The Cancer Directory

THE CANCER DIRECTORY
DR ROSY DANIEL
How to make the integrated cancer medicine revolution work for you

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Foreword by Bernice Miller

Introduction: How to Use this Book by Dr Rosy Daniel

Part 1 The keys to success: transforming health crisis into health creation

Chapter 1 How to make the integrated cancer medicine revolution work for you

What Is Integrated Cancer Medicine?

What Types of Integrated Medicine Are Available?

Timing Is All: The Four Phases of Recovery

The Importance of You: Letting Go of the Medical Model

Chapter 2 The psychological foundation for health

Facing the Demons

Getting into the Right Frame of Mind

The Psychological Basis for Remarkable Recovery

Blowing the Myth of Positive Thinking

Underlying States of Mind that May Need to Change

Getting the Help You Need

Facing the Cancer Diagnosis: Understanding Your Reactions and Identifying Your Needs

Asking for Help

In Summary

Chapter 3 Getting the right treatment for you

Getting a Clear Diagnosis

Working with Your Doctors

Information Gathering to Find Out What Treatment Options Are Available

Reviewing Your Options

Making Treatment Decisions and Creating an Integrated Medical Plan

Chapter 4 The medical frontier: getting the best orthodox treatment

What Is Cancer?

Diagnosing Cancer

Choosing Your Cancer Treatment

Current Medical Treatments

Newer Treatment Approaches

Cancer Treatments in Development

Clinical Trials

Chapter 5 Alternative cancer medicines: the best of today

Understanding Alternative Cancer Treatments

1. Anti-cancer Nutrients

2. Herbal Medicine

3. Hormone Therapy

4. Metabolic Therapy

5. Immunotherapy

6. Neuroendocrine Therapy

7. Physical Therapies

8. Nutritional Therapies

9. Mind – Body Medicine

Getting the Best of All Worlds

Chapter 6 Making your treatment decision

Getting a Second Opinion

Giving Informed Consent for Treatment

Saying ‘No’ to Treatment

Facing the Downside of Treatment

Chapter 7 Getting the best outcome from treatment

Mentally Preparing for Treatment

Physically Preparing for Treatment

Practically Preparing for Treatment

Once the Treatment Starts

Recovering from Treatment

Chapter 8 Complementary medicine for coping creatively with symptoms and side-effects

The Issues

The Energy Model of Health and Illness

Freeing the Body and Mind from the Effects of Fear

Natural Symptom Control

Maintaining Your Weight

Chapter 9 Long-term health creation

The Road to Recovery …

Thinking about the Timing of Your Illness

Getting Well Again

Getting Started Today

The Holistic Approach to Health Creation

The Mind – Body Connection

1. Improving Your Relationship with Yourself

2. Caring for Your Body

3. Improving Your State of Mind

4. Reviving and Honouring Your Spirit

5. Caring for Your Environment

A Clear Intention

Chapter 10 Help for carers

The Cancer Shock

Fight or Flight

Strategies for Being a Great Carer

Embracing Change

Creating Your Survival Strategy

Part 2 The cancer resources directory

Frontier Orthodox Cancer Medicine

Pioneering Hospitals Offering Integrated Cancer Care

Alternative Cancer Medicines

Alternative Cancer Doctors

Alternative Cancer Clinics (International)

Integrated Medicine Doctors and Services

Complementary Medicine Organizations for Finding Therapists

Counselling Organizations

Self-help Organizations for Finding Classes or Teachers

Support Services

Retreats, Spiritual Development and Holistic Holidays

Cancer Care and Practical Help: Nursing, Social, Financial, Insurance

Cancer Prevention

Product Suppliers and Diagnostic Centres

Bibliography

Glossary

Index

Acknowledgements

Other Works

Also by Dr Rosy Daniel and available from HarperThorsons:

References

Copyright

About the Publisher

Foreword by Bernice Miller

The Cancer Directory is a state-of-the-art guide to the best in integrated cancer treatment available today, incorporating the latest orthodox, complementary, alternative and mind – body treatments with the immense power of becoming active in one’s own defence through self-help approaches and lifestyle changes. The aim of this volume is to provide the vital information you need to obtain a comprehensive overview of the many and diverse approaches to cancer. This will enable you to make informed decisions as to your optimal combination of treatment, support and self-help that should prove most effective and right for you.

Huge strides are being made in all fields of cancer care. Holistic support and complementary therapies are finally becoming accepted into mainstream orthodox medicine; the powerful mind – body connection has at last been substantiated scientifically; numerous new technologies and developments in genetics and immunology are pointing to entirely new approaches to cures within the orthodox model; alternative medical treatments in pioneering clinics throughout the world are producing exciting results. The time is coming when the worlds of orthodox and alternative medical science will meet on such ground as vaccines and dendritic-cell therapies, which are now being given in both mainstream hospitals and alternative clinics.

