My 14 year old Springer/Lab was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma this past February. The tumor was located in the front of his mouth along the bottom gumline. The vet removed the tumor the day after I found it. I did not want to subject Luke to chemo or radiation because of his advanced age. The prognosis was terrible, six months tops. I immediately started Luke on an essiac decotion 1 oz twice daily.

That was six months ago! Luke is doing very well. He really is his old self - he hasn't missed a beat! And the best thing is, there is no sign of the cancer - at all! He recently had a complete examination and new Xrays taken and they were completely normal. This was a very aggressive cancer, so this really is a miracle.

Of course, because of Luke's advanced age we never know from day to day what could happen. He has also developed pulmonary fibrosis simply due to the aging process. If you have suggestions for treatment, please let me know. We are giving him a cough medicine recommended by his vet at night.

But, overall, Luke is great. I feel so blessed to still have him with me and to have him feeling and doing as well as he is. I truly believe Essiac is largely responsible in helping to save Luke's life. I am so grateful.

Jan replies...

Chris, that is a great piece of news to share here. I really appreciate it. I hope Luke continues to thrive. I read the recent article about skin cancer in Newsweek and they mentioned that melanomas are not very responsive to chemo or radiation but seem possibly to be more readily fought by the immune system than many cancers. Since essiac bolsters the immune system I wondered if it might be more effective with them than other cancers.

http://www.lungusa.org/diseases/pulmfibrosis.html has pulmonary fibrosis information, and lots of sites came up when I did a keyword search on http://www.google.com for "pulmonary fibrosis". You might be able to find more useful information on them.

From what I have read, it sounds like they mainly treat pulmonary fibrosis symptoms and use corticosteroids. It might be worth talking to your vet about that, since Luke is so old. Sometimes it is worth it to let them be comfortable as long as they can (but it is not the kind of long term treatment you would want to use on a young dog). I think you would want to find out if his liver function is good before doing that.

I hope he has some more years with you, and is comfortable for most of the time. I would love to get updates about him.

My 16 year old terrier mix has had a reoccurance of a mast cell tumor. He had one needing surgical excision one year ago. He has a new tumor now on his paw displacing his claw. Surgery would involve removing the paw which neither my wife or I opt for (or does the dog). We have started him on prednisone 20mg daily. I have also heard that Benadryl and Tagament are beneficial. Does anyone know the dosage for a 30 pound dog? Are there any herbal remedies available for this advanced tumor?

My dogs appetite and activity level are good. Any advice would be appreciated,

Jan replies...

You should give him about 1/4 of normal adult dose of the generic versions of tagamet and benedryl. I have heard that dogs can tolerate much higher doses of benedryl than people can, you could ask your vet about that. Maybe there is a children's benedryl that would be the right dose, I think many of the benedryls are hard to divide. The cimetidine you can just cut in quarters.

The rationale is that mast cell cancer is caused by histamines gone wild and benedryl helps reduce the amount of them. The cimetidine eases stomach acid caused by histamines (this one was a new one for me, I found it on http://www.vetinfo.com.)

I think you are doing the right things. My Greta had mast cell and died two weeks ago, but it was allergy-related and not caused by the cancer. She was very frail. I think you should avoid things that bolster the immune system because mast cell seems to be caused by an immune system gone wrong in some way. And prednisone suppresses it so it makes no sense to then try to buffer it, your meds would be fighting each other.

I would treat him as you are, treasure every day with him as long as he is comfortable. He may feel good for quite awhile. It is probably important to expose him to as few things as possible, since his immune system is suppressed. But I think an herbal remedy like essiac is not a good idea in this case. Just my opinion.

Hi Jan, just a couple of questions for you.

1. What I'm using right now is spelled "Esiak". Is this the same thing as what you have spelled "essiac"? The 4 herbs listed are the same.

2. I'm using the extract of this product. Is that ok? I'm using it on a 60 pound Boxer.

3. Do you have any information using this product on horses?

Thank you for your time,
Tara

Jan replies...

Because product name "EssiacŪ" is trademarked, dozens of generic entrepreneurs that have sprung up have invented other product names.

