From
the Townsend Letter for Doctors & Patients
June 2002 |
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Overcoming
Oncologists' Objections: |
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Patients with prostate and breast cancer often are faced with a discouraging dilemma. Many people diagnosed with cancer have spent a great deal of time seeking out and researching the medical literature relating to their diseases. Ultimately, they encounter the large body of published research and clinical data that reveals how antioxidants and other natural compounds can either directly support recovery from their disease or protect them from the terrible side effects of conventional anticancer therapies. Once they discover this information, it is only natural that they want to incorporate these compounds into their therapy until they talk to their oncologist. By training, cancer specialists will not allow their patients to use any compound they're unfamiliar with. Consequently, when cancer patients want to start taking antioxidants to help them deal with the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, their oncologist usually objects. This leaves patients in a quandary. In this article, I will address how I overcame this obstacle to using nutritional therapy in breast and prostate cancer. In addition, I will talk about the proper nutrients cancer patients can use (either alone or along with conventional therapies) without worrying about potential interactions between conventional anticancer treatments and alternative therapies.
Safe
Support My search led me to Dr. Friedrich Douwes, a noted oncologist and the Executive Medical Director of the St. George Hospital Cancer Treatment Center in Bad Aibling, Germany. I had visited his clinic several times and was aware of his tremendous experience in using these compounds with many patients. I knew that Dr. Douwes was very familiar with using natural therapies along with conventional treatments and that he had reviewed the literature and clinical data on alternative therapies. Dr. Douwes is one of the few oncologists I've ever met who really knows about these natural compounds. He has been using natural treatments for more than two decades. In my experience that is extremely rare for an oncologist. I have many colleagues treating cancer patients with nutritional therapies, but very few of them are oncologists. Collaborating with Dr. Douwes allowed me to develop BCF (Breast Care Formula) and PCF (Prostate Care Formula). When we sat down to begin working on these formulas, we outlined four guiding principals. First, each ingredient had to be backed by published research. Second, the mechanism of a given compound's actions had to be understood. Third, the ingredients had to be completely non-toxic. And fourth, we would only include ingredients that would not interfere in any way with conventional anticancer therapies. We set out to review the ingredients that we knew were helpful in cancer. Some of the ingredients were proven to help patients by protecting healthy cells while making chemotherapeutic drugs more selective for cancer. Other ingredients were shown to help by making chemotherapy in and of itself more effective. By combining these safe and effective ingredients, Dr. Douwes and I hoped that the patients wouldn't find themselves locking horns with their oncologists. The following nutrients have no downside and can be used alone or concomitantly with all of the current anticancer therapies.
Selenium
Coenzyme
Q10
Boswellia
Serrata
Quercetin First, quercetin is a potent aromatase inhibitor that prevents the conversion of DHEA and testosterone to estrogen, which is well established for its role in promoting both breast and prostate cancers. Quercetin also prevents cancer by inhibiting estrone sulfatase in the liver, stimulating the immune response. In addition, quercetin triggers cancer cell apoptosis. It also benefits cancer patients by inactivating potentially carcinogenic liver enzymes while inhibiting the proliferation of cancer metastases. In a recent paper, researchers found that quercetin inhibits the cancer-causing effects of hydrogen peroxide. Cells must communicate with each other to stay healthy and to promote normal cell growth. Hydrogen peroxide is a known tumor promoter that works, in part, by inhibiting normal cell communication. What researchers discovered from animal studies is that quercetin works to inhibit this tumor-promoting property of hydrogen peroxide. The research, just published at the beginning of the year, may help to explain why cancer rates are often lower in people who eat foods high in phytochemicals and vitamin C. Another beneficial property of quercetin is that it works synergistically with numerous drugs used in the treatment of cancer, including ribavarin, adriamycin and tamoxifen.
Lycopene For example, recent epidemiological studies show that lycopene reduces the risk of prostate cancer. Additional research suggests that lycopene may also decrease the growth and spread of prostate cancers. In a Phase II study of men undergoing radical prostatectomy (removal of prostate), 73 percent of men given supplemental lycopene before surgery showed no spread of the cancer beyond the prostate. In the group of controls – men not receiving supplemental lycopene – these numbers were almost reversed. In addition, plasma prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels dropped 18 percent in the lycopene group, while increasing 14 percent in the control group. These results suggest another mechanism by which lycopene decreases growth of prostate cancers.
