how to cure cancer

Introduction

Every year, approximately 1.2 million Americans are diagnosed with cancer and 560,000 die of the disease. In America, 1 of every 2 men and 1 out of every 3 women will develop cancer in their lifetimes, and one quarter of all deaths are caused by this disease. Cancer is the second largest cause of death in America after heart disease. Cancer is a very predictable disease : without effective treatment, it is almost invariably progressive.

Since U.S. President Richard Nixon declared “war on cancer” in 1971, estimates suggest the United States has spent, if adjusted for inflation, about $200 billion dollars on cancer research. According to the National Coalition For Cancer Research, approximately $107 billion dollars are spent on cancer health care costs annually. Approximately 2/3 of cancer occurs in patients over 65, the demographic group covered by Medicare. Due to the aging of the population, by 2010 cancer incidence is expected to increase 29% and mortality 25%, pushing annual costs over $200 billion. The Medicare program already faces serious financial shortfalls and will be unable to sustain effective patient care if cancer prevention and treatment options do not improve significantly over the current model.

While survival rates vary widely depending on the type of cancer, one fact stands out : the "war on cancer" waged by the medical establishment with the massive funds at its disposal is not making spectacular progress in increasing survival rates. In fact, since the 1970s, further improvement has been less than 5%. The following quote from the website of the National Cancer Institute/National Institute of health sums it up best :

"The overall 5-year relative survival rate for all cancer sites combined increased slightly from 49.3 percent in 1974-76 to 53.9 percent in 1983-90. Early data from 1960-63 and 1970-73 were not available for all races combined. Survival rates vary by primary site from less than 3 percent for cancer of the pancreas to more than 90 percent for cancer of the thyroid."

Not a great amount of progress for all that time and money, is it? Perhaps the reason for this is that the standard approach has remained basically unchanged since the cancer treatment industry was first established in the 1950s. Surgeons find slightly better methods to cut out tumors, without realizing that these growths are just the manifestation of systemic disease. Radiation, which destroys surrounding tissue as well as cancer cells, is targeted in a slightly tighter area. Drug companies invent more variations of existing cytotoxic drugs and hormone blockers to stop further expansion of tumors.

However, the basic approach and understanding of the cause of cancer remains unchanged. Furthermore, those who question orthodox medical treatment are harassed and alternative avenues of research, such as the relationship between infection and cancer, receive little funding.

If the western medicine cancer industry actually worked, cancer would be cured by now. Cancer treatment in America has become a huge, lucrative, self-protective industry loathe to see its profits reduced, as would occur if inexpensive, natural treatments became widely available. While some university hospitals are starting to conduct tests on natural methods of cancer treatment, there is a large element of the medical establishment that still actively suppresses alternative theories about cancer initiation and growth, and in some cases alternative practitioners have been hounded out of the country.

No-one in their right mind would advocate "long term management" of a case of pneumonia, and there is not an abundance of support groups to help patients cope with the sequelae of broken bones. Such conditions are effectively treated, and the patients sent on their way cured! Yet this ludicrous scenario is accepted as normal in the case of cancer, and cancer patients are expected to put up with it unquestioningly.

The situation is reminiscent of the Victorian era, when tuberculosis was feared as the "white plague" or "consumption" and patients were sent off to sanatoria in the countryside for months and sometimes years. There, they were subjected to drastic and ineffective treatments such as surgically-induced lung collapse (pneumothorax), and sometimes removal of ribs. Survival was often more a matter of luck than science.

No doubt the owners of these sanatoria resented being put out of business by the advent of antibiotics. However, lacking lobby groups and the clout of the modern American medical-industrial complex, they were swept away by medical progress. Unfortunately, the cancer industry has grown powerful enough to defend itself against demands for change. The current treatment of cancer seems to be defined by willful ignorance of both the root causes of the disease and any safe, humane treatments.

This is not due to active malice against cancer patients and alternative practitioners, it is simply the predictable end product of a profit-driven drug manufacturing system.

According to Philip Day, author of Cancer: Why We're Still Dying to Know the Truth, even the members of the establishment-sanctioned cancer industry no longer believe in its methods. In a survey of 79 oncologists from McGill University Cancer Center in Canada, 64 said they would not consent to treatment with Cisplatin, a common chemotherapy drug, while 58 oncologists said they would reject all the current trials being carried out by their establishment. Why? "The ineffectiveness of chemotherapy and its unacceptable degree of toxicity."

This Website was created for cancer patients who want to supplement the ineffective "cut, burn and poison" strategies that make up the bulk of conventional cancer treatment. The list of treatments offered on this website can be used by themselves or alongside conventional treatments, though in some cases it is advisable to wait for a break in a chemotherapy schedule since chemotherapy can interfere with the action of substances designed to enhance the body's immune system. Most of these treatment protocols are complementary, and cancer patients increase their odds of survival by using as many credible approaches as possible. Some are traditional folk remedies from herbalists, others are entirely modern inventions.

Conventional Theories of Cancer Development

Tumors begin to grow when cells multiply rapidly without control.

Normally, the body maintains a system of checks and balances on cell growth so that cells divide to produce new cells only when required. Disruption of this system results in uncontrolled division and proliferation of cells which eventually forms a mass known as a tumor.

Tumors are classified as benign or malignant, though the word "cancer" refers to cells and not tumors that are considered malignant. Benign tumors are often removable (depending on location) and do not spread to other parts of the body. Malignant tumors grow aggressively and invade surrounding tissues of the body, and also travel through the bloodstream or lymphatic system to other sites, a process called metastasis.

The basic cause of uncontrolled cell division is thought to be genetic mutation, caused by pollutants (such as tobacco smoke), inherited genetic defects (BRCA1 or BRCA2 breast cancer genes), and in rare cases infectious agents (such as the human papilloma virus linked to cervical cancer, and helicobacter pylori with stomach cancer).

Conventional Treatments

Most conventional cancer treatments take advantage of the fact that cancer cells multiply faster than normal cells. Chemo and radiotherapy are selectively toxic to dividing cells. Since a tumor is believed to be a local occurrence, surgeons attempt to remove the growth manually.

Tumors known to be hormone responsive, such as those of the breast, prostate and uterus, are treated with hormone blockers.

Different tumors respond to different drugs, and there is no single regime of treatment applicable to all types of cancer. Often patients are subjected to several rounds of chemotherapy in an effort to eradicate all tumor cells. Due to the general toxicity of chemo drugs, the dose must be carefully titrated and spread out over time.

Due to these well known dangers of radiation, radiologists attempt to minimize radiation exposure to healthy tissue while still attempting to kill tumor cells. The dose of radiation is strictly limited. To spare normal tissues (such as skin or organs which radiation must pass through in order to treat the tumor), several radiation beams can be aimed from several angles of exposure to intersect at the location of a tumor, providing a much larger cumulative dose in the localized area.

Advantages of "Conventional" Cancer Treatment

Because these methods are sanctioned by the massive American medical-industrial complex, radiation, chemotherapy and surgery are available in every major hospital, providing you or your insurer can pay the hefty bill. Multiple clinical studies on these methods have been done, so patients can assess before entering treatment the likelihood that it will help them. The majority of conventional cancer treatments will usually lead to at least slightly longer survival times than no treatment at all.

Since these forms of treatment constitute the experience of the "average" cancer patient, there are a lot of support groups available to provide psycho-social support and allow patients to commiserate with each other. It is unlikely that any health care provider or family member will question your decision if you decide to conform to this prevailing treatment model.

Drawbacks of "Conventional" Cancer Treatment

Conflict Of Interest

Maintenance of cancer as a chronic disease, rather than a complete cure, provides the greatest income to agencies of the cancer industry, to the point where there is a conflict of interest between the financial wellbeing of the cancer industry and the health of cancer patients. If a cheap, permanent cancer cure was unveiled, it would be a major financial blow to the medical-industrial complex.

The mean cost of treating women with breast cancer is $31,735.

That's based on a life expectancy of two to three and a half years.

The typical cost of treating a terminal cancer patient today is $350,000 for a full course of radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery.

The entire government regulatory system which is supposed to safeguard public health is stacked in favor of large pharmaceutical companies. Natural cancer treatments cannot produce large profits for drug companies because they cannot be patented. Large profits are required to fund the expensive clinical trials needed for FDA drug approval. Therefore, natural treatments never receive FDA approval to treat diseases. American physicians are only allowed to prescribe treatments which bear the FDA stamp of approval. Those who prescribe treatments which are not FDA approved can be sued for malpractice or lose their licenses.

Many institutions supposedly dedicated to finding cancer cures have strong ties to a variety of large industries. For example, the American Cancer Society, America's largest volunteer cancer agency, spends approximately only a quarter of its massive budget on research, according to medical researcher Dr. Samuel S. Epstein, with the bulk of monies collected going to administrative costs. It is closely affiliated with industrial manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies and the mammography industry, and has repeatedly lobbied against environmental laws to limit public exposure to carcinogenic industrial toxins and pesticides. In 1992, The Chronicle of Philanthropy reported that the ACS was "more interested in accumulating wealth than in saving lives."

While studies on conventional cancer treatments are plentiful, one must beware of their accuracy. Because of the large profit potential of new drugs, the temptation always exists to alter or misinterpret statistics in favor of the drug company. Unfortunately, the possibility of scientific fraud surrounding drug research must always be considered, not only in the area of cancer drugs but also in studies of other widely-used medications such as anti-depressants and cholesterol-lowering drugs.

Poor Results

Conventional cancer treatments, while usually better than nothing, leave a lot to be desired. First of all, with many cancers such as those of the lung, breast or prostate, the term "cure" is used with caution or not at all. Doctors speak in terms of 5 and 10 year survival rates, temporary remissions during which time the patient slowly becomes more debilitated from both the continued growth of the tumor as well as the toxic treatments and mutilating surgeries used against it.

In the case of some cancers, such as lung cancer, pancreatic cancer or glioblastoma (a form of brain tumor), even the short term two-year survival rates are very low.

Tumor cells are like bacteria in that some of them have "resistance" to drugs intended to kill them. Most tumors contain a small number, approximately 2%, of MDR (multiple drug-resistant) cells which are unaffected by chemotherapeutic agents. After the initial round of chemo, all of the cancer cells that are not resistant are destroyed. Since this accounts for the vast bulk of the tumor, it initially appears to be effectively shrunken. However, the remaining MDR cells start to multiply and the tumor regrows with a cell population which consists entirely of resistant cells. The next time chemo is used, it has no effect. This is why giving chemo after a cancer reoccurs often results in treatment failure. Only alternative health care offers treatments proven to be effective against MDR cells.

In the journal Nature in November 2006, Canadian and Italian researchers report that cancers are caused by rogue stem cells, which themselves divide slowly but which create a second generation of cells which then replicate rapidly to form tumors. Dr. John Dick, who first published a 1994 article in Nature linking stem cells to leukemia, feels this study will cause a revolution in the methodology of cancer treatment. Stem cells are highly resistant to all the standard cancer therapies currently in use.

The stem cell theory explains the inability of radiation or chemotherapy to ever completely remove every last cancer cell, because the slow-growing rogue stem cells at the base of the tumor are relatively insensitive to measures targeting fast-growing cells. Such treatments only destroy the fast-growing progeny of such cells, and as soon as the treatments cease, the stem cell will produce another generation of them. The cancer returns, and spreads at an even faster pace than before because conventional treatments have weakened the immune system which keeps cancer in check.

This would not be the first time stem cells have been suggested as the cause of tumors. As early as 1855, famed pathologist Rudolph Virchow suggested that embryonic remnants caused tumors, a suggestion echoed by Scottish embryologist John Beard in 1902. It has been noted by numerous scientists over the decades that only a small minority of cancer cells actually have the potential to regrow the original cancer, but this knowledge was never practically applied as treatments have traditionally been fixated on defeating only the fast-growing cells.

High Cost

Standard medical treatments are extremely expensive, since they require surgical facilities, radiation equipment and patented drugs. For example, Herceptin, which is used to treat breast cancer, carries an annual price tag of $45,000 to $60,000, making it unaffordable for wide use. Cancer patients without health plans are often forced into bankruptcy, or lose their homes.

Collateral Damage

Surgery is invasive, risky, and causes mutilation. Often it is impossible to excise a tumor without severe damage to surrounding tissues and organs.

Chemotherapy and radiotherapy target the characteristic of cancer cells to grow faster than normal. The problem with this approach is that all the cells of the body are constantly renewing themselves at some rate, so there is always some level of systemic toxicity. The fastest growing cells are those of the hair follicles, gastrointestinal tract, and the immune system. However, even slow growing cells such as those within the brain are affected. The usual aftermath of chemotherapy is hair loss, nausea and gastrointestinal problems, anemia, low white cell count (immunosuppression), general malaise, and mental impairment ("chemo brain").

