Surviving "Terminal" Cancer: Clinical Trials, Drug Cocktails, and Other Treatments Your Oncologist Won't Tell You About 
asked by aries on November 24, 2006 12:04 AM
Describes how to use the Internet and other sources to learn about experimental drug trials, effective forms of alternative medicine, and other breakthroughs with the potential for dramatically improving the odds of successful treatment.
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The previous 5-star reviews of this book are right on target, so I mainly just want to echo their praise for this book (in addition to thanking these reviewers for steering me towards this book).
Ben Williams is a true hero for those with brain tumors, and to a large extent other cancers also. Drawing on both his own experience and his extensive review of the literature, he outlines the potentials and serious limitations of conventional medicine, while also informing readers of the vital importance of complementary medicine, especially "off-label" drugs and nutritional supplements.
He advocates a "cocktail" treatment approach which combines many agents, both conventional and unconventional, to simultaneously target multiple cancer mechanisms. This approach is gradually becoming accepted as the best approach, although this is happening far too slowly because of the many problems with how conventional medicine is organized. As a result, you are likely to encounter resistance from your doctors, and perhaps even family members, so be prepared to be very persistent.
If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with GBM or another type of brain tumor, this should be the first book you read, and you should do so as quickly as your circumstances allow. However, even before you do that, be sure to read Ben's annual update entitled "Treatment Options for Glioblastoma and other Gliomas," which is available online at no cost at the Virtual Trials website.
Also be sure to look up the related and valuable work of Jeanne Wallace (see her Nutritional Solutions website) and John Boik (see the Oregon Medical Press website).
Good luck and best wishes!
Ben Williams is a true hero for those with brain tumors, and to a large extent other cancers also. Drawing on both his own experience and his extensive review of the literature, he outlines the potentials and serious limitations of conventional medicine, while also informing readers of the vital importance of complementary medicine, especially "off-label" drugs and nutritional supplements.
He advocates a "cocktail" treatment approach which combines many agents, both conventional and unconventional, to simultaneously target multiple cancer mechanisms. This approach is gradually becoming accepted as the best approach, although this is happening far too slowly because of the many problems with how conventional medicine is organized. As a result, you are likely to encounter resistance from your doctors, and perhaps even family members, so be prepared to be very persistent.
If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with GBM or another type of brain tumor, this should be the first book you read, and you should do so as quickly as your circumstances allow. However, even before you do that, be sure to read Ben's annual update entitled "Treatment Options for Glioblastoma and other Gliomas," which is available online at no cost at the Virtual Trials website.
Also be sure to look up the related and valuable work of Jeanne Wallace (see her Nutritional Solutions website) and John Boik (see the Oregon Medical Press website).
Good luck and best wishes!
reviewed by nexus on November 27, 2006 5:12 AM
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I found this book inspirationally. Not because the author beat the odds in surviving a cancer considered "terminal" by all of his physicians, but because he did it by rationally setting out to explore all of his options and did not just let the "experts" tell him what to do.
The most important lesson from this book for those of us exploring cancer/tumor treatment options is that we have to research beyond what we are likely to hear from our medical specialists. Each of them will have their particular bias (e.g., surgeons tend to want to cut things out, oncologists will tend towards other strategies).
Moreover, as the author points out, the range of treatments the medical specialists are willing to recommend are sharply limited by custom to things that have passed the FDA-mandated stage III clinical trials. Many very promising treatments have only passed stage II trials; and because of cost, never go beyond that. Nor do medical specialists in the U.S. look at successful treatments that are well-accepted by the medical specialists in other countries.
And while this book does discuss "alternative" medicine, that is not the focus. The author does evaluate some "alternative" medical approaches, debunking several of them but also notes where medical science has validated some of them.
Another critical point the author makes is that treating cancer should be like treating AIDs. Because of the probabilistic nature of any single treatment successfully eradicating a cancer, a "cocktail-style" drug regiment has the best chance of succeeding. He makes a powerful and convincing argument that this one change in approach could make a huge difference in reducing the recurrence of cancer and boosting the effectiveness of current treatments.
One more key insight of the author: the large pharmaceutical companies have no financial incentive to pursue promising cancer treatments that they can not patent and thereby recoup their multi-billion dollar investment. Because of that, the author believes many promising treatments are not fully explored. He is sharply critical of government policies that have not closed this gap.
CFC
The most important lesson from this book for those of us exploring cancer/tumor treatment options is that we have to research beyond what we are likely to hear from our medical specialists. Each of them will have their particular bias (e.g., surgeons tend to want to cut things out, oncologists will tend towards other strategies).
Moreover, as the author points out, the range of treatments the medical specialists are willing to recommend are sharply limited by custom to things that have passed the FDA-mandated stage III clinical trials. Many very promising treatments have only passed stage II trials; and because of cost, never go beyond that. Nor do medical specialists in the U.S. look at successful treatments that are well-accepted by the medical specialists in other countries.
And while this book does discuss "alternative" medicine, that is not the focus. The author does evaluate some "alternative" medical approaches, debunking several of them but also notes where medical science has validated some of them.
Another critical point the author makes is that treating cancer should be like treating AIDs. Because of the probabilistic nature of any single treatment successfully eradicating a cancer, a "cocktail-style" drug regiment has the best chance of succeeding. He makes a powerful and convincing argument that this one change in approach could make a huge difference in reducing the recurrence of cancer and boosting the effectiveness of current treatments.
One more key insight of the author: the large pharmaceutical companies have no financial incentive to pursue promising cancer treatments that they can not patent and thereby recoup their multi-billion dollar investment. Because of that, the author believes many promising treatments are not fully explored. He is sharply critical of government policies that have not closed this gap.
CFC
reviewed by harrypotter on November 29, 2006 9:43 AM
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Dr. Williams' book is a blow by blow record of how he guided his own survival in spite of his doctors and the constraints of the FDA in overcoming a glioblastoma. His program was well-researched and gives excellent suggestions for options in taking an active part in one's own survival. Should be read by all cancer patients, particularly those suffering with brain tumors. He also published an annual online update of the information contained in the book.
reviewed by sumbuddy on November 29, 2006 4:24 PM