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Got Cancer? Me, too.
My inspiration to help others discover safe, effective holistic strategies to help reverse and avoid cancer comes from my daughter who was diagnosed at the age of 14 with an aggressive childhood brain cancer.
Throughout her oncology treatment, which included head and spine radiation and high-dose chemotherapy, I quietly worked behind the scenes investigating integrative strategies that would not only fight the cancer, but help her body avoid long-term damage from the toxic treatments while simultaneously increasing the efficacy of those treatments.
It worked.
Throughout her ordeal, her oncologist raved that Laura was his healthiest patient.
Nearly 13 years on, my daughter is a vibrantly healthy adult and exhibits very few after effects from the chemotherapy and radiation.
But I, too, have a personal cancer story.
I’ve hesitated sharing my story publicly until now, and only do so at the urging of a dear friend who thought others could benefit from my experience.
Before I begin, please remember that I am neither a medical doctor nor any other licensed medical professional. I do not diagnose, treat, or prescribe. I’m an educator and health investigator. I share what my investigation uncovers, as well as my personal experiences and observations. While I advocate health autonomy I also advocate personal responsibility and encourage anyone reading this to consult appropriate medical professionals in your process of determining your ideal approach. I do not recommend anyone taking the course of action I took, but I share my experience here to demonstrate an effective and affordable, if unorthodox way of addressing the cancer I experienced.
And now, my story…
Back in the late fall of 2012 I discovered a lesion on my right temple. It was 3-4 millimeters in diameter, and protruded about 3-4 mm from the surface. It had a pearly appearance, with a tiny crater punctuated by a pin-prick-sized scab in the center.
I wished I’d taken better steps to preserve the photos I’d captured of the lesion, but sadly, they are long lost to the Great Computer Crash of 2015.
I first thought the bump was a mosquito bite.
Living in central North Carolina, a warm spell, even in the dead of winter, will bring out hungry mosquitoes.
But several weeks later the “bite” was still there. Hmmm…The pimple from Hell, maybe?
I had an upcoming appointment with my Functional Medicine doctor, so I decided I would discuss the issue with her.
Following close scrutiny she told me she thought it looked like a textbook example of Basal Cell Carcinoma, a skin cancer, and that I would need to go to a dermatologist to have it biopsied.
Basal Cell Carcinoma, or BCC, is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in humans. Of the three skin cancers, Basal Cell Carcinoma, Squamous Cell Carcinoma, and Melanoma, BCC is the easiest to treat and the least worrisome.
Unlike Squamous and Melanoma skin cancers, BCCs very rarely metastasize. Though they can be disfiguring if not promptly addressed, BCCs are almost never life threatening.
And this is reason #1 for not going public with my skin cancer experience; it just seems too trivial!
In all honesty, when your kid has been diagnosed with a life threatening brain cancer, just about every “bad thing” that happens pales in comparison, including a basal cell skin cancer.
So when I realized I had skin cancer it didn’t occur to me to panic or worry. I witnessed my daughter overcome brain cancer; how challenging could a little basal cell skin cancer be?
I read about BCC and found an article on my favorite health education website, Doctor Yourself, a richly informative site owned by Andrew Saul, Phd, an expert in Orthomolecular, aka Nutritional, Medicine. In the article, Dr. Saul discusses the ability of topical Vitamin C to reverse BCC.
Because BCC is a slow growing, seldom metastasizing, and easily treatable cancer, I chose to address it myself before submitting to the ministrations of my local dermatologist. I promised my husband that I would make an appointment when I felt I’d done all I could to reverse the lesion. Rather than seeking a diagnosis first, I wanted a biopsy to confirm that the cancer was completely eradicated.
Which brings me to reason #2 for waiting until now to disclose my “cancer saga:” because I opted out of having a biopsy prior to addressing the BCC with topical Vitamin C, I never secured an official diagnosis of Basal Cell Carcinoma.
Even so, I have absolutely no doubt that what I was dealing with was a basal cell skin cancer. It was a very common, easy to treat, non-life threatening cancer, but it was still cancer.
How I Addressed It
Following the guidelines on Doctor Yourself, I began applying a mixture of ascorbic acid powder and filtered water. I started with just ¼ teaspoon of powder and added water drop by drop to make a loose paste. After each application, the paste would dry and flake off within a short period of time, and I would reapply the paste directly to the lesion at least six times a day.
