Defeat Cancer (43 page)

Chemotherapy, while at times appropriate, can be dangerous, because it weakens the immune system, lowers hemoglobin levels, and causes anemia, neutropenia, and other harmful side effects. It makes no sense for patients to do chemotherapy when they are so fatigued and weak that they become more at risk of dying from their chemotherapy than from their cancers, but I often see doctors administering chemotherapy to patients in that condition.

For instance, not too long ago, I had a patient from Washington who was doing well until his oncologist had him do another round of chemotherapy. Two days following his treatment, he ended up in the hospital for a blood transfusion because the treatment was so harsh that it almost killed him. He then asked my opinion about whether he should do another round of chemotherapy, because he didn’t want another transfusion, and I advised him to speak with his oncologist. Fortunately, his oncologist told him that he was wary about giving him another round of therapy. Some patients may be forced to pull the plug on their chemotherapy because it can weaken them to the point of death. It is, after all, comprised of toxic chemicals, and people can only tolerate so much of it.

In a perfect world, patients would get a chemotherapy sensitivity test when they are first diagnosed with cancer, to determine their cancers’ sensitivity to specific drugs. In the real world, however, it’s as if doctors are more or less saying to their patients: “You have breast cancer. We’re going to give you this drug, because it’s the standard. If it doesn’t work, then we’ll try another. If that doesn’t work, then we’ll try a third.”

The problem is, if patients have metastatic cancer (which is most of them), doctors can’t just surgically take a piece of their tumors and test them to discover which chemotherapy drugs they would best respond to, because surgery is contraindicated in people with metastatic disease. Doctors could end up spreading their patients’ cancers in the process. Instead, they end up going from one drug to the next, starting with the one that seems to work best for a majority. Also, after a surgeon removes a tumor (before the patient starts chemotherapy or radiation), there are still usually some cancer cells that are left behind. But after the patient has had surgery, it’s too late to do chemotherapy testing, because the tumor from which a sample could have been taken has already been removed and disposed of. So ideally, patients should get their surgeons to take a sample of their tumors to be sent off to a lab for chemo sensitivity testing, immediately following surgery.

Also, too many patients are being funneled into doctors’ offices on a daily basis, and doctors don’t have the time to adequately care for them. Doctors have to see increasingly more patients because insurance companies aren’t paying them enough for the time and treatments that they provide. So they cram more and more patients into the short slots of time that they have available for patient visits, which means that they don’t spend enough time with each patient. Their offices are getting so jam-packed, that some literally end up seeing over one hundred cancer patients a day! And no matter how smart they are, if they are seeing one hundred patients daily, they are going to get behind on their work. It creates a situation where patients may have to wait two to four hours just to see their doctor for two minutes. Their visit with the oncologist mostly consists of the oncologist quickly looking at their lab results, writing a prescription and saying to them, “See you in six months.” And because oncologists can only spend two minutes with their patients, they miss things in their patients’ profiles. Some of my good friends are among the best oncologists in the country, and while they are some of the smartest people I know, the truth is, they are so overworked that they can’t keep up with all of their patients’ needs.

Some radiation and chemotherapy oncologists have told me that it makes them sad that they have to treat their patients in this manner. Some have said that they can’t stand their work and that if they had to do it all over again, they wouldn’t go into medicine at all. But they went to school for ten to fifteen years, and have hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt to pay off from medical school, so they can’t just stop practicing medicine. Sadly, they are also 100 percent controlled by drug companies. From the time that they enter medical school until graduation, they are taught that drugs are the answer to everything. And because conventional medicine has such poor outcomes with many types of cancers, this doesn’t make their lives any easier. What’s more, they aren’t allowed to prescribe much else, because the laws which govern the practice of medicine have been influenced, in great measure, by drug lobbyists. Much of what happens in medicine is pharmaceutically-driven.

When I was in my third year of medical school, I worked rotations with the chief oncologist of a hospital. His office was huge, and during the first three weeks that I was there, there was no place for me to sit, because he always had pharmaceutical representatives lined up outside of his door, waiting to come in and show him their latest products, and to give him free tote bags or tickets to dinner or a show. His office was full of gifts from pharmaceutical representatives. The influence of drug companies and the way that insurance companies are set up have created tremendous problems for patient care in the United States.

The therapies at my office aren’t cheap, and I am one of few doctors in the United States who uses them on a regular basis. It costs me a lot of money to purchase some of the materials that I use in my practice, because only a handful of companies manufacture them, so these companies can charge more for them. These high costs are then passed down to my patients. Sadly, most people who see me have already been to their primary care physicians and oncologists and have spent a lot of money, which is unfortunate. The fact that
insurance companies don’t cover much of what I do doesn’t help patients, either. That said, money shouldn’t be a reason for people to not call my office, because I always do what I can to help others and adapt our protocol to those who can’t afford all of our therapies. I was once in a situation where paying for therapy was difficult, so I understand the financial challenges that patients go through. I want people to understand that my protocols aren’t an “all or nothing” deal. If they call me directly, I will work with them to get them going on some therapies that will benefit them and which they can afford.

