Pathway to My Cancer Recovery
– My Immune System –

Dr. Al Danenberg ● Nutritional Periodontist

June 1, 2020

 

 

“Al, you have cancer.” My oncologist’s words are still ringing in my ears.

 

“It’s an incurable type of bone marrow cancer.” I felt the blood drain from my face.

 

“If you do nothing, you may have 3-6 months to live.” Just then my legs went limp. Nothing would ever be the same. My life was just thrown into an abyss of terror.

 

***

 

Over the last 21 months, I rallied beyond all expectations. You probably know my story.

 

My oncologist gave me 3-6 months to live after he diagnosed incurable aggressive multiple myeloma in my entire skeleton in September 2018. I rejected chemotherapy and progressed well while adhering to my Unconventional Cancer Protocols until a severe setback in August 2019. At that time, I was standing in my bathroom brushing and flossing my teeth with my feet planted on the floor. Then, I twisted to the left to throw the floss into the trashcan. In that split second, my right femur snapped in half. I collapsed to the ground. I was in excruciating pain. I also broke several ribs and fractured my right humerus in half. After being rushed to the ER to repair my leg, I was transferred to a hospice hospital to die! Amazingly, I revived and returned from the edge of death. On May 8, 2020, I had a new PET Scan that showed “no active cancer cells” throughout my entire body. Today at the age of 73, I am doing amazingly well.

 

 

Factors Responsible for Miraculous Recovery

What are the factors responsible for my miraculous recovery? I can’t be sure, but I think I know. Establishing a diverse, robust, and quality garden of gut microbes and an intact gut epithelial barrier (i.e. No Leaky Gut) is vital. Eating an anti-inflammatory, nutrient-dense diet is essential. Also, improving cellular metabolism using PEMF Therapy is a contributing component. I am convinced that my healthy gut, effective diet, and improved cellular metabolism enhanced my immune system.

 

Yet, an underlying deterrent has been the excessive number of cancer cells. As I have written in the past, I believe at least one malignant plasma cell got its initial start way back in my days in dental school over four decades ago. But the volume of malignant cells finally overwhelmed my body to eventually cause symptoms in 2018. So, it was necessary to beat back these excessive malignant plasma cells. To do this, several months ago my oncologist recommended two newly approved immunotherapies to target the enormous number of cancerous plasma cells. These are not chemotherapy drugs; they are human-derived monoclonal antibodies. I incorporated them into my Protocols to assist my immune system in getting the job done.

 

Taken in combination, I believe all these efforts were ultimately responsible for the repair and healing I am experiencing. I can’t prove this, but I am alive and thriving today with no active cancer cells in my entire body based on the PET Scan taken on 5/8/2020. An immune system functioning at peak performance stands out to me as critical.

 

 

Communication

The immune system takes its cues from the gut microbiome, which lies on the mucous layer of its mucous membrane.

 

The “mucous membrane” lines the body cavities and tubular organs including the gut and respiratory passages. It’s an epithelial barrier that secretes a protective mucous layer. The mucous membrane makes up about 4,300 square feet in the human body. That’s like the square footage of a huge home.

 

Approximately 37 trillion microbes cover the mucous membranes. The far majority of these living organisms are in the gut. In the gut, the microbiome is several layers thick. And this ocean of microbes talks between themselves and among all the other microbes located on all other mucous membranes in the body. It’s like a huge communication network that alerts the entire population of microbes to what’s happening on their turf simultaneously.

 

Practically all pathogens and irritants that enter the body must pass through the mucous membranes. The microbiome sitting on the mucous membranes becomes aware that there may be strangers in its midst. The friendly microbes have a unique and critically important role to play. They are the neighborhood watch group. They signal the immune cells in the epithelial barrier that there is something foreign that has just invaded and needs to be eliminated.

