| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
Debi
5 Posts |
 Posted - 01/31/2009 : 19:51:41
|
This is my first posting. I hope to find support here.
I am deeply grateful for all of you who have shared your inquiry and explorations into the opportunity of access to treat skin cancer topically, especially Dan.
The support I would appreciate is honoring my request to reply to my questions [below].
DIAGNOSIS:
In December, a scraped biopsy revealed that the flesh colored, irregular bump cluster on my cheek under my inner eye is a "NODULAR" BASAL CELL CARCINOMA. (During a facial in 4/27/07 the esthetician tried to "extract" it. I am not sure how long it had been there prior, but afterwards it became more friable and suspicious.) Mohs Surgery is scheduled 3/23/09, with a plastic surgeon closing 3/24.
(Family History: My mother has had 3 bcc and 1 scc excised on her face.)
VANITY:
Since the prominent location of my biopsied bcc stimulated self-consciousness of the bandage and subsequent scab, I am drawn to topical treatments that are not very conspicuous for many days, nor leaving a big hole or larger scab, nor needing a continual bandage for extended periods, or that leaves much of a scar. (At home at night, or other times, would be fine.)
PREFERENCE:
I would like to open the door, gently inviting the unwelcome guest (bcc) to leave, dead or alive. I don't want to burn my house (face) down, or take out the door, frame and all (surgery).
Or beginning by decreasing the bcc by milder means, finishing with aggressive means that won't be so severe or noticeable.
FIRST TREATMENT CHOICE:
In my research I have read most of what has been written here. I was especially drawn to the NEEM/COCONUT OIL treatment, as I had organic bottles of each on hand and knew it would be gentle and not very apparent.
APPLICATION:
On 1/6/09 I began applying 50% Neem/50% Coconut Oil many times a day (and introduced supplements and dietary changes). I keep small containers in the bathroom and at my desk and apply with my fingertip frequently, (even in the middle of the night when I wake from all the pH balanced water I am drinking w/supplements). I initially felt optimistic as the dark pinkish scar area from the biopsy of 12/09/08 became quickly lighter. The scar was about 2mm wide linear area within about a 5mm circle. The area has always been difficult to see clearly, even with the 15X and 20X magnifying mirrors. Photos don't show much despite using a macro lens/feature.
RESULTS:
This week, three weeks after beginning this protocol, new small raised flesh colored bumps emerged along the margins of the scar that had normal skin and a few millimeters away a new small area became friable (easily bleeds). All within the area that I apply the neem/coconut oil mixture up to 12 times a day. NEEM+COCONUT OIL IS NOT WORKING FOR MY NODULAR BCC.
WHY?
Could the oils be suffocating the cells creating an anaerobic environment that cancer thrives in? Or could the biopsy have triggered new growth as Trudie asked yesterday, 1/30/09?
WHAT NEXT? YOUR HELP WANTED!
I want to try something new that ISN"T EXTENSIVELY ESCHAROTIC. A short term scab confined to the area I can see now would be okay. My pre-surgury Pre-testing appointment with the plastic surgeon is on 3/17, so I don't have much time, especially since the bcc appears to be spreading.
MEMBERS PLEASE RESPOND:
I would like support from ONLY those who have personal experience with KNOWN SKIN CANCER, by responding to the following request/questions:
PLEASE SHARE YOUR SKIN REACTION TO VARIOUS TOPICAL TREATMENTS.
What is mild? What works? How long does it take? What kind of lesion? What stings for brief periods? What is painful? How long? What is scarey? What is ugly? Discoloration or Staining? Is it appropriate for the face or just other areas? What needs constant bandages? For how long? What elicits a reaction beyond the original visible site?
What are the differences in reaction and treatment times between curaderm (eggplant/vinegar) and cymilium (pancreatin and ammonia)? How do they compare to a Hoxsey/Bloodroot/Black salves?