But what is absolutely clear is that the best results are no longer to be found by choosing either one path or another, but by integrating as much knowledge and practice as possible for a result that will be far greater than the sum of the parts in both human and medical terms.

Until now, there has been no single reliable source providing patients and practitioners with a comprehensive overview of this brave new world of integrated cancer care and treatment, and reliable information or guidance within mainstream healthcare is scant. But there is a constant barrage of partial and often misleading information on new breakthroughs and discoveries: just enough to put new and ongoing cancer patients in fear of missing out on something that could save their lives.

As one of England’s foremost Integrated Medical Consultants, and 15 years as a doctor at and then Medical Director of the world-famous Bristol Cancer Help Centre, Dr Rosy Daniel is uniquely qualified to produce this authoritative and up-to-the-minute guide. She has helped over 20,000 cancer patients get the best combination of orthodox and complementary treatment, and this book will save those with cancer and their families hours of research and worry by bringing the most crucial professional information and experience of what has worked for others directly into their hands.

For over 20 years, Dr Daniel has developed her own highly valued approach to integrated cancer treatment, and she is now viewed as a truly reliable bridge between the worlds of orthodox and complementary medicine. Described by Professor Karol Sikora, one of the UK’s leading oncologists, as ‘the sane end of the alternative cancer world’, she is constantly being consulted by cancer healthcare professionals and by those providing cancer services for her advice on how to set up the ideal integrated cancer care of the future.

First, and above all, her approach involves a high degree of emotional and spiritual empowerment for the patient. This is followed by a sensitive eliciting of the state, needs, problems and values of each person she sees before a personalized action plan is created together with the patient. The plan has three phases: preparation to enable the best experience of and outcome from treatment; working to strengthen the body and repair the immune system; and changing the lifestyle of the individual to achieve optimal health in the long term.

In Part 1 of this book, Dr Daniel aims to embrace and comfort the reader, preparing him or her for the journey ahead and providing guidance on how and when to use the information in the Resources Directory. Dr Daniel’s extensive experience has taught her that almost more important than the medicines themselves is to set the right psychological foundations for getting the best treatment outcomes and recovering health. Scientific research has now established beyond doubt that the mind – body connection is one of the most powerful elements in the conquering of ‘dis-ease’ in the body, but this knowledge is scarcely applied in the orthodox approach to health and far from fully applied in many alternative models. The Cancer Directory contains the most up-to-date thinking in this field, and sets out the steps that readers can take to get themselves into the optimal state of mind to facilitate their recovery and get back into the driving seat fully in control of their lives, with a positive plan, hope and peace of mind.

The next most crucial step for those with cancer is to make the right treatment decisions in terms of the most effective treatment that will also be the least damaging in the short and long term. It is also vital that the course of action taken feels right to the individual involved, and is congruent with their personal life and healthcare values. Great emphasis is therefore placed upon help with information gathering, getting the best of all approaches, deciding on treatments, forming a plan, and working positively with doctors and practitioners to achieve the very best treatment outcomes. This is very hard for the recently diagnosed, who are still in shock and emotional turmoil. The objective is to set out guidelines to facilitate this process, and offer as much guidance as possible on when and how to make what types of decisions.

The current best practices in the most advanced orthodox medical treatment centres are outlined, giving the reader a bench-mark against which to measure the treatment they are being offered locally. Information is also given on what is going on at the frontiers of medicine around the world to enable the reader to check out the very best resources, research trials and treatments available for their individual problem, with advice on how to obtain second and third opinions as and when necessary.

Also described are the latest developments in alternative medicine in the fields of:

• herbal medicine, such as carctol, catechins, indole-3-carbinol and turmeric

• immunotherapy, such as immune boosters, dendritic-cell therapy and vaccines

• metabolic therapy, such as essential sugars, essential fatty acids, pH balancing, enzymes and antioxidant vitamins

• mind – body medicine, such as the ‘Journey’ process by Brandon Bays, and the transformational approach of the Bristol Cancer Help Centre

• physical therapies, such as hyperthermia, light therapy and oxygen therapy

• nutritional therapies, such as the Gerson diet and the Nutrition Trust.

The valuable role of complementary medicine as symptomatic relief and supportive care is described, using illustrations where recent research has shown maximum synergy. Information is provided as to how and when to build these into a treatment programme to minimize the symptoms of illness and side-effects of treatment. The Cancer Directory looks at the newest developments within these therapies, and their applications in pioneering hospitals and hospices.

