Review of Breast Cancer Patients (Part I)
Original title: Krebsbilanz meiner Patientinnen mit Mamma-Carzinom (Teil I)
Der Merkurstab 1994;47(4):385-391.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14271/DMS-16561-DE
Translator: A.R. Meuss
This translation is published with the kind permission of the journal Der Merkurstab.
JAM Vol. 11(4) 1994.
The following is an attempt at a review all of the cancer patients I have seen in the past 40 years. In some of them, unexpected things would occur. The case histories are given in chronological order, i.e. in the time sequence in which the patients presented in my practice, though the cancer was often only diagnosed at a later stage. They also provide some insight into the efficacy of mistletoe therapy using preparations of different manufacture.
Treating any kind of disease we are really attempting to heal the higher nature of the human being, and this is particularly so in the case of cancer.
Aggressive methods of treatment are generally designed to eradicate the tumor and any secondary foci. They have no effect on the systemic disease which I would like to call "cancerosis". The case histories also show that apart from surgical treatment which has made admirable progress developments in conventional "anticancer therapy" have had no positive results whatsoever. To begin with, I shall describe my experiences and impressions gained with breast cancer; if permitted to do so, I shall follow this with tumors of the digestive tract and bronchogenicmyxoidliposarcoma, both of whom are doing well. Malignant melanoma was equally rare, but reference will be made to it
One thing is certain from the review as a whole: no carcinoma is like any other. It is always unique, developing according to the temperament and inner attitude of the individual on the one hand, and their relationship to the environment on the other, the two aspects always blending. It is important to note that cancer patients usually only open up to their physician after some time. This is a matter of trust and cannot be forced.
My aim in writing this paper has been to fulfill the mission I was given by Bernard Lievegoed when he visited me in the spring of his final year on earth. The mission resulted from our discourses. I hope the paper will be kindly received by its readers.
Patient review
Case 1: Hilde Sch., born 8 December 1908, died at age 56 on 8 December 1964. Treatment started on 12 November 1952 (age 44).
My first breast cancer patient, Hilde, a vocational teacher, was a refugee from the Soviet-occupied zone of Germany.
I had started in general practice in Krefeld in October 1952, having worked in industrial medicine for a time, and she came to see me a month later, having obtained a position at a loftal training college. She still had a brother and a sister in the Soviet-occupied zone.
History
Born in Greiz, Thuringia, she had suffered from eczema which disappeared
when the family moved to Kiel in her fourth year. Severe asthma from age 7; this did not improve when the family moved back to Greiz.
Left nephrectomy at age 21; my records do not show why. (Link between kidney, lung and asthma.)
Course
In Krefeld, too, she had recurrent asthma attacks; I was not able to do much for this. Towards the end of 1952 she developed severe gastric pain, mainly after being upset, which happened often enough in an environment that was still new and utterly strange to her. At the same time a cherry-sized nodule was palpable in the left upper quadrant of the right breast. As the lungs and stomach required urgent treatment (diff. diagnosis, also gallbladder), patient and physician did not take further notice of the nodule.
In mid-April 19531 finally started her on a course of Iscador Mali c. Cu, later following this with Iscador Pini c. Hg.
In August 1953 she went to the Burghalde sanatorium at Unterlen-genhardt, where she was in the care of Dr. HeinzHartmut Vogel who was then running the sanatorium together with Dr. Walther Buehler (the Burghalde was the precursor of the Paracelsus Hospital). A biopsy showed ductal papillomas and a scirrhous carcinoma. Iscador P St. 7 was given; the addition of Quartz 12x also had a good effect on the asthma.
In May 1954, i.e. about 9 months later, the breast was removed, clearing the right axilla as well. Biopsy of nodes in the scar tissue in December 1956 showed only benign tissue - papillary adenoma. The patient was therefore only given a series of 14 injections of Iscador Pini, alternating with Mali, twice a year in 1957. From 1961, when she was 53, we took no further notice of the cancer process.
Returning from a holiday trip three months before her 57th birthday (third Moon node) she had a heart attack on the steps on Cologne main station and was taken to a local hospital. Recovery was relatively rapid.
