New Research: Does Chemotherapy Help Or Harm Dogs With Cancer?
ByResearchers at the University of Alabama Comprehensive Cancer Center have recently received a grant to study whether left over cancer cells from chemotherapy treatment spreads to other parts of the body.
UAB researchers say the resulting altered DNA may be the factor that activates the spread of living cancer cells to distant locations in the body – a deadly process called metastasis – through a specific molecular pathway.
Metastasis is the No. 1 cause of cancer recurrence and treatment failure.
The UAB study acknowledges that dead cancer cells from chemotherapy can cause the spreading of cancer and metastasis.
The research leader, Katri Selander, M.D., Ph.D., states that there is a possibility that “by killing cancer cells with chemotherapy we inadvertently induce DNA structures that make surviving cancers cells more invasive.” Therefore, this may be the factor that activates the spread of living cancer cells to distant locations in the body – a deadly process called metastasis – through a specific molecular pathway.
It is commonly acknowledged and understood by holistic practitioners that in the short term, chemotherapy has very limited effectiveness in most cases. But even in those cases where it is, the cancer is likely to metastasize into a more devastating type of cancer that is resistant to any type of treatment. This research gives a scientific explanation as to why that is true.
This research is essentially important for people dealing with cancer in dogs. It is one of the reasons why at least 80% of dogs on chemotherapy only survive for up to 2 years. Even if the tumor or cancer is in remission for a short period after this type of treatment, when it returns, there is nothing more that can be done.
Chemotherapy is considered successful if a dog survives for 8 months or more. This means if you are told a particular treatment is 50% successful, 50% of dogs on that treatment will not even survive for 8 months.And this study suggests, that chemotherapy alters DNA to make the cancer return more rapidly by spreading the disease through the dead cancer cells that the chemotherapy, itself, has produced.
What this research means for you is that whether the chemotherapy you treat your dog with is Palladia, Carboplatin, Chlorambucil, Cisplatin, Dexamethasone, Doxorubicin, Vincristine, or any other chemotherapeutic agent, chances are that the toxicity of these drugs will promote metastasis.
In Dog Cancer: The Holistic Answer I explain the protocol that I used to extend my dog, Fergie’s life much longer than could have been done with chemotherapy. They’re scientifically proven holistic treatments that are less invasive, less expensive, and don’t pose the risks of metastases that chemotherapeutic agents do.
I have purchased your book but was already starting ‘PROTOCEL’ she (desexed female staffyx almost eight years old) has been on it for almost three weeks, but is going down hill fast. It all started about 6 months ago with bladder cancer,; this has now mastastisized all through her body with a massive outer tumour about 7ins around and 13ins in length. She is in a bad way, and unless you think I am not being unrealistically hopeful, it seems the better option to have her put down. Can you please give me of your educated advice as I do not wish to end the fight unless absolutely necessary. Oh I took her off the protocel yesterday at the advice of the vet and have started her on opticell supplement and ‘orthoplex’ ultra buffered C powder. I am in Australia which could make it difficult to come by many of the products mentioned in the book.
In reading Suzan Sommers recent book: “Knockout” where she interviews MDs and Ph.Ds who treat cancer in humans with alternative therapies, it is stated (I believe Nicholas Gonzalez states this) that chemo only works in 3 types of human cancers: testicular cancer, juvenile leukemia, and lymphomas. (Not sure if this applies to canines, also???).
Also stated is the in a survey of oncologists, 80% would not take chemotherapy themselves, although they prescribe to their patients.
Of all places, a sit-com pretty-girl has to be the one to reveal what’s out there that works and does not work and she has successfully treated her breast cancer with the help of alternative therapeutics.
The above article is very interesting. Personally, I feel that medical traditional cancer care in the United States, is downright Barbaric.