The lesion responded immediately.
Vitamin C is selectively cytotoxic to cancer, which means it can annihilate cancer cells while leaving healthy tissue intact.
Almost before my eyes the lesion began melting away. While the cancerous lesion was dissolving, the area around it became red and sore, but otherwise was left unscathed. I managed to follow this protocol for 3 to 4 days before I needed to take a break to allow the area to heal; putting ascorbic acid on an open wound is not for the faint of heart!
After each week-long cycle—3-4 days of applying the Vitamin C paste to the spot followed by 3-4 days of allowing the area to heal without applying anything, I examined the area to see if I could feel any more of the tumor.
At one point, although the external part of the lesion was gone, I could still feel a bump under the surface of the skin.
It turns out that there are different variations of Basal Cell Carcinomas. This particular BCC grew deep.
I continued to treat the area until I no longer felt a bump, and was left with a tiny crater on my temple, a little smaller than the tip of my pinky.
In total, it took 4-6 weeks to completely clear the cancer, which is when I chose to see my dermatologist, who performed a shave biopsy of the spot. The result was "Negative" for cancer; mission accomplished!
I now have a very tiny white patch near my temple, most likely the result of the biopsy rather than the Vitamin C regimen.
BCC can recur, particularly when nonsurgical methods are used. It has been 7 years since I removed my BCC with Vitamin C, and I have no sign of recurrence.
Another BCC?
I recently asked my dermatologist to examine a mole on my back, which she determined was benign. She questioned a tiny, pin-prick dot of blood on the side of my nose and suggested she take a shave biopsy of it to rule out a BCC.
I almost agreed to the procedure until I remembered the white scar on my temple. Did I really want to risk having a similar scar prominently displayed on my nose?
No thank you!
I remembered my success with using topical Ascorbic Acid—Vitamin C, on my previous BCC and, to the dermatologist's horror ("But what if it's CANCER?" ♫Dundundun♫) I declined, reminding her that my annual full-body screening was just a couple months away; if the spot is still there she could biopsy it then.
I started the Vitamin C process that day.
This time it only took 7 days for the spot to dissolve, scab over, and fall off.
The photo to the left is the result of the first day of using Vitamin C paste; the photo on the right was taken about 4 weeks following the end of the topical Vitamin C therapy.
The lesion in the "before" picture was raised and had a rough texture, whereas the spot in the "after" photo is new, healthy, smooth, pink skin.
This was a much smaller lesion than the one on my temple, so it took much less time to reverse, though it certainly responded to the vitamin C in the way my first BCC did. I anticipate my dermatologist, once she sees the suspected lesion is gone, will not recommend a biopsy for that spot.
Responsible Self Treatment
I want to be clear: declining conventional treatment in favor of using proven, natural remedies is not the same as ignoring the issue and hoping it just goes away.
As I stated at the outset of this article, I support autonomy and informed choice when it comes to addressing health issues, including cancers. Unfortunately, most conventional physicians in our for-profit disease care system are not educated in natural, nutritional, or other integrative strategies; it is up to the consumer to self educate in order to make their own best informed decision.
I may prefer outside-of-the-box strategies (that can support rather than damage the body) as first line treatment over surgical and pharmaceutical options, but I am still proactive when it comes to my health.
Ever since my first BCC I am now screened annually by my dermatologist. If I notice something of concern before my regularly scheduled appointment, I make sure to have it have it examined.
I am over the age of fifty, have a fair complexion, blonde hair, blue eyes, and I sustained several blistering sunburns in my childhood and youth. All of these factors make me a prime candidate for skin cancer, particularly Basal Cell Carcinomas and Squamous Cell Carcinomas, and I take that seriously.
I also investigate natural healing modalities and trust them. I have seen first hand how effective holistic strategies can be for avoiding and reversing disease, including cancers.
But don't take my word for it! Below are some links that can assist your self study on the subject of reversing Basal Cell Carcinoma with topical Vitamin C.
Wishing you well,
Susan
Resources:
Topically applied ascorbic acid solution for the treatment of basal cell carcinoma (BCC), Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
Topical Vitamin C Stops Basal Cell Carcinoma, Orthomolecular.org
Skin Cancer and Vitamin C, Cancer Tutor
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