Miracle Cure? Sunrise Channel 7 Select link to watch video (Dec 19 2011)
Turning up the Heat on Cancer Cells:
Channel 7 Sunrise created a groundswell of interest around Australia this week with their telecast of a segment about hyperthermia in Germany.
In this third blog on this subject, I would like to discuss the importance of hyperthermia in a treatment program for cancer. Parmenides, a Greek physician and philosopher (540-480 B.C.), said “Give me a chance to create a fever and I will cure any disease.” In 2011 that sweeping statement can be qualified more accurately as to how much hyperthermia can help bring about a remission from cancer.
In the past 2 years many clients have arrived at our Institute with a poor prognosis – many having exclusively used alternative medicine for years despite the fact their cancer would have been treatable by local conventional medicine had they taken that path. Some of these patients have been able to gain life quality and extend their lives up to 2 years after visiting German clinics who have offered among many therapies – hyperthermia. A rare few in this group have worked hard for their remissions & their survival given tumour load has been remarkable. The Institute has supported many cancer patients in their quest for recovery and it is a great feeling to know that many of our clients who had dire prognoses, are spending another precious Christmas with family & friends. However I also remember each Christmas those brave souls who didn’t make it despite the best treatments here and overseas. Working with cancer is a sobering experience.
The moral of the cancer story is clear – find it early – treat it early & don’t waste time playing Russian Roulette with unproven internet & alt/med “cures”.
A considerable part of the Grace Gawler Institute’s work focuses on international referrals. Leading the field in Australia with this ’boutique’ service, the Institute provides cancer patients with an international case management service, ideal when treatment options for patients in Australia are limited or exhausted. At the patients request, we refer them to reputed hospitals, universities and specialists offering advanced treatments. These are mostly in Germany.
As the Founder of my Institute and myself a survivor of a world “first” bionic implant procedure – The Netherlands 2003; I have respect for medical options that are not available in Australia. Had I not made my decsion to travel overseas for treatment – I would not be writing this blog! There are always risks in choices we make in life and when it comes to our health, survival or life quality – we need to be sure that we are making well considered choices based on evidence-based practises. Hyperthermia for one – has a multitude of time-proven research.
According to Dr Peter Wolf in Germany – When hyperthermia is used, cancer cells experience a build-up in heat, which leads to an inadequate supply of oxygen and a depletion of nutrients in the tumor. These deficiencies lead in turn to disturbances in the metabolic processes of dividing and maintaining cells, including the failure of the repair systems of the cells. Thus thermal cell components (i.e. those parts of the cells damaged by hyperthermia) cannot be replaced, and this can lead to the death of the cancer cells.
Furthermore, results from studies show that cancer cells form a special type of protein structure on the surface of the cells when heated to a temperature of approx. 42° C, which does not happen with healthy cells. This effect is activiated using hyperthermia. These protein structures – also known as heat shock proteins – are recognized by the body’s immune system as foreign substances, thus enabling the immune system to destroy them. It has been proven again and again in recent years that hyperthermia is especially effective in combination with chemotherapy or radiation treatment. The reason for this is that the tumor 
has a chance to recover and become resistant to the radiation or cytostatics between treatments. This is where hyperthermia comes in: the genetic code of the tumour cells is damaged by the heat, which in turn results in the cells not being able to repair themselves and reproduce. Consequently, the chance of the cancer growing back is considerably smaller, when using hyperthermia.
So hyperthermia works in two ways: on the one hand by creating thermal damage and on the other hand by stimulating the body’s own immune system.
The NCI reports that whole-body heating is being studied as a way to make chemotherapy work better in treating cancer that has spread (metastatic cancer). A related technique can be used along with surgery to treat cancers in the peritoneum (the space in the body that contains the intestines and other digestive organs). During surgery, heated chemotherapy drugs are circulated through the peritoneal cavity. This is called continuous hyperthermic peritoneal perfusion (CHPP) or hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). In studies, this has seemed helpful in treating certain types of cancer, but it isn’t yet clear if this treatment is better than other types of treatments.
New Genetic testing via blood offers another window into individualised cancer treatments and can indicate if hyperthermia & radiation will be of use. Some 
German Clinics exclusively use these tests for detecting complementary medicines, appropriate chemotherapies for your tumour type plus Circulating Tumour Cell Counts (CTCs) to determine if treatments are responding. For information about these tests please contact me as the test is organised from Australia. institute@gracegawler.com
If you wish to consider an overseas option for cancer treatment it is imperative that you enlist the help of someone who is experienced in this arena and who can make referrals tailored to your individual needs. It is also important that treatments in Germany or other countries are supported by your local health practitioners as there can be complications and need for follow up with oncologists when you return. As well there is a very under-rated but imperative part of any cancer treatment – psycho-oncology via a regular specialised group or one on one counselling. Just having hyperthermia is NOT a miracle cure and it is misleading to say so. Hyperthermia most times works best as part of an overall coordinated treatment plan.
I have not included various clinics websites, names etc in these blogs because it would be unprofessional for the reasons stated above. But please contact me at the Grace Gawler Institute if you would like further information or if you would like to arrange a discussion by Skype or in person.
Email institute@gracegawler.com web: www.gracegawler.com/institute