Most people who come to my clinic don’t have a lot of money, and can only do some of the recommended therapies; perhaps only six or eight of ten. I allow them to do whatever therapies they can afford, and sometimes, just doing a few of them is sufficient. For instance, I once had a patient with ovarian cancer who was given four to six months to live. She has now been alive for nearly nine years. This lady didn’t have a lot of money for therapies, so she only did two out of the ten that I recommended to her, and she is still here, nine years later. As a general rule, though, the more therapies that my patients can do, the better off they are likely to be. But just because they can’t afford all of what we offer here, doesn’t mean that they should just turn around, leave my clinic, and be sad. I will try to find ways to help them. Switching insurance companies can sometimes be helpful. Cigna offers the best insurance coverage, by far, for naturopathic therapies. It pays for 70 percent of what we do at our clinic. If an IV costs one hundred dollars, a person with Cigna insurance will usually only pay thirty dollars for that IV. I have also heard of an insurance company in Colorado that covers 100 percent of naturopathic doctor services, but I don’t know its name.

While patients are doing their IV therapies, I often speak to their friends or family members who have accompanied them to their appointments, and offer them words of wisdom about how to best support them. Families and friends don’t always know what they
are doing wrong and what they are doing right in these situations. Since I have suffered through cancer personally and worked with patients for years now, I feel that I can give them a few helpful pointers.

For instance, when I was going through cancer, my mom was my biggest support. Her approach to helping me was direct and to the point. She said, “We’re going to do these treatments. You are going to get better, and that’s just the way it’s going to be. We’re going to do this and not look back. So let’s go!” There was no other alternative in her mind, and her positive attitude was something that I needed at the time.

What wasn’t helpful to me was when a friend of mine “disappeared” after my diagnosis. Later, after I was well, he said to me, “I’m sorry that I wasn’t there for you. I didn’t know what to say or do or how to support you. It was easier to not be there.” That was his way of dealing with my situation, but it would have been better for me if he had tried to support me somehow. If friends or family are unsure of what do, the best thing that they can do is simply ask their loved ones what they need.

I offer these types of insights to the friends and families of those with cancer. I want to do as much as I can for my patients, because I don’t want them to have to go through what I went through when I had cancer. Because emotional support is so important for patients, I also work with a couple of foundations here in Arizona which are dedicated to providing emotional support, education, and hope to people with cancer and their families.

If you are suffering from cancer, know that there are good treatment options besides chemotherapy and radiation, such as the naturopathic care that I offer at my clinic. If you’re interested in what I do, get here sooner rather than later. Don’t wait until nothing works before you knock on my door or call me. I’m here to help you. I answer my phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, because I
want to be there for you. Don’t wait until the last minute when you need a miracle.

Also, understand that you aren’t coming to see some naturopathic “voodoo” doctor who works with candles in his office. My approach is an intelligent, integrative one that worked for me and which has worked for others. If you need naturopathic therapy, I can help you, but if you prefer to do chemotherapy and radiation as well, I can refer you to a good oncologist. I have worked with oncologists and know many good ones; some are even my good friends. If I think that chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery is the best choice for you, I will be the first to refer you to an oncologist, so that you may receive the treatment that you need.

Many people have said that they come to my clinic because they know that I have walked in their shoes and will be able to relate to them. They also come because they have called clinics from here to Germany, and have found that I am one of the few naturopathic doctors whose true emphasis is on cancer and cancer support. I have established relationships with doctors, and not just those that are within the conventional oncology world, but with others, as well. I know dermatologists, surgeons, and physicians from many other medical specialties and my connections with them are all for one purpose—to help you to recover.

Natural Health Medical Centers, P.L.L.C.

2055 E. Southern Ave, Suite B

Tempe, Arizona 85282

Phone: (602) 421-2613

Back phone line: (480) 456-8600

Note: Dr. Joe’s back line is only answered during business hours.

www.DrJoeBrown.com
(patient testimonials available on website)

Email questions to:
[email protected]

Dr. Joe Brown’s full cancer story on
YouTube.com
:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c8BeNpgyvs

Note: All opinions above are the doctor and editor’s only. No comments should be taken as treatment advice for any condition without first consulting your acting physician. All people respond differently to treatments. No results are typical of any therapy. It is always recommended that you see your physician before beginning any treatment regimen. The opinions expressed herein are merely opinion and don’t represent any one individual nor do they imply any therapy for any condition. These statements have not been approved by the FDA or the AMA.

While I don’t currently practice medicine as a licensed physician in the United States, I was one of the leading practitioners in the UK for over 35 years. I had several treatment centers, including one on Harley Street in Central London. Early on, word of my success in treating patients with cancer and other ailments quickly spread, and I had many thousands of patients who would come to see me from all over the world, some as far afield as New Zealand and Hong Kong. Many of these were cancer sufferers, who did extraordinarily well when I prescribed them simple lifestyle modifications: most notably a hypoallergenic diet and chemical detoxification protocol, which enabled their immune systems to better fight their cancers.

Since my time in the UK, I have become internationally recognized for my work in cancer control and immune system restoration. I have continued to advise patients worldwide on effective cancer treatments and have many who, after following my treatments, have shown no signs of declining health and who have been able to live well and for a long time with their cancers. Through my websites, blogs, and digital books, I have remained on the cutting-edge of the most effective cancer treatment breakthroughs.

I sincerely believe that cancer is a disease which doesn’t deserve the fearsome reputation that has been accorded it; that most of what is horrible about cancer is the misery of brutal orthodox treatment rather than the disease itself. I have always believed that the number one cause of death is ignorance, and that if people knew more about their bodies and health issues, 95 percent of all diseases in the world would simply vanish. As a society, aging and health are within our control and we can’t afford to simply submit ourselves to the so-called medical practitioners, because doctors aren’t trained in health, only disease. By the time people with cancer call them for an appointment, it’s often too late for effective remedies to be of benefit to them, anyway. But if the sick are willing to take charge and make changes to their lifestyles, recovery is always possible, because nature has designed the body to heal itself.