Made by Now Foods, "EsiakŪ" is a clever variation in spelling for essiac, and it is made from the same herbs. I know they make "Esiak Tea Concentrate" 16 ounce bottle of tea for about $30, but I did not know they also made an extract, something entirely different. Regardless of the name "Concentrate" (which makes you think you're getting more for your money), essiac tea comes in 16, 17 or 32 ounce bottles, while essiac extracts and tinctures come in very small bottles, usually the 4 ounce size.

But the big difference is in how extracts and/or tinctures are made -- raw essiac herbs are steeped in alcohol for several days and there is no brewing involved. If you are using "EsiakŪ Tea Concentrate", then regard it as ordinary essiac tea and figure the dosage for your 60 pound Boxer using the suggstions on my Pet FAQ. If the bottle label clearly says "Extract", then I would switch to a bottled essiac tea or learn to make it yourself.

I have had a friend tell me that essiac should not be used on horses. I don't know anything about horses, but they are very different and I would not recommend it unless you can find a holistic horse doctor who thinks it is a good idea.

Jan

From Tara on Monday, August 27, 2001...

Thank you, Jan, for your information. I was getting confused about why the different spelling of EsiakŪ, if it's the same stuff. I am still looking through everything on the letters on your site. I do have a Boxer, almost 6 years old, that is clear of cancer so far, but I know this breed is prone to it and although I have been very lucky thus far, I wanted to start ahead of time with the herbs.

I was asking on horses is because I have horses and one of them has cancer -- it is very common in grey horses to get skin cancer. I have done hours and hours of research trying to find helpful information.

I have given the EsiakŪ to my mare because the 4 essiac herbs are in fact very good for horses. Slippery Elm is good as it sooths the tummy and helps big time in prevention of colic and ulcers... it can be mixed with water and yogurt for baby horse tummy-aches and things like that. There are more bad herbs than good ones for horses so, of course, research is the key.

I have found quite a lot of improvement with my mare, not so much as looks or size of the tumors, but more her willingness to take on life again. I mostly just expect to make her comfortable in her last days, before I have to do the humane thing if she becomes miserable. I think I started her too late with the EsiakŪ.

I will say one thing about the essiac herbs for horses. You do not go by body weight with horses and herbs. Since they are herbivores, their bodies actually use the herbs better. Dosage for a 900 to 1200 pound horse is about what you would give a large dog.

Just thought I let you know that in case you get someone else like me asking about horses. Thank you again for you quick reply and answering my questions,

Sincerely,
Tara

Jan replies...

Tara, thank you for the information, I have never talked to anyone who has given essiac to horses. It is very useful information!

But on the subject of your dog, many people do not recommend giving essiac as a "preventive" to a healthy dog. I don't really know how I feel about it. For sure, a very good diet is critical in preventing cancer in dogs. I think many of the cancers we are seeing are caused or made worse by toxic dog food and cheap "grocery store" dog foods.

Congratulations on your new baby, Bell. I'm writing in with a few ideas for others...

I was a veterinary technician for 6 years and found that even very ill dogs would eat a meal my husband specifically made for them. Boil chicken breasts (or thighs) till tender, make rice (instant is fine) in some of the left over broth with some garlic, then make gravy with a little more of the broth and some corn starch or flour and mix everything together. You may have to beat family members off because this is good stuff.

I'm giving my 8 year old bulldog "Gunny" essiac tea for a heart based chemodectoma. He is very playful and eating well (gained 2 pounds). I'm praying that between God and the tea he'll be around for a good long while. I have found that mixing ice water with ice cold essiac tea is like a treat for him -- I use a feeding syringe and he doesn't miss a drop. The product I have is the Wow Bow version of the concentrated tea.

God Bless us All,
Martine

Jan replies...

Thanks, Martine, I sure hope your Gunny does well. I looked it up -- and this is a cancer I have not heard of before. I would be very interested in hearing how he does.

I found Wow-Bow on the web, but no catalog or information about their essiac. I would like to know more about it if you can pass that on. As readers know, I make my own essiac tea from scratch but I do post information about good commercial products.

Jan,
My cat's biopsy results showed lymphoma. She is 9 yrs old and is perfectly healthy except for a swollen tumor in her front paw. Lymphoma is suppose to be in your entire system but she may have a rare case that is localized since she is so healthy otherwise. I don't want to do chemo to a healthy cat, my only other option is amputation of her front leg. I would appreciate any advice. Thank you,

Carolla

Jan replies...