I know this information is spread throughout this site, but not in a format that is efficient and allows for ease in experimentation. I've read the different experiences with bloodroot and orange oil, for example, but what about DMSO in its various concentrations, Hydrogen Peroxide, Ammonia, Vinegars,Iodine, Inositol+IP+6, Pancreatin, EGCG, Vit. C, etc.? Thank you for your previous, and future, specificity.
May all beings be healed,
Debi
p.s. It would be helpful for experimentation purposes to compile the results of this inquiry in a grid chart with a list of topical treatments and combos on the left and headings along the top with various reactions, length of treatment stages, etc. The boxes could either be checked or have a range of numbers/time. Perhaps there is a better way to compile this information. Ideas?
Dan, You've created such a wonderful website. Thank you. Would you be able and/or willing to set up a grid chart along these lines (that could be added to) on this site? |
|
|
thanks01
170 Posts |
Posted - 01/31/2009 : 20:52:15
|
I also had a biopsied small BCC just under my eye, about 1/2 inch from my nose. (See BCC “Case History, 2007” thread.) This was last year. Biopsy in Oct or Nov and Mohs scheduled for early Jan. I tried the eggplant/vinegar treatment pretty faithfully and saw some improvement. I was hoping that the Mohs surgeon would just say, "Much better, go home and keep trying." However she still wanted to operate and claimed to find and get all that was there.
I was disappointed, but accept that "basal" means at the lowest layer of the skin. So in the two months I had until the appointment my attempts had failed. I don't know if a longer time would have eventually succeeded. I am very interested in and hopeful about the treatments discussed on this website. Right now I am using pancreatin and baking soda on some troublesome areas that will be looked at later.
I am responding right now to say that I don't think your timeframe until the Mohs will allow for a "mild" method to work. I decided to go ahead with the surgery to please everyone who was pressing me into it, including my husband. However, there is a case to be made for waiting longer and trying more natural remedies. But unless you use one of the "drastic" methods (like Bloodroot, which sounds very dangerous to me) I don't think you have enough time before your appointment.
I'm glad to hear that you are working on the diet/health issues as well, since I think that is fundamental.
Best wishes. Thanks01 |
 |
|
|
anivoc
668 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2009 : 10:16:26
|
Debi,
I agree with Thanks that your time frame is to short for the long term remedies here of which there are no guarantees.Bloodroot paste is fast and furious, painful but IMO does the job. Of course if you don't like the healing results you can have a plastic surgeon fix you up just as well as he can for the Mohs....
This all said...Personally I still have and have had several Nodular Basal Cell tumors. I just had one removed ala Mohs @ 9 months ago. It was on the crown of my head and with working in public, didn't fit the criteria for bloodroot or other alternative treatment...I did try to no avail but it just kept getting bigger to a point where I had to let the Derm have his way with me.
I have decided to go for a new method that zaps the Nodular BCC with RF frequency, heating it up to 120 degrees for 30 seconds..
I have spoken to Gene Hedin, the man who developed the unit used for Humans and also the receptionist at the facility in AZ that is the first U.S. company to use this unit.
Sadly we have had this technology for close to 30 years but it was only being used on animals, originally for cows, eventually for a variety of skin conditions / tumors of all sorts on all kinds of animals. It has also been used out of the U.S. on humans for several years now again for a variety of skin afflictions.
After speaking with Gene Hedin and doing my own investigative research I believe this system is every bit as good as Mohs or Bloodroot and probably better because it is far less invasive..
With Mohs it is the shotgun approach.
They take a shot at the "area" going a few milimeters beyond the "margins " of the tumor. This contains both healthy and diseased tissue. They then freeze this specimen and slice paper thin pieces of it to examine under a microscope to look for irregular cells. If they see bad cells any where in the out side edges ( margins ) the go back and take about 4 milmeters more in that area. Again taking both good and bad cells. This goes on until they quit finding bad cells. For me they got it in 2 shots. It sometimes takes 3, 4, 5 or more tries depending on the depth and breadth of the tumor.
With thermosurgery it is the sharp shooting approach. Healthy skin is not affected by 120 degrees of heat but unhealthy cells die. It takes a month or so for your immune system to disperse the dead cells
Go to the sites listed below and decide for your self.. . Not a single healthy skin cell is damaged in this process.. Makes a lot more sense to me than the Mohs system.