The day before her birthday she baked a cake. At midnight she must have had a severe attack of asthma, for she died sitting on the edge of her bed.
In between times she had had a considerable variety of problems, mostly affecting the stomach.
Analysis: Causes of the cancer
Hilde was the first of the family to risk the flight to the West. As soon has she had obtained a suitable position her every thought and desire concentrated on getting out her sister, a social worker, and her brother, a physician, with his family. She succeeded in this, but it was an enormous effort, both mentally and physically.
Her sister found a suitable position and her brother obtained an appointment with the local health authority.
I assume that this achievement preserved the patient from suffering a recurrence of the carcinoma or developing secondaries.
Sensitive Crystallization
Repeated Pfeiffer copper chloride crystallization pictures (Dr. Selawry's
Institute) clearly indicated the risk of breast cancer.
C
Eczema and asthma in childhood and youth. Loss of left kidney when just 21. Unmarried. Beginning of 45th year, nodule in right breast (scirrhous carcinoma). Mastectomy 17 months later.
2 1/2 years later biopsy showed benign papillary adenoma. Iscador P c Hg was given continuously, and Quartz 12x intermittently, which had a good effect on her asthma. Iscador given only twice yearly from age 49, discontinued from age 52. In the third Moon node, three months before her 56th birthday, attack of angina pectoris on station steps. Died on the night of her 56th birthday.
A brother and a sister whom she got into West Germany illegally, finding work for them. The preparation and implementation of this was a considerable strain. The cancer was no longer active once her aim had been achieved. Death from cardiac arrest, probably during asthma attack.
Case 2: Hilde Ha. Born 11 January 1902, died at age 52 on 4 July 1954. Follow-up treatment started in June 1953 (age 51).
Mrs. H. came to Germany from Brazil (Sao Paulo), where her husband had a coffee plantation. The family had planned a trip to Europe for 1954.
With a heavy heart she came to Europe, her original home, a year earlier, at the end of May 1953.
History
Mrs. H. had had surgery for breast cancer in May 1952. Three months before going to Europe she had first had Iscador therapy. This is all I know or remember of the history. She came to see me as she was looking for a physician who would continue the follow-up treatment.
Course
She was only in Germany from June to October 1953 when she returned to Brazil by boat. She died in Brazil in July 1954. During those five months she had only come for twenty Iscador injections, otherwise being away for shorter or longer periods to see all her friends.
Case review
The boat trip from Brazil to Europe and back again certainly put a strain on the ether body. In Germany she was always traveling, receiving only 20 Iscador injections in four months. On the journey home she went down with "jaundice", dying of cancer the following year.
Looking back, one has the impression that she wanted to say good-bye to all her dear friends. My attempt to make contact with the family or her physician in Brazil did not prove successful.
The patient was so reserved when she came to see me that I know nothing of any "inner" problems. Death was near, and she had the urge to return to her native country and say good-bye to everyone. This was not a conscious urge, of course, but it is a well-known phenomenon that many people return, metaphorically speaking, to their childhood and youth when their time on earth draws to a close, to say good-bye or die in a particular place.
Sensitive Crystallization
Two crystallization pictures made in June and September 1953 showed
definite danger of recurrence, and in September also indicated the liver.
Case 3: Luise Ga. Born 12 December 1890, died at age 68 on 4 June 1959. Treatment started on 14 April 1954.
An adipose lady aged 63. Cheerful Rhinelander. Comes from Duessel-dorf, where her relatives live who sent her to me.
History
Husband died at age 77 of a stroke. Right mastectomy at age 60 in August 1951.
Histology: solid scirrhous carcinoma, active growth. Lymph nodes not involved. No radiotherapy.
Course
Treatment with Iscador Pini c. Hg 6x, 5, and later M c. Cu St. 5-3. intercurrent: bronchitis, pyelonephritis and cystitis. Died of heart failure following severe, highly febrile influenza on 4 June 1959, five years after starting the treatment, almost 8 years after the operation.
Case review
Luise came to see me 20 months after her right mastectomy. She lived almost 30 km away and therefore only came for treatment once a week. Her influenza may have been a late reaction to the carcinoma, but it is difficult to say. Death from heart failure. Survival period: 8 years.