 

The gut microbiome and its mucous membrane are the central command center for the entire body. About 70-80% of the body’s immune system is located in the epithelium of the mucous membrane of the gut. When there is an invader anywhere in the body, the microbiome associated with its local mucous membrane relays messages to the gut microbiome. Then, the gut microbiome alerts the gut immune system that there is a pathogen or toxic element that needs to be removed. Effects from the gut immune system travel to all corners of the rest of the body directing all areas to react to the invasion.

 

The beneficial microbiome also communicates with the immune cells located in the lymph tissues throughout the body. All immune cells become involved with the fight to remove the invaders. This communication system rivals the most complex systems created by man. The human body is an amazing machine operating beyond comprehension.

 

 

Method of Action

There are two divisions of the immune system – the innate immune system and the adaptive immune system.

 

First, the innate immune system is immediately called up to action. It creates inflammation that promotes a pathway to get to the sites of the invasion. It also sends an army of cells, which rush to the area of infection and begin gobbling up the invaders. Other cells in the innate immune system begin telling the adaptive immune system the specific antigens that are responsible for the infection. An “antigen” is any substance that is capable of stimulating an immune response.

 

The adaptive immune system gears up to mount the ultimate battle. The adaptive system mobilizes specialized lymphoid cells to attack these very specific antigens. Moving forward, the adaptive system stimulates the production of antibodies, which can produce immunity against these specific antigens if they invade again in the future.

 

There also are complex feedback loops to temper the immune system’s fight and eventually bring it back to a non-inflammatory state.

 

 

Immune System Support

As I mentioned, the microbiome is essential for the immune system to function properly and efficiently. To raise the level and function of friendly bacteria in the gut, specific probiotics, prebiotics, amino acids, and immunoglobulins have been shown to (1) improve the population and quality of the gut bacteria, (2) restore a healthy mucosal layer, and (3) repair damage to the epithelial gut barrier.[1],[2] My Protocol to Restore Healthy Gut Bacteria explains the specifics to make this happen.

 

In addition to the gut microbiome, the food we eat must provide all the nutrients for health and not carry “irritants” that can damage the gut microbiome or damage the gut barrier. A way of eating that was prevalent in primal societies and has current medical evidence is the animal-based (Carnivore) diet. My 30-Day Transition to the Carnivore Diet guides a person to get onboard.

 

Since the cancer I am fighting is a malignancy of a specific plasma cell in my bone marrow, it is important for me to take down these aberrant plasma cells if I can. Eliminating this pathology will help me redevelop my vibrant immune system. So, my gut, diet, improved cellular metabolism, and targeted immunotherapies are working together to support my immune system and to regain my health and wellness.

 

It is interesting to note that only 20-30% of individuals who are candidates for immunotherapy and who accept it gain a measured success. The majority of patients obtain limited or no beneficial results from their immunotherapy.[3] The far majority never become “cancer free”. The reason has been reported to be due to an unhealthy balance of gut bacteria[4]^,[5],[6], which compromises the immune system. All the more reason for me to continue my Unconventional Cancer Protocols for the rest of my life.

 

 

Cancer Recovery Summary

I am only a study of N=1. There are no controls in my personal experiment. It’s important to understand that I am not claiming to have a cure for cancer. I do not have the magic bullet. I am not recommending my protocols to anyone to treat his or her disease. However, I do have a method from which I have enhanced my body’s ability to repair and heal. In my way of thinking, my current success is due to a combination of modalities I follow in my Unconventional Cancer Protocols. Specifically:

 

• Ensure a healthy, functional, and intact gut
• Consume an anti-inflammatory, nutrient-dense diet devoid of chemicals and other irritants
• Target specific malignant plasma cells using recently approved human-derived, monoclonal antibodies
• Repair dysfunctional cellular metabolism using PEMF Therapy
• Support and assure a robust immune system

 

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5561432/

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6733369/

[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6503493/

[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6529202/

[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6747470/

[6] https://gut.bmj.com/content/68/3/385.full

 

 

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