Lactobacillus
Sporogenes
Convolvulus
Arvensis
Maitake
D-Fraction Another important property of D-fraction is that, if given concomitantly with either chemotherapy or radiation therapy, it enhances the effectiveness of these treatments while also reducing their unpleasant side effects. It does this without reducing or hampering the effectiveness of either therapy. The above ingredients have been shown to benefit both prostate and breast cancer patients. Other ingredients, Dr. Friedrich Douwes and I noted during our collaboration, offer more selective benefits in either prostate or breast cancer. Natural compounds known to inhibit or prevent prostate cancer include:
Zinc
Beta-sitosterol
Pygeum
Africanum & Saw Palmetto
Stinging
Nettle Other natural compounds have been known to inhibit or prevent breast cancer. These include:
Shiitake
Mushroom D-limonene
DIM
(diindolylmethane) DIM is synergistic with chemotherapeutic agents such as tamoxifen. As a preventive supplement, DIM has been shown to lower breast cancer risks by reducing levels of 16-alpha-hydroxyestrone (a biological marker for breast cancer risk) while improving the ratio of 16-alpha-hydroxyestrone to 2-hydroxyestrone. By improving this ratio, DIM is effectively lowering the amount of "bad" estrogen relative to the "good" estrogen. Additionally, DIM: 1) Modifies cytochrome p450 enzyme activity to support detoxification of carcinogens; 2) Induces apoptosis of breast cancer cells; and 3) May stimulate progesterone production.
Green
Tea & Grape Seed Extracts
Conclusion
Dr. Shari Lieberman is a noted researcher, scientist, author, and highly sought-after speaker at anti-aging conferences the world over. For more information about her breast and prostate cancer formulas, contact Vitamin Research Products, 1-800-877-2447. References 1. Vadgama JV, Wu Y, Shen D, Hsia S, Block J. Effect of selenium in combination with Adriamycin or Taxol on several different cancer cells. Anticancer Res. 2000 May-Jun;20(3A):1391-414. 2. Rowlands JC, Casida JE. NADH: ubiquinone oxidoreductase inhibitors block induction of ornithine decarboxylase activity in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Pharmacol Toxicol. 1998 Nov; 83 (5):214-9. 3. Folkers K, Osterborg A, Nylander M, Morita M. Mellstedt H. Activities of vitamin Q10 in animal models and a serious deficiency in patients with cancer. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1997 May 19; 234 (2): 296-9. 4. Lockwood K, Moesgaard S, Folkers K. Partial and complete regression of breast cancer in patients in relation to dosage of coenzyme A10. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1994 Mar 30: 199 (3): 1504-8. 5. Huan MT, Badmaev V, Ding Y, Liu Y, Xie JG, Ho CT. Anti-tumor and anti-carcinogenic activities of triterpenoid, beta-boswellic acid. Biofactors. 2000;13(1-4):225-30. 6. Shao Y, Ho CT, Chin CK, Badmaev V, Ma W, Huang MT. Inhibitory activity of boswellic acids from Boswellia serrata against human leukemia HL-60 cells in culture. Planta Med. 1998 May;64(4):328-31. 7. Kucuk O, Sarkar FH, Sakr W, Kjuric Z, Pollak MN, Khachik F, Li YW, Banerjee M, Grignon D, Bertram JS, Crissman JD, Pontes EJ, Wood DP Jr. Phase II randomized clinical trial of lycopene supplementation before radical prostatectomy. Cancer Epidemial Biomarkers Prev. 2001 Aug:10(8):861-8. 8. Matlaga BR, Hall MC, Stindt D, Torti FM. Response of hormone refractory prostate cancer to lycopene. J Urol. 2001 Aug;166(2):613. 9. Biffi A, Coradini D, Larsen R, Riva L, DiFronzo G. Antiproliferative effect of fermented milk on the growth of a human breast cancer cell line. Nutr Cancer. 1997;28(1):93-9. 