CT Scan vs. MRI: Which is safer for those with cancer?

When I learned in January 2017 that my colon cancer had metastasized to my liver, my oncologist, Dr. G, suggested (in addition to 4 rounds of chemo, surgery, and up to 8 more rounds of chemo) a series of scans to monitor the status of my cancer. CT scans of my abdomen and lungs were immediately taken to determine the location of any tumor(s). One tumor was detected on my liver; no other tumors were seen.

Dr. G then referred me for a PET Scan. I'd never had a PET scan and knew nothing about the procedure or possible risks. I was still in a state of shock over my Stage IV-A metastatic diagnosis (and end-of-year death sentence if I did not submit to the chemo / surgery regimen). So, I compliantly agreed to the PET scan. There was a caveat, through. Badger Care (my insurance) would have to approve the scan. A week later I was told that Badger Care refused to pay for the scan because of its cost.

That's when I decided to do some research. What I discovered shocked and upset me!

Fighting Cancer in the Philippines

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This morning I received an e-mail from Mark, a colon cancer patient in the Philippines. His colon cancer is not going away, despite aggressive chemotherapy, surgery, and other procedures.  Just look at what this poor man has endured! Heartbreaking! He's worried, and asked for my advice. 

First, Mark's e-mail:

I was diagnosed with cancer last December 2015, Stage III-B. My CEA at that time was 8.7. I had surgery January 9, 2016. I underwent a very aggressive chemotheraphy twice a month intervals of every two weeks. I was given 5FU, Irenotican, Loucoverin, Oxaliplatin and a booster Avastin. I finished my session July 2016.

My CEA went down to 4.2. The result of my PET scan is very good as well. 

Beautiful Berries Green Tea Smoothie

Beautiful Berries Green Tea Smoothie ingredients.

One of the most prevalent side-effects of chemotherapy is loss of appetite. If you're overweight like I am and enjoy watching the pounds effortlessly melt away, loss of appetite can seem like a good thing. At the same time, not being able to eat foods that help you detox from the chemo and build your cancer-fighting immune system is disconcerting. 

The Beautiful Berries Green Tea Smoothie can fill you up and satisfy any cravings for something sweet! It's so filling and rich, it sometimes take me a couple of hours to finish it! The recipe includes three kinds of berries, a banana, and Medjool dates (for added sweetness) -- all chock-full of cancer-fighting, immune-system building antioxidants. The green tea helps you detox from the chemo while simultaneously restoring your faltering immune system. The Beautiful Berries Green Tea Smoothie is great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

An Attitude of Gratitude

An Attitude of Gratitude may seem dichotomous with a diagnosis of cancer. Your life has been forever changed, and, depending of the location and stage of your cancer, the diagnosis may have included a death sentence of weeks, months, or a few years. You are overcome with thoughts and emotions you have never experienced before.

You may feel angry and victimized. "Why me?" you may ask. Your anger may be fueled by feelings of fear, panic, frustration, anxiety, or helplessness.

You may feel overwhelmed, powerless, and isolated. Your life feels out of control -- your daily routine is disrupted by doctor visits, procedures and treatments.

If your treatment includes chemo and / or radiation, there are myriad debilitating side-effects. The quality of your life may become so compromised you lose hope, become depressed, and decide life on these terms is not worth living.

XELODA (oral chemo) vs. FULFOX -- you DO have options for treatment!!!

I met yesterday with oncologist Dr. Y (1) to get a second opinion about my cancer treatment and (2) to determine if he would support me on my self-healing journey by allowing me to refuse the chemo and surgery while providing ongoing CEA marker blood tests and MRIs to keep an eye on the cancer.

The new doctor still talked the chemo and surgery talk, but he also agreed that if the tumor has disappeared, there is no reason for surgery. He also agreed we can monitor the tumor with an MRI, as opposed to the radiation-based CT-Scan. Since I had two CT scans in January, I don't want another one anytime soon. Plus, differences between normal and abnormal tissue is often clearer on an MRI image than with a CT scan, especially in the liver.

Breaking up is NOT so very hard to do . . .

Deciding to end my relationship with my oncologist was similar to ending a romantic relationship. I wanted out, knew I needed out, but I felt guilty about leaving. I really like Dr. G as a doctor and a person, but there are absolutely no options for naturopathic oncology at his clinic. I was provided with only one option: four rounds of chemo, liver resection surgery, and up to eight more rounds of chemo. Without this regimen, he emphasized, while looking deeply, seriously into my eyes, I would not survive to the end of the year.

I once asked Dr. G if he had ever experienced radical remission with one of his patients -- that the cancer disappeared without chemo or radiation or surgery. He said he had never seen that happen. Never. I did not believe him.

Later that day, while in the chemo cocktail lounge, I asked my nurse the same question. She said she has seen it happen. She knew of patients who tumors completely disappeared. I was very much encouraged.

and something ignited in my soul

In her NY Times best-selling book Radical Remission: Surviving Cancer Against All Odds, Kelly A. Turner, Ph.D., discusses nine key factors that consistently showed up in the more than one hundred personal interviews and thousand-plus written cases she analyzed of people who had healed their cancer through integrative oncology. One of these nine factors is Having Strong Reasons for Living.

When I received the news on November 31st, just five days after my 60th birthday, that my CEA score had risen to 217 (normal is less than or equal to 3 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL)), I was not surprised. The previous 18 months had been beyond hellacious. I had become so depressed from the unrelenting stress from seemingly unending trials that I had completely lost my will to live. At one point I screamed angrily at God to bring the cancer back and to just let me die. And I meant it.