DEAR DR. ROACH: I am an 81-year-old male who was generally healthy until two years ago; since then, I have had (at the same time) Hodgkin’s lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and follicular lymphoma. Through powerful chemo, immunologic infusions, time in home hospice for four weeks, then recovery and more treatments, I am in remission now.
My oncologists call me a miracle man, having never seen anybody with three different cancers. Anyhow, I have taken the ancient Chinese herb astragalus for many years. It is known for potentially boosting your immune system. Just wondering if this had any effect? — Q.Q.
ANSWER: Congratulations on being in remission! It’s definitely something to celebrate. If your question is whether astralagus (also called Huang Qi) helped you achieve remission along with your chemotherapy and immunotherapy, I can’t answer this with certainty.
There was a review article in 2023 suggesting that astralagus enhanced immune responses and reduced inflammatory proteins in the blood. However, the effect of astralagus on your immune system is minimal when compared to the standard therapies used to treat cancer like your leukemia and your two different types of lymphomas.
I strongly recommend against the use of astralagus or other complementary treatments instead of the standard treatments for cancer or other serious diseases. People who do choose to take complementary treatments along with their prescriptions from their oncologist, surgeon or radiation oncologist should always discuss them with their doctors as there can be drug-herb interactions.
Your oncologists must not have seen as many patients as I have since a history of three or more cancers is not uncommon. I recall a case in my residency when a person was presented to our hospital with four separate primary cancers at the same time. I am sure many of my readers will confirm the same.
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a layman, but I disagree with your recent advice about the MMR vaccination specifically for a person without rubella antibodies. I am 73 years old. When I was 18, I caught rubella. Unfortunately I was rooming with a young couple who were newly married, Catholic and pregnant. The young wife caught the disease from me and, on her doctor’s advice, had an abortion. It was heartbreaking.
Perhaps there are new treatments now, but the risk then and perhaps now for passing on the disease can be horrific. — H.W.
ANSWER: It affirms my faith in humanity that there are people who are willing to do something with little benefit for themselves in order to protect other unknown people. You are quite right that the biggest concern with rubella is in reproductive-age women, who are very likely to have a child with birth defects if they contract rubella while pregnant.
Although I emphasized the need for rubella vaccination for any woman who might become pregnant, having a community where rubella is unlikely to spread is a safeguard for women who can’t get immunized or in whom the vaccine doesn’t work.
As vaccines are under attack, your reminder that we can all help protect others in our community by getting vaccinated is especially important.
Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu or send mail to 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803.
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