Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Found And Lost

Yesterday, a cancer friend emailed me the URL of a cancer blog written by and on behalf of his mother's new generation (NG) PDT treatment. I was looking into the viability of NGPGT as an alternative treatment for my lung metastasis.  In fact, when the first page load, the first thought that arose my mind was "What? The patient is now embarking on the 3rd cycle of NGPDT" Why so many cycles? As I read the details from the blog, several questions arose in my mind and I began to have doubts. I am not a doctor and I don't have the finer technical details of this treatment and even if I had the details, I am not sure I could digest those technical details. But on a much higher level as disclosed in the blog, based on those information given, I am presenting my views and I stand corrected of course.

NGPDT Process:  This NGPDT process uses a 2 stage process: 1) an agent is inhaled + drank into the body which contains extracted chlorophyll from plants.  The chlorophyll molecules will attach to tumor cells as "food".  Cancer cells are hungry for any food or nutrition.  Normal cells does not have affinity to the chlorophyll molecules which gets flushed out of the body.  2) Three type of laser (different frequencies) is shined externally onto the body to cause the chlorophyll to generate singlet Oxygen (like in photosynthesis process in plants).  These Oz will burst the tumor cells or break the cell membrane of the tumor cells.  Since normal cells does not have the chlorophyll attached, they are not damaged by this light process.

The above information was obtained from the blog and I just extracted them out verbatim. Sounds very logical. An agent which is a chlorophyll extracted from plant is inhaled and ingested. This statement "Cancer cells are hungry for any food or nutrition." Is this true? Many cancer patients like me uses diet to starve cancer cells. I have been quite successful keeping the cancer at bay. When chlorophyll is ingested or inhaled, it will go to the stomach and then be digested and absorbed into the blood stream. I don't know whether the original chlorophyll molecule is still intact after digestion. I know cancer feeds on glucose but gets attracted to chlorophyll? Even if this is the case, my next question is: Can the singlet oxygen do it? i.e. "These Oz will burst the tumor cells or break the cell membrane of the tumor cells."  According to CancerTutor.org in The Hydrogen Peroxide Therapy, "The issue in curing cancer with hydrogen peroxide boils down to getting enough hydrogen peroxide inside the cancer cells. Every cancer cell has a thick protein (i.e. enzyme) coating on its surface. The protein coating blocks many substances, and perhaps much of the hydrogen peroxide, from getting to the surface of the cell and thus from getting inside the cell. So what can be done to get a higher percentage of the hydrogen peroxide past the protein coating and inside the cancer cells." The answer lies in "Proteolytic enzymes (also called: pancreatic enzymes) literally cut apart the thick protein coating which covers cancer cells. Proteolytic enzymes are normally used to cut apart the protein coating so that the immune system can recognize the cells as cancerous." So does the mere presence of a singlet oxygen will burst the cancer cell membrane? The PET scan after the end of the 2nd cycle of NGPDT showed very little evidence of necrotic cells. There were attempts to say to the effect of cell necrosis can only be detected through biopsy. I am not sure how a biopsy would be able to quantify and true enough, even though a biopsy was done, nothing conclusive could be drawn. For me some people seems to divert attention away from the main advantage of PET scan (over that of CT/MRI) and possibly suggesting the cell necrosis did occurred but was cleaned away by the system. If that were true, then the size of the tumor should be smaller but it grew instead. It should be noted that some treatments like HITV and HIFU uses PET scan to detect necrotic cells and why would this treatment be different? From other readings, I gather that the mere presence of oxygen near or around cancer cells has the effect of preventing metastasis.

As I said, this is layman's account of the NGPDT process. It seems to raise more questions and doubt in me. I have more questions but I will not discuss them. I know, I am questioning the very foundation of this treatment. Based on what the doctors said about the reactions and symptoms experienced by the patient, the NGPDT treatment should be working but results after the 2nd NGPDT shows otherwise. I acknowledged there could be other reasons (one of them is that cancer cells do not exists as single cell but are often in colonies and the singlet oxygen would probably only be able to penetrate the top layer and not the layers below). Based on the progress reports in the blog, I have came to this conclusion. I could be wrong. Suddenly, I don't find this treatment so attractive now.

NGPGT is not a very cheap treatment. It costs RMB110K per cycle (US$18K). The patient has two tumors in the breast (stage 3)  and did not opt for conventional treatment such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The patient is on a normal diet.

5 comments:

  1. Some just like esoteric treatments. Money too much? Money talks?

    Boil green bean without sugar in high concentration, drink daily, and the tumour will naturally shrink, shrank and shrunk.

    Can be cooling, so varies the dosage to suit your conditon.

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  2. Chang,

    We met in Subang organic shop 3 months ago. In fact, I went to Mexico for SPDT and also China for NGPDT. I met patients during China treatments & are keeping in touch with them too. If you need more progress info, let me know.

    Regards,
    Anna

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    Replies
    1. My sister want to go for ngpdt or chm,still dicide no idea,any ,but she scare china hospital dr.how

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  3. Dear Anna,

    Oh, yes I would appreciate it very much. I would also like to know if these two different clinics uses the same light activating agent? It would be good as I would then post progress updates in my blog for people who are keen to try this treatment.

    I would like it very much if you can tell me your experience. Please write to me at jchangct@gmail.com.

    Thanks

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  4. Hi Chang,

    I can share my dad's experience with NGPDT in Guangzhou China. He did not do any chemo before NGPDT & completed 2 sessions of NGPDT for throat cancer. Initially he felt better after NGPDT, but it seems only temporary. He suffered inflammation on the tumor since it got bigger. The doctors & hospital there are not organized NOR equipped (poor condition & communication). He does not continue the 3rd one, indeed went to Singapore for chemo. Amazingly and thanks God, after 2nd chemo and Erbitux, the tumor shrunk immediately. My dad feel much better now and continue the treatment in Singapore (Mt. Elizabeth Hospital). I'm not a doctor, but I hope this help.

    FF

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