Holistic Cancer Approaches
Two Southwest Floridians choose alternatives to traditional treatment.
by Linda Sechrist
A
ccording to the American Cancer Society’s (ACS) Cancer Facts & Figures for 2009, more than 1.4 million individuals received a dreaded diagnosis last year for a disease characterized by the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. Nearly one out of two men and one out of three women are annually diagnosed with some form of cancer. While the disease can develop in almost any organ or tissue, the ACS notes that men and women both develop two of the three most common cancers: lung and colorectal. For men, the second most common cancer develops in the prostate.
Treating cancer is a challenge. Decisions to undergo traditional allopathic cancer treatments such as surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and other therapies re- quire visits to at least three different doctors: a surgeon and specialists in radiation and chemotherapy. Patients find themselves confronted with differing opinions during a time when they are not only frightened and vulnerable, but also faced with a confusing to-do list. They must seek second opinions on biopsies and thera- pies, banter with insurers and sort through and study the side-effects of complex treatment options that significantly alter their quality of life. A 2007 New York Times article, “Cancer Patients, Lost in a Maze of Uneven Care,” noted that while “Let the buyer beware” may be harsh advice, it frequently applies to those who are largely left to do their own research and to find and mon- itor the course of their care. Encouraged to be their own advocate, few individuals know where to begin. Local residents Tony Hansen and Jim Occhiogrosso, as well as author Lou Dina, did.
Lou Dina
In 1978, mechanical engineer and classical guitarist Lou Dina received a confirmed diagnosis of bone cancer in his wrist that had spread to his lymphatic system. A dazed Dina followed his oncologist’s orders for traditional radiation and one treatment of chemotherapy for the tennis ball-sized lump at the radius of his wrist joint. “I was so sick afterwards that I told my doctor to hold off on the treatments,” Dina recalls. While recuperating from the chemo, he decided to research alternative treatments like those presented by the Foundation
for Alternative Cancer Treatment (F.A.C.T.).
Founded in 1971 by Ruth Sackman, F.A.C.T.’s goal is to educate practitioners and patients about a different concept of cancer and other chronic degenerative diseases, one that sees them as systematic malfunctions caused by breakdowns in the balance of body chemistry. F.A.C.T.’s view is that such breakdowns—whether manifested in cancer or other systemic diseases—can be corrected and controlled with a well-designed, individualized program that includes a balanced diet of whole, unprocessed, organic foods, detoxification and supplementation. This non- toxic, bio-repair approach re-energizes the immune system and encourages the body to heal itself.
While attending a F.A.C.T. convention, Dina became more impressed by the stories of cancer survivors who had enjoyed vibrant health for more than 10 years than by the opinions of his doctor. Presentations at the convention sparked
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his interest in the nutrition, body cleansing and supplement plan cre- ated by Dr. William Kelley, a dentist who had cured himself of pancreatic cancer. When Dina mentioned the pos- sibility of following this protocol to his oncologist, the two had a heated, but friendly, 90-minute debate about the merits and minuses.
“I left his office and decided to follow my own sense of direction, even though he thought I was fooling myself with the advice of quacks,” says Dina. “I’ve been grateful ever since for tak- ing that route and for Ruth, Sackman whose personal guidance during the Kelley program saved my life. Within several months, tests revealed I had a decrease in cancer activity.”
In time, Dina’s wrist recovered, he returned to playing his guitar, and he is now a strong patient advocate who speaks at F.A.C.T. conventions. The
author of Cancer, A Rational Approach to Long-Term Recovery: Effective Non- toxic Approaches to Re-establish Vi-
brant Health, Dina appears along with three other long-term cancer survivors in the recent F.A.C.T. documentary,
Rethinking Cancer: Non Traditional Approaches to the Theories, Treatments and Prevention of Cancer.
Tony Hansen
In May 2008, Tony Hansen had to decide whether or not to follow through with his urologist’s recom- mendation of robotic surgery to remove his
prostate. Diagnosed months earlier with an elevated prostate specific antigen (PSA) reading of 18, Hansen, owner of
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