A book worth reading
According to an article at http://www.holisticcancersolutions.com/, “In 2002, the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that in the previous year, the average oncologist had made $253,000 of which 75% was profit on chemotherapy drugs administered in his/her office. Yet, surveys of oncologists by the Los Angeles Times and the McGill Cancer Center in Montreal show that from 75% to 91% of oncologists would refuse chemotherapy as a treatment for themselves or their families. Why? Too toxic and not effective. Yet, 75% of cancer patients are urged to take chemo by their oncologists.”
Hello Eva,
I am so sorry to hear about your dog. You will know when it’s time to put your dog down if that time comes.
That being said, there are effective treatments for advanced stage cancers that are not toxic. Some of them require supervision by a professional who knows how to use them. If you can, use the testing protocol in Chapter 9 of Dog Cancer: The Holistic Answer. I have additional instructional videos for this technique at BDC.
I am sending you an email with the names of some of the more advanced non-toxic treatments.
Best wishes,
Dr. Steven Eisen
My greyhound male has osteosarcoma and had his leg amputated. We had one chemo session so far, but decided to go to a holistic vet. My vet likes everything in your protocol and also recommended a product called NEOPLASENE from Buck Mountain botanicals. It can only be given with a Vets permission. I was wondering if you heard of this before and if so, what your opinion is. Thank you!
I have a question for Dr. Steven Eisen, although I don’t know if it is possible to get to him on here. My 13.5 year old dog was ‘diagnosed’ with nasal cancer 1.5 years ago after suffering from symptoms for about a year. So, now, 2.5 years later, he is still alive. I joke that he just doesn’t want to leave me (he’s a very needy dog).
I did not do chemo or radiation treatment and I refused to administer steroids/rimadyl on a daily basis due to the fear that it could possibly cause organ failure. I am still mad that theres nothing more the vets can tell me to do for him other than chemo, steroids, and radiation! He still has severe nasal congestion and I believe he can only breathe out of one nostril but he is happy, energetic and is still, overall, the same dog. I also don’t believe he is in pain (I clean his nose constantly, apply vaseline, give him fish oil daily, and have a humidifier for him) I also removed all air fresheners from the house. (Which the vet did not mention and I don’t believe people think about) In addition, I, not the vets, chose to stop vaccinating him.
I’ve read some of the articles on how treatment can actually be worse and I do believe that due to my present experience vs. others who have chosen treatment. I’m afraid a lot of veterinary practices are becoming more about the money than the treatment of animals which saddens me. I honestly think if i had listened to the vets my dog would not be alive. I looked up a holistic vet in my area recently and may give a visit.
I guess my question is about the research done to provide answers, where it is done, where it can be found, and how it’s getting relayed back to veterinarians or the universities where the schools are. I don’t see or don’t know how to find the research being done to find why cancer in dogs is increasing and additional treatment options. They say nasal cancer is rare, but dogs everywhere are developing it in addition to other cancers. Where are the questions being asked and answers found?
Hello Jennifer,
First, let me congratulate you on educating yourself about the options for your dog and your success.
There are a number of questions in your post and I could easily give a lecture for a few hours addressing these issues. I understand your frustration.
My book certainly addresses this and I am one of the only ones teaching it. In the coming months, I will have a new program which will address these issues in even greater detail.
For now, let me just say that vets don’t get training about this in vet school. Only a small portion of their education is devoted to small pets. Holistic vets learn these things in courses after vet school, and even then their training and knowledge varies greatly from vet to vet.
You are mainly asking about environmental and chemical toxins (including pharmaceuticals) which most pet owners routinely expose their pets to. Most are not aware of the harmful effects of these toxins, including their vets.
The short answer is referenced in a veterinary textbook I recently read for specialists about cancer in dogs and cats. It states that ‘…humans and dogs are known to have similar reactions to cancer-causing substances.’ So the largest body of research about these substances has been done on humans rather than dogs. If it’s a carcinogen to people, it’s a carcinogen to dogs. Even after knowing this many still have a hard time connecting the dots. For example, I think most people would be pretty outraged about the idea of spraying ant and roach killer on their skin and rubbing it in every month. Yet many do the same thing to their dog every month without thinking about it. Spot-on flea and tick treatments contain the same chemical that’s in that bug spray!
