Beating Cancer with Nutrition (Fourth Edition) Rev

by Patrick Quillin

There is good news in the "war on cancer". Optimal nutrition coupled with appropriate medical treatment can dramatically improve the quality and quantity of life and chances for a complete remission for most cancer patients. A well-nourished cancer patient can better manage the disease . Cancer is the number two cause of death in America and the developed nations of the world with one out of four dying from cancer and 38% of women and 43% of men projected to develop cancer over their lifetime. While the overall death rate from cancer has not appreciably declined since the start of the multi-trillion dollar "war on cancer" in 1971, there is good news from the nutrition arena . Optimal nutrition can reduce the risks of developing cancer by up to 90%, hence it is a strong preventative tool for everyone . And nutrition can dramatically improve quality and quantity of life for the millions of patients who are being medically treated for cancer. This book provides a well-documented approach for using an aggressive nutrition plan of food and supplements 1) reverse or avoid the common malnutrition that kills 42% of cancer patients 2) make chemo and radiation more of a selective toxin, thus protecting the patients' cells while making the cancer cells more vulnerable to medical elimination 3) slow cancer by limiting the amount of sugar available in the blood and gut for the glucose-dependent cancer cells 4) stimulate the immune system, which is in charge of killing all unwanted cells in the body, such as cancer 5) using foods and nutrition supplements as "biological response modifiers" to upregulate the body's built-in mechanism for eliminating cancer cells, such as apoptosis (programmed cell death). There are many scientifically-supported nutrition factors that can slow or discourage cancer cells, including fish oil, phytoallexins from red and green fruits and vegetables, vitamin D, and much, much more. The author, Dr. Quillin, spent 10 years as vice president of nutrition for Cancer Treatment Centers of America, a nationwide network of cancer hospitals, having counseled thousands of cancer patients and working with oncologists to provide synergism between medicine and nutrition. Quillin also organized 3 international scientific conferences on nutrition and cancer, edited the textbook ADJUVANT NUTRITION IN CANCER TREATMENT, and has many legitimate credentials in clinical nutrition (bachelor's, master's, doctorate degrees in nutrition; registered and licensed dietitian (RD); certified nutrition specialist (CNS)) to support the credibility of this book. BEATING CANCER WITH NUTRITION has become the definitive book on this subject, was a bestseller on amazon.com in 1999, has been translated into 5 other languages, and has received high praise from cancer patients and doctors alike. Originally published in 1994, this book had complete rewrites and updates in 1998, 2001, and the most current version in 2005. This book empowers the patient to be a part of their own recovery from cancer. The positive reviews from cancer patients and family members posted on amazon.com speak for themselves. This program works.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Self Help, Medicine, Nutrition, Food

414 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Dr. Patrick Quillin is an internationally recognized expert in the area of nutrition and cancer. He has 30 years experience as a clinical nutritionist, of which 10 years were spent as the Vice President of Nutrition for Cancer Treatment Centers of America where he worked with thousands of cancer patients in a hospital setting.

He has earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees in nutrition and is a registered and licensed dietitian (RD & LD) and Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) with the American College of Nutrition. He has appeared on over 40 television and 250 radio shows nationwide and is a regular speaker for medical and trade conventions, including ACAM, A4M, American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, and Integrative Medicine. He has been a consultant to the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Army Breast Cancer Research Group, Scripps Clinic, La Costa Spa, and United States Department of Agriculture; taught college nutrition for 9 years, and worked as a hospital dietitian. He obtained an Investigative New Drug number (48,676) from the Food and Drug Administration in September of 1995 to conduct research on bovine cartilage in advanced cancer patients. His 17 books have sold over 2 million copies and include the best sellers HEALING NUTRIENTS and BEATING CANCER WITH NUTRITION. (now translated into Japanese, Korean and Chinese) He edited the textbook, ADJUVANT NUTRITION IN CANCER TREATMENT and organized the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd international symposia on “Adjuvant Nutrition in Cancer Treatment. He is listed in “Who’s Who in Science”.

Reviews

[P.J. Sullivan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ever wonder what goes on at Cancer Centers of America? This book may give you some clues, as the author was associated with those cancer hospitals.

His program in three steps:
1- Debulk tumors with “traditional” treatments: surgery, radiation, chemo, plus hyperthermia.
2- Regulate remaining cancer cells with enzymes.
3- Feed the immune system. Build resistance with nutrition.

What is meant by nutrition? “Anti-cancer” foods, especially proteins and vegetables, plus megasupplements: vitamins, minerals, herbs, glandulars, fatty acids, probiotics, food extracts. This book assumes that cancer is caused by deficiencies, not excesses.

