Most people are familiar with the word “oncology,” and for many it is an area of medicine that evokes anxiety or fear. Cancer is a degenerative disease that is often deemed a death sentence, particularly in the advanced or late stages of the disease. The SEER Cancer Statistics Review (CSR) provides an annual report of cancer incidences in the U.S., including risk factors, survival rates and cancer mortality rates; the numbers are published by the National Cancer institute (www.cancer.gov).
Despite advances in the conventional oncological standard of care, which generally consists of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, as well as education initiatives regarding cancer prevention, the incidence of cancer in the United States continues to increase steadily.
Sadly, numerous cases of cancer are diagnosed during the later stages of the disease. There are four stages associated with most cancer types, with the first two stages having the best prognoses. When diagnosed in the later stages, when the cancer cells have left the original site of formation and have invaded surrounding tissues, or entered the lymphatic system, the outcome is not as favorable. This invasion by these malignant (from the Latin word mal, meaning bad) cells is called metastasis, and is the hallmark of cancer stages III and IV.
Individuals who have unfavorable outcomes post-treatment or who have experienced a recurrence of their cancer post-conventional treatment may seek out alternative modes of treatment, either as a complement to conventional therapies or in place of conventional methods of treatment, when given only months to live or referred to hospice. Statistics have shown that even after receiving chemotherapy and radiation, life expectancy is five years with a high risk of reoccurrence for many forms of cancer. This outcome is logical if the underlying cause of the disease is not addressed.
Taking Charge
Fortunately, there is an emergence of proactive individuals who, when given such a diagnosis, will immediately become advocates of their health and managers of their bodies. They often will turn to the internet and other forms of social media in order to research alternative forms of treatment for their specific cancer. Alas, it would take a great expenditure of mental energy and valuable time to sort through the potpourri of information that can be offered by the internet, much of which lacks credibility. A web search for alternative cancer treatments may produce a potpourri of modalities ranging from Ayurveda to acupuncture, Essiac tea, Budwig diet, Kushi diet, Cellect powder, botanical medicine, nutritional enzyme therapies, homeopathy, antioxidants, intravenous therapies, supplements, and many other therapeutic holistic practices.
Several legitimate organizations, such as the National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society, cover a variety of alternative treatment options, although in some cases the information is slightly skewed in favor of conventional modalities. In addition to these resources, one can simply contact the Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians for a directory of licensed naturopathic physicians who specialize in oncology. A naturopathic oncologist can decrease patient anxiety by assisting them with the selection of scientifically and/or clinically proven alternative cancer-treatment modalities. They understand the biochemical and physiological mechanisms of the body. They also are generally well versed in conventional oncology treatments, and thus are able to help patients determine which supplements are contraindicated for use in conjunction with radiation and chemotherapy, as well as identifying those that have a synergistic effect.
In keeping with the “first do no harm” tenet of naturopathic medicine, as well as with Hippocrates’ statement, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food,” I have chosen to focus on the benefits of nutritional enzyme therapy and its applications in the treatment of chronic debilitating diseases such as cancer. In addition, I’ve received training in nutritional therapy from the Gerson Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to the holistic treatment of cancer and other degenerative diseases. In a review of the pioneers who used enzymes as a therapeutic modality, credit must be given to Dr. John Beard; Dr. William D. Kelly, DDS; Dr. Max Gerson, MD; and more recently to Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez, MD.
Leaders in the Alternative Treatment of Cancer
Dr. Beard’s work on enzymes in the early 1900s was published in the Lancet, a British journal of medicine, in 1902. Dr. Beard first worked with the pancreatic enzyme trypsin, which he proposed played a primary role in the body’s defense against cancer, and which he believed could be used as a treatment modality for cancer. He later published “The Enzyme Treatment of Cancer and Its Scientific Basis.”
