Hemangiosarcoma became suddenly familiar in the winter 2006 when the Founder of Smiley Dog was diagnosed with this aggressive form of cancer. It was a shock to hear the prognosis of just 4-6 weeks.
A scramble to research possible treatment options yielded only dead ends. Diet was radically adjusted, Vitamin B-12 and Yunnan Baiyao, a chinese herb, were used in an attempt to help slow the progression. It worked for a while, but 6 months later it was time to say goodbye.
I was now more familiar with this disease than I cared to be
A few weeks ago, I became aware of a blog written by a pet parent from Colorado whose dog, Addie, had been diagnosed with hemagiosarcoma.
Hemangiosarcoma is not uncommon in dogs, and conventional treatment options are limited to surgery or chemotherapy. Hemangiosarcoma attacks the blood vessels, causing its victims to bleed to death. By the time symptoms present themselves, the cancer has usually progressed beyond the point of effective treatment. The normal course of action is to manage pain and prepare for the inevitable.
Neoplasene is now being used as an alternative treatment
What caught my interest about this blog was the use of an alternative therapy involving Neoplasene. Neoplasene is derived from the bloodroot herb. Bloodroot has traditionally been used by Native Americans for its medicinal properties.
Neoplasene can be used in an oral, topical or injectable form, depending on the cancer being treated. It works by stimulating the immune system to oxidize cancer cells without affecting the surrounding healthy tissue cells. The dead cancer cells then slough off.
Different outcomes for the same disease
Reading through Addie’s Blog, I was reminded of our Founder’s early days of diagnosis and lack of treatment options. Once Neoplasene was added to Addie’s treatment options, the two stories diverged.
Addie was initially given 6-10 weeks to live once she was diagnosed. Since then, her family has said goodbye to one canine companion, added another dog to their household, and recently moved to Costa Rica, where Addie’s treatment continues. Addie celebrated her 14th birthday in October and is coming up on her 4th anniversary of beating cancer.
Another intriguing part of Addie’s case is her recent blood test results
When treating a cancer dog, periodic blood tests are essential. This is one of the few ways that the condition and function of internal organs can be monitored.
Addie’s past few tests were showing steadily climbing levels that indicated slow progression of the disease. The last test, taken in early March, showed a dramatic reversal.
Why the change? It could be an error in the analysis, the result of adding an additional chinese herb, or the air in Costa Rica. Or, it could be a reflection of the efficacy of Neoplasene. Whatever the reason, her amazing story continues.
Neoplasene is not without risks
Of course, there are tradeoffs associated with any cancer treatment. Scarring is not uncommon when Neoplasene is used topically. The oral form has an unpleasant taste and must be mixed with food. The dose must be carefully managed to prevent vomiting.
The process also has a fair number of skeptics who feel it is unsafe and should not be allowed on the market. There are case studies that support both positions. The case studies highlighting problems appear to be related to other bloodroot derived products, rather than Neoplasene. The Neoplasene case studies presented by the manufacturer appear quite convincing.
The purpose of this piece is to raise awareness
Dealing with cancer is a heart wrenching experience. In all its forms, cancer kills more pets each year than any other disease. Despite the number of cases and ongoing research, effective treatment remains elusive.
We’re not writing this to advocate Neoplasene as a miracle cure. It is intended to give you a potential option to consider if your dog is faced with the dreaded cancer diagnosis.
If you find yourself in this situation, you may choose a traditional surgical or chemotherapy approach. Neoplasene may not appeal to you as an option at all. But having the knowledge to make that choice is a small step in the right direction.
Read more about Neoplasene and see case studies at the Manufacturer’s website.
Have you been through an incident with your dog that might be of interest to our clients? Let us know, and perhaps we can write a brief article highlighting your experience to share what you’ve learned.
This response arrived as an email. It is reprinted with permission of Dr. Holt
Dear Craig,
I read your post about cancer treatments and thought you would be glad to know more herbal medicine is becoming recognized and available for people and pets.