In the case of radiotherapy, even cells which are not replicating at all can be burned, and local damage of the tissues surrounding the tumor usually occurs, resulting in immediate pain and irritation followed by fibrosis in the long term. Additionally, radiation itself causes genetic mutation which can lead to even more tumors years later.

Dr. Alfred I. Neugut, associate professor of clinical medicine and of public health, used data from the Connecticut Tumor Registry to follow up breast cancer patients who received radiation therapy before 1980, when doses of therapeutic radiation were higher than they are today. Two studies found that radiation therapy for women with breast cancer raised their risk of both esophageal and lung cancer compared with breast cancer patients who did not receive radiation therapy.

Children, because their bodies contain more rapidly growing cells, are even more negatively affected by standard cancer therapies than adults. Approximately one in every 350 individuals living in the United States develops a cancer before the age of 20.Until the 1960s, few children survived cancer. In the last 40 years, however, researchers have raised the survival rate for childhood cancer to over 70%.

This is certainly a remarkable and highly commendable achievement. However, it is evident that these youthful survivors often have severe, irreversible long term handicaps directly attributable to the cancer therapy itself. A 1998 study by M.C. Stevens found that "58% of the survivors had at least one 'chronic medical problem' and 32%, two or more. Infertility (14%), nephrectomy (11%), thyroid hormone deficiency (9%), visual handicap (9%), sex hormone (7%) and growth hormone (7%) replacement therapy were the most common problems." ²

This finding was confirmed by a report from the Institute of Medicine, a branch of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences which advises the American government on health matters. They found that approximately two thirds of childhood cancer survivors had health problems ranging from growth problems, learning disorders, heart disease, to secondary cancers. These effects were due to both the lingering effects of the disease or the treatment.

Pain and psychosocial problems are caused by both the treatment milieu and the actual medical practices. Even if the cancer will cause no symptoms until late in its course, conventional treatments are guaranteed to cause debilitation and illness right away. Cancer patients are often overwhelmed by feelings of helplessness and lack of control, as doctors take charge of treatments and patients are consigned to long stays in impersonal hospital facilities away from their families. Many lose their jobs as it is impossible to work while suffering from the effects of chemotherapy. Many are permanently disfigured. Fighting cancer with conventional methods will produce, at best, a very costly victory in terms of quality of life.

Inability to cope with toxins as well as a failure of the immunity system

While the role of DNA mutation is acknowledged, more focus is placed on the patient's own coping mechanisms in dealing with rogue cells. Cancer is thought of a systemic disease caused by the body's inability to cope with an overload of toxins, as well as a failure of the immune system. Natural methods of cancer treatment aim to cleanse the body of toxins by aiding liver and kidney function, as well as boost the immune system so it can attack the tumor.

Genetic mutations occur continually that form small tumors throughout the human body, which are destroyed by a healthy immune system before they can grow to a large size. This theory is bolstered by a 1996 study in Nagano, Japan, which used helical CT scanning on a group of 7,847 adult volunteers, both smokers and non-smokers, who had not been previously diagnosed with lung cancer. The study attempted to find lung tumors early, at a more easily treatable size. To the surprise of the researchers, the incidence of small tumors less than 2 centimeters in diameter, 1A pathological grade, was 1.1% in both smokers and non-smokers. Only larger tumors were more prevalent in smokers.

Yet, despite the finding of the Nagano CT scans, the incidence of symptomatic lung cancer is obviously not equal between the two groups. Smokers comprise almost 90% of lung cancer patients, and the risk of developing lung cancer for current smokers is 10% to 15%, 22 times higher than in non-smokers.

Obviously, something is occurring in the body between the time that tumors first appear as tiny clusters of cells and the development of invasive carcinoma.

Another school of thought among non-establishment cancer researchers stresses the role of infectious agents in the development of all types of cancer.

Generally speaking, alternative practitioners stress the role of the body's normal homeostatic mechanisms in preventing the development of tumors. Treatments often do not attack the tumor directly, but aid the body in performing this normal function. The role of poor diet and environmental pollution in the weakening of the natural defense mechanisms is stressed. Long term lifestyle changes must be implemented to keep the body strong enough to resist cancer.

Advantages of Alternative Treatment

The alternative treatments alluded to on this website avoid the side effects of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Many have no side effects at all. They will certainly improve the quality of life of cancer patients using them compared to the pain and debilitation suffered by those undergoing conventional treatment.

Because alternative cancer treatments improve the health of the entire body, patients will reap the side benefits of curing or lessening other degenerative diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease.

In many cases, they have been proven effective in clinical tests, though these are often in vitro (cell studies) or animal experiments.

Most are easily affordable on even the most modest budget.

Thanks to the Internet, they can be obtained by mail order even if local suppliers do not carry them. Sometimes you will even find them growing in your own back yard.

Others are completely free, common sense measures anyone can take.

Drawbacks of Alternative Treatment

Because these treatments are natural, most cannot be patented. If they cannot be patented, multinational pharmaceutical firms cannot make a large profit on them; in fact, these remedies will cut into the profits from the patent medicines they compete with. Therefore the drug companies, and the government agencies they influence, do their best to suppress knowledge and availability of these products. You may have to expend some effort to obtain them, and often insurance will not cover the cost..

In addition, conventional medical practitioners and family members may do their best to dissuade you from departing from the beaten path. You will have to do research yourself, and take more initiative than if you left the entire matter in the hands of the cancer specialists at your local hospital.

It can also be difficult to evaluate the success rate of these methods. Because of the lack of potential profits, expensive, large double-blind prospective patient studies, often funded by drug companies (or by government agencies on their behalf) are less likely to have been done, so often patients are left with only word of mouth, or at best animal or in vitro studies by small teams of independent researchers.

In order for these treatments to be successful, long term lifestyle changes must be undertaken, even after the initial treatment. Going back to being a couch potato after treatment is completed will increase chances of tumor recurrence. Many people find such measures difficult to maintain.

Designing An Alternative Treatment Plan

Each cancer patient is different, and there is no one standard alternative therapy that will fit everyone. Patients whose cancer is still in the early stages and whose general health is generally good will get the most benefit out of measures to boost the immune system, a process which can take several months. However, a terminal cancer patient who has less than a year to live or whose immune system has been weakened by chemo and radiotherapy will not have the time necessary to benefit from immune system boosters, and should concentrate on treatments that kill tumor cells directly.

Dietary improvements should be implemented right away in all cancer patients. Cancers steal energy, nutrition and glucose from normal cells. At least 40% of all cancer patients die due to cachexia, malnutrition of the non-cancerous body cells.

Be sure to ask your doctor or pharmacist about possible drug interactions between the alternative cancer cure and any prescription medications. Chemo and radiotherapy will interfere with treatments designed to boost the immune system, and they should not be given together.

Testing For Cancer

Cancer is often discovered only when it becomes symptomatic. Screening tests which can detect cancer before this point can also help monitor the progress of cancer treatment.

Some tumors, such as lung carcinoma, appear on chest X-rays. CAT scans (computerized axial tomography) and MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging) can show deep tissue tumors. Radionucleotide uptake by fast-growing tumors can reveal small metastasis scattered throughout the body.

There are also a variety of non-invasive lab tests available which measure substances secreted by tumors. By monitoring the upward or downward trend of such tests over a period of several months, progress of ongoing cancer treatment can be assessed.

HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) can be secreted by a variety of different tumors. It is the same hormone measured in pregnancy tests, so this test is cheap and widely available. Be sure to use a sensitive test, in the 10mIU/ml range. The test indicates the presence of cancer cells even when there are no signs or symptoms (providing pregnancy is ruled out in female patients). In a pregnancy, HCG suppresses the maternal immune response to the foreign protein of the fetus; similarly, the HCG produced by tumors protects them from being destroyed by the body's immune system.

The fact that both tumors and embryonic cells secrete HCG caused researchers such as Dr. Howard Beard to speculate, as early as 1902, that cancer is derived from a rogue trophoblast (a primitive embryonic cell which modern scientists refer to as a stem cell) that starts to reproduce in a manner similar to pregnancy. Modern research suggests the stem cell theory of cancer to be true.

The urine test for HCG was initially used as an adjunct for cancer treatment in the late 1930's by oncologist Dr. Manuel D. Navarro, who found HCG to be elevated in all types of cancers.

Urine specimens provide a better measurement of HCG than blood tests because HCG is metabolized by glycosylation in the liver as it travels through the hepatic circulation. It is not affected when processed by the kidneys. In 1980, Papapetrou and co-authors evaluated the accuracy of HCG Immunoassays. In 32 proven cancer cases, the immunoassay test gave 31 positive results using urine while only 12 positive results were reported using blood.

According to Navarro, the HCG test detects the presence of brain cancer as early as 29 months before symptoms appear; 27 months for fibrosarcoma of the abdomen; 24 months for skin cancer; 12 months for cancer of the bones (metastasis from breast cancer removed 2 years earlier).

A recent study which used the HCG test to find metastasis of known testicular tumors concluded that "hCG RaID appears to be a safe and effective method of detecting and locating hCG-producing tumors and has been found to disclose occult testicular cancers." ¹

PSA (prostate specific antigen) is the standard marker for prostate cancer. Research on the relationship of HCG to prognosis of prostate cancer has produced mixed results. One study found that while HCG was elevated in prostate cancer, it was not an accurate marker of treatment progress, unlike PSA. ² Another study found that elevated levels of HCG correlated with poor prognosis, regardless of the histological grade of tumor. ³

In addition, there are tumor markers somewhat specific for various tumors :, CA 125 for ovarian cancer; CA 15.3 (27.29) for breast cancer, and CA 19.9 for gastric and pancreatic cancers. AFP (alpha-fetoprotein) is a protein found in the bloodstream of some men with nonseminomatous testicular cancer, as well as cases of teratocarcinoma, embryonal cell carcinoma, and yolk sac carcinoma. AFP can also be elevated due to liver disease.

Combined Tests

American Metabolic Laboratories in Hollywood, Florida, offers a patented "Cancer Profile" test which measures 7 different markers including HCG. The test costs $296 USD.

Invented by Dr. Emil K. Schandl, a clinical biochemist and oncobiologist, this panel of blood tests is said to be 93% accurate at detecting even very early cancers. "Most of the current procedures that look for tumors examine various organs via X-rays, CAT scans, MRI, nuclear medicinal radiation or surgery," says Schandl. "I always thought that there must be a less-damaging, less-invasive way of looking at a person's insides. That is how I conceived the idea of developing a cancer profile."

Using a battery of several different tests provides greater accuracy than relying on only one marker, since Schandl's own studies on diagnosed cancer patients found that 32% had normal HCG levels.

The first four tests are definite tumor markers, while the last two are suggestive of health problems conducive to and/or associated with malignancy.

• HCG (IRMA) (intact HCG) and HCG (IMM) : (Nicked beta and beta core subunits) human chorionic gonadotropic hormone, a pregnancy hormone also elevated in 68% of cancer patients.

• PHI : phosphohexoses isomerase enzyme that regulates anaerobic metabolism, can be elevated due to cancer or an acute heart, liver, muscle disease, or acute viral infection. If an acute condition can be ruled out, cancer may be the cause of the elevated result. Elevated in 36% of cancer patients.

• CEA : carcinoembryonic antigen, a cancer antigen. This test was originally developed to monitor colon and rectal cancers, but is also elevated in other malignancies. Elevated in 51% of cancer patients.

• GGTP : gamma-glutamyl transpaptidase, an enzyme for monitoring the liver and bile system. The liver is the chief detoxifying organ and is often affected in malignancies. Elevated in 39% of cancer patients.

• TSH : thyroid stimulating hormone which indirectly measures thyroid activity (when it is low the thyroid is overactive and when it is high the thyroid is underactive). Hypothyroidism is common in cancer patients.

• DHEA-S : dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, the adrenal hormone which boosts immune response and stress resistance. Low DHEA is common in cancer patients.

It is claimed that this test can detect pre-malignant conditions that will take up to a decade to develop into symptomatic cancers. When given to members of the general public, the test gives many false positives, up to 40%. However, considering that 1 out of every 2.5 Americans develop cancer during their lifetimes, perhaps the test is accurately detecting pre-malignant states.

Genetic Tests

Aside from detecting a genetic propensity to develop cancer, a variety of tests are available to determine whether a patient will benefit from specific therapies.

Scientists in Taiwan have developed a simple, five-gene test which can tell whether lung cancer patients will benefit from chemotherapy. Some early-stage lung tumors have such a low risk of recurrence that adjuvant chemotherapy may not be indicated after surgical resection.

Similar tests are available for breast cancer and lymphoma. These tests can help patients avoid unnecessary chemotherapy, or receive chemotherapy more specifically targeted at their type of cancer.

