Help treating melanoma

[Guest guest]

For one month I have been working w/ a 36yold woman w/Stage IV melanoma and

need some help from anyone who has worked w/melanoma before. Pt was first

dx'd w/melanoma at 20yrs, had surgery and was cancer-free for 15yrs.

Melanoma returned 2 yrs ago and pt has been through a phase 1 chemo clinical

trial, cyberknife to remove brain lesions, then standard chemo protocols in

a last ditch attempt to halt the progress of the disease. Yesterday, pt was

told by her Onc MD that there is nothing more that Western Medicine can do.

Her case was even discussed at the local Tumor Board (I was present) and all

MDs agreed that she should be referred to Hospice. Pt has multiple lesions

in liver, lungs, brain.

 

I normally do supportive treatments for pts w/cancer, but now it looks like

whatever that can be done to hold the cancer at bay (or slow it down, or get

rid of it entirely) w/TCM, the pt & her family (husb, 2 young boys) could

benefit from any of your collective wisdom.

 

It is hard to sort out her pattern due to all the chemo (abraxane,

carboplatin, nexavar) she was receiving, but she definitely has (Lv) qi

stagnation & blood stasis w/phlegm accumulation due to Ki deficiency (pt's

mother also had melanoma before the age of 40 but survived).

Tongue color is good, body normal, coat good, a little dry w/some

superficial yin cracks in the center.

I follow Jim Ramholz's pulse taking - I can feel the cancer knotty pulse in

both her uppermost distal positions. She is extremely weak in both Ki

positions. Nothing else remarkable.

S/Sx: Pt has dry unproductive weak cough. Pt has subdermal tumors

manifesting intercostally lateral to GB24 on the left, another at St13 on

the left. Both tumors have changing bruising patterns around them. Pt tends

to warm, has good urine & stool patterns. Good appetite attributes fatigue

to recent chemo.

 

When I saw pt on Wednesday, she told me she was going on vacation w/her

family and will be back after 10th July. Since I had no time to study up, I

put her on CA Support from Evergreen for the trip.

 

What I could use from you all is any ideas for herbs, treatments, etc. I

have her doing qigong and meditation, stress a clean and healthy diet. What

suggestions do you have?

Thank you all.

 

Janet Yelowchan, ND, LAc, LPC, LAC

Medicine Buddha Clinic

1533 Corydalis Ct

Fort Collins, CO 80526

970.494.1120

www.bluebuddha.net