Montly Miracles

by Michael Gerber, MD, HMD

Cancer Revelations

Cures and Preventions

It has been a remarkable spring 2016 for me. I attended and presented at The 14^th Annual International Integrative Oncology Conference in San Diego and at the 45^th Annual International Conference of ISOM, International Society for Orthomolecular Medicine, in Vancouver, BC followed by attending Medical Cannabis Conference: The Science, The Truth in San Rafael, CA presented by the United Patients Group. I will review but a few of the marvelous presentations from these meetings, several of which have profoundly affected my practice and especially my view of cancer.

San Diego

Once again Annie Brandt, Executive Director of Best Answer for Cancer Foundation, and her staff have put on a great conference on integrative oncology. Three of her presenters deserve particular mention, Jerry Tennant, MD, MD(H), PSc.D., Richard Pooley, MD and David Minkoff, MD.

Healing is Voltage

Cancer’s On/Off Switches

Dr. Tennant, a celebrated ophthalmologist, lectured brilliantly and reviewed the history of cancer therapy from the Egyptian era ca. 1500 BCE through Hippocrates, European innovators, Virchow, Morgagni, Muller and others up to Royal Rife in 1936, Simoncini in 2007 with his cancer is a fungus theory, Peyton Rous, 1911 and his finding that cancer could be transmitted by a virus, Halsted introduced radical mastectomy for breast cancer, Roentgen and Curie discovered radiation and used it to treat cancer, mustard gas therapy was used by Goodman and Gilman for blood cancers and achieved short remissions, Keith Brewer introduced high pH therapy noting that when the cell pH drops below 7 and 6.5 fermentation begins, Yamamoto in 2007 published his work on GcMAF (or protein-derived macrophage activating factor) a lymphokine that makes macrophages cytotoxic to tumors and blocks nagalase (alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase) which inhibits the production of GcMAF, without GcMAF the immune system literally goes to sleep. Nagalase is also made by the palcenta to protect it from being destroyed.

He also reviews the dismal effectiveness of current cancer therapy; 5-year survival in adults is estimated to be 2.1% in the USA. John Beard published The Enzyme Treatment of Cancer in 1911. He postulated that in pregnancy the placenta is like a tumor that protects the fetus from the mother’s immune system. The placenta produces nagalase to confound the mother’s GcMAF and turns off macrophages so they won’t attack the placenta or the fetus. Trophoblasts form as the outer layer around the early embryo and are indistinguishable from cancer cells. Trophoblasts are stem cells. The trophoblastic placenta though initially resembling a malignancy in looks and behavior at a critical and precise point transforms from an undifferentiated, highly invasive, rapidly growing, angiogenic tumor-like tissue, into the mature non-aggressive, non-proliferating, life-sustaining placenta. Normal trophoblasts seem to know when to stop replicating and invading, whereas malignant cells do not. When the embryonic pancreas comes to life the placenta changed direction, stopping its cancer-like invasion of the maternal uterus. Trypsin, the main proteolytic enzyme, serves to control placental growth and prevent the tissue from invading beyond the uterus as a true cancer might. Beard said, “Trypsin alone, a most deadly remedy for cancer if employed without amylase, is mentioned.”

Amylase is not produced in the human fetal pancreas gland until some months after birth. There is a near absence of amylase in the uterus during all of fetal life. It is likely that the amount of amylase in the uterus controls the amount of GcMAF present and thus the activity of the immune system attacking the placenta. Additionally, the placenta is surrounded by nagalase, a protein that shuts down the function of GcMAF, further protecting it from damage by the mother’s immune system. Amylase activates GcMAF and trypsin destroys nagalase. Vitamin D₃ is critical to make GcMAF. Amylase levels are controlled by whether we are making stomach acid. It is important to stop drugs that shut down stomach acid. The signal for stem cells to make a placenta is a reversal of polarity. Reversal of polarity is accompanied by switching from aerobic to anaerobic. This tells the stem cells you need a placenta to provide more oxygen. All cancers are placentas attempting to provide acupuncture circuits with the missing voltage, oxygen and nutrients they need.

Otto Warburg showed that cancer cannot exist in the presence of oxygen. The amount of oxygen in a cell is dictated by the voltage of the cell. As oxygen drops, cell wall deficient fungus appears and begins to damage cells.

