Holistic treatment brings comprehensive improvement in the patient which is difficult to document by laboratory tests. Is there a simple evaluation method, that can be completed by patient or attendees?
After several months of understanding, the following may be considered;
1. There shall be no progress in the disease
2. There shall be improvement in Food eating, sleeping and energy levels
3. Blood picture should improve / constant / no deterioration
4. With chemo: Previously seen ADR - reduced
5. Reduced levels / Reversals of signs & symptoms of disease
6. Extension of Life without compromising the quality of life
This is what I have observed in majority of patients which doesn't require any money.
The question sounds pedantic and/or esoteric!
Effective cancer treatment should at least encompass and/or entail elimination and/or exclusion of cancerous cells!
Period!
Objective of the question is to evaluate the efficacy of therapy for continuation without spending money on costly diagnostics tests especially for myself (some what esoteric - yes) so that we need not insist on expensive diagnostics.
Although MRI, CT, PET etc will provide info, mostly it will be the direction and not absolute answer at cellular level. Each of the test costs 10s of thousands in India.
Patients what they need is relief from signs / symptoms. What we are interested is in its efficacy. After analysing several first patients, I feel observatory documentation can provide finer details than machine tests. Eg: A Glioma patient MRI stated mild regression in mass size after 10 months of therapy. On personal observation of patient, he had restored the stability of his left knee. If we would agree on this point that "as he regained the ability to stand, there must be improvement / response for therapy", then we may not need Brain MRI (which itself safety for repeated exposure for long term not established) and patient family burden would have been reduced.
Absolutely there is no test / method to detect exclusion of cancer cells in a body by finding a single / few cancer cells out of 300 trillion cells?
A 3 yr old child with ATRT treated with Nutrition therapy is restored to normal child with improved cognitive abilities. Oncologists revealed better resolution after stopping chemo for 6 months from MRI. Question here is should I suggest any more tests / frequent to confirm....?
Restoration of taste, speech, walking, thinking, etc can also be markers for brain cancer in few patients, and they can serve as tests is my suggestion.
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