Inflammation aggravators (which can lead to cancer)

• Traditional Western diet

• White bread and pasta

• Red meat, raised industrially

• Oils rich in omega-6 fatty acids (corn, sunflower, safflower, soy)

• Dairy products from industrially raised livestock (especially full fat)

• Eggs from industrial farming hens fed corn and soy beans)

• Unmanaged stress, anger and depression

• Less than 20 minutes of physical activity a day

• Cigarette smoke, atmospheric pollution, domestic pollutants

Inflammation reducers

• Mediterranean, Indian and Asian cuisine

• Whole wheat bread and pasta

• Organic meat from animals fed on grass or with flax meal, eaten at most three times a week

• Olive oil

• Dairy products mainly from animals fed on grass

• Eggs of hens raised in a natural environment or fed flax meal

• Laughter, lightheartedness, serenity

• A 50-minute walk three times a week or 30 minutes six times a week

• Clean environment

Cancer-fighting superfoods

Some foods contain precious anti-cancer molecules. These include:

GREEN TEA
Rich in polyphenols that reduce the growth of the new blood vessels needed for tumor growth, green tea is also a powerful antioxidant and activates mechanisms in the liver which help to eliminate cancerous toxins from the body more rapidly. In mice it has been shown to block the effects of chemical carcinogens responsible for breast, lung, oesophageal, stomach and colon cancer.

TURMERIC
The most powerful natural anti-inflammatory identified today. In the laboratory it enhances the effectiveness of chemotherapy and reduces tumor growth. To be assimilated by the body turmeric needs to be mixed with black pepper and, ideally, it should be dissolved in oil.

GARLIC, ONIONS, LEEKS, SHALLOTS and CHIVES
These all help to regulate blood sugar levels, which in turn reduces insulin secretion and thus the growth of cancer cells. They promote the death of cancer cells in colon, breast, lung and prostate cancer.

Mushrooms stimulate the reproduction of immune cells

MUSHROOMS
Shiitake, crimini, portabello and oyster mushrooms stimulate the reproduction and activity of immune cells. They are often used in Japan as a complement to chemotherapy to support the immune system.

CRUCIFEROUS VEGETABLES
Cabbages, sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower contain powerful anti-cancer molecules. But boiling will destroy them — steam briefly or stir-fry rapidly in a little olive oil.

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES RICH IN CAROTENOIDS
Carrots, yams, sweet potatoes, squash, tomatoes, apricots, beets and all the brightly coloured fruits and vegetables contain vitamin A and lycopene, which have the proven capacity to inhibit the growth of particularly aggressive cancers.

HERBS AND SPICES
Rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil and mint are rich in essential oils of the tarpene family which reduce the spread of cancer cells by blocking the enzymes they need to invade neighbouring tissues.

CITRUS FRUIT
Oranges, tangerines, lemons and grapefruit contain anti-infammatory flavonoids which are also present in the skin. So buy organic, unwaxed citrus fruit and add the zest to salad dressing or steep the skins in hot water or tea.

Dietary Changes

Dietary improvements are usually considered mainly as preventative measures against the development of cancer, but many nutrients also improve the survival rates of patients with existing cancer. Existing cancers may stop growing, or grow more slowly, if aggravating dietary and lifestyle factors are removed. It's never too late to make positive lifestyle changes.

Carotenoids

Multiple studies demonstrate that Vitamin A and carotenoids help in the prevention and treatment of many diverse cancers in a variety of ways. These compounds destroy cancer cells, prevent the development and proliferation of tumors, and reverse precancerous lesions. The mechanisms of this anti-cancer activity are due to the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of Vitamin A and carotenoids. Also, Vitamin A and carotene boost the effectiveness of radio and chemotherapy while diminishing their side effects.

In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology on September 20, 2005, researchers at the University of California performed a 5 year follow-up of more than 1,550 women previously treated for breast cancer. At the end of the study, they found that women with the highest plasma carotenoid concentration had a 40% reduction in breast cancer recurrence.

Schwartz and Shklar at Harvard School of Dental Medicine studied the cytotoxic effects of different carotenoids, including beta-carotene and alpha-tocopherol (Vitamin E) on breast, oral, lung and melanoma human tumor cell cultures. Consistent changes in cell shape and appearance were seen 1-5 hours after treatment with carotenoid or vitamin E, as were reductions in cell enzyme activity and a decrease in tumor cell proliferation.²

The Santamarias, Golgi Institute, University of Pavia, Italy have reported levels of cancer (skin, breast, gastric, colon) prevention from 60-100% in animals supplemented with carotenoids one months prior to tumor induction (by carcinogenic agents or transplantation). In addition, 15 cancer patients who had surgery to remove primary tumors (lung, breast, colon, bladder, head and neck) and who took supplements of beta-carotene and retinol showed longer recurrence-free intervals than statistically expected.

H. Nagasawa at Maiji University, Japan who previously reported the inhibition of breast cancer in mice by the beta-carotene-rich algae Dunaliella bardawil, now states that D. bardawil inhibits the progression of spontaneous breast tumors by boosting the host animals immune response and by the antioxidant function of beta-carotene.

Lycopene

Since the 1920s, researchers have studied the benefits of carotenoids for cancer prevention and treatment. However, interest in lycopene did not really begin until the late 1980s when it was found to have twice the antioxidant activity of beta carotene. By the late 1990s, over 70 studies had found a link between diets high in tomatoes and a lower risk of cancer.

Lycopene is an open-chain unsaturated carotenoid that imparts red color to tomatoes, guava, rosehip, watermelon and pink grapefruit. Lycopene has been shown to prevent prostate cancer and also to stop it from becoming more advanced. Cooked tomato products such as tomato sauce, juice and ketchup are better sources of lycopene than raw tomatoes, as cooking breaks down plant cell walls making the lycopene more available for absorption. In the body, lycopene is deposited in the liver, lungs, prostate gland, colon and skin. It is best known for its role in preventing prostate cancer, the second leading cause of male cancer deaths in America. However, consumption of lycopene is also associated with a lower risk of cancer of the breast , cervix , and digestive tract.¹²

Curative Properties Of Lycopene

Lycopene shows special promise in preventing and treating prostate cancer, . A study at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Ohio State University on prostate cancer in rats found that feeding the animals tomato powder(13 mg lycopene/kg) had the greatest protective effect against prostate cancer, and that supplements of much higher levels of isolated lycopene (161 mg lycopene/kg) were of less benefit, though still better than the control group which received no tomatoes or lycopene. The proportions of rats dying of prostate cancer was 62% in the tomato group, 72% in the lycopene group, and 80% in the control group. Dietary restriction also increased survival.

In another study, thirty-two patients with localized prostate adenocarcinoma consumed tomato sauce-based pasta dishes for 3 weeks (approximately 30 mg of lycopene/day) before their scheduled radical prostatectomy. Prostate tissue was obtained for biopsy before the lycopene supplementation began, and compared to tissue resected at the time of the prostatectomy. Examination of tissue from the resected tumors showed a decrease in tumor biomarkers, increased tumor cell apoptosis (cell death) and decreased DNA damage.¹⁴

Dutch researchers found that a low-dose combination of vitamin E and lycopene extended the lifespans of mice inoculated with human prostate cancer cells and suppressed tumor growth by 73% after 42 days, but that high doses of lycopene or vitamin E had no effect. ¹⁵ However, other scientists reviewing the research feel that lycopene by itself has been shown in other studies to be effective by itself, though it can be potentiated by vitamin E.

Dietary Sources of Plant Phytochemicals

High plasma carotenoid concentration is an indication of high intake of fruits and vegetables. Beta-carotene (carrot, spinach, kale and cantaloupe), lycopene (tomato, pink grapefruit, watermelon and apricots) and lutein (dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, collards, kale and broccoli) have synergistic actions not found in a single-ingredient supplement. In nature, beta-carotene occurs along with other bioactive substances such as vitamins C and E, which moderate its function. There are over 600 different carotenoids found in yellow, red, and deep green vegetables and fruits, as well as numerous other phytochemicals.

Smokers (and perhaps also heavy drinkers) should be especially wary of isolated beta-carotene supplements. They may boost lung cancer rates in smokers by 18% to 28% , according to two separate studies (the 1996 Beta Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial , and a Finnish study published in the 1994 Journal Of The American Medical Association). This negative effect was not seen in smokers who obtained carotenoids from their diets.

On average, conventional produce has only 83 percent of the nutrients of organic produce. Studies have found significantly higher levels of nutrients such as vitamin C, iron, magnesium and phosphorus, and significantly less nitrates (a toxin) in organic crops. Choose organic foods and make the mainstay of your diet fruits and vegetables, preferably brightly-colored ones which contain the most vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

It is recommended that cancer patients invest in a juicer, and consume a glass of organic vegetable juice every day. This will insure high levels of antioxidants and vitamins, combined together as they are found in nature. Good vegetables to juice are carrots, beets, parsley, wheatgrass and barley grass.

Soy

Soybeans contain several biologically active compounds.

Phytate is an organic acid present in the hulls of plant seed, which binds calcium and iron in the intestines. Iron is a known cancer promoter.

Saponins are antioxidants which protect DNA from damage and thus prevent cancer.

Protease inhibitors, which inhibit the digestion of protein, are also responsible for direct anti-tumor activity. Most protease activity is destroyed when soy is cooked. However, 7-8 percent activity remains, which is enough to produce physiological effects. In 1980, Dr. Walter Troll of the New York University Medical Center discovered that soy protease inhibitors inhibit cancer in animals. ¹ Subsequent research has confirmed that they inhibit cancers of the skin, bladder, colon, lung, pancreas, mouth, and esophagus. This is caused by preventing the activation of the specific genes that cause cancer. Protease inhibitors also protect against mutagenic effects of radiation and free radicals, which can damage DNA.

Phytosterols inhibit colon cancer by shielding the intestines against liver-secreted bile acids. Some claims have been made that phytosterols prevent both colon and skin cancer.

Phytoestrogens are the most well known group of soy chemicals, with genistein being the most extensively studied. Estrogen-like isoflavones in soy have been promoted as preventatives for reproductive tract cancers (prostate, breast, uterine and ovarian) because they substitute for, and block the actions of, stronger hormones produced by the body itself.

Studies suggest that soy consumption by children can reduce the risk of breast cancer later in life by a factor of 14% to 40%. However, if consumption is started later in life, there seems to be little protective effect. After reviewing the literature about soy, one researcher concluded in 2001, "Overall, the data are not impressive that the adult consumption of soy affects the risk of developing breast cancer or that soy consumption affects the survival of breast cancer patients."² Other researchers reviewed the data of the Shanghai Breast Cancer Study, which studied1459 breast cancer patients between 1996 and 1998. The median follow-up time for study participants was 5.2 years. The researchers found that "soy intake prior to cancer diagnosis was unrelated to disease-free breast cancer survival.^{" 3}

Soy and genistein extracts may be useful in treating as well as preventing prostate cancer. Numerous in-vitro studies show that genistein inhibits growth of existing prostate cancer cells and helps kill these cells. In 1999, Harvard Medical School researchers found that mice inoculated with prostate cancer cells and fed a soy-based diet live 25% longer than mice on a soy-free diet. The study authors noted that “our data suggest that dietary soy products may inhibit experimental prostate tumor growth through a combination of direct effects on tumor cells and indirect effects on tumor neovasculature.”⁴

A number of studies by Dr. Gilda Hillman on mice inoculated with human prostate cancer cells showed that pre-treatment with genistein can potentiate the effects of radiotherapy. Analysis of the mean of prostate tumor weight in the different treatment groups showed that, relative to untreated tumors, the use of either genistein or radiation alone caused 30% and 73% tumor growth inhibition, respectively. Combined treatment with both genistein and radiation caused a greater tumor growth inhibition of 87%. ⁵ Genistein seems to work in vitro by inhibiting a protein called Nuclear Factor Kappa B (NF-?B), which is activated to help cells recover from damage, such as the kind of damage that occurs when cancer cells are exposed to radiation treatment.⁶

Treating prostate tumors with genistein first, followed by radiation, and finishing up with continuous treatment with genistein, effectively controlled tumor growth. The combination inhibited the growth of prostate tumors and prevented metastasis to lymph nodes.

However, that pairing genistein with radiation therapy was found to be crucial. Unless genistein was combined with radiotherapy, the extract increased the rate of metastasis of mouse prostate tumors, an effect which did not occur when whole soy powder was used. Whole soy produced the same positive effects of genistein (radiosensitization) without the negative effect on tumor spread.

In findings announced at the 2003 meeting of the American Urological Association on April 30, UC Davis Cancer Center researchers reported that genistein extract (5 grams a day of genistein concentrated polysaccharide), reduced PSA levels by as much as 61 percent in a group of 62 prostate cancer patients undergoing "watchful waiting" for their disease. The dietary supplement did not have the same effect in men who had undergone surgery, radiation or hormone therapy for their prostate cancer.