Voltage and Root Canals

Tennant showed electron donning and stealing charts. Our electrical voltage should be at least -25 millivolts or lower. As the voltage goes into a positive phase above +30 mv, disease, chronic infection and cancer are stimulated. Our body’s electrical energy system flows through acupuncture meridians and facial plains. Many environmental factors influence our energetic health such as radiation, chemotherapy, pesticides, hydrocarbons, asbestos, hypothyroidism, adrenal fatigue, lack of fulvic acid and NO, GMO foods, statin drugs, but none is more powerful than root-canaled teeth. The teeth are at one end of our acupuncture meridians and when they are dead and infected from root canals it is like pulling the plug on that whole electrical system. He feels nothing can be done to ever overcome the toxins from a root canal with anything, it must be removed and the infected bone cleared. Dental infections were present in 48/50 cases on the same meridian as the primary cancer or in the adjacent meridian. Infections in bone can spread to adjacent meridians. I think the reader would love to read Dr. Tennant’s book where he cover’s all this material and much more and gives his 14 point Tennant THEORY of Cancer.

Richard Pooley, MD

Cancer Treatment with Natural Thyroid Hormone and Physiological Doses of Hydrocortisone

Representing the Broda Barnes Foundation, Dr. Pooley, a reincarnated cardiothoracic surgeon presented some striking new/old ideas for cancer treatment. He gave a thorough review of adrenal cortical hormone metabolism and Harvard trained endocrinologist William McK. Jefferies, MD work with cortisol in his book Safe Uses of Cortisol which was written as a rebuttal to immune suppressive effects of high dose hydrocortisone used in the late 1940’s. Doses of 100 to 200 mg per day gave miraculous results in rheumatoid arthritis patients for which Drs. Kendal and Hench received the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1950. However, the undesirable effects of Cushing’s disease, moon face, thinning of the skin, bruising, spontaneous fractures, fluid retention, diminished resistance to infection, as well as collapse and death under anesthesia, even when undergoing minor surgical procedures became evident. The attitude toward glucocorticoid therapy reversed from unbridled enthusiasm to extreme alarm.

However, Jefferies continued to experiment with small physiological doses of cortisone and, later cortisol. As documented in the three editions of his classic book, he showed clearly that, although in high pharmacological doses these glucocorticoid hormones depress the immune system, at low physiological doses they have the paradoxical and opposite effect of enhancing immune function.

Cancer and Thyroid Deficiency

In 1977, Schwartz¹ reported on a 50 –year retrospective study of 74 hypothyroid patients, divided into two groups: a treated group who received at least 2-3 grains of natural desiccated thyroid hormone, and an untreated group who received no treatment at all or less than one grain of thyroid. In the treated group of 31 patients, there was only one case of cancer for an incidence of 3.2%. In the untreated group of 43 patients, there were 32 cases of cancer for an incidence of 74.4%. This study strongly suggests a protective role of thyroid hormone in the prevention of cancer.

In the Barnes Foundation experience, every patient with cancer is both thyroid and cortisol deficient and have had several patients with end-stage metastatic cancer who have been cured after supplementing with natural thyroid hormone and physiological doses of hydrocortisone. Pooley gave several case studies with profound remissions of breast and colon cancer following this protocol.

Total Estrogens and Immunoglobulins

Atypical Cortisol Estrogen Imbalance Syndrome (ACEIS) or Plechner’s syndrome

Since September 2015 Pooley has been collaborating with Dr. Alfred Plechner, DVM who over 45 years of clinical veterinary practice found animals with cancer, autoimmune disease and severe allergies had low cortisol function, high total estrogen and low immunoglobulins. When he gave physiological doses of a glucocorticoid hormone, the total estrogens decrease and normalize, the immunoglobulins increase and normalize and the animals showed dramatic improvement. Hence the ACEIS syndrome was born.