As far as I am aware, I am the only doctor who is not a vet teaching these things which gives me a unique vantage point. I first look to the research that’s been done on people and ask if the same applies to dogs. Vets don’t study much research done on people, and the research that does show harm from these toxins in dogs is largely ignored. For certain, a large part of that has to do with money, just as people consume harmful chemicals and food from the supermarket because it’s more profitable to make those products with harmful chemicals such as hydrogenated fats, artificial sweeteners and chemical nitrites.
So Jennifer, I must stop here before I end up writing another book here, but I hope this provides at least some insight into your questions.
Best wishes,
Dr. Steven Eisen
My Bichon-Frise Charlie was diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma last March 1, 2011. His kidney was taken out (it had a 2 lb tumor in it) Since that date, I have been feeding him Dr. Ogilvie’s cancer recipe (of lean groudn beef, beef liver, calcium carbonate, salmon oil, etc..) I have also been giving him essiac tea. He loves the food and was back to his old self. 3 weeks ago, we returned to the vet for another round of x-rays and labwork and his CBC was normal, but his ALT was super high. The vet was saying it may mean metastasis to the liver or it may mean the meat diet is wreaking havoc on his liver. The vet also suggested we start with metronomic chemo (piroxicam and cytoxan) and to take out the liver from the food i was cooking and put eggs instead, and to mix it with Medical-Renal kibbles. We went home with the cytoxan chemo pills and piroxicam but held off giving it to him as I was fearful of the effects. The other day, I noticed his gums were pale and so I gave him a yunnan baiyao capsule (recommended by another dog-mom whose dog has hemangiosarcoma). I also gave him piroxicam as his right leg kept shaking(sign of pain?)….the next morning, he vomited blood (dark brown and some fresh looking) and his stool was dark brown….Is this signs of it being the end?….I brought a sample of his vomit to the vet and he said it is stomach mucus and he told me to start with the cytoxan already. I still did not give him cytoxan as i know it will cause more vomiting and more diarrhea….he was suffering from the retching already. That day, when I went home, Charlie greeted me running/barking and wagging his tail…and he ate a lot tht night too. Last night, he vomitted blood again…we brought him to the vet and he injected a drug that will stop the vomiting. We went home with cimitidine and another pain reliever that the vet said does not have the side effects of piroxicam. This moring, her would not eat, except for the yogurt and the Nutrical supplement i gave him, but he drank water regularly. For dinner I cooked new food for him (i did not add eggs), and he ate all of it…..I am not giving him the cytoxan still as I am scared….I know this is too much to ask, but any advice you can give me wil be a God-send to me….I am at a loss now on what to do…I end up just crying and crying….I am not looking for a miracle….just some suggestions on what to at this point…thanking you so much…
sincerely,
jocelyn
Hello Jocelyn,
I’m sorry to hear about Charlie.
Jocelyn, this reminds me of an emailI used as an example in my book. That person, like you just didn’t know where to turn or what to do.
My book is specifically designed to help you in this situation. So my first suggestion to you is take a deep breath, a couple of steps back, and get a better overview of your options Then you’ll be in a much better frame of mind to choose your optons. You can download the ebook instantly here on the website or get it in paperbook from Amazon.com.
Please keep in touch and let me know how things are going.
Best wishes,
Dr. Steven Eisen
Thanks for responding! I have recently moved and been very busy reorganizing my pets lives
Joey is still with me and I have taken him off of grains. In addition, I have started incorporating a raw diet consisting of vegetables, beef, sweet potatoes, flax seed, and daily vitamins in addition to fruits. I have had to do my own experimenting really but it started with a trip to another vet for my OTHER dog without Joey present. She was experiencing symptoms of a UTI but I asked the vet about Joeys symptoms and the first thing she said was, allergies, take him off of grain to start. (In my head I’m thinking: Wow! Really? I’ll try it!)
