This news he had cancer came as a shock to Patrick Arioka, but it also sparked a fierce determination within him. Melina Etches talked to him for this story.

At the age of 50, former cabinet minister Arioka faced a life-changing diagnosis: non-small cell lung cancer.

Embracing a holistic approach to his treatment,he took oral chemotherapy treatment and adopted a strict fasting regimen allowing himself to only eat at dinner time each day.

His last scans have returned clear, celebrating an incredible milestone in his recovery journey.

Arioka attributes his recovery success not only to medical intervention but also to the power of his faith and the discipline of fasting, which he believes played a crucial role.

Arioka feels mentally better and sharper, and believes he is more effective in his work. He is writing books and doing research, awhile serving on the board of directors for CIIC, Moana Minerals and doing contract work for MFEM and Climate Change.

Minister for tourism Patrick Arioka pictured in 2022. CALEB FOTHERINGHAM/22020809

In 2021, Arioka started experiencing dramatic changes to his body.

“I was swelling up on my upper shoulders and my face, and at the same time I was experiencing a lot of coughing that wouldn’t go away. It was a dry cough, like a hopeless cough,” he said.

At the time he was a politician and was finding it increasingly difficult to speak in parliament.

Arioka visited the hospital and was given an x-ray recommended by Dr Wynn.

She saw something that needed more explanation and contacted the hospital.

“Another opinion from Australia said there was nothing to worry about.

“Dr Wynn was still not happy with my results or the second opinion.”

Until one  morning Arioka collapsed while picking up something from the floor.

“After that, I realised I needed to get to the bottom of this,” he said.

He contacted Doctor Minnie Strickland in New Zealand and based on his symptoms she advised him to get to New Zealand. “One thing she was sure of was that it could be cancerous,” Arioka said.

On Monday  August 16, 2021, Arioka boarded a plane to New Zealand.

The very next day on August 17, New Zealand shutdown for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Arioka did a thorough check up – CT scans and blood tests etc.

“Four days later they confirmed they had found a tumour right in the centre of my chest,” he said.

“I hadn’t felt anything, but the diagnosis confirmed that the reason why I was coughing was that the tumour  was the size of a golf ball, and part of it was leaning into my airway and that was causing me to have that annoying cough.

“And I needed to do a biopsy because they didn’t know the extent of the cancer.”

Two days later Arioka had a biopsy.

The results confirmed the type of cancer - a non-small cell lung cancer, adenocarcinoma – usually in the outer part of the lungs.

After three nights of pondering over what can and what may not be Arioka concluded: “I’m not going to give up.”

He said “The reason being I had no other underlying health problems, I don’t have high blood pressure, I don’t have diabetes so that means I have the ability to fight it.

“Through research there are already advances for this specific type of cancer: you have a non-cell and a cell cancer; the non-cell is less vigorous than the normal cell cancer, and lung cancer is non-hereditary, we don’t inherit it.

“It’s triggered through lifestyle and eating habits so anybody can get it.”
Arioka said there are advances done by the Japanese who have developed oral chemo treatment rather than the intravenous injection chemotherapy.

“The beauty about it is, it is a targeted type treatment targeting the lumps where the tumour is.”

Arioka’s took his tablets twice a day, four in the morning and four in the afternoon.

Driven by his decision to fight the cancer Arioka started his research.

He said it was fortunate his background is in agriculture science; in animal and human nutrition and all the research he gathered was the baseline of understanding  how ‘fasting’ can work.

“One thing stood out for me was there was a lot of proven fasting therapy, you have to change your lifestyle and based on that I decided to do fasting.

“I had to change my diet and everything and I had to do extra which was fasting and there are reasons for it and based on the science around it I do believe it works.”

He said he has learnt that every time we eat something sweet our liver and pancreas have to release insulin to keep our blood pressure because of the sugar in the cell.

“The problem is once that cell is damaged it turns into immortal cells – meaning it cannot die and what it does is, it finds blood vessels to grow and they grow into cancer

“They just multiply exponentially without any control and that is why it suffocates the organs and eats up all the blood, the nutrients from the blood and it just spreads, so that’s the genesis of cancer, that’s where it comes from… sugar.

“So, I had to focus on this sugar issue and that is why I fast.

“I found out the refined sugar is the base ingredients for all the food that we consume whether it’s in flour, wheat, rice, tinned food.”.

In October 2021, he decided to fast on the last week of every month (eating only at dinner time) to coincide with the CICC Holy Communion – needing something to discipline his mind to fast.

“In our CICC every week of the Holy Communion there is a spiritual discipline so I needed to embed that discipline into my faith,” Arioka said.

At the end of July 2022, Arioka was struggling to eat his normal dinner portions.

“When you are fasting, you are training your stomach to be disciplined as well,” he said.

He believes fasting while taking his chemo tablets made the treatment more effective.

Arioka eats mainly natural home grown food and fruits, chicken and fish and stays away from pork, steak and processed food – anything in a can.

In July/August 2022, he changed his fasting regime.

On December 31, 2022 he fasted (eating only at dinner) for 40 days until 11 February 2023.

He attempted to regain his normal eating routine but his stomach couldn’t take it.

“It was almost foreign to me, I said to my wife I’m not going back to normal eating, I’ll stay where I am now, so I’ve eaten like this since last year.”

In the Cook Islands almost every function has a glorious spread of food that can be very hard to resist.

At special functions or board meetings Arioka just has a cup of tea.

At events in the Pa Enua so he doesn’t offend his hosts and the community he announces, “please forgive me, because of my health I won’t be eating.

“The beauty about where I am today is that no matter what food you put in front of me I can’t be tempted,” Arioka said.

“This is why I am so thankful that I use my faith for discipline to make it successful.

“So, this journey improved the spiritual side of my faith as well, I say my prayers, and these things they have transpired out of my journey…”

Arioka used to top the scales at 137 kilos. At his last check-up he weighed lighter at 124 , and feels good that his clothes feel bigger.

In 2023, doctors changed his check-up schedules to every four months, at his last appointment they were pushed out to every six months because of his good recovery.

“They can’t see the tumour anymore,” he said, “but there are a few more years to look at.”

His words of encouragement for those aged 40+ is “please start thinking seriously about your lifestyle, the way you are eating and stay away from processed food and sugar.

“Go to New Zealand and have a CT scan, it’s a $1000 a pop but your life is worth more than that and at least you know your status.”

For those younger than 40 Arioka says “don’t muck around because you’re still in a good state of physical strength and mind, so you need to know your status, have a CT scan before you turn 40, get diagnosed while you’re young.

“As a country we can help by educating and building awareness for our young people.”

Diagnosed as a Stage 4 not terminal, Arioka had a fighting chance that he took and endured.

With discipline and faith, and a huge lifestyle change, Arioka is smiling on his road to recovery, and is an inspiration for others.

“I know I’m doing well and I don’t want my relapse, the good thing is I’m very embedded in my lifestyle now and I don’t want change.

“It is also based on faith – a day of intense meditation for me brings back spiritual discipline,” Arioka said.