I didn't think lymphoma was usually confined to one place. If your vet thinks amputation is an option I would consult a second one, and if there is agreement maybe you should consider that. In Danes with osteosarcoma, the amputation is more to relieve pain, then they have to have chemo. Then they die. Lymphoma is not quite as awful as that, or at least not necessarily as fast in my opinion.

We have seen quite a bit of success in cats with essiac. I think that is mostly because of very large doses. One ounce twice a day. It might be worth trying that, regardless of the course you choose to take. If you amputate you might want to do chemo and also give essiac, which is supposed to help relieve some side effects of chemo.

I apologize to you for being blunt about this, but if it is lymphoma you do not have a healthy cat. I don't know how cats do it, but dogs hide illness as well as they can (which is often very well indeed) until they cannot hide it anymore. And, of course, cancers often have no symptoms at all until it is much too late, even in people, who do not hide illness well at all. In dogs prednisone can help a lot with this cancer as it gets very late in the game, I don't know if cats can take prednisone, but if they can this is something you might want to keep in your mind for later. In the meantime, if you want to fight the cancer, I recommend you take aggressive action now.

I feel like I have written you an unusually rough answer, I am very sorry about your cat. There are things you can do to extend her life, but pretending she is not really sick is not one of them. Please keep me posted.

My 18 year old orange tabby male cat has a tumor in his mouth. He is losing appetite and growing weaker. I'm giving MGN3, Thymex, EPA/DHA oil caps, cleavers herb, shitake and reishi mushroom extract, pau d'arco, and some others. He cannot chew. I wanted to avoid surgery at his age, but don't know how much time I have to try more alternative things. I haven't had a biopsy done because I don't want them messing with the inside of his mouth and opening things up!

Any ideas will be appreciated...prayers too. Thanks!

Jan replies...

Hello Leona,

I am sorry about your cat. You could try essiac, it might make him hungry. I gave Sven a huge bunch of different things at once including essiac and he handled them all well, but I think it was the essiac that kept him feeling as well as possible until the end. Cats seem to respond well to it, also, perhaps better than dogs.

You boy is very old, I hope you will be able to keep him comfortable for the rest of his life, sometimes it is hard to tell if they are suffering. Essiac really might help with that.

We have a 8 year old German Shepherd (Zeus). God willing, he will be 9 December 1st. On October 29, 2001 he was diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma and also arthritis on his spine. On November 1st he had surgery and his spleen was removed. Our vet indicated that his spleen had ruptured and that he was amazed that our dog Zeus was still alive. There are signs of his liver having several lesions as well.

All this came so suddenly. Although he has always been an inside dog, he loves to go to the lake and swim, as well as what we call gold minning (searching for rocks). My son's friends come and ring the doorbell and ask if I can let Zeus in the back yard so they can play with him. It is sad to see him with no energy. I am currently giving him rimadyl, iron, and glucosamine tablets. But, while reading different articles, we have found that rimadyl is not easy on the kidney and or the liver. We were also told that because the cancer is in the blood that chemo would not be useful.

Yesterday Zeus didn't have such a good day, so I stayed downstairs with him through the night. My husband was on the internet and he found your website. He saw that maybe we could try the Flax seed oil & cottage cheese as well as the essiac. I guess my question is, being that the cancer is so advanced, could either of these help him?

Jan replies...

Hello Gloria,

I am very sorry about your Zeus. Hemangiosarcoma is very serious, partly because there usually are no hints that there is cancer until it is very late. I certainly would give him essiac, and the flax seed oil and cottage cheese. To be honest there may not be time for them to help him, but I am certain they won't hurt him. If he hangs on long enough they may help him live longer and feel better while he does it.

It usually takes a week or two to see an effect from essiac.

If he was my dog I would not stop the Rimadyl unless it isn't helping him. I don't know what your vet said about this, and of course you probably should do what he says. But if he has been on it awhile and it has not hurt him yet it probably won't. And because he is so ill he may need it more. Rimadyl is one of those drugs that you have to choose between the relief it gives and the potential harm it might do. I have seen it make the difference between a dog being functional versus trembling on the floor in pain unable to stand without agony. And I guess once in a great while it kills dogs. I understand that if it ends up being your dog that dies it does not matter how rare that is.

Good luck to all of you,