Here's a link to the site and to the dermatologist in Scottsdale where you can go to get the treatment. They say it is covered under most insurance companies so that is encouraging.
http://www.thermosurgery.com/
Desert Plastic Surgery
John M Pierce M.D.
3300 N. 75th St.
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
480.990.8808
www.desertplasticsurgery.com
Good Luck however you decide to go!
Tom |
|
|
|
thanks01
170 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2009 : 22:27:25
|
Interesting contribution. I went to the website. The "AFTER" version of the skin makes the treatment seem promising. It's too bad (in a way) that it's so new and there's not much information about it even on the Web, where there's usually so much. It seems like you will be an early "guinea pig," so we'll be really interested in the outcome.
I wonder how this compares to cryotherapy, in permanence of results. It seems that with cryotherapy the spot reappears after a while.
Tom, Anivoc, I have followed a lot of your posts when you went the the last one 9 months ago. Please let us know the results when you try this new one. Thanks. |
|
|
|
dan
611 Posts |
Posted - 02/03/2009 : 00:35:22
|
Debi, it is great to get your feedback. Your grid sounds like a good idea, some sort of summary scorecard is overdue for sure. It is possible (with some work) to add a poll to the forum, maybe that could be put to some good use. Do you think a poll would work or could you be more specific on the grid? Anyway, your feedback on NEEM+COCONUT OIL not working is helpful.
I had good luck with Cymilium. Thanks01, I don't know if your mixer lotion has urea in it, but I think that is the secret penetration enhancer claimed by Cymilium. Many aloe vera gels have added urea, so maybe that would be another thing to consider adding.
Tom, good stuff too. |
|
|
|
thanks01
170 Posts |
Posted - 02/04/2009 : 21:07:39
|
Thanks, Dan. I keep slightly adjusting the recipe for my homemade "Cymilium," and I am aware that you have contributed the complete recipe. Continuing comments are helpful. I benefited from and agreed with a recent comment of yours that the mixture needs to be fresh. It is interesting to try different ingredients.
Although I have no biopsied spots right now, I think there are some suspicious precursors, which I am working with sometimes one-by-one. I'm hoping to get my basic health good enough that I regain natural, healthy skin and no more precursors. |
|
|
|
Debi
5 Posts |
Posted - 02/05/2009 : 12:32:37
|
Thank you thanks01, Tom, and Dan for your replies. I am hearing that my time frame is short. I'll postpone or cancel surgery, if I have promising results.
Yes, I think a poll and/or chart of responses, reactions, time frames, and specificity of application (even including untried treatments) would be valuable, and an asset to the website. (I imagine that Dan and Tom may have a lot in their knowledge base derived from their research and the postings on this forum.)
Tom, do you have an appointment scheduled to go to Arizona for the new thermosurgery? The before and after pics of the forehead look like a nodular bcc that left a minimal scar. The videos linked to websites only spoke about carcinomas on the arm that were not typically excised, and a darkened spot remained after treatment. Your optimism is contagious and I am curious about the various consequences to different carcinomas and locations.
Dan, after re-reading your story, I ordered Cymilium (on sale- $3 off thru 2/9/09). I appreciate the encouragement and am assuming that it is not too aggressive. Do you use a bandage with it? What's your current thinking about application? Still alternating with SupraClens of anything else?
I'm definitely with you on the systemic approach to the health of the whole body as well as the vital part the mind plays (as Thanks01 alludes to), holding the intention and vision of "natural, healthy skin".
I am happy for this supportive and understanding community.