10. Rice LJ, Chai YJ, Conti CJ, Willis RA, Locniskar MF. The effect of dietary fermented milk products and lactic acid bacteria on the initiation and promotion stages of mammary carcinogenesis. Nutr Cancer. 1995;24(2):99-109. 11. Platz EA, Helzlsouer KJ. Selenium, zinc, and prostate cancer. Epidemiol Rev. 2001;23(1):93-101. 12. Awad AB, Fink CS, Phytosterols as anticancer dietary components; evidence and mechanism of action. J Nutr. 2000 Sep; 130(9):2127-30. 13. Awad B, Chan KC, Downie AC, Fink CS. Peanuts as a source of beta-sitosterol, a sterol with anticancer properties. Nutr Cancer. 2000;36(2):238-41. 14. Yablonsky F, Nicolas V, Riffaud JP, Bellamy F. Antiproliferative effect of Pygeum africanum extract on rat prostatic fibroblasts. J Urol. 1997 Jun;157(6):2381-7. 15. Lichius JJ, Renneberg H, Blaschek W, Aumuller G, Muth C. The inhibiting effects of components of stinging nettle roots on experimentally induced prostatic hyperplasia in mice. Planta Med. 1999 Oct; 65(7);666-8. 16. Kidd PM. The use of mushroom glucans and proteoglycans in cancer treatment. Altern Med Rev. 2000 Feb;5 (1):4-27. 17. Qing ZJ, Ming QX, Zhong TF. Clinical evaluation of anti-tumor effects of Lentinan combined with chemotherapy in the treatment of various malignancies. Gan To Kagaku Ryoho. 1997 May; 24 Suppl 1:1-8. 18. Taguchi T. [Effects of lentinan in advanced or recurrent cases of gastric, colorectal, and breast cancer]. Gan to Kagaku Ryoho. 1983 Feb;10(2 Pt 2):387-93. 19. Bardon S, Picard K, Martel P. Monoterpenes inhibit cell growth, cell cycle progression, and cyclin D1 gene expression in human breast cancer cell lines. Nutr Cancer. 1998;32(1):1-7. 20. Vigushin DM, Poon GK, Boddy A, English J, Halbert GW, Pagonis C, Jarman M, Coombes RC. Phase I and pharmacokinetic study of D-Limonene in patients with advanced cancer. Cancer Research Campaign Phase I/II Clinical Trials Committee. Cancer chemother Pharmacol. 1998;42(2):111-7. 21. Crowell PL. Monoterpenes in breast cancer chemoprevention. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 1997 Nov-Dec;46(2-3):191-7. 22. Crowell PL, siar Ayoubi A, Burke YD. Antitumerigenic effects of limonene and perillyl alcohol against pancreatic and breast cancer. Adv Exp Med Biol. 1996;401:131-6. 23. Chinni SR, Li Y et al. Indole-3-carbinol induced cell growth inhibition, G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in prostate cancer cells. Oncogene. 2001;20(23):2927-36. 24. Cover CM, Hsieh SJ, et al. Indole-3-carbinol and tamoxifen cooperate to arrest the cell cycle of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Cancer Res. 1999;59(6):1244-51. 25. Bradlow HL, Sepkovic DW, et al. Multifunctional aspects of the action of indole-3-carbinol as an antitumor agent. Ann NY Acad Sci. 1999;889:204-13. 26. Kavanaugh KT, Hafer LJ, Kim DW, Mann KK, Sherr DH, Rogers AE, Sonenshein GE. Green tea extracts decrease carcinogen-induced mammary tumor burden in rats and rate of breast cancer cell proliferation in culture. J Cell Biochem. 2001;82(3):387-98. 27. Inoue M, Tajima K, Mizutani M, Iwata H, Iwase T, Miura S, Hirose K, Hamajima N, Tominaga S. Regular consumption of green tea and the risk of breast cancer recurrence: follow-up study from the Hospital-based Epidemiologic Research Program at Aichi Cancer Center (HERPACC), Japan. Cancer Lett. 2001 Jun 26;167(2):175-82. |
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Search
our pre-2001 archives for
further information. Older issues of the printed magazine are also indexed
for your convenience. |
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1983-2002 Townsend Letter for Doctors & Patients
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November 25, 2003 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||