Perhaps most important of all for a long-term sustained recovery is the section on proactive holistic health creation. New research continues to confirm the importance of incorporating the basic principles of promoting positive health and healthy lifestyle changes into any healing regime. Dr Daniel says, ‘After putting out the fire with cancer medicine, it is time to rebuild the house with holistic health creation.’ Long-term survival is most dependent of all, she feels, on this continuing work to achieve high levels of energy, immune function and happiness. She also considers the opportunity created by serious illness for a complete life reorientation, describing her unique new Health Creation Programme, which highlights and focuses the individual on where they are currently vulnerable, exactly what needs to change and how to change to maximize the potential for long-term sustainable health.

Once readers have identified their values and choices, they will be able to find the appropriate resources to get the help they need in Part 2 of the book, which contains the Cancer Resources Directory. This will provide the reader with a comprehensive set of resources in the areas of:

• frontier orthodox cancer medicine

• pioneering hospitals offering integrated cancer care

• alternative cancer medicines

• nutritional organizations

• alternative cancer doctors

• alternative cancer clinics

• integrated medicine doctors and services

• complementary medicines organizations (to find therapists)

• psychological and spiritual support services for people with cancer and their carers

• retreats, spiritual development and holistic holidays

• cancer information services

• cancer care and practical help with nursing, social needs, financial help and insurance

• cancer prevention

• product suppliers for natural medicines and supplements.

There is also a Bibliography containing a comprehensive collection of the most useful reading material, a section containing all of the scientific references for the research supporting the use of an integrated approach to cancer care, a Glossary of the terms used in this book and in the field of integrated medicine, and an Index for easy navigation through this book.

The Cancer Directory is essential reading material for anyone newly diagnosed with cancer and for the healthcare professionals who help them. Only by understanding the full range of needs and healthcare choices available to those with cancer will the very best choices be offered, the chances of survival be most enhanced and the most loving, compassionate care be given.

Only by fully empowering those with cancer during their treatment and recovery process will the innate creative intelligence and inner strength of each person be brought to bear in the quest to heal physically and spiritually through the crisis of illness.

Integrated cancer medicine is the medicine of the future, and Dr Rosy Daniel is undoubtedly leading the way.

This book is essential reading for everyone affected by cancer. Information is empowerment, and this volume contains all you need to know about cancer from both the orthodox and complementary worlds of medicine. This is simply the best guide to integrated cancer medicine there is!

PROFESSOR KAROL SIKORA

Introduction: how to use this book by Dr Rosy Daniel

If you are reading this book, it is likely that you, or someone very close to you, have received a diagnosis of cancer.

My heart goes out to you at this painful, confusing and frightening time. Nothing prepares us in life for the shattering blow of a life-threatening diagnosis. Almost all of us live our lives feeling immortal – as if bad things only happen to other people. But, from time to time, we are pulled in on the fishing line of life and brought face to face with our mortality – and forced to face the completely fragile nature of life. The more perfect and settled our life has been, the harsher the blow and the more imperative it is that both you and those around you treat you with the utmost gentleness, care and sensitivity as you come to terms with what is happening to you. You will need time and very good support to find ways to make sense of the crisis and, most important of all, to bring all possible creative intelligence to bear in finding the most effective healthcare solutions for you.

My own understanding of both the pain and possibilities within the experience of cancer came from my intense relationship with the remarkable Penny Brohn, co-founder of the Bristol Cancer Help Centre. Penny was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 38, with three children aged under 10. Both of her parents had died within the previous two years, and her marriage was so shaky that, at the point of diagnosis, her world collapsed completely. But, after a few weeks of abject misery, grief and despair, the combination of her own native cunning and the immense unconditional love of her great friend Pat Pilkington enabled her to pick herself up, dust herself off, and find the complementary, alternative and self-help approaches that enabled her to turn a five-year prognosis of survival into 21 years of a glorious and adventurous life.

Her journey took her all over the world – from the alternative clinics of Dr Issles in Bavaria and Dr Contreras in Mexico to monasteries deep in Wales and mind – body medical centres in London. This journey also took her into the depths of her own psyche and spirit with counselling and spiritual healing, and towards the gentle restorative energy medicines of acupuncture, homoeopathy and craniosacral therapy. She learned how to nourish her body properly with healthy food, metabolic supplements and immune stimulants, and how to meet her emotional needs with the love of women friends instead of focusing only on the love of her husband. She lifted her spirit by becoming a writer, painter, mosaic artist and gardener, and fulfilled her life purpose by setting up the pioneering Bristol Cancer Help Centre, thereby changing the face of medicine for ever.