Most clinicians, including myself, never measure total estrogen which is not just estradiol, estrone and estriol and their metabolites 2,4,16 hydroxyestrone, 2-methoxyestrone and 2 methoxyestradiol but rather all of the adrenal estrogens that are related to significant cortisol deficiency. The patients’ total estrogen routinely normalizes, as the dose of hydrocortisone is optimized. The description of the total estrogens measured in this lab test is not readily apparent but adrenal estrogens include 27- hydroxycholesterol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), 7-oxo-DHEA, 7a-hydroxy-DHEA, 16a-hydroxy-DHEA, 7b-hydroxyepiandrosterone, delta⁴-androstenedione, delta⁵-androstenediol, 3a-androstanediol and 3b-androstanediol and others have important endogenous functions as estrogens^2,3. Apparently pituitary ACTH is over stimulated when the cortisol is not functioning properly and the estrogens are over produced.

Plechner and Pooley are also measuring Immunoglobulins IgA, Ig G and IgM which are frequently low in cancer and autoimmune patients. Giving hydrocortisone from 5 mg 4x/d up to 10 mg 4x/d normalized the high total estrogens and improved the immunoglobulins into the normal range. Remissions were also associated with a decrease in elevated cortisol binding globulin into the normal range which he feels is 3.0 mg/dL or less. You can contact Pooley at rwpooley@icloud.com

Essential Amino Acid Deficiencies in Cancer

David Minkoff, MD

Dr. Minkoff presented convincing evidence that most of us are protein and amino acid deficient, especially cancer patients. Proteins govern structural and mechanical support, enzymes and hormones synthesis, fluid balance regulation, acid-base balance, transport of oxygen, waste products, electrolytes, antibody and immune response and energy metabolism.

Protein malnutrition has many consequences including loss of lean body mass which is one of the most significant markers of aging. The average person loses 25-30% of their lean body mass between ages 30-60. Loss of lean body mass manifests in muscle, bone, connective tissue, immune proteins, hormones, and enzymes. The elderly make protein as well as young people but often have poor protein intake and digestive, absorptive problems that lead to: low essential amino acids, low bone weights in women, low hormone levels, low neurotransmitters, anemia, immune globulins, cytokines and white blood cells.

He reviews several diets including SAD, vegan, Gerson, ketogenic diet and their protein contents. I especially liked his satire of the oncologist’s diet: eat what you want it doesn’t matter, drink Boost it will nourish you well, supplements are a waste of money besides, they inhibit chemo. Boost contains50% carbohydrate (sucrose), 15% protein and 35% fat. The protein source is milk protein concentrate, calcium and sodium caseinates and soy protein isolate.

Common barriers to protein absorption include stomach acid blocking drugs which are a $24 billion per year market. No HCl = protein mal-digestion. Lowered pancreatic enzyme levels were found in eight of ten of his patients with low chymotrypsin levels in stool samples. They also have dysbiosis and food sensitivities that cause brush border damage and compromise absorption of amino acids and other nutrients. Protein-energy malnutrition is associated with a significant impairment of cell-mediated immunity, phagocyte function, complement system, secretory immunoglobulin A antibody concentrations, and cytokine production⁴.

What determines if amino acids are made into proteins? It is determined only by the ratio of the eight essential amino acids and describes what percentage of amino acids will be used anabolically for body protein synthesis. The “Perfect” essential amino acid blend is made 99% into protein. Ten grams of the following essential amino acids profile and contain only 4 calories: l-leucine 1.964 g, l-valine 1.657 g, l-isoleucine 1.483 g, l-lysine 1.429 g, l-phenylalanine 1.289 g, l-threonine 1.111g, l-methionine 0.699 g and l-tryptophan 0.368 g. About 30 grams a day of essential amino acids of the right blend of amino acids is needed to maintain a normal body.

Cancer Treatment

Dr. Minkoff presented 12 cases of stage III and IV cancers and looked at their amino acid profile. All of the patients were very low in the essential amino acids especially those related to detoxification. In addition to IPT, vitamins and minerals, ketogenic diet with 80% of calories from fat, he gave the Perfect Essential Amino Acid formula at 10 grams TID. With this approach he saw protein restoration and anabolic response in just a few weeks. There was resolution of severe anemia and cachexia.

ISOM Vancouver

Stephen Carter, Founding Director of the International Society for Orthomolecular Medicine, assembled a great conference with over 30 nations represented. Of the many outstanding lectures I would like to review one my favorites.