Sensitive Crystallization
Indications of cancer risk had markedly regressed in the Pfeiffer
crystallization picture after one year.
Case 4: Aenne E., born 16 January 1896, died at age 64 on 5 March 1960. Treatment started on 15 September 1954.
History
Rheumatic diathesis and cancerophobia for some years. Spinal osteochondrosis and spondylosis. Arthritis in both knee joints and basal joints of thumbs. Aenne works in customer relations at a furniture store, and her condition makes this difficult. She is large and heavy.
Right mastectomy in October 1953.
Course
Iscador Pini St. 14,6,5,4,3. In July 1956 Dr. Perger, consultant internist at the hospital, advised that Iscador treatment should continue. Intercurrent slight concussion due to falling against a car door. End of March 1957 further surgery for three small recurrences in the scar tissue, followed by massive radiotherapy.
Died on 5 March 1960, six and a half years after the first operation and four years after the second, with radiotherapy, which did not prevent further metastases.
Case review
Considerable rheumatic diathesis and cancerophobia.
Two operations on the same breast and radiotherapy encouraged rather than prevented secondaries. Fear and rheumatic pain contributed to the negative evolution. I felt that past family problems also played a role in carcinogenesis, but the patient was not forthcoming.
Duration of treatment: 5 years. Survival: 61/2years.
Sensitive Crystallization
Crystallization pictures were much better two years after the operation, but the cancer risk increased again, probably parallel to the recurrence developing in the scar.
Case 5: Berta KL, born 11 October 1880, died at age 78 on 29 June 1959. Treatment started in October 1955.
History
1920 removal of myoma; 1935 strumectomy; 1938 left mastectomy; 1948
cancer of the uterus, vaginal hysterectomy.
From 1938 regular Viscum therapy with Iscador (Dr. Elwine Holtzapfel, Ulm). Ongoing treatment for cardiac insufficiency and cardiovascular disorders. Hypertensive before she moved to Krefeld, hypotensive from about 1956 onwards (Viscum effect?)
Course
Slow-growing bronchogenic carcinoma or late secondaries from the breast
tumor suspected from December 1957.
October 1958, pleural effusion on left, displacing the heart and mediastinum to the right (radiological diagnosis by Dr. Habermann, October 1958). December, change from Iscador Mali c. Arg to Iscador Ulmi c. Hg.
From December 1957, two or three home visits a week, until she could no longer be looked after at home. Admitted to hospital on 18 April 1959. Died there on 29 June 1959.
C
Cancer from 1938 to 1959, i.e. 21 years. For me, there is no doubt but that continuous Iscador therapy helped the patient to remain relatively symptom-free, in spite of her heart condition and hypertension, later followed by hypotension. Age finally wore her down. A native of Duesseldorf, she had the Rhinelander's wonderful sense of humor to help her overcome her troubles and the pain. Apart from Viscum, this was clearly a positive influence.
A good result.
Case 6: Agathe J., born 2 December 1899, died at age 69 on 30 December 1968. Treatment started on 22 April 1961, at age 61, when a walnut-sized nodule was discovered below and slightly lateral to the right nipple.
History
Patient had presented 7 years earlier (February 1954) complaining of years of overwork, with cardiovascular disorders. Cardiodoron/Magnesium phos. 6x, Bidor and Primula comp. must have helped then, or there may have been special reasons why she did not return after two consultations.
She came to see me again two years later, in early June 1956, on account of a stomach upset and persistent constipation. She was then 56 years of age. Apart from other medication I put her on a course of Iscador injections, using M in various strengths, as I suspected an incipient carcinosis. She generally gave the injections herself and produced good temperature reactions.
From November 1956 she was subjectively well, except for migraine-type headaches. In June 1957 (58th year) she developed pain in the left knee joint. This required protracted, intensive treatment and had improved only slightly by January 1958. Then the migraines got worse again. In March 1959 (60th year) she presented with nervous heart trouble and intolerable chronic constipation.
There followed her fourth course of Iscador, using M c. Cu (a course consisted of 14 injections, with an 8-day interval after the 7th injection).
