In January 2005 I was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer. Contrary to the advice of my oncologist, I chose to forego conventional treatment and instead pursue alternative therapies. I am sharing my story in the hopes of educating people about the importance of supporting ongoing cancer research.
I was terrified at the prospect of going through chemotherapy. I went into deep denial and convinced myself that I could beat cancer by eating a strict alkaline diet, juicing, and taking mega doses of vitamins and supplements recommended by various alternative 'healers.' I was convinced that there was a cure that did not involve Western treatment (i.e., chemotherapy) and read about every alternative therapy available. I really wanted to believe that I had the power to treat the cancer myself, and that I could avoid the fact that my life had now changed forever.
Within a year I had a stage 4 recurrence in my skin and spine. The cancer was aggressive, spreading quickly in the skin across my chest. This time, I agreed to an aggressive course of treatment involving more surgery and five months of chemotherapy. This was followed by intensified radiation and a 6-month clinical trial of an experimental vaccine and ongoing treatment of Herceptin—a breakthrough treatment, created by Genentech, that targets a specific aggressive tumor protein.
To my surprise, the treatment worked incredibly well. I went into full remission for three and a half years. In October of 2009, I had a small slow-growing, soft-tissue recurrence that, upon pathological examination, was completely free of the Her2neu protein. This meant that either the Herceptin or the clinical trial successfully eradicated all the Her2neu positive cancer cells and left only a less aggressive strain to grow slowly over the years. This recurrence was treated with a very minor surgery and a small adjustment to my ongoing treatment. Today, my doctor can find no trace of the cancer.
I now believe that these ‘alternative’ changes can be very helpful, but have a great respect for how complicated both our bodies, and cancer, are. I had eaten well for the past 15 years and at one point or another tried nearly every restrictive diet, so it didn't really make sense that cutting out a few foods could halt cancer. But, at that time, I was not thinking rationally. In retrospect, while chemo was hard, I managed to go skiing in between the hardest regimens of treatment. And, so far, it has extended my life for many years. Most importantly, both the targeted treatment (Herceptin) and the Her2-neu vaccine trial had very few noticeable side effects.
As cancer research progresses, it is my hope that more tolerable treatments will be available and alternative treatments will find their place alongside Western treatments. It is very inspiring to see major hospitals and cancer centers now offering alternative therapies to support these Western treatments.
While I continue to be closely monitored today, the focus of my life is on living and not on cancer. I am very grateful for every day I have and for the commitment and hard work of all those in the medical community working to find cancer treatments and cures.
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