| Spontaneous remission has been known about for | | | | did not need treatment. This has huge implications. |
| centuries. Unexpected recovery when a person was | | | | We are not talking about one person here or there. |
| expected to die in the past was considered a miracle | | | | We are talking thousands of people. One thing must |
| and many praised God for the intervention. The great | | | | be acknowledged. If it is physiologically possible for |
| majority of physicians now consider spontaneous | | | | one regression to occur it must be physiologically |
| remission or regression as an oddity which they can | | | | possible for others to occur also. This study suggests |
| ignore as it falls outside of their explanatory models. | | | | that regression is so common as to be "normal". It |
| Some deny the existence of spontaneous remission | | | | suggests that the body has a way of dealing with |
| and regression, preferring to claim that the diagnosis | | | | the disease. |
| was wrong in the first place. | | | | Most researchers are interested in what occurs in the |
| This is all very sad, especially for the person who | | | | cellular and intra-cellular mechanisms that trigger such |
| seeks a miracle remission or regression from their | | | | a regression. However most patients are more |
| terminal disease. They are told instead to face reality | | | | interested in what they can do which might help the |
| and come to terms with the fact that their time left | | | | regression to occur. Should they take some herbal |
| on earth is limited and they must face death sooner | | | | remedy, or what? |
| rather than later. | | | | "Or what" is a good question. A change in what you |
| There has been very little research done | | | | do can trigger a change in hormones and the immune |
| systematically exploring what is different in the cases | | | | system. Positive changes can be an increase in |
| of spontaneous remission or regression (it is | | | | exercise, taking up meditation, exposure to sunlight |
| regression for tumors, remission for other conditions | | | | (and increased vitamin D3), or a change of diet to |
| like leukemia). Strictly speaking any time a tumor | | | | increase fruit and vegetables and decrease prepared |
| reduces in size without treatment it is a spontaneous | | | | foods and sugar. Think of these changes as just the |
| regression however the name has usually only been | | | | beginning, not the whole answer. If it was as simple |
| reported in the medical literature when the regression | | | | as these few changes then people need not |
| is both 'dramatic and long lasting'. | | | | undertake the severe treatments they submit to |
| A paper published in 1990 listed 44 types of cancer | | | | today. |
| where there were reports of spontaneous regression | | | | It is not possible to list everything you can do which |
| however back then there was little known about the | | | | might assist the immune system to deal with the |
| possible biological mechanisms behind the occurrence. | | | | cancer itself in a short article, but do be reassured |
| There was the suggestion that these regressions and | | | | that it is rational and reasonable to keep your hopes |
| remissions were very rare and that those who are | | | | high. Much research has been done which shows that |
| sick should not get their hopes up as such incidents | | | | unreasonable and irrational hopes about longevity lead |
| could not be learned from, nor duplicated. | | | | to longer lives than those who are rationally |
| However researchers in Norway suggested, in 2008, | | | | reasonable in their assessment of the time they have |
| that breast cancer remissions were not rare at all. | | | | left. So keep your hopes of future health high and |
| Their research indicated that about 20% of breast | | | | stay focused on enjoying each day as much as |
| cancers regress to the point of disappearing and so | | | | possible given your personal circumstances. |