HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - new immunotherapy approach--letting up on the brake while stepping on the accelerator

agness · 08-14-2015, 03:39 PM

It is ironic that chemo depletes the immune system function and that liver dysfunction is unaddressed in current standard of care practices.

I successfully boosted WBC production during chemo using Chinese herbs and avoided using Neulasta. I also worked on boosting my poor magnesium level which is key to liver detox -- even as they gave me Carboplatin which depletes the body further of magnesium (I read the prescribing info). It took a lot of work to try to restore my depleted body as I went through treatment and Im grateful to my alternative health providers who kept me healthy during treatment.

I shudder when I hear of medical oncologists ignoring patients' nutritional status at time of diagnosis (my blood panel looked great until you looked at my ferritin, zinc, magnesium, D3 and copper levels). I've heard MOs say eat whatever you like during treatment, or worse telling folks not to take probiotics during treatment -- chemo is way worse for your body than sntibiotics. It's no wonder some patients almost die during treatment.

BTW, I also question the new "big data" cancer project that was announced at ASCO in June this year. Garbage in means garbage out. If they aren't looking at patients'
Nutritional and hormonal status at time if diagnosis and after treatment then they are never going to figure out how to actually heal people of their systemic disease.

08-14-2015, 03:39 PM	#3
agness Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 285	Re: new immunotherapy approach--letting up on the brake while stepping on the acceler It is ironic that chemo depletes the immune system function and that liver dysfunction is unaddressed in current standard of care practices. I successfully boosted WBC production during chemo using Chinese herbs and avoided using Neulasta. I also worked on boosting my poor magnesium level which is key to liver detox -- even as they gave me Carboplatin which depletes the body further of magnesium (I read the prescribing info). It took a lot of work to try to restore my depleted body as I went through treatment and Im grateful to my alternative health providers who kept me healthy during treatment. I shudder when I hear of medical oncologists ignoring patients' nutritional status at time of diagnosis (my blood panel looked great until you looked at my ferritin, zinc, magnesium, D3 and copper levels). I've heard MOs say eat whatever you like during treatment, or worse telling folks not to take probiotics during treatment -- chemo is way worse for your body than sntibiotics. It's no wonder some patients almost die during treatment. BTW, I also question the new "big data" cancer project that was announced at ASCO in June this year. Garbage in means garbage out. If they aren't looking at patients' Nutritional and hormonal status at time if diagnosis and after treatment then they are never going to figure out how to actually heal people of their systemic disease. __________________ Dx 2/14 3b HER2+/HR- left breast, left axilla, internal mammary node (behind breast bone). Neoadjuvant TCHP 3/14-7/2. PCR 8/14 LX and SND. 10/21-12/9 Proton therapy to chest wall. Dx 7/20/15 cerebellar met 3.5x5cm HER2+/HR-/GATA3+ 7/23/15 Craniotomy. 7/29/15 bone scan clear. 8/3/15 PET clean scan. LINAC SRS (5 fractions) Sept 2015. 9/17/15 CSF NED, 9/24/15 CSF NED, 11/2/15 CSF NED. 10/27/15 atypical uptake in right cerebellum - inflammation? 12/1/15 Leptomeningeal dx. Starting IT Herceptin. 1/16 - 16 fractions of tomotherapy to cerebellum, break of IT Herceptin during rads, resume at 100 mg weekly 3/2016 - stable scan 5/2016 stable scan 7/2016 pseudoprogression? 9/2016 more LM, start new chemo protocol and IV therapy treatment with HBOT 11/2016 Cyberknife to temporal lobe, HBOT just prior 12/2016 - lesions starting to show shrinkage 8/2017 - Stable since Dec 2016. Temporal lobe lesion gone. Using TCM, naturopathic oncology, physical therapy, chiro, massage, medical qigong, and energetic healing modalities in tandem. Stops at nothing. Mother of 2 boys - ages 7 and 10 (8/2017) and a lovely partner with lots to live for.