Oral Pathogens as a Common Cause of Chronic Disease

By Thomas Levy, MD, JD

Dr. Levy, cardiologist, who has given us very important books on vitamin C^5-6 and the horrors of excess calcium in the body⁷ including increased cancer risk. He stands on the shoulders of great dental pioneers such as Weston Price, DDS (The Price of Root Canals, 1922), George Meinig, DDS (The Root Canal Cover Up,1993), Dr. Josef Issels, the famous, German physician, found that 98% of his adult advanced cancer patients had, in Issels’words, “between two and ten dead teeth.” Dr. Issels categorized a root canal as a dead tooth. Issels wrote this in 2005 in Cancer: A Second Opinion. Issels always extracted these teeth first, and his cancer survival rates were quite phenomenal.

Hal Huggins, DDS was an early influence for Dr. Levy on the dental/health relationship and his books, It’s All in Your Head, 1993 and Uniformed Consent: The Hidden Dangers in Dental Care 1999 co-authored with Levy. His lecture amplified Dr. Tenant’s presentation in San Diego and identified the mechanisms, biochemistry and microbiology of the pathological consequences of root canaled teeth.

Oxidative Stress – Common Denominator of Chronic Degenerative Disease.

All infections and all toxins cause cell/tissue damage and produce symptoms by increasing oxidative stress. No exceptions. Dental infections and dental toxicity are involved in oxidative stress. When the pathogens in the mouth are allowed and helped to magnify, substantial chronic disease can then ensue, lead prominently by heart disease, cancer, and autoimmune disease. Primary sources of oral infection/toxicity are root canaled teeth, abscessed teeth, chronic periodontal infection/inflammation, cavitational gangrene (old extractions and around root tips of root canal-treated teeth), chronically infected tonsils (draining root canals and other infected teeth), infected dental implants and toxic metals (mercury, nickel, etc.).

Over 5000 consecutive extracted root can-treated teeth were examined and analyzed. 100% had pathogens and highly potent pathogen-related toxins. All root canal-treated teeth continually produce endogenous toxins as the pathogens proliferate. Root canals that have been “identified” as infected have been found to have fungi, viruses, and over 460 different types of bacteria. Root canal-treated teeth, which are 100% infected, shows radiolucency from bone resorption secondary to infection between 40 and 70% of the time dependent on the quality of the X-ray and the experience of the interpreting dentist. Three D cone X-rays are more likely to find infected lesions. New 3-D Cat Scans of maxilla and mandible use only 1/4^th the usual radiation dose also detect hidden infections and especially retro molar cavitations.

Root Canal-Treated Teeth and Heart Attacks

The DNA of oral pathogens typical for root canal and gum infection flora has consistently been identified in coronary atherosclerotic plaque,(Haraszthy (2000) Matilla (2005), Mahendra (2010). Also consistent with the poly-pathogen oral presence, a bacterial diversity of >50 different species has been identified in atherosclerotic lesions obtained via atherectomy Ott (2006). Total amount of oral pathogens found in acute myocardial infarctions was 16 times higher than in arterial blood. (Pessi (2013). This same process occurs in cerebrovascular arteries, and in a majority of patients with ruptured and unruptured intracranial aneurysms. (Pyysalo 2013 and 2016).

Nearly 90% of the time a very minimal exploration by a dental drill will find cavitations at the sites of healed-over wisdom teeth extractions, commonly decades after the extractions. (Levy & Huggins (1996) Journal of Advancment in Medicine 9:2235-249.) All chronic degenerative diseases are caused or worsened by chronic infections and the increased oxidative stress that they inflict throughout the body. Many significant diseases, such as coronary artery disease, are primarily caused by dental infections and toxins. Many cancers, especially of the breast, are also directly due to the same source of infection and toxicity.

