A cancer care revolution – from war on disease to restoring health
Dr. Thomas Lodi, world renowned expert in integrative oncology, and his team are embarking on a mission to establish a kinder and gentler approach to cancer care here in Thailand.
It’s been 50 years since Richard Nixon officially declared “war on cancer”. However, in spite of trillions of dollars spent on cancer research, the statistics clearly show that we are losing the war.
Modern medicine has undoubtedly made incredible advances since this war began. Nevertheless, we cannot turn a blind eye to the rising number of cancer cases around the world.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 1 in 2 people in Western countries such as the US and UK will get diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Globally the ratio is closer to 1 in 5, while approximately 1 in 6 deaths worldwide are cancer related.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) predicts that by 2030 worldwide cancer cases will increase by 69% compared to 2008 figures, while deaths are expected to rise by 72%.
These projections are alarming and call for an effective approach to alleviate the potential suffering. If trends continue and we do not make major changes to how we treat and prevent cancer, the burden to healthcare systems will be significant.
Globocan data shows that in Thailand alone there are over 500 new cancer cases and close to 350 cancer deaths every single day.
The problem will be even greater in SE Asia, where the incidence rate is rising more rapidly than other parts of the world. If we were to isolate a single cause for these alarming figures many experts agree that it is due to a Westernisation of lifestyle.
While modern medicine certainly helps to prolong lifespan and survive emergency situations, our current healthcare systems are clearly lacking in their ability to prevent disease and help those suffering from chronic illness reclaim health.
David Agus, head of University of Southern California’s Westside Cancer Center, explains: “the death rate in cancer in over 50 years hasn’t changed. We’ve made small wins, but in general, we haven’t made an impact at all in the war on cancer”.
Most have heard the saying ‘prevention is better than cure’. With the alarming forecasts from the WHO, it begs the question, to curb the rising incidence of cancer do we need to improve measures to prevent cancer and reduce recurrence?
Sadly, however, prevention may be too little too late for close to half a million people currently suffering with cancer in Thailand today. Therefore, the statistics also call for a more effective and gentler treatment approach that preserves quality of life.
It is this mission of alleviating suffering that has driven Dr. Thomas Lodi MD, MD(H) to spend his life studying cancer and developing a highly effective holistic approach to cancer care. With over 35 years of medical experience, he is now laying the foundations to an integrative cancer care revolution here in Thailand alongside his team of Thai doctors and healthcare professionals.
Dr. Lodi graduated from University of Hawaii School of Medicine in 1985 and is licensed as both an allopathic medical doctor (MD) and homeopathic medical doctor (MDH). Over the past 20 years Dr. Lodi has refined his scope of practice to integrative oncology – a holistic patient centred form of cancer care combining the best of conventional medicine with alternative therapies and lifestyle interventions.
Throughout this journey Dr. Lodi has sought to raise awareness that cancer is primarily a lifestyle related metabolic condition and not a genetic disease. Instead of waging war on cancer, his kinder and gentler treatment methodology is centred around 3 fundamental pillars of healing:
- Stop making cancer:
Changing the body’s biochemistry to create an environment where cancer cells cannot grow or spread.
- Target cancer:
Selectively targeting and eliminating cancer cells through non-toxic metabolic treatments without causing harm.
- Enhance the immune system:
A weak immune system is restored through cutting edge immunotherapies and peptides.
Dr. Lodi is a pioneer in his field having established one of the very first integrative oncology centres in the world in New York in 2000. He then founded An Oasis of Healing in Arizona in 2006, which is still operating and has many success stories and patient testimonials. In 2012 Dr. Lodi moved to Thailand where he co-founded three of the most prominent cancer centres in the country.
More recently, Dr. Lodi has established Oasis International Cancer Centers in Thailand with the aim of establishing the standard of excellence achieved in the USA here in Asia. Oasis International Cancer Centers are planned to open this year in Phuket and Bangkok. They will be Dr. Lodi’s flagship cancer treatment and training facilities for patients and healthcare professionals from around the world.
He has a very clear vision and mission – to make Thailand a global hub for integrative oncology and lighten the burden of the greatest pandemic facing humanity today – cancer.
Author:
Tom Escott, Director of Outreach and Research, Oasis International. For further information, please contact: [email protected] or call 092-460-5000