Also, I tried calling my previous vet to tell him the update, but he never called back to talk to me…that upsets me a little that he wouldnt want to hear it. Oh well, maybe he didn’t agree with the raw, but it’s working for Joey.
My previous vet and I had tried antihistamines when his disease wasn’t progressing but they did not work. So, update: Joeys nose has gone from having a sick smell of infection coming from his nose/breath and constant green drainage to little to no smell and little drainage. Also, they are very energetic and teeth look cleaner. (I don’t feed them whole bones, just ground). I also eliminated chicken after testing it and his nose got a little runnier and congested. I tried blue wilderness first but the high protein content made me worry and he was drinking way too much water which worried me(especially because of previous recalls) I’m currently in the process of making a spreadsheet to calculate all the vitamins/nutrients in the food I’m giving them using a government database and Aafco guidelines to make sure I’m not causing a deficiency.
However, my last bit of questions for all of this is I’ve read that sometimes a staph infection will form when dogs are allergic to things. If I have, in fact, found the source of his allergies and the remainder is a lingering infection then maybe a dose of antibiotics may help now whereas before it did not? Or, the other option is the fact that because he suffered so long irreversible damage has been done. You know, the whole inflammation system/body attacking itself may have done some damage? I believe I’m a bit obsessive about details but Im soon to be back in school for my PhD in Chemistry, so that’s my job right?
Thanks again!
Jen
Hi Dr. Eisen,
I just stumbled upon your website while looking up our top vet university’s suggested cancer treatment for our 3yr old boxer. I’m so thankful to find this information and will most likely be purchasing your book.
Our situation seems very unique and almost puzzling to me as we have had Kimber on a grain-free diet since we got her at 3 months old. However, she has had vaccinations in the past which I now see may have created this stage 3 mast cell cancer we are now battling. We’re are searching for another solution outside of Chemotherapy. I just cannot imagine doing this to what my husband and I still deem a puppy.
Through your program’s launch have you encountered any 4-legged parents battling cancer with their dogs at this young of an age? Any specific words of wisdom or encouragement helps.
Thank you for your efforts in this area.
Susie
Hi Susie,
I am so sorry to hear about Kimber.
Susie, some individuals are more sensitive to the damage vaccinations can cause due to many factors.
I, personally, have not encountered any 4 legged parents with dogs quite this young, however, it is more common now than it has been in years past.
It’s likely that Kimber had a reaction and disease response to the toxins in the vaccinations. As such, it doesn’t really make sense to me to give her more toxins. That won’t get to the cause of the problem. Many chemo drugs are derived from nitrogen mustard gas used in chemical warfare. If it gets on your skin it will cause severe burns. Despite what you may be told, there is no such thing as “mild” chemotherapy.
There are effective homeopathic and other natural substances with no side effects that can detoxify vaccination damage.
Here’s some immediate help for you. Get the homeopathic remedy called Thuja (30C). Take 3 of the little white pills and grind them up and put them in Kimbers mouth. You should not give her any food for one hour before or after you administer the remedy. You only have to administer this remedy one time.
Best wishes,
Dr. Steven Eisen
Dr. Eisen,
Thank you so very much for your quick reply and the immediate words of advice.
We will be looking into the Thuja and purchasing your book for other action steps.
I cannot tell you how much a relief it is to hear of another option.
Thank you again and I’ll be sure to post our update.
Happy Holidays to you and yours,
Susie
Dr. Eisen,
My dog was diagnosed with hermangiosarcoma. She has a tumor on her hind leg and dr suggested that it would be best to amputate her leg. I don’t know if this is the right thing to do. The dr has her on steroids until the amputation which will be this Thursday, the 5th of Jan. I purchased your book and started the diet( still waiting for supplements to arrive). My dog has also has an enlarge heart and is taking vetmedin and furosemide. Will the supplements be okay for her?
Hello Lu,
I am the administrator.
Dr. Eisen answers individual questions at Best Dog Cures only.
Please post your question there.
Thank you.
Jerry
Administrator