I keep Dr. Levy’s book The Toxic Tooth www.medfoxpub.com at deskside in my office. The detailed review of the chemical pathways relative to hyper coagulation is very persuasive. I can relate hours of tooth horror stories in my family and patients. Why do patients suddenly develop deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms? Check out the teeth. EAV and ART can immediately demonstrate toxic teeth as well as advanced radiology techniques. Having The Toxic Tooth book on your desk will help with the relatively hard sell to convince patients of the importance of removing festering, deadly, toxic teeth. The color plates of infected teeth and bones are pretty gory and scary. Finding a dentist to do this politically incorrect procedure is also challenging. If the patient is wishy/washy about removing teeth, the dentist is not likely to do it. Dental boards insist there is no problem with root canaled teeth. Dentists associated with the IABDM (International Academy of Biological Dentistry and Medicine) and IAOMT (International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology) dental groups are more likely to offer root canal clean out services. After cleaning out the tooth socket removing foul smelling grey/brown infection down to bleeding, white bone followed by infiltration with ozonated water to kill any residual infection and then making a PRP (platelet rich protein) patch to go into the surgical site to help remake good bone is pretty state of the art. Levy also emphasizes the epidemic of hypothyroidism which inhibits immunity and infectious disease fighting power.

Tripping Over the Truth, By Travis Christofferson

In Vancouver after enjoying his lecture on pediatrics our Kansas medical colleague, Ron Hunninghake, MD, encouraged us to read Tripping Over the Truth by Christofferson⁸. I was immediately absorbed in the book. He writes with a great sensitivity for the giants in cancer research both in causality and therapeutics with a very personal approach. It reveals the relationships of renowned innovators and gives insights into the settings of their research perspectives. The book weaves a fascinating look at the history of science and medicine as it relates to cancer.

He begins with Otto Warburg’s observation that cancer cells have a perverted method of generating energy in 1924. They truncate the conversion of (sugar) into energy and depend much less on the efficient process of respiratory energy creation, using oxygen-instead relying much more on the ancient and highly inefficient pathway known as fermentation. Later in his career, Warburg contended that this was the true origin of cancer. This hypothesis was largely buried in the annals of science until it was resurrected by Peter Pedersen of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in the 1970’s and 1980’s and methodically nurtured it back to life.

Warburg was a son of the famous Warburg family and a Ph.D and MD. He was a friend of Einstein and survived the Nazi’s even being a Jew. Seyfried expanded upon Warburg’s hypothesis noting that indeed cancer cells had damaged mitochondrion and where unable to generate enough energy for the cell DNA mutations start to change the cell into a cancer creating cell.

The history of cancer research was plagued with false starts and damaged hopes. Christopherson takes the reader through the beginnings of chemotherapy, genome sequencing research and the ultimate failure to find important, safe remedies for cancer. Circling back to Pederson and his highly talented research assistant, Young Kee Ho, who couldn’t understand why a cancer cell would function with high levels of lactic acid generated by the fermentation of glucose. She developed a molecule that would shut down the cancer cells porous membrane to lactic acid, 3-bromopyruvate. This would then poison the cancer cell. It proved to be highly successful in animal models of liver and kidney cancer and worked very well in one human case of liver cancer. This has yet to be FDA approved and is a highly unstable molecule. Please enjoy this book!

Medical Cannabis: The Science. The Truth.

San Rafael, California

John and Corinne Malanca, Founders of the United Patients Group, presented a marvelous collection of clinicians, scientists and inspiring testimonials of patients who overcame catastrophic illness with preparations of cannabis. It was a very professional presentation of speakers and source materials. In the beginning John and Corrine’s father was diagnosed with lung cancer with brain metastases and given two weeks to live. He began cannabis therapy five years ago and looked terrific as I followed him in the lunch line during the conference. The Malanca’s have developed a fervent objective to work with doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other medical professionals who are committed to offering their patients the very latest modalities for healing.

Dustin Sulak, DO from Maine provided a great depth of understanding of endocannabinoid receptors and synthesis. Cannabinoid receptors evolved 600 million years ago and are found in the fruit fly all the way up the evolutionary chain to man. Cannabinoid receptors CB1 are located in the CNS, testes, uterus, adipose tissue, connective tissue, endocrine glands, exocrine glands, leukocytes, spleen, heart, GI tract and Liver. CB2 receptors are located in monocytes, macrophages, B-cell, T-cells, liver, spleen, tonsils, CNS and enteric nervous system. They have a complex interaction with about every major control system in the human body. The endocannabinoid system has a balancing effect on homeostasis.

