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CANCER OF THE BLOOD AND BLOOD-FORMING SYSTEMS
The Leukemias

Reliable statistics on death rates among chronic leukemia patients are difficult to find. Orthodoxy speaks in terms of a "median survival" of only three years, and admits that the effects of currently accepted therapy have not been adequately evaluated?

The use of one of the chemotherapy drugs of choice, Leukeraz, carries with it the risk of irreversible damage to the bone marrow. Another chemotherapy drug, Cytoxan, has produced cancer in rats and mice. Some of the reactions Cytoxan has produced in humans include: nausea, vomiting, bleeding and inflammation of the colon, severe bleeding from the bladder, and in males, possible irreversible loss of sperm production. The use of metabolic therapy does not involve these kinds of risks. These facts should be kept in mind while reading the following case histories.

Laetrile Case Histories

R106B: Chronic Lymphatic Leukemia

On July 3, 1973, this sixty-two-year-old man went to his local doctor because he had developed a lump on his neck. One week later, this was biopsied, and because of the findings he was referred to a blood and cancer specialist in Sacramento, California. The consulting physician’s summary dated August 6, 1973, reads in part:  

I feel confident that he had chronic lymphat-ic leukemia. As you know, histologically the pathologists are not able to determine on the basis of a biopsy whether it is lymphosarcoma or chronic lymphatic leukemia. In recent years both of these have been grouped together in the so-called lymphoproliferative disease group. I think the final diagnosis depends upon the amount of involvement of abnormal lymphoid tissue.

In this case, I note left axillary and left in-guinal adenopathy and also the scar from the biopsy of a node in the right supraclavicular area.

It was my feeling that he also had an en-larged spleen.

We obtained on July 27, 1973, a hemoglobin of 15 gin., with a 47% hematocrit. The white count was 24,000 [lab normals, 5,000-10,000), due to an 84% mature lymphocytosis. The platelet count was 211,000 and the reticulocyte count was

1.4%. The direct Combs’’ was negative. Serum

uric acid 6.3 mg.%; creatinine 1.1 mg.%.

I obtained a liver-spleen scan, a copy of which is enclosed. As you can see, there was con-siderable enlargement of the spleen noted.

I obtained a bone marrow biopsy which in-dicated approximately 60% infiltration of the bone marrow by mature lymphocytes.

The patient was started on Vincristine 2 mg. I.V. weekly, Cytoxan three times a day for one week with recommendation it be cut down to 50 mg. two times a day, and Prednisone 14 mg. morning and evening.

Mr. R. states that a few days after hit lump was diagnosed as chronic lymphatic leukemia a friend approached him and his wife with information about Laetrile. He stated he will be "eternally grateful" for the information. On July 23, 1973, he began metabolic therapy including Laetrile.

In a letter to the Richardson Clinic dated February 20, 1976, he summarized his reaction to the diagnosis and the suggested treatments.

I took chemotherapy for three days only. I had started metabolic therapy on July 23 and 24 [1973] and then submitted [for the last time] to the chemotherapy on July 27, 1973. Mixed up? Yes. But, then what does one do for cancer treatment when one knows nothing to start with? It took only a few minutes reading in the Physician’s Desk Reference on the third day I was on chemotherapy to know what I wanted to do and what I did not want to do. This is what the book had to say about my drugs: "Ovocen (Vincristine): Mode of action is unknown but under investigation.... Extreme care must be used in calculating the dose. . . Overdosing may have a serious or fatal outcome." Cytoxin: "Its mechanism of action is not known." Nor did I want Prednisone, about which I read more of the same. I was not ready to die, not from cancer and certainly not from the poisons they were going to give me, so I wouldn’t die from cancer.   The patient states that prior to his metabolic therapy treatment, although he had worked hard every day, he did not feel that he was in as vigorous good health as he could be.

This sixty-five-year-old gentleman and his wife were interviewed at length in November, 1975, two years and four months following the initiation of metabolic therapy. The patient’s eyes sparkled like a young man’s, and his skin was clear and fight. He had a handsome gray beard that would have been a pho-tographer’s delight. His mannerism was animated.