Here is an article in the WSJ: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304177104577313821796467932.html
I also attended a seminar last night on herbal cancer treatments by one of my teachers and he is confident he has found a Chinese Herbal Formula to treat hemangiosarcoma, not just slowing down the cancer but getting remission. This is very exciting news and though sadly too late to help you directly, I hope will be of some comfort. I have been using the neoplascene for several years but have not had the results I would expect from its description. Glad it is working for some patients.
Take care and best wishes,
Elise
Elise Thomas Holt, DVM, CVA
Veterinary Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine
Seattle, WA
206-229-5828
Hi, I own a 11.5 year old golden retriever who has hermangio. My accupuncturist/Herbal medicine started her on Yunnan Baiyao on friday. I would like to know more about your teachers protocol for treating Hermangio.
Thank you for any info,
Michele
I’m sorry to hear of your golden’s problem.
From what I can recall, we started using Yunnan Baiyao every few days initially in conjunction with dietary adjustments and weekly shots of B12. This was about 6 years ago, so my recollection is a bit fuzzy. Towards the end, the Yunnan Baiyao was being used daily.
Each case is going to be different. If you’ve got an acupuncturist/herbalist that you trust who has started a regimen with this, I’d suggest you follow their guidance. Yunnan Baiyao in itself is not a cure, but it can help manage symptoms. It is one piece of a comprehensive treatment that you’ll be managing.
I’m not familiar with the research that Dr. Cheng is doing other than what was included in the linked article referenced from Dr. Holt. You may want to contact either of them directly to see if you can get some further assistance with your case.
Best of luck with your treatments!
Hi There Smileydog,
This might be off topic, however, To answer this you must understand what alternative cancer treatment is and is not. First let us start by saying what alternative cancer treatment is not. It is not using toxic chemicals to try to kill the cells in your body that are growing rapidly. This is because those cells are cancer stem cells that are trying to adapt to a toxic environment that you have made within your body. Cancer is not really trying to kill you but the cancer stem cells are trying to ensure survival by becoming resistant to a hostile internal environment. So if you use chemotherapy to try to kill your cancer stem cells they just become more aggressive and grow even faster to survive the increased toxicity.
Nice One!
Mark-
Thanks for your comments. It’s helpful to look at cancer cells from this perspective. It’s unfortunate that these little guys are so virulent. They are often much more successful at surviving than the healthy cells they destroy in the process.
Neoplasene is potentially interesting because, acceding to some, it targets and destroys cancer cells without harming the surrounding healthy cells. Chemo is much more indiscriminate in its approach, as it attempts to kill cancer and healthy cells simultaneously.
Hi, I have a 31/2 yr old male boxer who HAD a mast cell tumor. I was treating it homeopathically and it was stable but when we went on 3 week trip he was not looked after well and I believe consequently due to stress the tumor grew. He also had developed skin allergies, welts etc and a horrible hot spot where the person looking after him left his ecollar on 24/7. I had previously been looking into neoplasene treatment as homeopathic vet had sent me a link. Well my homeopathic vet had emergency heart surgery so I knew he’d be unavailable for a long time. Therefore I decided very quickly to learn more about neoplasene. I’m so glad I did! So I went and saw vet over hour away. She was so enthusiastic and generated so much positive energy! We started off just giving it orally but after 3 weeks she said her gut said we need to remove the lump and apply it topically. We trusted her fully so agreed. So pleased we did! I have amazing pictures on how the cancer sloughs off! Ok, it got deep and perhaps isn’t for everyone but I have no problem with dressing deep wounds. We are now 3 weeks after last treatment where she said he has all healthy tissue. He is now healing and it is miraculous how quickly this happens! I don’t ever write on websites but feel I should because in our situation this has worked! We are SO happy….our dog is cancer free! For mast cell tumor this worked well! Kathy
Kathy-
Thanks so much for sharing your experience with neoplasene. I’m so glad you’ve also had a good result with the treatment. Sharing your experience may be just the encouragement or introduction someone else needs when they find themselves in a similar situation. It’s encouraging to hear another voice in support of this approach!
Thank you so much Kathy this is Caroline
Kathy hiow is your diog now ? I’m treating orally too ? What diet do you give your dog to help it naturally and who is your homeopathic vet I want to do everything right this is Caroline from 5 th grade