The recipes in this book include ingredients that should be off-limits to cancer patients: salt, sugar, garlic, meats, cheese and dairy, wine, bacon and eggs. Even “liquid smoke,” whatever that is. This book states repeatedly that sugar feeds cancer. Then why do its recipes call for brown sugar? It says on page 115 that brown sugar is “virtually identical to white sugar.” The author calls salt an “essential nutrient.” Being inorganic, salt is neither essential nor a nutrient. Organic sodium and organic chloride are essential, but you won’t find them in salt. He thinks a vegetarian diet might be too alkaline, but cancer patients tend to be too acidic. He calls garlic a “superfood” but garlic is a toxic irritant that contains allicin and toxic sulfur compounds.

The “traditional” treatments included in this program disable or damage the immune system. Can nutrition repair that damage? Many of these “super” nutrients are said to “boost” the immune system, but how do they do that? Some of them are toxic. If you ingest poison you will get an immune response, but provoking the immune system is not the same as boosting it. Garlic, for example, is credited with stimulating the immune system; its toxicity provokes an immune response. On page 73 this book says, “Biological therapies attempt to fine-tune and focus the immune system into a more vigorous attack on the cancer,” but “most forms have extremely toxic side effects.” So it is unlikely that the damage to the immune system can be undone, and that is the bottom line of this program.

A good discussion but too much science and not enough nature, in my opinion. Too many dubious “super” nutrients to balance against one another. Too much complex biochemistry to manage. Healing does not need to be this complicated. Are concentrated supplements effective in pill form? Can they even be safe in megadoses?

This book is right to assert the importance of nutrition in cancer but I am reminded of Herbert M. Shelton’s sage advice: “There are no superfoods.”

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gives interesting and useful information to those suffering from cancer. The main thing I took away from it is that sugar is a prime cause of inflammation in the body and that cancer cells are attracted to it. There is an easy pull-out chart to use for reference and a CD which has the main points of the book recorded on it so that people who aren't well enough to read can listen.

The only downside I see is that there is so much information related to supplements that you would really have to be organized or have someone very organized following you in order to track all of those things. Also, I think you would really have to find a doctor open to using these supplements, and I'm not sure that's such an easy thing. I guess it depends on your doctor and where you live.

In any case, the book is full of useful information and seeks to help people from all angles, despite its mostly nutrition-based stance.

[Ashwini · Rating 5 out of 5]

An end to end work on cancer. explains the disease, what causes it, how well does the medical profession understand it, how to deal with it. nutrition along with conventional treatment options works the best. don't blindly trust your oncologist if he is not nutritionally oriented. explore your options. cancer is not the end of the world it is a new hope for a new you and I wish and pray that hope will prevail above all odds.

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Repetitive. Plays fast and loose with much of the cited research. (I checked dozens of his citations against the originals.) Oddly, the recipes -- supposedly healthy -- involve a lot of fried food, despite his point elsewhere that cooking destroys the hard-to-come-by, and much needed, enzymes. There are FAR better books on cancer nutrition out there.

[Karen Cockerill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I decided to finish reading this book even though my hubby passed away a month after the book arrived. I think we found it too late! What I liked most about this hook is the honesty - not all the case studies have happy endings which initially shocked me but of course it’s a reality and I think it did help me realize the value of choosing quality of life or to complete one’s bucket list over an aggressive cancer treatment. I also really love the balanced approach on nutrition as many of the other approaches where eat organic, vegan, etc. this is not always possible and when one is fighting a disease like cancer it only adds stress... so I like their balanced approach of getting as much of the good stuff as possible.

A great resource book - CD was great as one is short of time to read when dealing with disease - recipes also great

[Mrsgaskell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sorry I read this book but I would be very cautious about implementing any major changes in my diet. I showed the book to my dietician and we discussed some questions that the book raised for me. In that way it was useful and my dietician provided me with additional information on glycemic index, and use of soy products for example. The book is not specific to any one cancer and one cannot conclude that what works for one type of cancer will work for another. Also, the patient profiles were similar to testimonials rather than rigorous scientific studies. That said, success stories are always encouraging and this book reminds one that nutrition and attitude are valuable adjuncts to chemotherapy and radiation.

[David McGill-Soriano · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my Dad’s book. It was in his things that were passed down to me after he died from stage 4 colon cancer at 54, when I was 19. I made it my goal to read every cancer book he had to possibly prevent cancer from ruining any other loved one’s life. It’s a tough read with all the science vernacular. It’s an older book too so I would recommend reading more recent studies. With that said, there’s rich knowledge in here about enriching the “terrain” to fend off cancer cells. I also love how it gives a short version for cancer patients with not much time to live.

