Q: Dear Dr. Mao,
I am approaching 60 years of age, and two weeks ago I was diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas and the liver. The tumors cannot be operated on and last week I began chemo by mouth, but I can’t keep it down. Next week they’ll start me with the chemo in IV form. Is there anything that you know of that could help with this condition?
A: Cancer is not an easy thing to deal with both for the patient and the family. The first and most important thing is not to lose hope and to keep a positive outlook, have family prayers and surround yourself with joyous and hopeful energy.
The U.S. laws prevent anyone or anything be used specifically for cancer treatments unless one is an oncologist and the drugs or substances are approved by the FDA for such use. In many countries in Europe and Asia, natural substances like herbs are used in conjunction with chemo and radiation to help cope with the side effects.
I strongly urge you to first obtain approval from the oncologist to incorporate adjunctive herbal or nutritional treatments. Once the approval has been obtained, and only then, may you look into incorporating specific herbal supplements to support the energy and increase immune functions by taking such herbs as ginger, Chinese basil, ginseng, astragulus, and by integrating specific dietary elements such as Chinese Medical Nutrition, macrobiotic, or Gerson. Exercises like tai chi and qigong may also be beneficial.
After consulting with your doctor, you may choose to add the Traditions of Tao herbal formula “Cancer Support”, which reinvigorates the immune system, to your treatment regimen.
