Most often people resort to alternative medicine when modern methods seem to have failed. Others scoff and call it mumbo–jumbo. Yet an increasing number of patients are opting for this mode of treatment and are better off for it. In Pune, Cancer patients try a new cure, with interesting results. It’s homeopathy, and the man administering it to Cancer patients is Dr. Santosh Bansali. With over 300 success stories to his credit, he’s been helping Cancer patients where modern medicine seems to have failed.
The parents of two–year–old Mira Patel discovered that their little daughter had Cancer when an innocuous fever lingered for over a month and the doctor advised blood tests. It was discovered that Mira was suffering from acute lymphatic leukemia. Then began the rounds of hospitals and two cycles of chemotherapy. The doctors also advised the Patels that their daughter would have to undergo a bone marrow transplant. “We were ready to spend Rs 6 lakhs that the transplant would cost, but there was no guarantee that she would recover,” says Rambhai Patel, Mira’s grandfather
This was when they decided to visit Dr. Santosh Bansali’s clinic on a friend’s suggestion as a last ditch attempt to save their daughter’s life. By then Mira’s WBC count was 2,700/cu.mm. (the normal range is 4,000 to 11,000) and her platelet count was 61,000 cu.mm. (the normal range is 1,50,000 to 4,00,000). The WBC and platelet tests are necessary parameters to determine the presence of leukemia. Two months of treatment at Dr. Bansali’s clinic, and Mira’s blood tests showed a return to normalcy. The latest test done by Medicare Laboratory on March 13, 2000 shows her WBC at 5,600/cu.mm. and a platelet count of 2,10,000.
Say the overjoyed parents, “We always think of allopathy when we think of Cancer. Our daughter is an example of how homeopathy can work wonders with Cancer.” Dr. Bansali, the man behind many similar success stories feels that “Allopathy offers surgery, chemotherapy or radiation. But cancerous cells never die and such treatments have other side effects like damaging the kidneys, and the heart.” In fact Bansali feels that homeopathy can help better because it does not deal in a standardized way for everybody. “Homeopathy takes into account the person’s entire system and the treatment therefore becomes very individualized,” says Bansali.
Deepali Mehendale’s saga of Cancer began as a heaviness in the abdomen which was proved to be Cancer. She had two cancerous tumors that were 13.5 cms X 11.5 cms and 12 cms X 10.5 cms. Deepali was advised surgery followed by chemotherapy. “I underwent surgery last year, but I didn’t want to undergo chemotherapy because of its various side effects like hair loss and nausea. I had heard of Dr. Santosh Bansali and his Homeopathic treatment and decided to opt for it.“ When Deepali refused chemotherapy, she had a CA–125 level of 43.4 U/ml. The CA–125 is a test that determines ovarian Cancer and normal limits are levels less than 35.0 U/ml. After eight months of taking Homeopathic treatment, Deepali’s CA–125 plunged to 4.40 U/ml, well below normal. “Now I feel totally fit and energized,” says Deepali.
Bansali believes that he can cure most people who come to him much before the final stages of Cancer. He also claims to have a success rate of 75per cent. However, though doctors are happy with such reports, they are cautious about whether the treatment works or not. Dr. Dilip Wani, consulting pathologist feels that it might be rather early to comment. “Also, all of Bansali’s patients that I have seen have taken treatment only after taking chemotherapy. The cancerous cells would already have been greatly reduced,” he says. The fact that there is no control group means that it would be some time before homeopathy would be widely practiced and used for the treatment of Cancer. Bansali acknowledges this fact and has maintained meticulous records of all his patients to aid scientific research. Yet while the debate continues, patients continue flocking to him. For, what matters eventually is the cure.
Dr. Santosh Bansali can be contacted at: India (Pune) Tel: 91 020 4483037