Health conditions influenced by cannabinoids include the following: ADD/ADHD, ALS, Alzheimer’s, anorexia, anxiety, asthma, ataxia, bipolar disease, cachexia, cancer, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, cramps, Crohn’s, diabetes, depression, epilepsy, fever, fibromyalgia, glaucoma, hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, incontinence, insomnia, migraine, MRSA, multiple sclerosis, nausea, neuralgia, neuropathy, Parkinson’s, PMS, PTSD, rheumatoid arthritis, seizure disorders, sickle cell anemia, spasms, spinal injury, stroke, Tourette’s and vomiting. In neoplasm cannabinoids inhibit tumor growth in multiple cell line: breast carcinoma, prostate carcinoma, colorectal carcinoma, gastric adenocarcinoma, skin carcinoma, leukemia, glioblastoma and CNS tumors, lung carcinoma, uterine carcinoma, thyroid epithelioma, pancreatic adenocarcinoma, cervical carcinoma, oral cancer, biliary tract cancer and lymphoma. Its anti-neoplastic activity has multiple mechanisms. It induces apoptosis via a CB1 mediated ceramide-caspase pathway, suppresses tumor angiogenesis, inhibits cancer adhesion and migration and has selective antitumor compounds that kill cancer cells without injuring healthy cells. Sulak presented about 50 times more information than this and has a book and site called Healer.com, also www.Intergr8Health.com.

Of the many powerful cases presented using cannabis two are very memorable. A 57 year old woman with a 27 year history of chronic brain injury, epilepsy and dementia had intractable seizures and couldn’t talk or feed herself. She was run over by a 16 year old and sustained severe brain injury which was aggravated by recurrent falls and concussions during seizures. Her medications were up to 43 pills per day with no improvement in her condition. After beginning cannabis preparations she was able to stop all medications except for 2 mg of alprazolam and presented to the conference with a delightful sense of humor and read her own poetry without any apparent disability.

A young man presented with a history of severely debilitating case of Crohn’s disease with severe pain, growth retardation and other diagnoses of rheumatoid arthritis and lupus since age 11. After years of continuous treatment at Mayo Clinic and Washington U. Medical Center with many immunosuppressive drugs creating debilitating side effects he still had severe pathology in his colon and was facing colectomy. Upon beginning cannabis therapy within three months he was asymptomatic, off all medications and all his colon lesions completely healed. He is a national advocate for cannabis therapy today.

All told it was an eye opening event. Therapy can be complex with different ratios of CBD (cannabidiol) not psychoactive, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) psychoactive. Bonni Goldstein, MD, pediatrician, from southern California, would select ratios of CBD/THC from 30/one to one to one for her severe epilepsy patients. The dosage is adjusted empirically and employs many different cannabis preparations including CBD, THC, THCA, CBDA, CBN and CBG. It’s a new world out there for cannabis therapeutics. I think employing EAV by making pre-made different ratios of cannabinoids might make arriving at the optimum dose and ratios a lot quicker.

All of cannabinoid therapy is complicated of course by Federal and State law and a general lack of understanding about the endocannabinoid receptors and the powerful, therapeutic potential of cannabis by care givers and the public at large.

Notes

1. Schwartz S. The relationship of thyroid deficiency to cancer: a 50-year retrospective study. The Journal of the International Academy of Preventive Medicine 1977;6(1):9-21.

2, Baker ME (2013). “What are the physiological estrogens?”. Steroids 

78

 (3): 337–40.doi:10.1016/j.steroids.2012.12.011. PMID 23313336.

3. Miller KK, Al-Rayyan N, Ivanova MM, Mattingly KA, Ripp SL, Klinge CM, Prough RA (2013). “DHEA metabolites activate estrogen receptors alpha and beta”. Steroids 

 (1): 15–25. doi:10.1016/j.steroids.2012.10.002. PMC 3529809. PMID 23123738

4. Am J Clin Nutr. 1997 Aug;66(2): 460S-463S

5. Curing the Incurable. Vitamin C, Infectious Diseases and Toxins. Thomas Levy MD, JD 2001. www.MedFoxPub.com

6. Primal Panacea. Thomas Levy, MD, JD, 2011, www.MedFoxPub.com

7. Death by Calcium. Thomas Levy, MD, JD 2013 www.MedFoxPub.com

8. Tripping Over The Truth. Travis Christofferson 2014, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, North Charleston, South Carolina