Radiotherapy started

Scares me silly.... and probably scares Jan also. A high stress time. Thanks to the couple who ran Jan to the station, and her friend who accompanied her to make it a "shopping trip".

Jan and I argue over how much to follow medical advice, and how much to do our own thing based on Internet research. I believe God can guide us through use of our brain, and has led us by chance to three leads that look promising. Note we are NOT AGAINST the NHS, at least not yet! We want to enhance their and our chances by sensible diet alongside their treatment. We are taking diet advice from university professors and or cancer research professionals, not health food quacks.

1) We used Cavilon this morning with no medical guidance. It is a new use of a protective spray designed for colostomies. In trials it reduces skin burns from radiation, but almost superglued Jan's breast to her stomach!

2) We are using Jane Plant's ideas on eating during radiotherapy. This is at variance from the NHS who say eat well, drink full fat milk, eat protein such as beef etc. during radiotherapy. Jane suggests the beef and milk could be killing one, so we eat garlic, organic eggs, seaweed, vegetables, and have limited meat intake.

3) We are using Richard Beliveau's ideas on diet, and taking green tea. He suggests it is synergistic with radiotherapy and in his lab trial has shown it doubling of effectiveness of radiation.

Why do we need to enhance effectiveness of radiotherapy? Here is an Oxford University presentation which shows the pathetic gains from radiotherapy which the author who works in the field describes as moderate. It claims the risk of Jan's death within 15 years drops from 50% to 45% with radiotherapy, but the ongoing risk of other cancers caused by radiotherapy continues even after that. So she could lose 15% lung capacity, lose heart strength or even die from radiation induced cancers for a small benefit. If we could double that benefit merely by taking green tea 3 times a day during a 4 week course of radiotherapy what a win for such a low cost! £3 for the accountants! As prostate cancer is a similar hormone related cancer to breast cancer this research shows why we think green tea is promising.

The only thing I have yet to get Jan to eat is curry powder... shame as curcumin, its active ingredient appears to be really helpful in protecting the body against radiotherapy whilst combining with radiotherapy to kill cancer cells. She hates the taste of strong curry, but our argument on this continues!