Dear Dr. Albrecht,
My name is Annie Brandt, and I am going on 9 years of survival after a diagnosis of advanced-stage metastatic breast cancer in 2001. I read your report online about IPT, and I wanted to answer your statement about IPT survivors not speaking out.
On July 13, 2001, I was diagnosed after a biopsy of a lymph node under my arm. It was diagnosed as breast cancer. Further tests showed lesions in my brain and lungs. I was told to “get my affairs in order”. I refused conventional chemotherapy and radiation because my research showed that each of them: weakened the immune system; weakened the vital body organs; caused cancer to build immunities against them; distorted the DNA of healthy cells; and actually had been shown to stimulate cancer and cause metastases. Many of these side-effects were noted for surgery, also. I already had a dysfunctional immune syndrome, and my second opinion (from the University of Texas Cancer Therapy & Research Center) confirmed that conventional therapy would kill me. I decided I would rather let the cancer kill me than the treatment.
For the first year, I did a program that consisted of diet, supplements, and other holistic therapies such as meditation, prayer and detox. After a year, more lymph nodes showed up and it was confirmed that the cancer was growing. I did more research on the internet and found IPT. I had my first IPT therapy on Labor Day of 2002 and by March of 2003 there was no visible sign of cancer in my body.
The treatments are easy and painless. The patient is not in a comatic state. On the contrary, I was aware the whole time; while waiting for the therapeutic moment I was usually reading a book. I never lost my hair, I never got sick. I never did surgery other than the biopsy of the lymph node. My life went on as usual, and my treatments were just another doctor’s visit. Wouldn’t you wish this for your friends and family if they were going through cancer?
In your report, you brought up the fact that IPT had been around for 70 years but was untested. Unfortunately, it has only been in general public awareness around the world since around 2000, or I feel certain there would already have been a public demand to test this therapy. In 2004, I called some of the pharmaceutical companies to ask why they had not run a clinical trial on this therapy. I was told that the drugs had already been tested. But I kept calling and asking and finally I spoke to one executive who stated that, because the drugs had already been tested – even as far back as 1946 – they had never been able to financially justify a trial. When asked to explain, he said that trials cost millions to perform and they would stand to lose millions because IPT was such a much lower dose. It is all about the bottom line, which is sad. I don’t think the pharmaceutical companies would lose money, because I think there are many patients like me that would rather die than do conventional therapy. I think the pharmaceutical companies would be seen as heroes. I think it would cause a widespread conversion to conventional therapy, if IPT were allowed to be an option. IPT is no threat to the multi-billion-dollar industry that is cancer!
Later in 2004, another survivor and I started a non-profit foundation to promote scientific study of this therapy. For the last two years, we have been working with a division of the National Cancer Institute to a) post IPT Case Studies and b) identify studies that would support a complementary arm of IPT. We are also planning a Quality-of-Life Study. We still have hope that the pharmaceutical companies might actually see the financial benefit of testing this therapy. But my conventional oncologist understands how they are driven by the bottom line and counsels me not to expect that. Yes, I have had a standard oncologist following my case from the beginning, and he understands the value of IPT. He said just the other day that I have made him rethink the “standard of care”. He hopes he can offer IPT someday soon.
The IPT doctors that I have met care more about their patients than they do the bottom line. My doctor was more concerned about me having my treatments than his receiving the payment. He worked with me so that I could afford my treatment. My doctor would actually get on the phone and speak to me about my care in depth. When I went in for an appointment, I was with the doctor and a nurse. My vitals were carefully monitored at all times. I have never experienced this level of personal and caring treatment before.
Lastly, you wonder why most IPT survivors don’t speak up. I believe it is because they are back to living normal lives. Going through cancer with IPT is not especially traumatic, as cancer is usually experienced while going through conventional cancer care. Most patients have good quality-of-life, which means their lives are not terribly disrupted. Most don’t have to “get back to their lives” or “learn how to go from surviving to thriving”. I think most people want to just forget they had cancer and live life to the fullest. We don’t have studies, but we have 70+ years of anecdotal stories. I am just one of them.
I sincerely hope that this testimonial stimulates your curiosity and opens your mind and heart to the idea that IPT is an option that should be considered as such.
Best regards,
Annie Brandt