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CANCER OF THE SKIN
Case Histories Include
Malignant Melanomas Only
Patients with
malignant melanoma who do not use Laetrile
but use orthodox therapy instead have the
following death rates depending on the
extent of their lesions: (1) One out of
every two patients with lesions at one site
only will be dead in five years; (2)0f
patients who have positive regional nodes,
more than eight out of ten will be dead in
five years; (3) Not one patient will be
alive in five years among those who have
lesions with distant metastases(1). The
following case histories should be read with
these statistics in mind.
(1)Clinical
Oncology for Medical Students and
Physicians, op. cit., p. 225.
A100WPX: Cancer of the Scalp, Cervical
Spine, and Part of the Hip Bone (Amelanotic
Melanoma With Metastasis)
This patient’s
symptoms began in June, 1972. The medical
summary report, dated August 19, 1972, from
the University of Oregon Medical Center
described her thus:
Subjective:
This twenty year old student nurse was
referred because of leg pains, unexplained
neurologic symptoms, and elevated
sedimentation rate. She had gradual
increasing malaise, weakness, and weight
loss for approximately six months.... About
one month before this admission [7-30-72],
an occipital (back of the head) swelling was
noted.
Objective: . .
. Brain scan was normal, but showed intense
radio active uptake in subcutaneous
occipital area. [Total excisional] biopsy of
scalp mass: Undifferentiated malignant
tumor, origin unknown.
Hospital
course: The documented sites of tumor
involvement are scalp, cervical spine, and
right acetabulum [part of the hip bone].
Though origin of tumor is unknown, a good
possibility is amelanotic melanoma....
The patient
and her mother are aware of the malignancy
and its poor prognosis. Despite her illness,
this deeply religious patient maintained a
cheerful outlook....
[Discharge
summary states:] Complete diagnosis of the
tumor was impossible with various
possibilities being listed as follows: (1)
amelanotic melanoma; (2) Reticulum cell
sarcoma; (3) histiocytoma, and (4) possible
embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma.
Impression:
Highly malignant anaplastic carcinoma
[primitive cell cancer] of unknown cell type
and primary presumed to be amelanotic
melanoma [cancer of the skin, originating
from a mole-like growth but lacking the
typical mole coloring].
Within a week,
there was a regrowth of the mass on her
posterior scalp. There was great concern
that fracture of the adjacent vertebrae
would result in the patient being paralyzed
from the neck down. During this time,
September, 1972, the patient received
radiotherapy, and the tumor mass almost
completely disappeared.
At the same
time, however, she developed severe back
pain, and the radiotherapist felt there was
evidence of metastasis in this area and
began additional radiation. The patient was
receiving Delaudid for pain.
By July 16,
1973, symptoms had returned, and the
hospital put her on MOPP regimen consisting
of nitrogen mustard I.V., Vincristine I.V.,
Procarbazine, and Prednisone.
Patient had
the usual reaction to I.V. nitrogen mustard
with rather severe nausea and vomiting. Her
pain continued as did complaints of
generalized malaise, abdominal pain,
sleeplessness, and constipation.
Notation on
July 31, 1973, stated: "Patient is
manifesting rather marked toxicity to her
chemotherapeutic regimen. Therefore, she is
not scheduled to receive any medication for
the next two weeks."
The patient,
who is a nurse, described the effect of
chemotherapy in these words:
My reaction to
CCNU [an abbreviation for a currently used
drug] each six weeks was one of dread. I
spent twelve hours constantly vomiting,
though sedated with Secobarbital and
Cornpazine. I accepted it matter of factly,
as I chose to continue my nursing education,
and I knew no other treatment.
CCNU continued
until May, 1973, when I went out of
remission. Recurrent back pain in the
thoracic and lumbar area led to another week
of radiation therapy.
In June, 1973,
I had several doses of Bleomycin to tide me
over until my blood count was acceptable for
the MOPP regimen [nitrogen mustard;
vincristine (Oncovin); Procarbazine; and
Prednisone] which started in late June.
With this [MOPP]
I felt awful all the time, lost all my
gained weight, lost my appetite, and began
having constipation problems. My mouth was
sore. I could hardly eat and had no energy
left.
I returned
home in early August [1973], as I could no
longer continue school. I was told if I
stopped chemotherapy I had only three weeks
or so to live. My doctor in Roseburg,
Oregon, followed me for one more week of
drugs. Then, against his advice, I stopped.
He was
pessimistic about my future, but I felt the
quality of my remaining days was more
important than the quantity. I trusted the
Lord would give me strength for whatever
came up. I had no fear—only peace and
contentment that at last the hell of the
drugs was over.
This patient
first came to the Richardson Clinic in
September, 1973. She was so weak she needed
her parents’ help to walk into the clinic.
As a result of her chemotherapy, she was
bald, had no appetite, and had been
bedridden. Her weight was 107 pounds.
Metabolic
therapy was begun September 9, 1973. It was
the patient’s wish to be able to spend one
more Christmas with her parents before she
died. She did spend Christmas with her
parents, but she did not die. In a letter
dated March 22, 1976 (two and one-half years
after being told she would live only two
months), the patient describes her
experiences during the first month of
metabolic therapy.
I had no more
pain after three days on Laetrile [and the
metabolic therapy regimen]. My energy and
spunk had started to come back. I was able
to go back to nursing school in late
September full time with no trouble.... With
my return to health, I had to be careful of
a resentment of typical cancer treatment, as
1 saw so many of its failings.
The following
observation was made following a medical
exam at the University of Oregon Medical
School dated April 22, 1974.
In the spring
of 1973 she was felt to have recurrent
metastatic lesions to the thoracic and
lumbar vertebrae and again underwent a
course of radiation therapy. Since
approximately August, 1973, the patient has
refused further chemotherapy, but has
continued to do well. At her last evaluation
in February, 1974, in Chemotherapy Clinic,
the lesion in the occipital region of her
skull was felt to be decreasing in size and
no new lesions could be identified.
She has
continued on a vegetarian diet, with some
exceptions, and metabolic therapy. In late
1974, the patient discussed with Doctor
Richardson her wishes, and those of her
husband, that they have a child. In
September, 1975, after an uneventful, normal
pregnancy, this young woman delivered a
healthy baby girl.
She continues
to be symptom-free as of our last contact
with her in December of 1976—more than three
years after her doctors told her she would
be dead. |
