Fight...the War on Cancer!

The introduction opens with the point that the prolonged cancer war has been more accepted by the public than any military war. Yet, since 1971, there has been relatively little fundamental change in the triad of conventional treatment or the mortality rate of the disease. An analogy is made between unconventional warfare and integrative therapy. Most integrative therapies were once unproven and have been slow in attaining clinical trial status.

The present strategy is contrasted to that of other technological breakthroughs. The motive for writing the book is the necessity for a movement of great magnitude toward integrative oncology in order to win the war on cancer. We have witnessed increased interest in new integrative methodologies using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). However, such promising concepts have made limited meaningful progress due to lack of universal support. Terry describes his experience with conventional treatment. Cancer treatment terminology for the book is established.

This first chapter begins with a gripping fictional account of terrorists crashing large airliners and compares it with the cancer mortality numbers. The baseline time for the book is described as President Nixon’s declaration of the war on cancer. The reader is confronted by the attack of cancer on our society through statistics from various perspectives. Technology challenges in this war are compared and contrasted with the development of the nuclear bomb and the space race to the moon.

The high stakes of cancer war funding by various agencies are highlighted with the point that allocation for integrative research is proportionally minimal. Many medical scientists are motivated to move on complementary therapy, but resources do not support it. As a result, many patients use alternative therapies without the consent of their physician which is both unwise and unsafe, but illustrates the demand. The new strategy of this book is universal awareness, acceptance, and support of integrative cancer therapy with balanced priorities on both conventional and integrative treatment research and practice.

The pros and cons of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy are presented as well as their cumulative effect. The progress of each treatment method from this triad has included some welcomed breakthroughs, and no doubt the treatments have saved thousands of lives. However, their harmful consequences along with the fact that they have been unable to make appreciable headway in defeating cancer bring into question their long-term viability. Reliance on exclusively conventional treatment is compared to a military conventional war strategy against an unconventional enemy.

The chapter compares the “quagmire” of recent wars with that of exclusive conventional, non-complementary treatment. This is followed by a history of conventional treatment. The stalemate of wars is the result of inadequate creativity and new methodologies. The comparisons of cancer therapy in other industrialized nations to that of the U.S. reveal a more aggressive approach in our country, but with similar results. Final points include the continuing excitement over relatively small incremental victories in the progress of the war, but real victory will be more tolerable, higher quality of life treatment if not defeat of cancer altogether.

This chapter presents diet and nutrition as the most common complement to conventional treatment. The established medical community agrees that the right diet reduces cancer risk, but what about its potential as a therapy complement for existing cancers? Some medical schools are beginning to take a serious look at the impact of diet and nutrition on cancer. Linus Pauling’s experiments are highlighted. Vitamins A, C, and E exemplify the greatest potential candidates for further study. Various herbals are singled out as promising CAM choices as well as specific minerals.

Selections of promising new complementary methods are presented as examples of what needs to be new priorities in clinical trials. The Folkman and Langer experiments in anti-angiogenesis show great potential for tumor reduction. Gene testing and therapy hold extraordinary possibilities for analyzing tumor cell properties. Monoclonal antibody therapy testing is producing positive preliminary results. Vaccine therapy could become the answer for several types of cancer. Other less likely candidates, but nevertheless worthy of mention are chelation, hyperthermia therapy, laetrile therapy, and radio waves with nanoparticles.

The first pages review the earliest developers of alternative medicine and its role after the transition to allopathic medicine. There are personal interviews with notable practitioners of complementary and alternative cancer treatment whose methods are controversial and often not allowed in the U.S. The author visited clinics in Mexico and shares insight into what the practitioners on the periphery have to offer the oncology community.

Integrative medicine practitioners share their passion and stories. The author/interviewer asks the hard questions regarding why it is so difficult to convince others of their successes. Directly from the voices of those who live this approach to cancer treatment, the interviews treat the readers to an inside, intriguing look at what is happening on the integrative therapy front. Descriptions of the facilities, equipment, and general atmosphere of integrative therapy provide an account that most people have never experienced. These providers ranging from a researcher to a doctor are passionate integrative oncology advocates in the United States.

Two patients, a medical doctor and a school teacher, each with a serious type of cancer are interviewed about their experiences with conventional treatment enhanced by several complementary therapies. Treated by experienced integrative oncologists, the patients somewhat reluctantly agreed to multiple therapies including special diet, nutritional supplements, acupuncture, mind and body, physical exercise, hypnosis, and biofeedback. They detail each therapy and praise their effectiveness. They credit complementary therapies as boosting their bodies' ability to fight the cancer, reducing their side effects from the conventional therapy, and keeping themselves psychologically stable during the treatment. Both are currently in remission.