Based on these findings, prostate cancer patients may be helped by regular consumption of soy, especially just before radiotherapy treatments. There is no data to support recommendations of soy intake for patients with other types of cancer. Even as little as two servings of soy products per weeks can maintain detectable blood levels of genistein and other soy phytonutrients.

Sugar

For many years, it has been suggested by researchers that high levels of insulin and insulin-like growth factor (IGF) lead to cancer.

The link between sugar consumption and cancer has been known for 70 years. The 1931 Nobel laureate in medicine, German Otto Warburg, Ph.D., first discovered that cancer cells have a fundamentally different energy metabolism compared to healthy cells.

The basis of his Nobel thesis was that malignant tumors often display an increase in anaerobic glycolysis -- the process whereby glucose is used as a fuel by cancer cells with lactic acid as an anaerobic byproduct -- compared to normal tissues.

The large amount of lactic acid produced by this fermentation of glucose from cancer cells is then transported to the liver. This conversion of glucose to lactate produces a lower, acidic pH in cancerous tissues as well as general fatigue from lactic acid buildup.

This inefficient energy pathway yields only 2 moles of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) energy per mole of glucose, compared to 38 moles of ATP in the normal aerobic oxidation of glucose.

By extracting only about 5 percent (2 vs. 38 moles of ATP) of the available energy from the body's glucose stores, the cancer "wastes" energy, and the patient becomes tired and malnourished. Eventually, 40 percent of cancer patients die from malnutrition, or cachexia.

The sugar - cancer connection has been rediscovered recently. One tumor detection device, the PET (positive emission tomography) scan, even relies on the affinity of tumors for glucose. PET scans involve the administration of radioactively labeled glucose to detect sugar-hungry tumor cells. PET scans are used to detect the presence of hidden cancer metastasis.

A recent epidemiological study of 21 modern countries (Europe, North America, Japan and others) that keep statistics of morbidity and mortality revealed that sugar intake is a strong risk factor that contributes to higher breast cancer rates, particularly in older women.

A 2005 study of approximately 1.3 million Koreans linked high blood glucose to increased deaths from cancer, especially pancreatic cancer but also colorectal, esophageal, liver, and cervical cancer. After controlling for known cancer risk factors such as smoking and alcohol use, researchers found that the men in the study with the highest fasting blood sugar levels (those greater than 140 mg/dl) were 29% more likely to die of cancer than men with the lowest levels (those less than 90 mg/dl). The difference among women with the highest and lowest blood sugar levels was 23%.

According to a study published in the May 1998 issue of the Lancet, Harvard researchers found a positive relation between circulating IGF-1 concentration and risk of breast cancer among premenopausal but not postmenopausal women. Many tumor cells have elevated numbers of insulin receptors, which makes them prone to fast growth in the presence of insulin. Ira Goldfine's group at UCLA studied breast cancer cells and found that tumor cells with a normal amount of insulin receptors to be more similar to normal cells and more subject to normal controls on cell growth, and therefore less likely to grow back aggressively than tumor cells with a higher number of receptors.

Diets high in refined starch and sugar provide tumors with the high blood glucose levels that these primitive cells need to thrive, and increase levels of insulin, which is a cellular growth stimulant. High consumption of sugar causes tumors to develop more frequently and spread more rapidly. Do your best to avoid sugar and high-fructose corn syrup.

Artificial Sweeteners

Most artificial sweeteners are artificially produced chemicals whose metabolism strains the liver, the most important organ for detoxification. Artificial sweeteners also confuse the brain. The enzymes in your mouth begin a cascade that primes your cell receptors for an insulin surge, and when it doesn’t arrive the brain feels cheated and craves more sweets.

Almost all of the independent research on artificial sweeteners, from saccharine to aspartame, show toxicity in animal studies.

Sucralose (Splenda) is simply chlorinated sugar; a chlorocarbon, a group of substances known to be poisonous. In test animals Splenda produced a myriad of toxic effects including enlarged, damaged livers and calcification of the kidneys.

The most controversial of the lot is Aspartame, sold by the Searle pharmaceutical company under the name Nutrasweet. It has a long history of toxicity in animal studies and was repeatedly denied approval by the FDA since the 1960s. A 1980 FDA Board of Inquiry, comprised of three independent scientists, confirmed that it "might induce brain tumors." The substance was only allowed on the market in 1981 after political interference in the FDA on behalf of Searle. Aspartame contains the excitotoxin aspartate as 40% of its molecular structure, and many health activists have proposed a link to early onset Parkinson's disease. Its metabolism produces methanol (wood alcohol), a toxin to the liver and nervous system. The methanol is further metabolized to produce formaldehyde, a neurotoxin which causes brain damage.

Since aspartame came on the market in l981, it has accounted for more than 75 percent of the complaints reported to the FDA's Adverse Reaction Monitoring system. The most common adverse reactions attributed to aspartame include headaches, dizziness, attention difficulties, memory loss, slurred speech and vision problems, a cluster of neurological symptoms which have become so common they are actually referred to as "aspartame disease".

An attempt to ban Aspartame in New Mexico failed in 2006.

If you can't wean yourself off sweet-tasting foods, use Stevia, a completely natural substance derived from a South American herb, stevia rebuadiana. First published accounts of this herb go as far back as 1576 by Spanish physician Francisco Hernandez in his book, "Natural History of Plants of the New Spain" after Spanish conquistadors arrived on the shores of South America. Today stevia is widely used in Japan, South America, China, Germany, Korea and Israel, and others. Stevias' safety has been repeatedly proven through extensive scientific testing and hundreds of years of use. Stevia actually balances blood sugar levels, and is safe for use by both diabetics. Unlike aspartame, stevia reduces the craving for sweets.

Dairy

High levels of Insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) are linked not only to high consumption of sugar, but also to consumption of dairy products. This has been observed before the injection of cows with BGH (rBGH), a genetically engineered, synthetic version of the hormone somatotropin, administered to cows to increase milk production. This occurs probably because dairy cattle have been bred to have naturally high levels of this hormone.

An additional cancer risk relates to a protein in the bloodstream called insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). Although a certain amount of IGF-I in the blood is normal, high levels are linked to increased cancer risk. IGF-I plays a role in cell growth, among other functions, and test-tube experiments show that IGF-I encourages cancer cell growth.

Diet has a strong influence on IGF-I. In general, excess intake of calories or proteins increases the amount of IGF-I in the blood, and the inclusion of dairy products in the diet merits particular attention. According to a 1997 review published by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research, at least 11 human population studies have linked dairy product consumption and prostate cancer.³¹

Good Fats vs. Trans Fats

There are a number of problems with the fats present in the standard American diet. First of all, the balance between inflammation-producing omega-6 fats and inflammation-suppressing essential omega-3 fats has tilted drastically toward the former. Secondly, unnatural trans-fats are widely used in deep-frying and in the manufacture of commercial baked goods such as crackers.

Avoid polyunsaturated food oils with a high omega-6 content, such as corn, safflower, sunflower or soybean oil. These oils promote tumor growth in animal tests, ^1,2 This may be because of their high content of omega-6 fatty acids, which cause the body to produce prostaglandins which stimulate tumor growth. Also, polyunsaturated fat is prone to oxidation, which generates free radicals. Polyunsaturated fats are so immunosuppressive that one researcher has even used them as immunosuppressive therapy to stop rejection of organ transplants. Saturated fats were not found to have this effect . This is the last thing any cancer patient needs. Avoid corn, safflower, soy and sunflower oils.

Avoid all synthetic trans fats in any quantity. These are toxic, altered fats made by processing polyunsaturated oil with hydrogen, changing the chemical structure and creating substances with chemical bonds in positions not found in nature. They cannot be processed properly by the human body, and they incorporate into cell membranes causing changes in cell function. Trans fats are a major cause of heart disease and place a further burden on the already weakened body of a cancer patient. It is easy to spot them on a food label : they are listed as "hydrogenated" or "partly hydrogenated." Even a few grams per day create noticeable physiological effects.

The use of trans fats has been outlawed in restaurants in New York City. However, across the nation, many restaurants still use them for deep-frying.

Epidemiologist Walter Willett at Harvard University found a correlation with dietary fat consumption and both heart disease and cancer. In the analysis of the massive Harvard Nurses Study, Willett's research group separated out the trans-fat component from total fat intake, and found higher rates of cancer in those consuming margarine and vegetable shortenings — but not butter, eggs, cheese and meat .³ This link between trans fat consumption and cancer was never published, but was reported at the Baltimore Data Bank Conference in 1992.

A recent study found an increased risk of prostate cancer linked to trans-fat consumption.⁴

In 2000, researchers in Toronto and Vancouver, Canada, reported the results of a study of 263 men with prostate cancer. After adjustment for clinical stage, tumor grade, and other factors, prostate cancer patients who ate the most monounsaturated fat (found in olive and canola oils) survived longest. Their risk of dying was 70 percent lower, compared to subjects with the lowest intake of monounsaturates. The study also found a slightly higher risk associated with saturated fat intake and animal fat, although this was not large enough to be clinically significant.

Use monounsaturated oils such as extra-virgin olive oil or canola oil in salads or as dressing for vegetables, and natural saturated oils such as butter and unrefined coconut oils for cooking.

Frying damages oils and is not recommended for cancer patients.

Fish oil supplements, which contain essential omega-3 fats, are highly recommended at the dose of one gram EPA/DHA per day. Eat fatty fish such as sardines or mackerel at least twice a week for a natural source of omega-3 fat. Flaxseed oil can be metabolized by the body into omega 3 fatty acid, but this metabolic process works poorly in many people, so is not recommended as a first choice.

Horrobin and Seely also suggested that animal fat in diet may be a cause of breast cancer. In The Lancet in the March 19, 1977, issue Dr. Eric Newsholme, Department of Biochemistry at the University of Oxford, had a report telling of how greatly immunosuppressive are the polyunsaturated fats. He said that these vegetable fats are greatly immunosuppressive whereas the saturated animal fats are not in the least immunosuppressive.

The vegetable oils and the solid margarines made from them came on the market in large amounts after 1930 as the new and huge oil seed industry was being established. These new fats such as sunflower seed oil and the margarines made from them sold for about half the price of the animal fats, butter and lard and they quickly replaced butter and lard in the diet in the Western World. Then in 1955 the medical establishment came out saying that these new vegetable fats were good and the saturated animal fats, butter and lard were bad. What with the low cost of these new vegetable fats and with the medical establishment telling us that they were the good fats, butter and lard were greatly reduced in the diet in favor of the new polyunsaturated vegetable fats,

Newsholme said that the high degree of immunosuppression of these polyunsaturated fats made them ideal for the treatment of autoimmune diseases as well as to immunosuppress renal transplant patients to prevent rejection. He referred to a report in the August 31, 1974 issue of The Lancet by P.R. Urdall et al. of the Royal Victoria Infirmary. It was concluded that sunflower seed oil did work well to cause the immunosuppression needed following a renal transplant.

Vegetarian And Low Fat Diets

Breast cancer is less likely to recur in patients who follow a low-fat diet, according to a study published December 2006 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The study, led by Dr. Rowan Chlebowski of the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute in Torrance, California, followed 2,437 breast cancer survivors. It found that those who reduced their fat intake from roughly 30% of total calories (the amount found in a standard diet) to roughly 20% had a 24% reduction in cancer recurrence. The effect was seen only in non-hormone-dependant tumors. The researchers were unsure if the effect was a direct result of the low fat diet, or a result of weight loss by the patients, since obesity is related to the development of breast cancer.

Dr. Dean Ornish, well known for his work on diet and heart disease, also found that a vegetarian, low fat diet causes a decrease in PSA, a marker for prostate cancer. These results were presented at the Scientific Conference on Complementary, Alternative, and Integrative Therapies at Harvard University on April 13, 2002. ²

These results were repeated by researchers at the University of Massachusetts, who tested the benefits of a low fat, vegetarian diet in ten men with prostate cancer that had recurred after surgery. Before beginning the diet, the patients showed a doubling of their average PSA levels every 6.5 months as their cancer continued to spread. However, after four months in the program, doubling time slowed to an average of 17.7 months, and in three of the subjects, PSA levels actually fell. ³

A macrobiotic diet which emphasizes whole grains, vegetables, and legumes, while avoiding dairy products and most meats, increased the survival of nine men with prostate cancer to an average of 228 months, compared to 72 months for a matched group of men receiving no special diet.

