Monitor Your Healing - Cancer Compass An Alternate Route

Implementing an anti-cancer diet and lifestyle plan

The most important component in regards to healing cancer is to flood the body with the nutrients that it is lacking. This is achieved by eating a nutritious whole foods diet along with herbs and supplements. Additionally, one should explore anticancer therapies, detoxing protocols, implementing an exercise plan and relaxation techniques that are designed to relieve stress. You will find detailed notes on all of these subjects within this blog. Once you have done your research and formulated a comprehensive healing plan, it is time to put that plan into action.

The body heals itself in phases, so you may become very ill when you start your protocol, and experience many ups and downs going forward. Feeling sick initially can signal ‘a healing crisis’ which is a temporary worsening of symptoms that generally lasts a few days but can go on for weeks or months depending on your situation. During this time your lymph nodes may become swollen and sore, your joints may ache and you may feel tired. These symptoms sound concerning, but they can also be signs that your body is attempting to purge the toxins that are created as cancer cells die. Your body will release these toxins through several different pathways including the colon, kidneys, skin, and lungs. Some people report strong body odor, skin lesions or diarrhea during detoxing, so you will need to support these systems so they don’t get overwhelmed. Coffee enemas, skin brushing, lymphatic exercises, and certain herbs are a few things that can be helpful with detoxing You can read more about detoxification methods here.

Your body will progress through the up and down phases of detoxification and will eventually move into the reparation and regeneration phase. Your progress may seem slow or sporadic, but it is important remember that it took years for this cancerous situation to develop so it may take about 2 years (or longer) before cancer can be fully healed. This time frame will also be dependent on if the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes or if there is additional organ involvement.

My recommendation would be to create a daily checklist of food intake, supplements, and alternative protocols that you are doing and adding an entries to record how you are feeling and any reactions that you experienced for the day.

Two indicators that you are on the right path are: 1) having a reduction in tumor-related pain. 2) having increased energy levels. By documenting your experience, you can track your progress as you go through the detoxification phase and this may help you determine if any adjustments are needed in your plan. Your goal is to monitor how you are feeling and finding positive trends, and then combining that with some form of testing as discussed below.

Many things can happen that may lead you to believe that you are not progressing fast enough, so having some initial baseline testing done can provide you with confirmation that you are on the right path. Look for positive indicators, be organized and consistent with your program, continue to research alternative healing methods, and plan on staying on this course for the long-term as you cannot go back to your precancerous diet and lifestyle.

I would also suggest that you connect with like-minded individuals by joining alternative healing groups. Here is a group to get you started.

Give yourself at least 90 days on your plan.

Your best case scenario after 90 days on an intensive healing program is that your tumor markers are showing some signs of regression and that you have a reduction in your cancer-related pain. You may also have more energy and are generally feeling better. If this is the case, you should continue with your plan and evaluate again in 90 days.
It is more likely that you may have some form of tumor stabilization. While this may not be the immediate results that you were looking for, this actually means that your body has stopped producing more cancer. Cancer cannot take over your body if it isn’t growing and spreading. Questions to ask yourself: Have your pain levels decreased? Has your energy level increased? What doesn’t like it’s working for you? What can you intensify to make better progress? What changes do you want to make to your program? Look for the positives and evaluate again in 90 days.
The tumor growth continues to progress unchecked. Is your protocol strong enough? Have you addressed all areas of nutrition and detoxification? Are your stress levels too high? Do you need to address some emotional issues? Are you, or someone close to you sabotaging your plan somehow? You will need to intensify your protocol or make some changes and then evaluate again in 90 days.

Baseline testing

This is an initial measurement that is taken before starting your program and these numbers will be used for comparison over time. For example, the blood markers and tumor size can be measured before treatment (the baseline) and then later to see if the treatment has had any effect. The tests below may be used to track your progress. You will want to do regular testing with your main doctor when possible so that health insurance can cover the costs.

Testing for cancer markers

CEA – This test measures the amount of protein that may appear in the blood of some people who have certain kinds of cancers, including cancer of the colon or rectum. It may also be present in people with cancer of the pancreas, breast, ovary, or lung. A normal reading is less than 3

CA 125– is often measured as a blood test marker for ovarian cancer. A normal reading is 0-35

CA 15-3– is a breast cancer marker. A normal reading is less than 30.

CA 19-9– is a test for colorectal, gastric, and pancreatic cancers. A normal reading is under 36.

CA 27-29 – is used to predict early recurrence of disease in women with treated carcinoma of the breast. If your CA 27-29 is less than 38 U/mL, it may mean that you don’t have active breast cancer. If your CA 27-29 is 38 U/mL or greater, you may have active breast cancer, your breast cancer may have come back, or your breast cancer may have spread.