He stated that, before beginning metabolic therapy including Laetrile, and adopting a vegetarian diet, his mind was confused and his disposition "not that good." He stated he feels much better now and concluded:

There is no sacrifice I would not willingly make in the culinary field in order to be in vigorous good health. I cannot understand people who say they cannot live this way. All they are doing is confusing self-indulgence with self-love. If you love yourself you should not find it that hard to use a bit of self-discipline and give up your old ways, including coffee, alcohol and cigarettes so that you can get more joy out of living. That is the Lord’s way and His way is the way I’m going to go.

He and his wife of many years turned their gray heads toward one another and smiled tenderly. He took her hand in his and looked up at me and said, "Thanks to Dr. Richardson, I’m a whole man now."

Mr. R. continues to lead an active life three and one-half years following the diagnosis of leukemia. With the exception of three days of chemotherapy he has had no treatment other than metabolic therapy including Laetrile.

H1SSC: Leukemia This little girl was twelve years old at the time of her initial diagnosis of leukemia. She was on Methotroxate and Cytoxin chemotherapy for approximately one year.

The parents of the patient were not satisfied with their child’s progress because she continued to grow weak. They took her first to Dr. Contreras in Mexico and later to the Richardson Clinic where she began metabolic therapy including Laetrile on January 22, 1975. Her alkaline phosphatase was 134 mu/ml at that time (laboratory normal 30-85 mu/ml). White blood count was low (4,900 cu.mm) due to previous chemo-therapy.

Miss C. has continued on her maintenance program of diet and vitamins. She has returned to school and en-joys horseback riding.

Blood studies, dated April 12, 1976, returned to the Richardson Clinic from the child’s home in New Jersey showed the alkaline phosphatase to be 12.00 Lu./1. (lab normals, 10-50). The white blood count was 5,000 (lab normals, 4,800-10,800).

In a letter dated July 20, 1976 (one and one-half years after the patient began metabolic therapy), the following statement was made by the patient’s phy-sician in New Jersey:

At [name omitted] last examination 7/7/76, she was in excellent health. There are no palpable lymph nodes or palpable organs. Her skin was free of bruises.   The patient’s mother wrote the Richardson Clinic In February, 1977, and said she continues to be an apparently healthy, active teenager with no trace of her former disease. K127J: Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia   This Fifty-three-year-old male had a peripheral bone marrow smear on May 9, 1975, at St. John’s Hospital in Longview, Washington. The diagnosis was chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Physician’s comment at the time was as follows: Leukemia at the present time is regarded as in the early stages and well differentiated. If there are no other clinical problems and signs of the disease, it might be appropriate to observe the patient over a period of time obtaining CBC’s at three or six month intervals.   The patient decided that, rather than wait until his health began to deteriorate, he would begin meta-bolic therapy. He started treatment May 29, 1975. The patient noticed he had more energy and was sleep-ing better within a week. In a letter dated April 19, 1976, almost a year Later, the patient stated he has been careful about follow-lug the diet and continuing the maintenance program of Laetrile, other vitamins, and enzymes. His gene-ral health has remained good and he remains free of the symptoms associated with Leukemia. His white blood count has gradually gone down from 15,000 to 12,000 (10,000 being the high end of normal).

W130B: Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia

This thirty-nine-year-old woman was found to have a white blood count of 73,000 during a routine physical examination in January, 1973. Subsequent bone marrow studies referred to three different labora-tories all confirmed the diagnosis of leukemia.

Further studies at the Virginia Mason Clinic in Seattle, Washington, reconfirmed the diagnosis. She was placed on Myleran and Zylorprim, after having had their possible adverse side effects explained to her.

Mrs. W. continued to follow the recommendations of the Virginia Mason Clinic until July, 1975, at which time she came to the Richardson Clinic for meta-bolic therapy including Laetrile. Her white blood count has continued to stay within normal limits as of this writing, and the patient stated she feels "so much bet-ter" than before beginning metabolic therapy. It is, of course, possible that this is a natural remission and that at some future time her white blood count might again climb. However, the patient has already been spared ten months of palliative treatment with Myle-ran, an alkylating agent whose possible toxic side ef-fects include: skin hyperpigmentation (changes in skin color), irreversible pulmonary fibrosis (formation of scar tissue in the connective tissue framework of the lungs leaving the patient permanently unable to breathe properly), and renal damage (kidney dam-age).

