CANCER

CANCER

9 Factors Cancer 'Miracle' Survivors

Have in Common
A fascinating new book uncovers commonalities
among patients who undergo 'radical remissions~
By Vera Tweed

pontaneous remission of
cancer for no known medical
reason, called "radical remission;'
befuddles conventional doctors so
much that the subject isn't even
studied.
Most of the time, they don't
even try to explain it.
"For every one case that's
published in medical journals, a
hundred more go unpublished;'
estimates Dr. Kelly Turner, who
has exhaustively researched the
subject over the past decade
for her eye-opening new book,
Radical Remission: Surviving Cancer
Against All Odds.
She set out to uncover the
commonalities among unlikely
cancer survivors. What was it
about these "miracle" patients that
allows them to live when so many
others with the same condition
perish?
Turner identified nine top
factors that were common
among the beneficiaries of radical
remissions. She emphasizes that
her findings are not a prescription
to beat cancer. "All I can saY,' she
tells Health Radar, "is this is what
these people did:'
1. Radically changing diet

Survivors often eliminated

chemicals and other toxins found
in refined food, and avoided
ingredients that may contribute
Page 6/ June 2014

to cancer growth. The diet

adjustments fell into four key
areas:
Reducing or eliminating sugar,
meat, dairy, and refined foods.
Increasing vegetables and fruit.
Eating organic foods to help get
rid of toxins.
Drinking lots of filtered water
instead of soda, juice, or milk.
The intake of fruits and
vegetables was high, up to 15 or
20 servings daily, inclu.ding raw,
lightly steamed or roasted, and/or
juiced versions.
A typical plate would be half
to three-quarters vegetables and
fruits, and some also drank juiced
green vegetables.
The remainder of the plate
would contain lean protein and
minimal whole grains, if any.
Some people omitted gluten,
and some juiced other vegetables,
such as cabbage. To eliminate
toxins, some people occasionally
did fasts lasting three to seven
days, typically under the
supervision of a holistic health
practitioner or nutritionist.
2. Taking control

"We're taught to be patients, be

there quietly and do what we're
told;' says Turner. But cancer
survivors essentially became the
CEOs of their own healthcare,
educating themselves on the
meaning of test results, getting
copies of their medical records,

and tracking progress.

As an example, one man with
stage 4 prostate cancer had his
prostate removed but continued
to have rising PSA tests, indicating
unrelenting growth of cancer.
Although death seemed imminent,
he started experimenting with his
diet and tracking his PSA results.
Seeing that certain foods lowered
his PSA, and adjusting his diet
accordingly, helped him survive.
3. Following intuition

Acting on a gut feeling in

making decisions took many
forms, but was a consistent factor.
One survivor quit a job he felt
was "killing him:' Another moved
out of a house that she felt was
not healthv, and later learned of
'
toxic mold in the building, which
may have contributed to the
cancer.
Another person felt the need to
move to a sunny climate, without
realizing that low vitamin D from
lack of sunlight is linked to cancer.
4. Using herbs and supplements

"There was no one magic

bullet;' says Turner. Most often,
people worked with naturopathic
doctors, herbalists trained in
traditional Chinese medicine, or
nutritionists, who used blood tests
to determine which supplements
and herbs were best.
Some people didn't have
access to these types of health
professionals and instead
educated themselves about
nutrients and herbs, finding what
worked for them. Turner studied

people all over the world, and

choices of herbs were typically
influenced by what was common
m a given region.
5. Releasing suppressed
emotions

Unloading emotional baggage

played a key role for survivors.
Emotions fell into two categories:
past and future.
Grief or anger, for example,
often related to past situations,
such as divorce or other traumatic
or stressful times.
Survivors dealt with emotions in
many different ways. Some worked
with a therapist, while others used
a journal, or took courses that
helped them manage stress and let
go of emotions that gripped them
and blocked healing.
6. Increasing positive emotions

Many survivors made a

point of doing something each
day that made them happy, at
least for a few minutes. For

example, happiness for some

came from spending time with
grandchildren. For others, it
meant doing more work in the
garden, taking flying lessons, or
taking a long walk in the middle
of the day.
7. Embracing social support

matters is if you have a spiritual

practice:'
Among survivors, practices took
many shapes. For some, it was
practicing their faith. For others, it
was meditation, a nature walk, or
watching the sun rise.
9. Having strong reasons for living

"Everybody said 'As soon as I was

"Some people go through
diagnosed, I had this outpouring of cancer saying 'I don't want to die;"
love and support from my family
says Turner. "But the people who
that touched me so much, I know it tend to survive say 'I want to live, I
helped me heal;" says Turner.
want to live, I'll do anything, I just
On the flip side, survivors also
want to live:"
found there were certain people
This held true, she says, even
they felt they should avoid.
if the medical odds of survival
One woman, says Turner, put
were only a fraction of 1 percent.
it this way: "If I felt drained after
Reasons for living varied greatly,
being with a person, I stopped
from a passion for tr;lVel to wanting
hanging out with them. If I felt
to know one's grandchildren or
energized, I made a second date:'
writing a novel.
8. Deepening spiritual
Turner hopes that her work
connection
prompts more formal study of
"According to my research, it
radical remission, and that these
doesn't matter who or what you
lead to more effective cancer
believe in;' says Turner. "What
treatments.

Cancer-Fighting Herbs and Supplements

Turner found that supplements taken by cancer patients

who experienced radical remissions generally fall into
three categories:
Digestive Aids
~ Enzymes: Made by the pancreas, they help the body
break down food. However, cancer can impair their
production and the digestive process, making recovery
more difficult. Enzymes may also reduce inflammation
and pain.
~ Probiotics and prebiotics: Probiotics are beneficial or
"friendly" bacteria in the digestive tract. In addition to
aiding digestion, they strengthen the immune system.
Prebiotics are substances that feed the probiotics, to help
them do their jobs. (See page 3 for more information.)

Detoxifying Herbs
People used many different types of herbs, depending
on their individual situation.
~ Antifungals: These treat fungal overgrowth such as
Candida. Examples include olive leaf extract, stinging

nettle, and horsetail.

~ Antiparasitics: These treat parasites in the digestive
tract that impair digestion and immune defenses.
Examples include goldenseal, wormwood, and walnut hull.
~ Antibacterials and antivirals: Underlying bacterial or
viral infections weaken a body, and have been treated with
herbs such as oil of oregano, garlic, and pau d'arco.
~ Liver detoxifiers: The liver is the key organ that removes
toxins. Example of herbs that improve its function include
dandelion root, milk thistle, and licorice root.

Immune Boosters
~ Vitamins, minerals, and herbs: To improve immune
function, supplements included vitamin C, fish oil, trace
minerals, aloe vera, and medicinal mushrooms.
~ Customized nutrients: Measuring blood levels of key
nutrients and hormones and supplementing to restore
normal levels was a common practice among survivors.
Such supplements included vitamin 812, vitamin D, and
melatonin.

June 2014/ Page 7