PSA– is a prostate specific antigen which tests for prostate cancer markers. A normal reading is under 4

Various imaging tools that are available

CT scan– can be used to detect tumors, but it cannot determine if these tumors are cancerous. Some cancers, such as prostate cancer, uterine cancer, and certain liver cancers, can be hard to detect on a CT scan. They are not reliable when measuring subtle changes in tumor size and this can lead people to believe that their tumor may have grown, even when that is not the case. CT scans can expose you to 200 times more radiation than an x-ray. CT scans may also include a dye which is used to highlight certain imaging features.

PET scan– this is a CT scan that has the addition of a radioactive glucose tracer that is used to specifically check for cancer. The glucose is absorbed by the cancer and this will light up the imaging. The radiation exposure is 200 times that of an x-ray.

MRI– magnetic resonance imaging uses a magnetic field and radio waves to produce an image. It can spot lesions and tumors but it cannot determine if it they are cancerous. Metastases to the bone and brain will show up better on an MRI vs other methods. There is no radiation exposure with MRI so it is much safer than having a CT scan but insurance may not cover an MRI when/if other options are available. MRI can include contrast dye to enhance the visibility of tumors, inflammation, blood supply to organs and blood vessels and this dye can be problematic to some people.

Ultrasound imaging– uses high frequency sound waves to check for tumor size and progression.

Thermography– is an alternative to mammography and is used to test for inflammation in the body. It can spot precancerous and cancer by recognizing subtle temperature changes that occur when there is increased blood flow from cancerous situations. This test does not expose you to radiation but it is generally not covered by insurance. You can read more about thermography with this link.

Urine or blood testing offered by private companies

The Navarro Urine Test- measures the amount of HCG in the urine. A test result below 50 can be used as confirmation that you don’t have cancer, over 50 means there is a probable cancer. The higher the number, the more cancer is present. This test runs around $55.00 and is about 70% accurate. If you have been diagnosed with cancer, yet this test does not detect it, then it may not be the right testing method for you. Link to the Navarro website

The ONCOblot Blood Test- identifies a specific type of protein in the blood, ENOX2, which exists only on the surface of a malignant cancer cell. The ENOX2 proteins are shed into the circulation and can be detected in the blood. These proteins serve as highly sensitive markers for confirmation of cancer presence. Link to their website,

American Metabolic Laboratories Cancer Profile- is based on the premise that detectable biochemical changes occur in the human body during its transformation into a cancerous state. It includes 7 tests: HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) chemiluminescence assay serum and urine quantitative tests (American Metabolic Laboratories is the one and only clinical laboratory performing quantitative analysis for urine in the entire world). The PHI (phosphohexose isomerase enzyme); CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen); GGTP (gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase); TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone); and DHEA-S (dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate). Link to their website

Anti Malignin Antibody Test – is an early-detection tool for many types of cancer. The test recognizes the anti-malignin antibody, a cancer-causing antibody, in human serum. Anti-malignin is benign in most humans but can become more concentrated during cancer’s early stages. The AMAS test was first used to diagnose brain cancer, but is now widely used to detect and diagnose other forms of the disease. The test has found to be approximately 97% accurate in detecting the malignant antibody. Link to their website

RCGG (aka the Greece or Greek test)- will test many chemotherapeutic compounds and natural compounds to see what specific compounds your cancer cells may be sensitive to and this will give you an idea of what may be the most effective compounds to include in your healing plan. This test costs around $2500 and is not covered by insurance. Link to their website

More information

It may take some time to find a open-minded doctor who is willing to monitor your progress with blood tests or scans without the use of conventional treatments.
It is important that you are not pressured into doing something that you don’t want to do. Don’t get impatient during this time and don’t let yourself be talked into having conventional therapies because someone feels that you aren’t healing fast enough. Remember that it may take at least two years to fully heal from cancer when utilizing a natural route.
Stress and anxiety can turn off your immune system and prevent healing. What techniques are you employing to overcome stress? You can read more about stress relieving techniques with this link.
It is very possible to stop the growth of cancer and to live with tumors that have stabilized. Cancer cannot take over your body if it is not growing and spreading.
You can never go back to your old diet and lifestyle. This is true even long after healing has taken place. This is because cancer stem cells remain dormant within the body and can be triggered at a later point due to poor lifestyle choices and/or times of emotional stress.

Additional Reading

Cancer creates an acidic, low oxygen cellular environment

A hypothetical diet and supplement program

Juicing for those with cancer

Sugar and the growth of cancer

Detoxing the body

Stress relieving techniques