Malignant Mesothelioma was the last thing James Rhio O'Connor (known as Rhio) expected when his doctor made the diagnosis in 2001. Since the prognosis of this cancer was so grim, his doctor suggested that he take his wife on a cruise and put his affairs in order.
But O'Connor had other plans; he was determined to beat this cancer. Working with health professionals, he made a total change in diet, took supplements and practiced mind-body therapy. He extended his life by eight more years using this regimen.
O'Connor's case is astounding, considering the fact that malignant mesothelioma, often caused by asbestos exposure,is a highly aggressive form of cancer that's generally fatal within a year.
Yet many cases of remission have been surfacing in recent years, causing physicians to seriously consider the role of the mind relative to the body's immunity.
Alternative Therapy and Remission
In 2003, a 73-year-old Japanese man was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma of the pleural sac surrounding the lungs, abdomen and ribs. He had a smoking history and ten years of asbestos exposure. He was given partial surgery and chemotherapy.
Eight months later, he stopped his medical treatments. Without consulting his doctors, he switched to two forms of alternative therapy – a mushroom extract and a parasympathetic nerve stimulation treatment, a kind of acupuncture that is intended to enhance the immune system.
His tumor disappeared for 29 months, but returned later in a less invasive, slow growing form which, at the time of the publication of his case study report, the man was still utilizing alternative medicine treatments.
According to his doctors' discussion in the Journal of Medical Case Reports, both the mushroom extract and nerve stimulation treatment were known to bolster the immune function. The mushroom extract in question had been used in the treatment of gynecological cancer in patients. Despite these reports, the doctors could find no scientific grounds for the claim that these alternative therapies had cured the man.
Nevertheless, they conceded that "something," whether it was the conventional or alternative treatments, had triggered a positive immunological response that conventional science had not been able to explain.
A Patient's Guide to Surviving Malignant Mesothelioma
When Paul Kraus was diagnosed with mesothelioma in June 1997, he and his family did exactly what Rhio O'Connor did – they plunged into research, reading everything they could on the disease and various therapies, both alternative and conventional.
Then, working with his doctors, Kraus created his own health regimen. Thirteen years later, he is still alive in all senses of the word. And he has written a book on surviving mesothelioma.
The regimen Kraus used and still uses is unconventional; it is a complete life review with lifestyle changes that include the following:
- nutrient therapies and herbal remedies
- stress management through meditation
- daily exercise
- writing or coping with cancer through healing words - Kraus kept a journal of prose and poetry as a way of expressing his emotions
- alternative treatment modalities
- positive mind-body connection
- living with deep spirituality through peace and a sense of purpose in life.
Cancer is a Disease of Immune Suppression
Doctors now understand that mesothelioma, like many other forms of cancer, is a disease triggered by poor immune response. In The Anticancer Mind, Dr. David Servan-Schreiber cites cases of patients who experienced regression of their illness when they experienced coherence by connecting a positive mind with the body's emotions.
The brain and the heart are connected by emotions and thought. If negative thoughts can suppress the immune system and make the body susceptible to cancer expression, positive thinking can do the reverse – trigger a healing response.
This positive thinking must be sustained through an active and radical change in one's diet and lifestyle, like the kind of change that Rhio O'Connor and Paul Kraus experienced. Many survivors of malignant mesothelioma have also refused conventional therapies that destroy the immune system, like chemotherapy, radiation and radical surgery, .
Some believe that surviving malignant Mesothelioma is not simply a matter of luck or chance, but a positive engagement of wholeness – mind and body working in unison to enhance the body's immunity. To achieve this end, the journey is not easy, but increasing numbers of survivors are making it a well-worn and well-known path.
Source:
Higashiyama, Masahiko, Kazuyuki Oda, Jiro Okami, Jun Maeda, Ken Kodama and Fumio Imamura."Malignant Peural Mesothelioma with Long-Term Tumor Disappearance of a Local Relapse After Surgery:A Case Report." Journal of Medical Case Reports 2009, 3:6800 ( March 27, 2009).
Mary Desaulniers - I am a retired teacher and grandmother looking forward to the next 30 or more years with great relish and enthusiasm. My passions are ...
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