-D |
|
|
|
Jeni
3 Posts |
Posted - 02/06/2009 : 15:06:13
|
Hi Deb, I just wanted to suggest that you look at a website called cancerx.org, and read about the enzyme protocols for pushing cancer out from the inside. This is expensive but a total body solution and not topical or agressive. I printed the 30 page booklet and studied it extensively along with the nurses I work with (I'm not a nurse, I work for Hospice and see advanced cancer in all it's cruelty), the site also has bloodroot treatments and testimonials. My experience is this...my friend has been terminal for TEN years and extremely ill at the moment. She's removed tumors with bloodroot but has extensive metastasis through her body now. She is starting the enzyme protocol (wish we had found it years ago). My Mum has 4 BCC sites, one on her eyelid, forehead, lip, and an unmentionable area as well. I want to help her get the enzymes as all these sites would be SCARY with topical treatment. I have two scabs at present that I'm waiting to come out as I've just come out the other side of an extremely painful bloodroot experience on suspected BCC on forearm and breast. Forearm was manageable but breast one was indescribable painwise. It looks as though I'll be rid of them though. So I guess it comes down to what you can manage in your life situation. It has been really hard for me to work with the pain and look after my young children as well, but bloodroot does work. If I was diagnosed with more skin cancers I'd probably try the enzymes first and bloodroot second.
Hope this is helpful.
Jeni NZ |
|
|
|
Jeni
3 Posts |
Posted - 02/06/2009 : 16:16:35
|
Hi again Debs, I didn't mention about my Mothers treatments that might interest you. She's had mohs surgery 4 times over quite a few years on her lower eyelid. it seems to recur every few years. She's also had several proceedures on the private area and that seems to always come back eventually as well. The forehead one (all BCC's) is extensive and while Aldara cream is usually for treating squamous cell carcinoma (upper layers of skin), her doc wanted to use aldara in the hope of drawing the cancer closer to an area that's operable so she doesn't loose half her face. The aldara looked much like the results of bloodroot but not really painful although she had nausea and dizziness, and she still has problem so he wants to do it again, then have a look at surgery...hence we want to do something that will nail this (perhaps the tumor x enzyme protocol). Another thing to look in to on the natural, topical treatment situation is poultice of violet leaves which sounds really good especially if you're dealing with an area you can bandage at night (mum's ones she could't except head one). I haven't finished researching this one but it is ancient and proven to work on BCC apparently.
Good luck
Jeni |
|
|
|
janagain
16 Posts |
Posted - 02/08/2009 : 11:56:33
|
| I live very close to this Dr. Pierce and am seriously considering going to see him with my daughter. I don't think she has a skin cancer but has a small lump on her nose that the thermosurgery might get rid of. I got rid of my BCC with Aldara (no side effects and no pain like others describe). But I digress...If anybody has questions they would like me to ask or things to check out, let me know and I'll take them along. Even though I don't have any current BCC going on, one never knows what the future is gonna bring; this is a wonderful site and helped me try alterhative things (with no success) before going the route of big pharma. I firmly believe taking care of the inside is equally as important as taking care of the outside. I recently read two great books--The Ominvore's Dilemma and Suzanne Somers' Breakthrough. Both very different but focus on the fact the FDA, the food industry and the pharmaceutical industry aren't really looking after our best interest in good health. Let me know in this forum the questions you want answered by Dr. Pierce's office... |
|
|
|
anivoc
668 Posts |
Posted - 10/17/2013 : 19:30:46
|
Just thought I needed to clarify here... I posted this elsewhere but can across this thread where I was just learning about "thermosurgery"
I need to clarify I had BIG bcc's over an inch in size and nodular..
VERY disappointed in Dr. Pierce and his ways..
I let them know that these were big, I sent them pictures before flying into their office from California..
Then AFTER I am already in the chair and he is sticking needles in my lesions numbing them does he tell me that he doesn't think one treatment will "get them" ....
I also let him know that I had a birthday party to go to in 3 days was I going to look OK? He told me I'd be fine...
Not so much... Terrible pain afterwards and the next day it looked like I had been in a bar room brawl..The lesions were on my forehead but I ended up with Black eyes and a swollen face for a good week and a half..
This ended up being a very expensive waste of time...so to be clear...
unless you have very small lesions...I would personally not recommend this path to take care of them...
|
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
Mild vs. Aggressive Topical Treatments