In 2002, researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles did an in-vitro study demonstrating the effect of diet and exercise. Blood samples were drawn from a group of eight men who had been following a low fat diet and exercising regularly for several years. Blood samples were also taken from overweight men who were eating a standard diet and not exercising. Serum from both groups was added to test tubes containing standardized prostate cancer cells. The serum from subjects on the low-fat diet and exercise program slowed the growth of cancer cells by 49 percent, compared to serum from the other men. Differences in hormone levels and insulin were found to correlate with part of the effect, but other changes which the researchers could not define exerted additional effects. The researchers also discovered that a blood serum shows demonstrable cancer-inhibiting power within as little as 11 days after a man begins a low-fat diet and exercise regimen.

Water

Drink purified water free from chlorine and fluoride, both of which are known carcinogens.

In Summary

Avoid processed foods which contain high fructose corn syrup and miscellaneous chemical preservatives, and processed meats preserved with nitrates. Choose a plant-based diet and avoid large amounts of animal-based products such as meat and dairy.

If you are extremely stressed and tired, as many cancer patients are, you may feel a complete dietary overhaul is beyond your capability at this moment. Also, organic foods may be expensive for people on a limited budget, though avoidance of pesticide residues is highly recommended. However, good nutrition is one of the most important factors in allowing the body to fight and recover from cancer, and it can't be stressed enough.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

The anticancer effects of retinoids are thought to be due to inhibition of cell proliferation and promotion of cell differentiation. Recently, researchers have found a possible mechanism of action at the cellular level. Retinoid receptors have been detected on cells, and one study using breast cancer cells showed that retinoids attaching to these receptors influence gene expression and cell proliferation. Animal studies have shown the ability of vitamin A, beta-carotene and other retinoids to enhance the immune system, retard tumor growth and decrease the size of established tumors.

In 2004, scientists at the Arizona Cancer Center, University of Arizona, tested nearly 130 subjects with severely sun-damaged skin on their forearms and found that one year of supplementation with 50,000 IU of vitamin A daily reduced more than 80 percent of precancerous skin lesions (actinic keratosis).

Daily oral administration of high-dose vitamin A is effective in preventing the development of primary tumors related to tobacco consumption and may improve the disease-free interval in patients with surgically resected for Stage I lung cancer. The average annual second primary tumor rate was 4.8% in a control group given no vitamin A compared to 3.1% in the treatment group, a reduction of 35%. In a group of patients with head and neck tumors, the annual second primary tumor rate was 6.8% (control) versus 3.1% (treatment), a reduction of 54%.

Komiyama and colleagues from Japan found that Vitamin A increased the RNA inhibitory action of the chemotherapy drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Furthermore, they showed that the triple combination of 5-FU, Vitamin A and cobalt-60 radiation (FAR therapy) for various head and neck tumours produced highly effective synergistic results.

Note : vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin which can be toxic and even deadly in high doses. The body makes vitamin A from beta-carotene, which is covered separately. Even doses slightly in excess of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of approximately 10,000 IU can produce symptoms of toxicity in some people. High doses should be administered only for short periods under medical supervision.

Vitamin A Derivatives

Nakagawa and colleagues from Japan reported on the combination of retinol palmitate (RP) with six different anticancer agents on ascites sarcoma or leukemia in mice. With ascites sarcoma, RP considerably enhanced the antitumour activity of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) methotrexate (MTX) and 1-(4-amino-2-mthyl-5-pyrimidinyl)methyl-3- (2-chlorethyl) -3-nitrosourea (ACNU), but not the action of adriamycin (ADM) or 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP). Against leukemia, RP enhanced antitumour activity of 6-MP. MTX, ADM, ACNU and cis-dichlorodiammine- platinum (CDDP), but not of 5-FU.¹

El Attar and Lin from University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry studied the effects of retinoid and carotenoid compounds on prostaglandin formation in oral cancer cells. Tumor growth and immune suppression is associated with excessive prostaglandins production, and inhibition of prostaglandins enhances immune response and suppresses tumor growth in animal studies. The study showed that several retinol compounds inhibited the bioconversion of arachidonic acid to PGE2 by tongue cancer cells. This inhibitory effect, as well as antioxidant activity, may contribute to retinoids' anti inflammatory and anticancer activity.²

There is a decrease in metastases if retinoids are used as adjuvant treatment after removal of a primary tumor.³

A vitamin A derivative called ATRA (all-trans retinoic acid) is currently being used in conjunction with chemotherapy in the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia. More than 90% of patients with APL can achieve complete remission, and about 75% can be cured by the combination of ATRA and chemotherapy. ATRA can also reverse moderate cervical dysplasia. ⁴

Vitamin E

Vitamin E was discovered in 1922, and has been used extensively as an antioxidant dietary supplement for 30 years. However, most people are unaware that vitamin E is not a single compound, but a general name for a family of compounds. So far, eight forms of vitamin E have been identified in nature. These isomers belong either to a sub-family of four tocopherols (alpha, beta, gamma and delta) or a sub-family of four tocotrienols (alpha, beta, gamma and delta). Tocopherols have a saturated fatty acid tail, while tocotrienols have an unsaturated tail, making the latter compounds more reactive and fluid. This means, for example, that alpha tocotrienol is more protective of cell membranes than alpha tocopherol.

Tocotrienols are found in palm, rice bran and barley oils. Palm oil provides the most complete spectrum, and the greatest anti-cancer activity.

Studies on the use of vitamin E to treat cancer have yielded variable results. The public Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) examined 14 clinical trials of vitamin E in the treatment of cancer, and most showed no statistically significant benefits. However, a single study of vitamin E in combination with omega-3 fatty acids showed increased survival of patients severely ill with a variety of malignancies. The researchers concluded, "This systematic review of the literature does not support the hypothesis that supplements of vitamins C or E or coenzyme Q10 generally help prevent or treat cancer. Isolated findings of benefit require confirmation."¹

However, most research is conducted with only one isolated form of vitamin E, alpha-tocopherol, which is not the most beneficial form to use in treating cancer. Therefore most traditional studies are based on faulty methodology. The latest research places special emphasis on the newly discovered benefits of gamma tocopherol.

Though most commercial vitamin E supplements contain only alpha-tocopherol, studies show that it is gamma-tocopherol which has the anti-cancer activity. Since large doses of alpha tocopherol cause depletion of plasma levels of gamma tocopherol, consumers who takes only alpha tocopherol supplements would be wise to reconsider this practice. Full-spectrum vitamin E, which contains a mixture of tocopherols and tocotrienols, may be needed to protect against disease and provide maximum benefits.

One study found a 500 percent decrease in prostate cancer in men who had the highest level of gamma tocopherol. This study also showed that gamma tocopherol induced death in lab-grown human cancer cells while leaving normal cells unaffected.²

One study found that women who consumed most vitamin E from food sources had a 60% reduction in the risk of breast cancer, compared to women with the lowest consumption. Since gamma tocopherol is most predominant in food sources, when total vitamin E intake was considered, including supplements (presumably supplying solely alpha tocopherol), the risk of breast cancer was reduced by 30%. ²

A thorough review of findings about gamma tocopherol has appeared in an issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. After reviewing scores of studies, the authors conclude that it is high time to abandon the outdated view that only alpha tocopherol is important, and to conduct more research on gamma tocopherol.

Selenium

Selenium is a strong antioxidant and cancer preventative, and lack of selenium has been linked to a higher risk of cancer by a multitude of studies. It has not been shown conclusively that it affects the growth of existing cancers. However, a study is being conducted currently by the National Cancer Institute to test whether selenium supplements can cut the rate of non-small cell lung cancer metastasis. ¹

If you choose to take selenium supplements to prevent cancer or limit its spread, it is important that the maximum daily intake from all sources be less than 400 micrograms. Toxic effects of excessive selenium include fatigue, hair loss, immune system impairment, weakened fingernails, and other problems. Ironically, high intake of selenium can increase the risk of cancer, so the window of benefit is fairly narrow. Studies conducted in the United States found that 200 micrograms per day was just as effective as 400 micrograms per day in preventing certain types of cancer; there is no reason to take a daily amount of selenium greater than 200 micrograms. Use a yeast-derived form, rather than an inorganic form which is more difficult for the body to absorb. Toxicity is also less likely with the natural form of the mineral.

Stop Smoking

This is such a toxic practice that a whole library could be written about its health-destroying effects. Even if you already have cancer, smoking cessation will increase your chances of survival. This applies to all kinds of cancer, not just lung cancer.

For example, according to a recent report published in the journal Clinical Oncology, researchers in Scotland conducted a study to assess whether active smoking compromises survival in patients with colorectal cancer. The results showed that "the absolute difference in 5-year cause-specific survival (active smokers vs. the rest) was 21%."

Avoid secondhand smoke, as it is linked to the development of lung and breast cancer and also reduces lung cancer survival.

Specific Natural Therapies in alphabetical order

AHCC (ImmPower™)

AHCC is a new hybrid of several species of medicinal mushrooms, each of which have been used in traditional healing in Asia for centuries. The resulting product is a powerful, single, hybridized mushroom. Developed in Japan, it is grown in a liquid medium containing rice bran, and then enzymatically modified to be readily absorbed and used by the body. AHCC is one of the world's most powerful immune system enhancers. Specifically, ImmPower™ helps maintain peak natural killer cell function, supports enhanced cytokine production and promotes optimal T-Cell and macrophage activity. Over 600 hospitals in Europe and Asia now routinely use AHCC in cancer care.

Algae (e.g. chlorella and spirulina)

Some people say to stay away from blue-green algae, chlorella and spirulina.

The benefits of chlorella and spirulina to a cancer patient, some people believe, far outweigh the negative aspects. Between spirulina and chlorella they contain: polysaccharides (required for immune system communications), vitamin B12, GLA, Chlorophyll Growth Factor (CGF) and a host of other powerful anti-cancer nutrients. A vegan diet simply cannot provide all of these things.

If you do choose to avoid these items, then make sure you eat plenty of fresh organic broccoli.

Aloe Vera supplements can also be high in polysaccharides and the glyconutrients, but the glyconutrients are

very difficult to process out of the aloe vera.

Antineoplastons

Antineoplastons are peptide fractions derived from human blood and urine. (Peptides are short-chain amino acids.) They were developed by Stanislaw Burzynski, a Polish biochemist and M.D. who emigrated to the US in 1970 and worked as a researcher and assistant professor at the Baylor College of Medicine until 1977. It was here that he developed these peptides, and formulated his theory that they are important components of the body’s biochemical defense system which repairs mis-programmed cells rather than kill them. He feels that these peptides can be useful against all diseases caused by mis-programming, not just cancer. He does not claim to cure cancer, but feels that antineoplastons can help treat it. Studies at the federal level are now underway.

Apricot pits

No question, this is a controversial therapy. Thousands of people worldwide for the last 50+ years have made use of a key ingredient in apricot pits, a form of organic cyanide in a tiny amount, to fight cancer. The official position of the FDA is that doing this is contrary to their rulings and therefore subject to prosecution. And indeed sometimes they do prosecute people for selling apricot pits. The story of Jason Vale is one instance. (Do an Internet search for more info) The value of the active ingredient, called nitrilosides has been effectively discredited by the government and major drug manufacturers for decades.` Yet many people have pointed to this therapy as responsible for finally eliminating their cancers. Other names for nitrilosides over the years have been Laetrile, Amygdalin and Vitamin B-17. Nitrilosides are also contained in over 1200 common fruits, nuts, grains and grasses. The trace of organic cyanide can effectively destroy cancer cells in earlier stages of the disease. One Mexican hospital has treated over 100,000 cancer patients in the last 35 years using nitriloside compounds for 90% of these people. Curiously the gov't has no problem with Vitamin B12, chemically called cyanocobalimin. Cyanide is used in processing natural B12 for use in foods and nutritional supplements.

Anvirzel®

A new weapon against cancer and AIDS from Ozelle Pharmaceuticals - a herbal extract which is nontoxic and causes no adverse side effects. Closed clinical trials are showing that the drug is especially effective against prostate and breast cancer. The materials of the company promoting Anvirzel. say that Dr Ozel treated 494 cancer patients with the extract, resulting in a high rate of success. The company has organized phase I and II trials in Ireland, and states that the trials confirmed the efficacy of the extract in cancer. They say the patients were improved in their quality of life as well as regression of cancer, while reporting no notable side effects. Best results were said to be in prostate, lung and brain cancers. Sarcomas showed stabilization.

Arginine (1-arginine)

Arginine, an amino acid essential for life, has been found to consistently inhibit the growth of tumors. Research has indicated that giving arginine in fairly large doses "led to virtually complete inhibition of the carcinogenic process." In 1980, National Cancer Institute scientists found that injections of arginine into tumor-bearing rats consistently inhibited the growth of tumors. Their reports stated, "within two weeks, tumor size was reduced to 80 percent of the initial size. Tumor-bearing animals showed no toxic effects from the arginine." Even more research exists now to document the excellent results gained from the use of arginine routinely in the care of the cancer patient. Why this simple, inexpensive approach is not used by every conventional cancer treatment center after all these years is a mystery.