Penny was very frightened but she was also an extraordinarily brave person. She had no idea where to start and what would work. Every step of her journey was an exploration, a negotiation with herself, her carers and her medical team. The only guiding star she had on her journey was her profound feminine intuition and the counsel she received from those whom she called her ‘gentle giants’ – the doctors, nurses, therapists and healers who had also been brave enough to step outside of the rigid box of medical thinking in an attempt to understand the big questions: What role does an individual’s lifestyle have in the development of cancer? What are the person’s needs during the illness and its treatment? Most important of all, what power could a person bring to bear to affect the health of his or her body and the chances of recovery?

As a spiritual woman, Penny was also constantly aware of the power of prayer and the immense benefits that could be available through spiritual healing and seeking spiritual guidance.

Penny’s amazingly comprehensive view of the nature of illness and healing sparked a revolution in cancer care. At first, it was explosive, as doctors feared that alternative doctors and practitioners would harm patients, taking them away from potentially effective medical treatment while fleecing them financially. Later, during the 1980s and 1990s, a truce was declared as many practitioners positioned themselves and their approaches as being complementary to medicine rather than alternative. But since the late 1990s, a new medical movement has emerged, led by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and his Foundation for Integrated Health, to help pull down the walls dividing care for the body from care for the mind and spirit, and help remove the conflict for patients between choosing between orthodox, complementary or alternative medicines. The aim has been to foster a climate in which people with cancer and their carers can be helped to obtain the best of all worlds – individually tailored treatment to meet their needs at all the different stages of cancer and its treatment.

This is vital, as one thing is certain – your needs will change. Sometimes you will feel strong, independent and entirely in control through the use of your self-help approaches. At other times you may feel ill, vulnerable and tempted to become dependent on the professional help of others. This was another of Penny’s great teachings for her doctors – to recognize the changes in her state and needs so that they were able to perform a complicated but perfect tango with her as she explored her options, defined her needs, made her negotiations, and flowed between fear and certainty.

To help you make sense of your reactions, needs and choices, you will find three main types of information in the pages that follow. The first type is emotionally based to help you recognize your state, define your needs and determine the kind of support you will need before embarking upon your healing journey. The second type of information is descriptive, giving you an overview of the kinds of approaches available so that you can define your healthcare values, and make your own choices as to what approach, or blend of approaches, is right for you. These two levels of information are found in Part 1 of this volume. The third type of information is factual, and is contained in Part 2. Once you have defined your needs and values, and made your choices, this Directory will help you to find the best resources that you need.

My goal in writing this book has been to share with you my understanding of the emotional map of the cancer experience for both those with cancer and their carers, which has come as a result of more than 20 years of working with people with cancer. I have also wanted to convey the theory, practice and benefits of each dimension of the integrated medicine model. Finally, I have wanted to act like a truffle hound, rooting out the treasures buried within the immensely complex terrain of alternative, complementary and self-help approaches to cancer to guide you directly to what I believe works.

Many people with cancer have said to me that they felt like they had to get a PhD in the subject within six weeks of their diagnosis. They have had to learn about their disease, the treatments and all the possible alternatives in a very short period of time to make their choices. In many cases, the Internet made things worse as the array of options has become so mind-boggling. So, the intention of this Directory is to share with you the pearls of wisdom I have gained over many years of sorting the wheat from the chaff, learning from the experience of the 20,000 or so people I have worked with. These individuals, like Penny, have by trial and error found their own way to fight cancer and heal themselves effectively, and their hope and mine is that you will be able with this book to ‘cut to the chase’, and avoid weeks of research and worry. I hope that, in the pages of this book, you will find everything you need but, if you do not, then both I and my team of Health Creation Mentors are available for consultation to coach you through getting the best treatments, the best treatment outcomes and getting yourself fully established on the road to recovery. I am available personally to help you through my Bath clinic (tel: 01225 423333) and through my interactive Cancer Lifeline Kit and supportive Health Creation Mentor Service, with backup from my three Health Creation doctor partners (contact the Health Creation Helpline on 0845 009 3366).

Most important of all, please be reassured that there are people living today who have survived every single kind of cancer. It is clear that the ones who do best are those who truly face their situation, go through their feelings, and then set about taking a positive course of action to become proactive in their own defence.

My love and very best wishes go with you as you embark upon your road to recovery, and I hope that this Directory will guide you to many exciting and fulfilling sources of invaluable help. Meanwhile, please be aware that this is a living document. I would be extremely grateful for your feedback, input, ideas and corrections. All possible efforts have been made to make this Cancer Directory as comprehensive and accurate as possible, but your help in improving it further for future readers will be much appreciated.

Please send your ideas and feedback to:

Dr Rosy Daniel,

Health Creation,

77a Alma Road,

Clifton,

Bristol BS8 2DP