The patient felt better by the end of May 1959 and only came again in early October 1959 to have blood taken for her 8th crystallization test. She then disappeared again.
In 1960 she suffered from migraine (a severe attack every two weeks) and rheumatic symptoms in the left shoulder and elbow, right hand, and now in both knees.
Course
At the end of April 1961 the patient noticed a lump in her right breast. On 13 May 1961 a total mastectomy with removal of involved lymph nodes from the axilla was performed under general anesthesia using scopolamine
hydrobromide, oxycodone hydrochloride, and dl-ephedrine. Histological
examination showed a solid scirrhous carcinoma. The patient refused
radiotherapy.
Clearly disappointed by the failure of Iscador therapy she did not come to see me but went immediately to see Dr. Alexander Leroi in Arlesheim. After this, she was in the care of Or. Peipers in Bonn until she died quite suddenly of a myocardial infarction on 30 December 1968.
C
Tumor-forming tendency first in the digestive system, from stomach to
intestines (stomach upset and chronic constipation).
The organism then attempted to combat this with inflammatory reactions taking the form of rheumatic symptoms. Remarkably, these disappeared about four weeks before the patient discovered the lump in her right breast. Before, they had not responded well to treatment. Death due to myocardial infarction, not the cancer.
Analysis: Causes of the cancer
Agathe had two sons and there clearly were family problems, for one of them was infertile and had kyphosis of the thoracic spine. Finances were tight, so that a room had to be sublet. The tenant was a delicate woman, often ailing. Agathe persuaded her son and the tenant to marry (1962).
There can be no doubt but that this situation cast a cloud on her inner landscape; this in turn was the ideal precondition for cancerosis - a difficult destiny of karmic origin? Her son and daughter-in-law did not have children but became active anthroposophists.
Case 7: Irmgard Sch., born 13 February 1921, died at age 43 on 26 October 1964. Treatment started in October 1956.
History
Not known; mastectomy on 15 December 1955 (left? cannot recall exactly). Radiotherapy in January and February 1956. Ten months later the patient came to me.
Course
To begin with, Iscador Mali c. Arg. St. 6 and 5.
ESR in July 1957 was 14/35. Outwardly all seemed well, but a confidential reference to the blood crystallization picture made by Dr. Selawry warned me to change to Iscador Pint c. Hg, St. 5-3.
Subjectively well, so that the patient decided to discontinue treatment after just over a year, on 9 November 1957.
I learned of her death from a recurrence seven years later, on 26 October 1964, through the press.
C
Irmgard, an unmarried lady, survived her first operation by nine years. She had had radiotherapy after that operation. I do not know what was done after her second operation.
The patient, so far my youngest, had a mastectomy at age 34 - it is easy to image what that must have meant to a young woman. 10 months later she started on Iscador Mali c. Arg., changing to Iscador Pini c. Hg after 14 injections.
The patient failed to return after receiving treatment for just over a year. She appeared to be well subjectively. I assume she stopped coming because of the cost of the medicine and the fees - as an office worker, she was on a private sickness insurance scheme.
Radiotherapy does destroy tumor tissue but will not cure cancer. At the time loss of immune defenses was not a matter of general awareness, but one would suspect that radiotherapy (and chemotherapy) reduces the defenses and encourages rather than inhibits the development of secondaries and late recurrences.
(GRAPHIC, PG 72)
Hilde H. was the only one of these first seven breast cancer patients to die within 2 years; she was already under sentence of death when she came to Europe "ahead of time" from Brazil to make her farewells.
All the others survived well beyond the statistical five-year limit, one (Hilde Sch.) actually for 12 and another (Berta) for 21 years. This points to the questionable nature of statistics when dealing with human beings.
Three of the seven cancer patients did not die of cancer, and one only did so at age 79, when her defenses had been truly depleted.
Herbert Spannagel, MD Im stillen Winkel 19 47804 Krefeld Germany
Citation: Spannagel, H., & Meuss, A. R. (1994). Review of Breast Cancer Patients—Part I. Journal of Anthroposophic Medicine, 11(4), 64–72.