Artemisinin

A Chinese herb, sweet wormwood (qinghao in Chinese). In test tube studies, breast cancer cell research resulted in a 28% reduction of breast cancer cells treated only with artemisinin, and an amazing 98% decrease in breast cancer cells within 16 hours that were treated with artemisinin and an iron-enhancing molecule, transferrin. These treatments had no significant effect on normal human breast cells. This research pointed to the involvement of free iron in the toxic effect of artemisinin toward cancer cells, while basically sparing healthy cells. ("Selective toxicity of dihydroartemisinin and holotransferrin toward human breast cancer cells," Life Sciences 70 {2001) 49-56

Beta Glucans, 1, 3, 6

Beta glucans are biological defense modifiers (BDM) that nutritionally enhance, modify and balance the immune system. Glucans have been investigated for many years, particularly in light of their ability to activate macrophage immune cells and, in turn, the T-Cells, NK-Cells and B-Cells including selected cytokines and complement. The scientific literature is voluminous over many decades, including a considerable body of patent literature. Beta Glucan action nutritionally aids the body, particularly when the immune cell population is being reduced or limited by a disease condition, or such treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy.

Beta 1-3 Glucan fights skin cancer

One such product, a Beta 1-3 Glucan extracted from a mushroom by scientists in Japan. This natural product is very effective in enhancing the immune system of Japanese patients to fight off skin cancer. Japanese eating this particular mushroom, boosted their immune system high enough so they didn't acquire skin cancer. This product, at one time, years ago, was suggested for use in AIDS patients with low immune systems. However, it could not be patented. The FDA thumbed their nose at it, as did the pharmaceutical companies.

This subject is brought forth on this website under Federal Drug Administration (FDA) located at the tope of this page.

The shiitake mushroom and its extract called lentinan was very effective in not only enhancing the immune system; trials revealed it enhanced the immune system so effectively that skin cancer was averted and successfully treated with this Beta 1-3 Glucan extract, called lentinan.

Kimball's company, DEDI, was working with scientists in Japan in 1993 and had extracted the dietary supplement lentinan from the shiitake mushroom. As the product was in food and extracted from food DEDI was going to offer the product to the U.S. public as a food supplement.

However, in a well-planned raid in 1994, the FDA, Florida Department of Health and factions of the pharmaceutical cartel raided DEDI for the third time in 3 years. This time they targeted lentinan and the mineral dietary supplement DEDI developed which had proven to inhibit bacteria, viruses, and fungi. This time they not only confiscated all the products and research of DEDI's for the third time; this time they confiscated all the quality control products held regarding DEDI's products that had already been sold.

Bindweed extract

High molecular weight extracts of bindweed were shown to inhibit the growth of virulent tumors in mice. Extracts possess immune system boosting effects as evidenced by tumor infiltration by white blood cells in animals, plus increased lymphocytes. Further, they inhibit angiogenisis (the growth of cancer blood vessels that feed them with fresh blood). The method of extraction of the present bindweed and buckwheat extracts is very simple and requires a minimum of purification. The present bindweed and buckwheat extracts have utility as low-toxicity, anti-cancer therapy for humans and animals.

Bovine Cartilage

Despite all of the media hype over Shark Cartilage, Bovine Cartilage has been studied regarding cancer care for many years. Harvard trained physician John F. Prudden has been using it to treat human cancer since the early 1970's. Dr. Prudden has published a 31 patient case series in which he records some remarkable remissions in a wide variety of intractable malignancies including Pancreatic Cancer, Metastatic Breast Cancer, and Glioblastoma Multiforme. Some of these patients had been followed for more than five years at the time the case series was published in 1985. According to the National Cancer Institute, Bovine Cartilage, a type of tough, flexible connective tissue, has been studied and shown to "have some value" in cancer therapy. As indicated, various preparations of cartilage from sharks have been studied in the laboratory and in animals for their ability to kill cancer cells, stimulate the immune system, and block formation of new blood vessels feeding cancer cells. Nevertheless, NCI's official public position remains that scientific evidence to date has not proven cartilage to be an effective treatment for cancer. Several formal human clinical trials at NCI are now underway.

Broccoli sprouts detoxifies system

Budwig Flax Oil & Cottage Cheese diet

The Flax seed (Linseed) oil diet was originally proposed by Dr. Johanna Budwig, a German biochemist and expert on fats and oils in 1951. Her simple formula of two tablespoons of flaxseed oil to a quarter cup of low fat cottage cheese (or other foods containing sulfur) helps increase metabolism, boosts the immune system, reduces cholesterol levels, and for reasons not clear, helps inhibit cancer-cell growth. This unlikely but effective combination of products has been one of the most popular and successful alternative cancer therapies for decades. Dr. Budwig has various books on this subject.

Calcium against polyps preventative

Camptosar for advancd colon cancer shrinks tumors

Carctol®

A combination of natural herbs developed in India, Carctol is a well researched and tested cancer therapy. It treats all types of cancer including cancers of the esophagus, ear, nose throat, brain, breast, lymphoma, lungs, blood, kidney, cervix, stomach, colon/rectal, pancreas etc. Demonstrated to be non-toxic and side effect free, it has been used successfully in India and parts of Europe for 25 years. Besides successfully treating cancer, it also neutralizes toxic agents produced by chemotherapeutic drugs.

Carnivora (Venus Fly Trap extract)

Carnivora supplies essential nutrients to the immune system allowing it to operate at high efficiency. It allowing it to operate at maximum efficiency. In addition, it mimics the activities of the immune system itself in destroying defective or so-called primitive cells from a wide variety of pathogens (viruses and bacteria). Many laboratory studies worldwide have demonstrated its effectiveness against cancer and aids. Since 1981, over 2000 patients have been treated with Carnivora, including President Ronald Reagan.

Cesium Chloride

Cesium Chloride, one of earth's most alkaline elements, has been used to raise the pH of the body as an alternative or complementary cancer treatment for many years. In the 1930s, Dr. Otto Warburg of Germany won a Nobel Prize for showing that cancer thrives in anaerobic (without oxygen) or acidic, conditions. Research by Keith Brewer, PhD and H.E. Sartori has shown that raising the pH, or oxygen content of a cancer cell, to 8.0 creates a deadly environment within and it soon dies and is disposed of by the body. Today cesium chloride is typically used in combination with potassium.

Chelation Therapy

Mercury, nickel, lead, and aluminum are all considered heavy (toxic) metals. They can enter our bodies from many sources including automotive exhaust, cosmetics, paint, evaporated milk, infant formulas, baby powder, bleached white flour, pharmaceutical drugs, antacids, tooth paste, and aspirin. Heavy metals can block the natural detoxification processes. This can lead to fatigue, nutritional deficiencies, and numerous other health-related issues. Chelation therapy safely and effectively removes heavy metals from the body’s cells and tissues. The word “chelation” comes from the Greek work chele, which means claw. Chelation therapy can be administered orally (pills) or by injection. The therapy can be helpful in improving blood circulation and can be part of the Personalized Treatment Plan for patients with various conditions.

Coley's Toxins

Amazingly, in 1888 Dr. William B. Coley (1862-1936), Harvard Medical School graduate, eminent New York City surgeon and cancer researcher, stumbled across one of the most intriguing findings ever made in cancer research. Cancer cannot survive in an environment of temperatures more than 42 C (107.6 F). His discovery was first tolerated, then ridiculed, and finally suppressed. In recent years some new interest in his discovery has emerged among researchers. Dr. Coley, devised methods to safely create a fever in cancer patients with great success. Sadly, even after 100 years of knowing this, there is no trace of his simple heat therapy in conventional medical circles today.

Conjugated linoleic acid or CLA

Meats and dairy products do contain a remarkable cancer fighting nutrient called conjugated linoleic acid or CLA (Tonalin). However, a steady decline in the amount of CLA supplied by meats and dairy products in the diet through the past 50 years years can be attributed to modern farming practices. The meat of grass-fed cows contains up to four times as much CLA as cows fattened in feed lots. Today's dairy products have only about one third of the CLA content they used to have before 1960. CLA stimulates the immune system, inhibits cancer growth, improves insulin sensitivity (work with your physician here if diabetic), improves blood lipid levels, improves lean body mass to fat ratios, and has no known practical toxicity levels. Organic dairy products could be expected to have more CLA because there is a certification requirement to have adequate pasture available to the animals. CLA can be supplied in large controlled amounts though supplements. Although CLA may appear to be just another weight loss supplement, its anticancer properties appear to be real and should not be overlooked. Typical doses are 0.75 grams to 4 grams a day.

Curcumin

History

Curcumin is the bright yellow pigment in turmeric, ground from the turmeric root (Curcuma longa L.) which is a member of the ginger family. Turmeric is found wild in the Himalayas and grown across South Asia. It is used in curries and yellow mustard.

People whose diets are rich in turmeric have reduced rates of breast cancer as well as prostate, lung and colon cancers. Elderly villagers in India who consume turmeric with almost every meal also have the world's lowest rate of Alzheimer's disease, and animal studies have shown that curcumin blocks the formation and accumulation of the plaque that characterizes Alzheimer's.

Studies

Curcumin acts as a free radical scavenger and antioxidant, inhibiting lipid peroxidation and oxidative DNA damage. Its anticancer effects stem from its ability to induce apoptosis (cell death) in cancer cells without toxic effects on healthy cells.

Recent research by the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston showed that curcumin prevented the spread of breast cancer to the lungs in mice inoculated with human breast cancer cells. The mice were divided into four groups: one received no treatment, one got curcumin alone, one was given the cancer drug Taxol and the fourth group was given curcumin plus Taxol. Cancer spread to the lungs among half the mice in the curcumin-only group and 22 percent of those that received that combination of both curcumin and Taxol. The groups receiving no curcumin fared far worse: among the mice that received Taxol alone 75 percent developed lung tumors; and the cancer spread to the lungs among 95 percent of the mice who were given no treatment.

The researchers at M. D. Anderson state: "Curcumin can suppress tumor initiation, promotion and metastasis. Pharmacologically, curcumin has been found to be safe. Human clinical trials indicated no dose-limiting toxicity when administered at doses up to 10 g/day. All of these studies suggest that curcumin has enormous potential in the prevention and therapy of cancer."

University of Leicester researchers found that curcumin slows the rate at which prostate cancer cells become unresponsive to hormonal therapy.

A 2005 study from Kumamoto University in Kumamoto, Japan, published in the journal Cancer also found that curcumin prevented cancer and stopped tumors from growing. Their study showed that curcumin inhibited the production of interleukin-8 (IL-8), a protein that attracts white blood cells to a particular site, causing inflammation. Curcumin also reduced the activity of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-kappaB), a molecule that helps regulate the gene controlling production of IL-8.

Tumor cells secrete high levels of IL-8, causing local inflammation which prevents the immune system from finding and destroying tumor cells, and also directly stimulating the growth of more tumor cells. By curbing IL-8, curcumin slows tumor growth and allows the immune system to attack the tumor. The researchers concluded that "curcumin is capable of working as a potent agent that reduces tumor promotion."

BB Aggarwal published two studies, in 1997 in the Journal Anticancer Drugs 2003 in the Journal Anticancer Research, which concluded that several breast tumor cell lines, "including hormone-dependent and -independent and multidrug-resistant (MDR) lines," respond to antiproliferative effects of curcumin. When Aggarwal et al examined the cell lines "including the MDR-positive ones," they were all found to be "highly sensitive to curcumin. The growth inhibitory effect of curcumin was time- and dose-dependent.... Overall our results suggest that curcumin is a potent antiproliferative agent for breast tumor cells and may have potential as an anticancer agent."

The antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties of turmeric and curcumin are undergoing intense research worldwide. Other laboratories offer varying explanations but confirm the activity level of curcumin against breast , prostate and other cancers.

Dosage

So far, the main toxic effects observed in humans due to high doses of turmeric are stomach irritation and ulceration, and anti-coagulant activity, which may enhance the effects of anticoagulant medication. Studies in rats showed reduced cataract formation at moderate doses, but increased cataract formation at high doses, as well as liver damage. However, these last two effects have never been found in humans.

It is not recommended that curcumin be used at the same time as chemotherapy, as one study published by S. Somasundaram in 2002 in the journal Cancer Research found it diminished the effectiveness of the chemotherapy on cancer cells in vitro.

Turmeric powder is sold in bulk in grocery stores for use in food. It is also sold in capsules, some of which contain a standardized extract of curcumin. The capsules range in size from 500 mg to 700 mg. The usual dose is 2 to 3 capsules daily taken with meals. However, these are just the usual doses for health maintenance. Cancer researchers administered up to 10 gm per day to their subjects.

