedures are reimbursed at relatively high rates and therefore function as robust revenue-generating schemes for both the referring physician and the hospital.

“Results of this study suggest that chemotherapy use among patients with chemotherapy-refractory metastatic cancer is of questionable benefit to patients’ quality of life in their final week,” they wrote. “Not only did chemotherapy not benefit patients regardless of performance status, it appeared most harmful to those patients with good performance status…guidelines regarding chemotherapy use in patients with terminal cancer may need to be revised.” [1]

Cancer is Now an Unfortunate Fact of Life

Virtually every family nowadays is touched by cancer at some point. Both young and old are now vulnerable as it has become a disease which does not practice age discrimination. Many in their middle age are particularly susceptible because of the extremely high levels of stress which often weaken the immune response.

Because of this reality, becoming familiar with the standard medical treatments, and especially their consequences, is advisable. The threefold allopathic approach to cancer remediation is well known: (i) chemotherapy, (ii) radiation, and (iii) surgery. While each of these methods can produce quick results, they each have their inherent drawbacks.

No two cancer cases are alike and therefore each individual is challenged to construct a program of remediation that is appropriate to their age and general health status. The Cancer Industry tends to treat all cancer patients alike within the various major categories such as prostate, lung, colon, bladder, and skin for men; and breast, lung, colon, uterus, and thyroid for women.  There are certainly other types of cancer, but these are by far the most common by gender.

Once a cancer patient is categorized, they are run through a fairly standardized gauntlet of treatments by which the cancer is surgically removed, radiated, and/or chemically treated.

Should these approaches fail over the long term, either individually or in the aggregate, the modalities utilized will inevitably produce diminishing returns. They can also bring about various unintended consequences that can be worse than the cancer itself. This is where every cancer sufferer ought to have a patient advocate who has been around the system long enough to know when to terminate an ineffective medical cancer treatment.  Sometimes the whole treatment plan ought to be abandoned, especially during the later stages like stage 4.

Oncologists Trained to “Win the War with Cancer,” Even at Expense of Overall Health

This is not a very well-known fact, but it’s true. Physicians who specialize in cancer treatment are so focused on eradicating the cancer from an organ or tissue that sometimes serious collateral damage is inflicted in the process. The continual testing that is required to monitor all the different blood work data and other lab tests results can be quite expensive and time-consuming.  Nevertheless, it must be performed once a person avails themselves to a steady diet of chemo and/or rounds of radiation therapy. To neglect this critical monitoring can cause serious internal damage to organs and tissues alike.

One oncologist was even sentenced to 45 year in prison for giving unnecessary chemo to patients – but that is a slightly different situation.

For those with terminal cancer or intractable forms of the disease, it is recommended that they closely watch their quality of life issues. The aforementioned study makes a great case why this should be so.

“These data … suggest that equating treatment with hope is inappropriate,” they continued, calling on oncologists instead to discuss the pros and cons of continuing treatment with late-stage cancer patients. “Let us not contribute to the suffering that cancer, and often associated therapy, brings, particularly at the end.” [1]

Even younger and healthier cancer patients will experience severe side effects from chemo.

Chemotherapy has a well-established track record for producing certain side effects that can cause great discomfiture. No matter what the age or health status, a prolonged treatment regimen of chemo will generate collateral damage that cannot be avoided. The chemical formulations are designed, after all, to kill cancer cells, as well as to short-circuit the reproduction of cancerous cells. Hence, these chemical compounds are effective killing agents which will also kill good cells too.

Conclusion

The Cancer Industry has become immensely profitable. There are certainly times when the medical treatments are appropriate and effective. There are also many cases where alternative healing modalities will provide much better results without any serious adverse side effects.

The aggressive “slash and burn and drugs” techniques ought to be fully understood by every cancer victim. By avoiding a fear-based decision process, anyone can arrive at the ideal treatment plan while maintaining a reasonable quality of life during their most challenging periods. One can also contemplate the emotional causes of cancer, such as unresolved grief, which are closer to the root causation of this difficult malady. [2]

There is also a broad array of holistic healing modalities and alternative therapies which have proven successful in pushing the cancer into remission — just do some searches here at Natural Society for more info. Oftentimes the cancer has been completely eradicated without any adverse side effects. Various detoxification protocols are particularly effective at enabling the body to release toxins which would otherwise weigh the individual down.

Sources:

[1] Los Angeles Times

[2] The Health Coach