AIO2SM Chronic Lymphatic Leukemia

This sixty-two-year-old male, Doctor of Chiro-practic, first developed symptoms of extreme weakness and night sweats in October, 1972. Prior to that he had had a gradual weight loss of twenty-five pounds.

In December, 1972, he went to his local M.D. Subsequent laboratory exams showed an elevated WBC (white blood count) of 350,000 and a depressed RBC (red blood count) of 4.0 gins. The diagnosis of chronic lymphatic leukemia was made. Chest X-rays were negative for mediastinal node and lung involve-ment. By January 16, 1973, his WBC had risen to 710,000, seventy-one times normal.

His initial contact with the Richardson Clinic was February 1, 1973. The patient’s chief complaint was extreme fatigue. He was jaundiced and his liver and spleen were enlarged. The patient began metabolic therapy on his first visit.

During the course of the next six months, his strength increased and he was able to resume most of his chiropractic duties. The jaundice gradually de-creased and the liver and spleen could no longer be felt. The liver was still moderately tender in July, 1973, however.

In addition to the metabolic therapy regimen, the patient was on Prednesone every other day as a con-trol for his hemolytic (destruction of red blood cells) tendency. The patient’s WBC continued to be elevated, around 200,000 per cu. mm., but he manifested none of the other symptoms usually associated with chronic lymphatic leukemia, which are: enlarged liver and spleen, extreme weakness, jaundice, and hemorrhage.

In February, 1974, this patient decided to dis-continue his Laetrile therapy. By May 14, 1974, his WBC had risen to 815,000 per cu.mm. (eighty-one times normal) and his hemoglobin (RBC) had dropped to 5.0 gin. His spleen and liver could be felt again. He became jaundiced and was bothered by ankle ede-ma.

He returned to his metabolic therapy program, and his June 14, 1974, hematology (blood study) report revealed WBC 595,000 per cu.mm. and hemoglobin 8.9gm.

This patient continues to have a WBC which is considerably above normal (lab high normal, 10,000), averaging around 200,000. As of this writing, how-ever, the patient—who, three years ago, was too weak to work—is able to carry on his daily routine as if he did not have leukemia, provided he stays on his diet and medication.

F121G: Chronic Lymphatic Leukemia, Coronary Artery Disease, and Bronchitis

Mr. F. first began to have difficulty with enlarged axillary (under arm) lymph nodes in January, 1974. According to the patient, his local doctor was not par-ticularly concerned despite repeated complaints.

In October of 1974, Mr. F. sought another physician’s opinion and was subsequently admitted to a hospital in Livermore, California, for diagnostic studies. These confirmed the diagnoses of leukemia.

The patient states the diagnosis made him quite depressed because he had watched his daughter die slowly from cancer. The memories of her last days and the morphine injections made him determined not to have any radiation or chemotherapy.

About this time, another daughter of his had been reading about Laetrile and metabolic therapy and suggested that her father try it.

The patient began metabolic therapy in Novem-ber of 1974. The lymph nodes gradually decreased in size. Mr. F. stated that he began to feel better and no longer had pain shortly after beginning treatment. He gained weight and stated that, in his opinion, even the heart pain was less of a problem.

Following the initial course of therapy, he re-turned to his local doctor for a routine check-up. Upon the doctor’s advice, he was X-rayed again, and the X-rays were negative for regional lymphadenopathy (en-larged lymph nodes) indicating the cancer was under control.

The patient stated he intends to remain on a main-tenance dose of B17 because, in his opinion, it not only has extended his life but has saved him from the tortures-turn of orthodox chemotherapy.

As of our last contact with this patient, the symptoms of his cancer had been absent for one and one-half years. The only treatment he has received is meta-bolic therapy including Laetrile.