[Mary Karpel-Jergic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jam packed with information, this book is a testimony to the knowledge accumulated by this author, however, it is quite a challenge to hold on to everything that you're being told - it's a rather overwhelming compendium of nutritional facts and not organised very well which is a shame because there are great nuggets of useful info about the various attributes and qualities of food and supplements and their potential application for cancer prevention and/or dealing with the effects of chemotherapy.

It is somewhat dated as we have come a long way with understanding diet since it was first published in 1994 and this revised version (2005) is still a distance from considering a raw or vegan diet. Nevertheless, for the basics around what various foods offer and their roles in cell metabolism this book is a wonderful resource to have on your book shelf.

[James Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by far one of the best books I have read in a while. It is full of well researched facts and gives the reader (with cancer) an opportunity to explore options and ask questions of their medical team. There is a plethora of references to support the claims in this book. As a person with cancer, I found this book to be very inspirational. I spoke with the nutritionist on my team of doctors and the changes I planned to make were in agreement with my teams ideals. The hardest part now in waiting and watching to see how this plays out.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of information in this book but for me it was too much on the pages and I didn't feel like going through every little thing on the page. There may have been some good advice in there somewhere but I didn't find it. Some of the recipes had honey as a sweetener but if sugar feeds cancer why is it in there?

[Frederic D. Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent

How can nutrition help fight cancer? This book is a wonderful sourcebook that gives you the information to help cure cancer through complementary nutritional strategies. It is excellent!

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

helpful and systematic

Like any scientific book, there may be some outdated material, but overall I found it a very inspiring and helpful book, and can only recommend it to anyone who has cancer, has a dear one with cancer, or simply wants to be informed and inspired.

[Tom Dula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Advice. What the book presents makes sense.

[Jocelyn Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful in crafting dietary choices while dealing with cancer. Lots of good information and case examples.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting information

[Grace Dadoyan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is very repetitive and the author takes several opportunities to remind you of his 3 degrees and other various credentials. There is some useful information here but there are many other books out there that have as much or more information, are easier to read, and are more current. He recommends an omnivorous diet which may appeal to some people since most cancer books will recommend at least a vegetarian approach. The material, even in the 2005 edition, is outdated - he says that preliminary evidence shows Splenda to be safe and he does not list agave nectar under alternate sweeteners. I kept thinking the book read like an infomercial and then when I got 2/3 of the way through the book, he starts touting the benefits of a supplement called ImmunoPower which he has formulated. So despite containing some accurate information, the book is in fact, one big infomercial for his products. Check out Anticancer A New Way of Life or Waking the Warrior Goddess instead.

[Ann]

Beating Cancer with Nutrition, by P. Quillin, ISBN: 096383729X, @ 1997, PB, eBay, 2/2010, different front cover than what Goodreads is showing.

[Debbie Burgess-Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book would have gotten 5 stars if I could have easily purchased the ImmunoPower created by this author. Finding a good, tasty, broad-spectrum vitamin powder is difficult and this author's website didn't allow me to purchase the quantities required to get the discounted price. Otherwise, the information in this book is excellent. He emphasizes the need for good nutrition to fight the cancer battle AND the elimination of sugar and those foods that quickly turn to sugar once eaten.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My sister in law downloaded the Kindle version for me. Great resource to help you really understand how poorly we are eating and what healing we can begin with simple wholesome food. Definitely gave me fabulous ideas to help strengthen my body as I enter chemotherapy and hopefully to help my immune system stay strong during treatment and beyond!

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

THe information in this book is a bit outdated, and the material is not organized very well (the recipes kind of hang out in the middle chapters) but there is still a fair amount of good information here.

[Rachel Meyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is amazing well researched and is about using nutrition to enhance your traditional medicaine like chemo and radiation. It's amazing that more doctors don't use nutritional therapy.

[Denise Messenger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book outlines how important nutrition is to cancer recovery. It is thorough, well presented and comprehensive. It has some excellent recipes.

[Judy Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely well referenced.

[Armatstorage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Has 374 pages I skimmed. Has great quotes and lots of fascinating info about nutrition and our bodies. Would like to own it.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is really full of useful information. It is one the most comprehensive I have read on the subject.

[Ann]

Beating Cancer with Nutrition, by P. Quillin, ISBN: 0-9638372-9-X, @ 1997, PB, eBay 10/2008, 6.35

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! A must read before you do anything else to cure your cancer.

[Ned · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first part of the book is very repetitive and the information is somewhat useful. The real gem is the second haft (Section 3) where all the nutrition and supplements are explained. It goes into details along with how they affect the body. It's extensive and provides enough information to create a diet for yourself.