Curcumin

Curcumin (diferuloyl methane) is the active compound in the spice Tumeric. Curcumin has potent irreversible anti-proliferative effects against a variety of cancer cell lines in vitro (in test tube). Further, this compound demonstrates little in the way of toxicity in animals as well as in preliminary Phase I trials in humans. In fact, scientists have discovered even curry powder (turmeric is a principal ingredient in curry) helps stop the spread of breast cancer. Texas-based researchers found that curcumin inhibits the spread of breast cancer into the lungs and improves the effectiveness of current remedies. Bharat Aggarwal, professor of cancer medicine at Texas University, said: "We are excited about the study results and the possible implications for taking the findings into the clinic in the next few years." There have been numerous articles written on the effectiveness of this remarkable herb in the treatment of cancer. Curcumin is believed to directly induce cancer cell apoptosis (cell suicide).

Dandelion Root

Folk healers have long prescribed dandelion for liver and digestive problems. Dandelion's botanical name is Taraxacum, from the Greek words for disorder (taraxos) and remedy (akos). This is a clear reference to its medicinal use. Because its various components enhance the performance of the liver, this herb is useful for a wide range of disorders. It is known as a blood tonic and herbalists use it for detoxification. According to herbalists, roots such as dandelion are best harvested during winter, as this is where the plant stores its nutrients for the year.

However, there is proof it may cure cancer as well, probably by stimulating the macrophages of the body's own immune system to attack tumors. The Japanese have patented a freeze-dried extract of dandelion root to use against tumors; the Chinese have employed dandelion extracts against breast cancer for centuries, a treatment supported by positive effects in animal studies. Chinese researchers have shown that dandelion can restore the three major types of immune functions: cell-mediated, humoral, and non-specific immunity. Dandelion also inhibits a harmful natural substance, TNF-alpha, that is involved in cachexia, the wasting syndrome of cancer. Korean scientist have found that dandelion extract prevents chemically-induced skin cancer in mice.

Recently, The Northwest Herald printed a testimonial called "How The Lord Told Me To Cure Cancer" by an elderly farmer name George Cairns, who claimed to have treated his own prostate cancer with homemade dandelion root powder. Interestingly, he did not claim to have made the discovery by deliberate research; rather, he heard a mysterious voice which instructed him to take the dandelion root to treat his cancer. He recommends that people make their own powder, as many commercial varieties are so over-processed that they have few therapeutic effects. Whether truly of Divine origin or simply the result of Cairn's own intuition after a lifetime of working close to nature, the simple recipe is as follows:

Find dandelions in an area not treated with herbicides and pesticides. Dig up the dandelions, cut off the leaves at the base of the crown. Brush off the excess dirt but DO NOT WASH. Apparently some of the medicinal effect is cause by soil bacteria that cling to the roots of the plant.

Dehydrate the roots at a relatively low temperature, 100 degrees Fahrenheit or less -- use a food dehydrator or leave them in a warm location for several days.

When the roots are dry, use a mortar and pestle (obtainable from a kitchen supply store for grinding spices) and grind the roots into a fine powder. The use of an electric kitchen mill is not recommended as the powder produced is very fine and much of it will be lost into the air by the rapid action of an automatic mill. Once you have obtained the powder, it should be stored in an airtight container away from heat and light.

Consume a little over one-half teaspoon once a day at any time mixed with water or juice. Do not use in soft drinks, liquor, or anything hot. Once mixed, consume it all immediately, do not let it stand around.

Symptomatic improvement is noted within three to four days. You can keep taking this substance indefinitely. In large doses, it may cause upset stomach, diarrhea and skin rashes. If this happens, discontinue or use a lower dose.

According to Cairns, cancer pain diminishes within a month, and if bone metastasis are present, some results should be noticeable in three to four months. He gave the recipe to patients at a local hospital, and the word-of-mouth and the internet have spread the recipe across the country. Anecdotal reports claim results for some types of cancer but not others; apparently it is less successful in treating skin and brain tumors.

Chemotherapy diminishes the usefulness of this remedy by causing bone marrow suppression, an effect antagonistic to that of the dandelion root. Wait for an intermission between chemotherapy to use it, as it will do little good if taken simultaneously.

Dandelion can interfere with the way the liver breaks down certain drugs (using the P450 system). Therefore, dandelion may cause the levels of drugs in the body to be too high, leading to serious side effects. If you are taking other medication, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before you take dandelion, as dose adjustments may be necessary.

d-Glucarate

Discovered by researchers at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Texas, d-glucarates have been shown to decrease lung, skin, liver, breast and colon cancers by 60 percent or more (Walaszek, 1990). In addition, it has been found to have an inhibitor effect on cancers of the bladder and the prostate. In the breast, D-glucarate has been shown in more than 20 experimental animal and in vitro studies to significantly inhibit cancer. The primary mechanism of action of D-glucarate is through its ability to enhance detoxification of both chemical carcinogens from the environment and estrogenic tumor promoters produced by the body. Women who are at a higher risk for breast cancer have a lower detoxification capacity for carcinogens and estrogens. Likewise, D-glucarate has been found to effectively prevent the induction of prostate cancer in men. Non-prescription calcium d-glucarate tablets are readily available.

Detoxification procedures

One of the most important messages in this entire report. Removal of internal toxins and metabolic waste material, all of which builds up in the body over time, is essential to restoring health in any disease and a cornerstone of the most successful alternative treatment centers. The body must constantly devote enormous energy and resources protecting itself against the effects of internal toxins and waste products - resources that would be far better spent fighting cancer. Depending on who you read, estimates of the amount of man-made chemicals in our air, food and water today range from 38,000 to 95,000. These compounds never even existed in nature prior to the industrial revolution beginning in the late 1800s. Most alternative clinics and hospitals drain the lymph system using massage therapy and herbs. The kidneys, liver and digestive system are also cleaned out. Chelation therapy (oral or intravenous) will clear the arteries, the blood, and will remove toxic metals like mercury, cadmium and lead. An amazing amount of renewed energy, health, and disease fighting power can be gained by detoxification procedures alone. Detoxification procedures will eventually become routine in all sectors of health care, conventional and alternative. It has already started in the lay population.

diallyl disulfide which is known to inhibit cancer cell growth. One study revealed that the right concentrations of diallyl sulfide "protects mesothelial cells against asbestos induced genotoxicity."

Di-Indole Methane

Di-Indole Methane is the direct metabolite of I3C (Indole-3-Carbinol) and twice as strong. This naturally occurring extract of the cabbage (cruciferous) family vegetables has proven effective in studies worldwide against hormonal related cancers. It's mechanism is to decrease high estrogen levels in both men and women, an issue which usually leads to cancer or other illnesses often associated with aging. Included are prostate disease, breast and uterine cancers, and weight gain. Supplementing the diet with DIM and eating cruciferous vegetables increases the specific aerobic metabolism for estrogen, multiplying the chance for so-called bad estrogen to be broken down into beneficial, or good estrogen metabolites. These good estrogen metabolites are known as the 2-hydroxy estrogens.

Dichloroacetate (DCA)

DCA is a generic, low cost, non patentable substance which has been used for decades as a treatment for inborn metabolic disorders of the mitochondria, such as lactic acidosis. However, it has recently been found to cause regression and death of a variety of tumors. DCA acts by forcing tumor cells to shift back from anaerobic metabolism to aerobic metabolism, which is controlled by the cell's mitochondria. Usually cancer cells function by anaerobic metabolism, and their mitochondria are inactive. Once the mitochondria are reactivated, the function of the cancer cell is normalized, and it dies (undergoes apoptosis) instead of continuing with uncontrolled growth. DCA has no effects on normal, non-cancerous tissues.

The crucial link between anaerobic metabolism and cancer was first exposed in 1931 by Dr. Warburg, who won his first Nobel Prize for proving cancer is caused by a lack of oxygen respiration in cells. He stated in an article titled The Prime Cause and Prevention of Cancer that "the cause of cancer is no longer a mystery, we know it occurs whenever any cell is denied 60% of its oxygen requirements. Cancer, above all other diseases, has countless secondary causes. But, even for cancer, there is only one prime cause. Summarized in a few words, the prime cause of cancer is the replacement of the respiration of oxygen in normal body cells by a fermentation of sugar. All normal body cells meet their energy needs by respiration of oxygen, whereas cancer cells meet their energy needs in great part by fermentation. All normal body cells are thus obligate aerobes, whereas all cancer cells are partial anaerobes."

Dr. Evangelos Michelakis, a professor at the University of Alberta Department of Medicine, has shown that dichloroacetate (DCA) causes regression in several cancers, including lung, breast, and brain tumors. DCA caused significant decrease in tumor growth both in tumor cell cultures vitro and in animal studies. ¹

Since DCA is not patented, research is being funded by Canadian public agencies, the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR), the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Canada Research Chairs program, and the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research. Michelakis is hoping to conduct clinical trials of DCA on cancer patients.

"This preliminary research is encouraging and offers hope to thousands of Canadians and all those around the world who are afflicted by cancer, as it accelerates our understanding of and action around targeted cancer treatments," said Dr. Philip Branton, Scientic Director of the CIHR Institute of Cancer.

DCA given on a longterm basis (25 mg/kg/day for 24 months) for metabolic disorders can cause neuropathy, with symptoms such as pain or loss of sensation in the fingers. ² This is thought to be due to thiamine depletion. However, these symptoms are minor compared to those of traditional chemotherapy, and disappear when the drug is discontinued. Additionally, continuing longterm use may not be needed in cancer treatment.

DMSO

Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) has a wide range of therapeutic uses. Most physicians are unaware of its value in spite of over 3000 studies on over 500,000 patients (as of 1991!). DMSO binds with water and changes the structure of the water within the cell, which results in the healing of cellular damage. This also increases the permeability of the cell membrane, causing a flushing of toxins from the inside of the cell. DMSO also improves immune function, decreases allergic reactions, increases immunity to infections, prohibits cancer growth, and decreases the potency of toxins. DMSO crosses the blood-brain barrier, and is an excellent agent to help transport other substances throughout the body. When used in quantity though, it can produce an odd odor to the body. It continues to be ignored decade after decade by conventional medicine.

Ellagic Acid

The Hollings Cancer Institute at the University of South Carolina has conducted a double blind study on a group of 500 cervical cancer patients that excited all involved in the study. For years now, ongoing studies have shown that a natural product called Ellagic acid is causing so-called G-arrest within 48 hours (inhibiting and stopping mitosis-cancer cell division), and apoptosis (cell death) within 72 hours, for breast, pancreas, esophageal, skin, colon and prostate cancer cells. Ellagic Acid Clinical Tests on cultured human cells also show that it prevents the destruction of the p53 gene by cancer cells. Additional studies suggest that one of the mechanisms by which Ellagic acid inhibits mutagenesis and carcinogenesis is by forming adducts with DNA, thus masking binding sites to be occupied by a mutagen or carcinogenic substance. Ellagic acid can be found in different foods. it is especially effective for those with a genetic predisposition to cancer.

Epican Forte®

Epican Forte™, developed by German Dr. Mathias Rath, uses four primary nutrients that work together synergistically to inhibit a certain type of enzymatic activity associated with cancer cells . It also strengthens connective tissues that contribute to normal cell growth. These nutrients are Vitamin C, Lysine, Proline, and high-potency standardized green tea extract containing 80% polyphenols. Normally, healthy cells produce certain enzymes that temporarily digest connective tissue so that these cells can move through the body to renew organs and other tissues. In a cancerous condition, this specialized enzymatic process can be inhibited so that excessive cell growth does not occur and the health of organs and other tissues is maintained.

Essiac tea

One of the oldest and most highly regarded of all alternative cancer treatments. Composed of Burdock, Indian Rhubarb, Sheep Sorrel, Slippery Elm, and sometimes other ingredients depending on the manufacturer. Note that some companies are substituting yellow dock herb or curly dock herb these days for the sheep sorrel. This is not acceptable. Essiac was used by a Canadian nurse, Rene Caisse (Essiac is her name spelled backward) to successfully treat thousands of cancer patients starting in the 1920s. Claiming the formula was given to her by Canadian Ojibway Indians, she worked tirelessly with cancer patients for decades never charging them a penny. Her reputation grew along with her success much to the displeasure of the Canadian medical profession, and they had her arrested and jailed many times for "practicing medicine without a license". At her funeral in 1978 at age 90, hundreds of former cancer patients attended and paid their last respects to her for saving their lives.

The Chinese government has tested Essiac on hundreds of cancer patients, and now lists it as an effective "medicine", as they term it, to cure cancer. The Chinese get their herbs from Canadian sources where the best tea is brewed, bottled and sold around the world. See . Allen has studied Essiac Tea for many years, and sells a definitive book on the subject called "Essiac Essentials -- The Remarkable Herbal Cancer Fighter" by Sheila Snow and Mali Klein. Sheila Snow was a close friend of Rene Caisse. Cessiac, the version the Chinese favored spelled with a C, and Yuccalive, another potent herbal blend, are available to the U.S. and Canada from MPS International Marketing, Inc., located in British Columbia.

