Bile Duct Cancer: Beating A Cancer That Can’t Be Beaten
In November of 2012 Rivi had the shock of her life: her urine turned orange.
Thinking that it was something that she’d eaten, she went on about her day. But soon it became apparent that it was not that at all. With severe stomach pains still ongoing after nearly 2 ½ weeks she finally went to the doctor to find out what was going on. The physician’s assistant told her that more than likely it was a gallbladder problem and sent Rivi to the county hospital.
She did not want to go and instead went to Cedars Sinai where they found cancer in her bile duct. They immediately scheduled her for surgery four days later. Though a difficult surgery, lasting nearly 10 ½ hours, it seemed as if it were a success.
The Surgery
“They took out a lot of things from me,” Rivi shares. “They had to remove my bile duct, gallbladder, part of my liver, pancreas and portions of my intestines. They replumbed everything. I managed to survive all of that and didn’t have any complications.”
They took out a lot of things from me … my bile duct, gallbladder, part of my liver, pancreas and portions of my intestines … “
Not Over Yet – Chemotherapy and Radiation
But there was a catch. The doctors now recommended chemotherapy and radiation. When she refused they were very upset with her.
“However, after 4 months I knew that they hadn’t gotten it all because when I went back they found cancer in my spleen and liver. I was put immediately into chemo and radiation.”
What is Cholangiocarcinoma?
The form of cancer that Rivi had, cholangiocarcinoma (or, more pronounceably, bile duct cancer), is one that originates in the tissues of the bile duct. The bile duct is a very small tube that connects the liver and the gallbladder to the small intestine. Cancer can occur in any part of the bile duct. Commonly, the part of the tube that connects to the liver is where most of this type of cancer arises. Adenocarcinoma is the most common type of bile duct cancer. This is a cancer that takes hold in the mucus glands that line the inside of the bile duct.
In comparison to other cancers, Cholangiocarcinoma is fairly rare, but it can be deadly. Only 2500 new cases are reported each year in the US, alone. Comparatively, it can be seen that the occurrence of this type of cancer is on the upswing, making earlier diagnosis much more significant.
According to national statistics, only 30% of those diagnosed with localized bile duct cancer survive for 5 years or more, while only 2% of those with metastatic disease make it to the 5 year mark.
Turning to Natural Treatments and Hope4Cancer
During the four months that Rivi had of good health, she’d been researching and educating herself about her cancer. Even the physicians at the hospital encouraged her to seek additional treatments as they had realized that they had done all that they could for her.
She was committed to finding a place that would meet her needs and did not care if she had to go outside of the US to do so. She looked at several clinics, including one in Germany.
When I spoke with Dr. Jimenez … I was struck by how thorough he was and I was most impressed with how many different therapies he offered. I learned that he is a frequent speaker at many medical conventions for the pioneering work that he is doing in his clinic.”
As a researcher, Rivi was looking for a clinic that would not only provide a good number of therapies, but also offered explanations and could back up their claims with solid research. Three clinics in Mexico seemed to fit that description, so she determined to speak to all of them to get a ‘feel’ for how they operated.
“When I spoke to Dr. Jimenez (and we spoke for well over an hour) I was struck by how thorough he was and I was most impressed with how many different therapies he offered. He offered many more than the others and he is well known for his research. I learned that he is a frequent speaker at many medical conventions for the pioneering work that he is doing in his clinic.” She also learned that when she admitted she would have a full examination that would also include dental exams.
When she spoke with the other clinics that she had been considering, she was shocked that both of them suggested that she undergo chemotherapy in conjunction with her alternative treatments. That was the deciding factor for her as she was adamantly against any more chemo.
“I only wish that I knew this information before my earlier rounds of chemo,” she says regretfully. “The chemicals they pump into you are corrosive. People should consider doing anything else before they do that.”
During her recent stay at Hope4Cancer Treatment Centers, Rivi made substantial progress. Under the influence of Sono-Photo Dynamic Therapy, the blood flow to her liver tumor decreased by 40%. She is now back home looking forward to continued good results!