All things considered, the principal stumbling block to the advancement of integrative cancer treatment is politics. It’s not just governmental politics, but the politics of competing interests among individuals and organization in power and leadership of the cancer war. We only have to follow the money to understand how institutionalized medicine and pharmaceutical giants (Big Pharma) have created a momentum in the research and treatment of cancer that is virtually unalterable.

Although these institutions have contributed greatly to health enhancements in our nation, they naturally stifle the entrepreneurship that is crucial to integrative medicine. The history of stakeholder organizations and corporations is presented explaining how the industry evolved to its present state of borderline monopoly. A resolution is proposed that would correct the condition back to a streamlined, free-market medical economy. This new model is essential to the viability of the new strategy.

One of the greatest deterrents to choice in the provision and acceptance of complementary cancer therapies is their disqualification by almost all health care insurers. All insurance companies disallow claims for most types of non-conventional medicine or methods, especially those that apply to cancer. Even the non-conventional complements to conventional treatments are factored out of most insurance claims. Top insurance executives reveal that much of the problem is political and bureaucratic. This chapter makes the argument that the insurance companies would save on claims and the insured would save on premiums if just a few policy changes were implemented. Recommendations are presented that are necessary for the new strategy. These include action on the part of the companies and activism on the part of the policy holders.

Research reveals that few premier medical schools include complementary and alternative (CAM) medicine in their curriculum. Those that do tend to make it a low priority and usually offer it as electives. This effectively guarantees the status quo as physicians have little education or training in anything outside of or complementary to conventional treatment. Major schools are compared in their level of support for teaching complementary and alternative therapy. A resident doctor is interviewed regarding his level of exposure to CAM in pre-medical and medical school. Steps are proposed that would encourage more academic offerings on the subject and more demand by medical students for it. Government intervention is recommended to ensure a more inclusive curriculum as a prerequisite for government grants to the schools.

While supporting the necessity of solid scientific evidence in authenticating treatment modalities, this chapter challenges some of the hard line of randomized control trial protocols. Although we must have evidenced-based medicine and methodologies, it is often enough to know that something works without always having to determine how it works. There is currently treatment of great potential that is not practiced because of “insufficient” evidence. We need to move to an acceptance of “enough” evidence to practice medicine that is proven to not be harmful, even if its efficacy might be questioned by some. From years of experience, we need to deduct that certain practice-based evidence is as authentic as evidenced-based practice. Substantially reducing the time lines for clinical trials is also essential for the success of the new strategy.

This chapter is a word picture of the potential results of perfect implementation of the new strategy. It is the vision of possibilities to serve as a backdrop for the readers as they advance the strategy. It is the dream that actually could come true if the new strategy is realized to its fullest. The political vision refers to the government at all levels working in unison to make integrative treatment a national priority.

The corporate vision has pharmacy giants and cancer research and treatment institutions harmoniously pursuing breakthroughs in unconventional medical science. The media vision assumes that local and national news as well as Hollywood productions tout the advantages of the new strategy. Finally, the individual vision portrays a new motivation in millions of people to become advocates of the new strategy. With the vision driving the new strategy, the war on cancer can be won!

This is the warrior recruiting chapter. All the stops are out in a proposed enlistment drive for unconventional, special forces in the campaign. The war is personalized again by a quantitative comparison of the deaths of historical military wars with the casualties of cancer. The appeal is to everyone with a passion for seeing cancer and its debilitating treatment eradicated or immensely reduced to a nuisance category—at worst, a chronic condition. Readers are urged to personalize and internalize the quest for implementing this new strategy. They are challenged to form small groups and coalitions to take on specific tasks as outlined in the next chapter. They are left with the understanding that the time is now and it is up to them.

This is the tactical plan for the strategy. It delineates exactly what needs to be done in each of several areas. Actions must be taken from top down and from bottom up—from government and institutional level to grass roots level. At all levels, though, the initiatives begin with individuals—the readers. Instructions are given for whom to call, whom to write, and whom to meet. Guidance is provided for talking with physicians about choices in cancer treatment. Fund raising projects are suggested. There is a supplemental reading list included along with a list of recommended Web sites to visit.

Closing thoughts of the author with a personal appeal.