Cancer is now the number one cause of death in humans older than 14 years of age, having overtaken heart disease this year. In spite of the U.S. declared war on cancer since the early 1970’s, the rate of cancer is growing at an alarming rate with 1 ½ trillion dollars spent on average per year on conventional medical cures. In 1904, only one American in 24 had cancer sometime in his/her lifetime. Today, one in three people receives a cancer diagnosis and it’s getting closer to one in two. What exactly causes this dreaded disease, and why do we seem to be losing this battle for our health?
Cancer is a term given to a condition whereby healthy cells change their physiology or become abnormal in such a way as to threaten the integrity of the organism. Studies show that in 95% of the cases, these cellular abnormalities are caused by exposure to environmental toxins, while 5% of cancer is caused by genetics. On the average 40 million cells become cancerous in our bodies every day, however our natural immunity destroys these cells before they become a serious problem. With repeated exposure to threatening toxins our immune systems may eventually be overcome and cancer cells can proliferate to dangerous levels.
Currently, there are approximately 70,000 synthetic chemicals made by man circulating in our environment, with about 7,000 of these chemicals delivered to us in our food chain. Only a small percentage of these chemicals have actually been studied for their effects on humans and animals, and of these many have been proven to be carcinogenic and disruptive to our endocrine systems. Research done at Mt. Sinai Hospital showed that an average of 91 chemicals were found in the blood of the random population that was sampled. Of those chemicals, 67 were cancer producing and 50 were known to cause birth defects.
Herbicides, pesticides, industrial waste, car exhaust, toxic building materials such as paints, varnishes, formaldehyde-releasing insulation and chemically treated wood are everywhere. Personal hygiene products such as chemical hair dyes, soaps, cosmetics, and anti-perspirants increase our exposure. Genetically-engineered foods, mercury toxicity from dental fillings, over-the-counter and prescription drugs, and vaccines add still more challenges to our overburdened immune systems. With the dramatic increase in brain and other types of cancers from cellular phone use and exposure to harmful electromagnetic fields from power lines, televisions and computers, it is a wonder that we have survived at all!
Statistics on the effectiveness of conventional medical treatments for cancer are quite revealing. Dr. Hardin Jones, a prominent cancer researcher for over 23 years and former professor at the University of California, stated in his New York Academy of Sciences article that “studies have proved conclusively that cancer patients who refuse chemotherapy and radiation actually live up to four times longer than treated cases.” From a holistic perspective, this is not surprising, since the toxic components of these treatments “add insult to injury” by further assaulting the already struggling immune system. Dr. Jones goes on to say that “beyond a shadow of a doubt, radical surgery on cancer does more harm than good,” and “as for radiation treatment—most of the time it makes not the slightest difference [in cure rate] whether the machine is turned on or not.”
As for the 5-year survival statistics quoted by doctors of conventional medical treatment, Dr. Jones says that “the dramatic results given by these treatments only last that long, and that after 5 years most patients die of secondary tumors triggered by radiation and chemotherapy or treatment side effects such as heart damage.”
The survival of the plant, animal and human species, in light of the incredible odds speaks to our resilience, adaptability, and spiritual evolution. While conventional science may focus on the war on cancer with an arsenal of drugs, surgery and radiation, holistically oriented researchers and practitioners are finding encouraging results with a more natural approach. Working with the laws of nature, it is important to create an internal environment or biological terrain that supports healthy cell growth and inhibits unhealthy or cancerous cellular growth.
Just as a farmer adds alkalizing minerals and nutrients to the soil to ensure abundant nourishing crops, we must also balance our pH by eating healthy unprocessed foods that alkalize the body. Raw organic fruits and vegetables that are rich in life-enhancing enzymes are essential to health. Cooking destroys the vital enzymes in the food. Cancer cells thrive in an acid pH created by a diet of processed foods such as refined sugar, salt, white flour, pasteurized milk and cheese, sodas and cooked meats that are hard to digest. Any undigested food will contribute to toxic buildup which is already compromised by exposure to environmental toxins. It is also important to drink at least half our weight in ounces of purified water each day to hydrate, nourish and cleanse the body of toxins.
The acid environment that encourages cancer growth is also created by the emotions of anger and fear. As with all disease, the mind/body connection is a primary factor in the state of our health, therefore it is important to resolve any emotional issues that may be contributing to our health picture.
Nature has provided us with a plentiful supply of medicinal plants that cleanse the body of toxins and strengthen the immune system. One plant in particular, the North American Paw Paw Tree has recently been discovered to possess extraordinary cancer-fighting properties. This common tree grows abundantly as far north as New York and southern Ontario, out west as far as Nebraska and Texas, and south to Florida. Known by other names such as the American Custard Apple, the West Virginia Banana, and the Indiana Banana, the fruit of the Paw Paw was a staple in the diet of Lewis and Clark during their expedition of discovery across America.
According to researcher Jerry McLaughlin, professor of pharmacognosy at Purdue University, an extract of the twigs from the North American Paw Paw tree (asimina triloba) has been found to be 250 times more potent than the leading chemotherapy drug adriamycin, without toxic side effects. McLaughlin and his colleagues have found 40 cancer-fighting compounds in the bark of the tree that have shown success in destroying even the most drug-resistant cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. “Multidrug-resistant cancer is hard to treat because the cancer cell has developed a mechanism to get around the anti-cancer agent,” says McLaughlin. “Tumor cells that survive chemotherapy treatments often recover with increased resistance to the agent used in the original treatment program as well as to other related drugs.” The survival mechanism is a “pump” that is capable of pushing anti-cancer agents out of the cell before they can kill it. Though all cells have the ability to develop such a pump, normal cells seldom do.
One of the tricks of conventional cancer therapy is to flood the body with other compounds to keep the pump busy, and then administer high does of an anti-cancer drug in hopes that some if it will be able to stay long enough to kill the cancer cell. The high doses of these drugs often produce serious side effects. McLaughlin’s group discovered that the Paw Paw tree produces a series of compounds called acetogenins that selectively kill cancer cells, including those that employ the pump mechanism, by inhibiting ATP production in the cancer cell which essentially pulls the plug on its energy source. Acetogenins also help modulate the growth of blood vessels that feed the cancer cells without adversely affecting normal healthy cells.
Just four capsules of standardized extract of Paw Paw are taken per day, until cancer goes into remission. While taking Paw Paw it is important to avoid ingesting mega doses of Vitamins A, C and E, alpha lipoic acid, Co-Q10, SOD, and 7-Keto as these inhibit the effectiveness of the Paw Paw. It is helpful, however, to supplement with concentrated doses of protease (a protein digesting enzyme) and other natural immune enhancing supports such as noni juice (morinda), beta glucans, arabinogalactan, colostrum, reishi and maitake mushrooms, and cordyceps.
Another profound natural cancer treatment is the use of bloodroot salves. Applied externally on the body, the herbal ingredients work their way through the layers of tissue and extract the tumor through the skin which naturally opens up to allow the exit of the cancerous growth. I personally know of a woman who developed a malignant tumor at the site where she had received repeated injections of vaccines (she was a military daughter who frequently traveled overseas). After using the salves she successfully released the tumor from her body. In another case a man diagnosed with brain cancer released two tumors from his head using the salves. The salves have also been used for pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, skin cancer and other forms of cancer. The process can be painful but undoubtedly effective when used as directed, and with better long-term results than surgery.
The AMAS (Anti-Malignant Antibody Absorption Serum) test is a blood test which can be ordered to determine the level of cancer cells that are in the body. Levels below 130 are considered normal, while a level above that amount would warrant taking action. It can be ordered by calling 800-922-8378.