Dr. William Kelley believed that the origins of cancer could be found in an individual’s inability to manufacture and effectively utilize protein. He believed that if the disorder could not be corrected, the result was tumor development. He therefore hypothesized that pancreatic enzymes involved in protein digestion, (proteolytic enzymes) were instrumental in defending the body against cancer. He believed that pancreatic enzymes were not restricted to the organs of the digestive system but rather that they also were secreted into the bloodstream, and contributed to the body’s defense. He believed that certain pancreatic enzymes, especially the proteolytic enzymes, are the body’s first line of defense against malignancy. This theory stands in marked contrast to conventional medicine, which holds that the immune system, with its natural killer cells, protects people against cancer (Nutrition and Cancer,1999).
Dr. Max Gerson’s childhood observations of earthworms in soil led him to believe that if soil is deficient of nutrients, or contains toxic products such as herbicides, it repels worms. He was then able to correlate the health of the soil with the quality of food it would produce. He became a proponent of organic food and its benefits in curing chronic diseases. Gerson used the enzymes contained in organic foods, in the form of raw fruit and vegetable juices, and in cooked fruit and vegetables prepared in a way that does not destroy the enzymatic properties of the plants. These specially prepared foods are used to correct nutritional deficits within the individual, thus promoting health and reversing disease. Although his work was rejected by medical institutions and ridiculed by his colleagues, Gerson continued his work, curing chronic diseases including tuberculosis and cancer. His work was published in his book “A Cancer Therapy, the Results of 50 Cases.” His legacy is continued by his daughter Charlotte Gerson at the Gerson Institute in San Diego, California.
Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez, while completing his fellowship in cancer, immunology and bone marrow transplantation at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York City, conducted a formal research study based on the work of Dr. William Kelly, whom he had previously personally encountered. He was impressed by Kelly’s three-component treatment method, which consisted of nutrition, enzyme therapy and detoxification. Gonzalez performed this formal investigation under the mentorship of Dr. Goode, who at that time served as the President of Memorial Sloan Kettering. One of the three groups of Dr. Kelly’s patients that were studied by Gonzalez consisted of a group of patients who were treated for pancreatic cancer over an eight year span (1974-1982). These patients had completed the full program formulated by Kelley. Gonzalez observed that the results of these patients were astounding in comparison with the success of patients with the same stage and type of cancer treated with conventional medicine. In fact, this group boasted an average survival rate in excess of eight years on Dr. Kelley’s therapy.
In a similar fashion to the preceding pioneers of nutritional enzyme therapy, Dr. Gonzalez failed to succeed in publishing Dr. Kelley’s findings. Gonzalez established an alternative medical private practice in New York City where he continues to implement Kelley’s protocol in the treatment of patients with various types and stages of cancer with astounding success. Prompted by the National Cancer Institute, Gonzalez conducted a study of his own in 1999, published in June of the same year. Compared to the implementation of conventional medical treatments for pancreatic cancer and the life expectancy post- treatment that it offers, the results of Gonzalez’s study far exceeded any results obtained by conventional oncology methods. Recently I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Gonzalez and one of his cancer survivors. Gonzalez has been interviewed by the renowned naturopathic physician, Dr. Mercola; the interview can be viewed on his website, Mercola.com. An article regarding Gonzalez’s work also was published in the August-September, 2010 edition of the Townsend Letter. He has penned several books, including the “Trophoblast and the Origins of Cancer,” as well as his experience with Dr. Kelley and his theory called “One Man Alone.” His books can be purchased from New Spring Press or from Amazon.
To obtain more information regarding this form of therapy, you may contact me, Dr. Yvette M. Whitton, at Adonai Optimal Health and Wellness (888) 655-8489. You may also contact the Gerson Institute in San Diego, California (www.Gerson.Org, for a list of Gerson trained physicians in your immediate area. To locate a Naturopathic Physician who incorporates nutritional enzyme therapy into their practice, contact the Oncology association of Naturopathic Physicians. To contact Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez, visit his website at www.dr-gonzalez.com.