Please let me know how you’re doing. I have an acquaintance who was just diagnosed with bile duct cancer. Thank you and best of luck to you.
Please update us on how you are doing Rivi. I’m looking at possible bile duct cancer that has gone into the liver and am looking to go to Hope 4 Cancer for treatment. The doctor told me, that with chemo, it would give me 5-6 years. I have too much life in me to accept that.
God bless you and praying you’re doing amazingly well.
January 2019 my husband went for routine lab work , his LFT were high, they did more testing and they discovered he had Bile Duct Cancer. In May of that year he had surgery at OSU , they removed 80% of his liver, the bile duct and his gallbladder. He had some many infections and even developed a terrible yeast infection in his esophagus which prevented his from swallowing. He was put on IV antibiotics which I gave him at home. He started doing better and they wanted him to start on chemo to make sure the cancer would not come back. He was on the chemo for one week and it wiped out his immune system and he became septic and passed away, that was in December of 2019. I can’t help but think that something was missed. The surgeon said he got it all, why did he keep getting leaks where they did the surgery and have so many infections. I can’t help but wonder did they know from the beginning that his condition was worse than they were telling us. He suffered so much after the surgery , it absolutely broke my heart to have to watch him go through this. He was a healthy 68 year old man who didn’t drink, smoke or do drugs. I just wish I had some answers, is there anything else that could have been done.
Hello Cathy,
I am so sorry to hear about your husband and all he went through. I can’t imagine how difficult that was for him and for you and your family. We are so sorry for your loss and send our love and deepest condolences. There is no way for us or our medical team to know if anything more could have been done as he was not one of our patients. I can’t imagine how frustrating that has to be for you, but you sharing his story is such an important thing. You are an incredible wife, and we send prayers your way.
Hi there – can you help please. My v close cousin was diagnosed with stage 4 BDC so underwent 12 hour op. Removed bile duct, replaced it and removed bits of organs to test. He was free from cancer elsewhere but it has gone into 6 lymph nodes. He is at home now getting strong for chemo. 2 questions please: 1) what is the therapy or treatments that Ravi WISHED she had taken prior to chemo and 2) can somebody please point me in the direction for the best diet and nutrition book available for this cancer please. Thankyou
Hello Maria and thank you so much for reaching out. We are so sorry to hear about all your cousin is currently going through.
We are not able to give medical advice directly through our website or social media platforms, but please contact our admissions office at 888-544-5993 or go to https://hope4cancer.com/schedule-a-call/ and fill out the form and one of our admissions officers can get you a consultation with our doctor.
For more details on our treatments that are not listed on our website, I would highly recommend Dr. Tony’s book! It is a wonderful information source and guidebook to many questions you may have. You can order the book here http://www.amazon.com/dp/1732903301?ref=myi_title_dp
Are there any proven cases where chemo vs. not doing chemo for bile duct cancer matters?
My good friend just got operated on for bile duct cancer and they said they got it all. It was caught early and they were able to resect her bile duct. They took out one lymph node and that was cancer but nothing else.
I think chemo kills and I told her not to do it. If they got it all what would be the purpose? Isn’t it true that if you use that option now, you cannot use it again?
I have heard so many horror stories of people who get chemo end up dying or having no life left in them.
We understand your friend’s concern about choosing the chemotherapy route. Every case is different depending on the nature and extent of metastasis – that is why it is extremely important that your friend is following a treatment plan for her specific needs. Her choice of physician will make a difference – we would definitely encourage her to find an integrative physician who can talk to her about alternative options. One of our patients, Rivi Litvin chose to get Whipple surgery done in 2013, but then came to Hope4Cancer instead of continuing with chemotherapy. She is alive and thriving to this day with no evidence of disease. Again – we cannot offer medical advice here, but we would encourage your friend to take the time to consider all her options and make the decision that she is most comfortable with.