History

There are many recipes on the Internet for Essiac, an old Native Indian remedy named after the nurse Rene Caisse ("Caisse" spelled backwards). While she is best known for documenting its use, other historical mentions have been made of it as well.. Essiac is based on sheep's sorrel combined with various other herbs. This plant grows in the wild all throughout the temperate zone, and variations of sorrel recipes have been used for centuries as a folk remedy for cancer in Europe, Asia and North America.

In the late 1740s, legislation was passed in Williamsburg, Virginia, giving official permission for Mrs. Mary Johnson to use sorrel as a cancer remedy. In 1868, sheep sorrel and common sorrel were listed as medicinal plants in the Canadian Pharmacy Journal. In 1926, the American National Cancer Institute received a recipe for an old Indian remedy using sorrel paste mixed with bread.

Rene Caisse first stumbled on the recipe after an encounter in the 1920s with a prospector's wife who claimed to have survived breast cancer 30 years ago due to this traditional remedy. The patient reportedly received the formula from an Ontario Ojibwa Native American medicine man. Caisse supplied it to her patients, and initial results were so promising that she and group of physicians set up a test lab and clinic in Toronto, Canada. Experiments on both humans and mice inoculated with human carcinoma showed remarkable results. The recipe originally received by Caisse contained eight ingredients, but with experimentation the four most active components were isolated.

Caisse spent many years battling both the Canadian government and medical establishment, and in 1941 was forced from clinical practice into seclusion to treat patients in private. In 1977, after 36 years of obscurity, Homemakers magazine in Toronto, Ontario published an article on Rene Caisse, called "Could Essiac Halt Cancer?" Essiac once more garnered attention from the general public as well as the Canadian Cancer Research Foundation and The Cancer Institute in Toronto. Rene Caisse was 89 years old at the time, and since she was afraid the recipe would die with her, she sold the legal rights to her formula to the Resperin Corporation of Toronto, Canada.

Rene Caisse passed away December 26th, 1978 at the age of ninety years. Her gravestone in Bracebridge, Ontario reads "Discoverer of Essiac".

Commercial History Of Essiac

The original Essiac formula researched and clinically tested by Canadian Nurse Rene Caisse from 1922 to 1977 was first sold to the Resperin in 1977. It is currently the proprietary legal property of Essiac Canada International, which purchased the rights in 2002. The quality of herbs for sale varies widely. Determined to protect the reputation of Rene Caisse's remedy, Essiac Canada International carefully screens all shipments of herbs they purchase, and reject any they consider substandard. The harvesting requirements and preparation of this herbal supplement remain unchanged ever since Caisse legally signed over the formula to Resperin of Toronto in 1977. However, as the recipe and its variations are widespread, another company, Essiac International (not to be confused with Essiac Canada International) registered the trademark name of Essiac ® for themselves in the U.S. This company is unconnected with the original Canadian manufacturer. There are also dozens of "Essiac" formulas for sale on the internet.

The Canadian company is probably the safest commercial source of the product, though you can make your own if you use good quality herbs. Essiac purchased from Canada can be shipped legally to the United States as a food supplement, without making any claims to cure cancer. The average cost is approximately $50 per month.

Clinical Studies

Between 1959 and the late 1970s, Caisse collaborated with an American physician to conduct clinical and laboratory studies of Essiac ,but the results were not reported in any peer-reviewed scientific journals. Together they developed a formula now called Flor-Essence. In 1978, after Caisse sold recipe for Essiac to Respiron, the Canadian government gave this company permission to conduct clinical studies on the safety and effectiveness of Essiac but withdrew its permission in 1982. Respiron also filed an unsuccessful Investigational New Drug (IND) application with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Certainly sorrel-based formulas have a lengthy history in folk medicine worldwide, and the fact that this plant was discovered independently by isolated cultures bolsters claims of its efficacy.

Thousands of patients claim they were successfully treated by Caisse during her long career, and the individual herbs have shown antineoplastic activity in numerous animal and in-vitro experiments. ¹ The herbs contain potentially active compounds rhein, emodin, high molecular weight polysaccharides, and possibly arctigenin.²

However, human trials of Essiac have yielded disappointing results, Studies done by researchers at the NCI and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center have found that Essiac has no anticancer effect.^3,4

As of 2006, the Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island is recruiting cancer patients to participate in a randomized, double-blind, placebo control clinical trial. It is expected to be completed in 2008.

Recipe

While many variations of the recipe exist, the following was obtained from Mary McPherson, Caisse's longtime assistant. In 1994 she swore an affidavit before witnesses that this is the original recipe used in Caisse's cancer clinic. It is the same recipe distributed by Essiac Canada International, which is based in Toronto.

6 and 1/2 cups of burdock root, cut

1 lb of sheep sorrel herb, powdered

1/4 lb of slippery elm bark, powdered

1 oz Indian rhubarb root, powdered

Mix ingredients and store in airtight glass jars away from heat and light. Use 1 ounce of dry mixture to 32 ounces of water, depending on the amount you want to make. Boil vigorously for 10 minutes in covered pan, then turn off heat and allow to steep overnight in a warm place. In the morning, reheat until steaming and allow to settle for a few minutes, then pour through a fine strainer into hot sterilized bottles, cover securely, and allow to cool. Mixture is now ready for use. Once a jar is opened, it must be refrigerated.

The recommended dose is 2 oz. diluted in 2 to 3 oz. of warm water to be taken once a day for the first 10 days, later reduced to 1 oz. in the same dilution per day. This dose is recommended for 1 to 2 years or longer, with amounts eventually being further reduced to 2 or 3 times per week. Caisse stated that tumors will harden and enlarge after the first few treatments, then soften and shrink.

No side effects have been reported. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy interfere with the action of Essiac, and it will not work as well.

Burdock root (Arctium lappa)

Burdock helps cleanse the blood and lymphatic system. It contains Inulin, which strengthens the vital organs such as the liver, pancreas and spleen. It also reduces mucus formation and prevents gall and kidney stones. Its also contains vitamin A and selenium, antioxidants which eliminate free radicals, and chromium which helps regulate blood sugar levels.

Sheep Sorrel (Rumex Acetosella)

Sheep Sorrel heals internal ulcers and when applied topically helps clear skin problems such as eczema and psoriasis. It is rich in vitamins and trace minerals such as silicon. Sheep Sorrel nourishes the glandular system, cleanses the blood and improves liver, intestinal and bowel function.

Slippery Elm (Ulmus Fulva)

Its principal component is mucilage which helps the body cleanse itself of toxic waste. It is said to nourish and restore plasma in the blood and lymph. It improves intestinal flora and soothes asthma. It also helps relieve indigestion and eczema.

Indian Rhubarb (Rheum Officinale)

In small doses, this herb acts as a gentle laxative and purges the body, especially the liver, of toxic buildup and waste. It helps counteract acids due to indigestion. Its contains malic acid, said to aid the body in healing. A substance called Rhein, present in the root, inhibits pathogenic bacteria and candida albicans in the intestines. It reduces fever and inflammation. Studies show that rhubarb root has antibiotic and anti-tumor properties.

When combined, these herbs have synergistic healing effects. Rene Caisse also noted that it helped diabetes. She felt that cancer was caused by deficient glandular functioning, and that the herbal formula corrected this, allowing the body to heal itself. She recommended that several Essiac treatments be given before any cancer surgery was performed, as the treatment would shrink the tumor and make it easier to excise. Essiac should also be administered weekly for three months following the surgery.

Essiac rarely has any major side effects; the minor side effects are nausea and vomiting if taken with food, and occassionally diarrhea. Therefore, it is best to take it on an empty stomach. The Canadian Journal of Herbalism ("Old Ontario Remedies," July 1991) warns that two of the herbs in Essiac contain large concentrations of oxalic acid, which could affect nutritional metabolism and make the remedy unsafe for people with kidney ailments and arthritic conditions. There have been a few anecdotal reports of possible burdock toxicity. This rare side effect resembles the action of the drug atropine - disorientation, flushing of the skin and the enlargement of the pupils. However, it is not clear whether this was caused by burdock root toxicity or to contaminants in the the herbal mixtures that were administered to the patients

Far Infrared therapy

Similar to Coley's Toxins and the success of Dr. Josef Issels (see both above), Far Infrared Heat actually helps kill cancer cells, increases the effectiveness of chemotherapy and reduces the side effects of toxic conventional treatments. In this approach, heat caused by Far Infrared energy artificially raises the temperature of the whole body or specific body part. Far infrared heat energy penetrates deeply—four to five centimeters into the skin, the body’s largest detoxifying organ. Its molecular vibrations “jiggle” the tissues and speed up metabolic exchanges between cells. At the same time, it boosts the body’s regenerative abilities and decreases pain by increasing circulation. Vancouver naturopathic physician Jim Chan, who has treated about 5,000 cancer patients, explains that far infrared therapy has the ability to "break up the protective rings around harmful molecules" in the body so they’re no longer cancer causing. It also weakens the bonds between toxins and human tissues; so stored toxins can be flushed out of the system faster and in greater quantities through the skin via sweating, the liver and the bowels.

Flavonoids

The following came from a March 30, 2000 CNN news report. Written by Miriam Falco:

(CNN) -- A recent study shows that flavonoids, biological compounds found in more than 4,000 fruits and vegetables, seem to inhibit the growth of human cancer cells in laboratory tests. The preliminary findings were presented by KGK Synergize Inc. Thursday at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society in San Francisco. The study was conducted in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and focused on the 22 flavonoids found naturally in orange and tangerine juice. Dr. Najla Guthrie, president of the research company, said the results are "very encouraging" that these compounds could be effective against lung cancer, prostate cancer and melanoma cells. The study also found that synthetically produced flavonoids effectively inhibited the growth of colon cancer cells. Previous research conducted by Guthrie indicated that components found in citrus juices were shown to reduce the growth of human breast cancer cells in laboratory tests.

Fucoidan

For years, scientists and researchers puzzled as to why the people in Okinawa, Japan rarely get any kind of cancer. Not only that they have the world's highest percentage of people over 100. Finally a long chain carbohydrate, called fucoidan, was discovered in a seaweed delicacy Okinawans love called Kombu. It appears to have an amazing array of health producing properties, including the fact that it is lethal to most types of cancer cells. Fucoidan is sometimes referred to as U-fucoidan. Today there are more than 600 scientific studies in the US National Library of Medicine's database regarding the medical use of this amazing substance.

Garlic Mesothelioma:

Contains Compounds that Suppress Tumor Growth

Garlic contains antioxidant compounds that can reduce the cancer-creating ability of asbestos. Garlic contains allicin which has powerful anti-bacterial and anti-fungal powers. It also has sulfur compounds that can reduce the rate at which cancer cells divide, eventually contributing to their death.

In another study, garlic extract was found to "reduce the carcinogenetic potential of chrysotile asbestos in human blood lymphocites." It is interesting to note as well that garlic has been touted for its medicinal properties for thousands of years.

GEIPE therapy

First reported in 1959 in Science magazine, Geipe is a gentle form of DC electrotherapy (commonly 2.4 milliamperes at less than 3 volts) administered for only a few days. Current experimental evidence suggests that this new therapy is best suited for treating solid cancers (tumors) such as bladder, bone, brain, breast, cervical, colon, esophageal, kidney, liver, lung, ovarian, pancreatic, prostate, rectal, skin, stomach, testicular, throat and uterine. Geipe therapy deactivates the ribonucleotide reductase enzyme cancer cells use for their uncontrolled growth. In a perfect world, this is the ideal form of cancer therapy as it is simple to administer, virtually free and fast acting. As such this phenomena works against it - there is little profit anyone could make. So it remains ignored today by the conventional medical establishment.

Gerson's Diet

A rigorous but effective nutritional approach to fighting disease. Max Gerson (1881-1958) became a doctor in Germany in 1907. He developed his diet and detoxification treatments for cancers in a round-about way. He initially began experimenting with diet to treat his own recurrent migraine headaches, and it worked. Gerson began to treat other patients with skin tuberculosis and other chronic diseases such as arthritis, heart disease, chronic sinusitis, ulcers, colitis, high blood pressure, and psoriasis. In 1928, a woman with cancer came to Gerson and asked him to treat her. Up to this time, Gerson had not treated any cancer patients and knew little about cancer. The woman insisted and Gerson instructed her on his diet regime. Her cancer responded well. Other cancer patients came to Gerson for treatments, some experiencing tumor reduction and/or cancer retardation until 1933 when Gerson was forced out of Germany by Hitler. Because he had observed that impaired liver function always predated the appearance of cancer, he believed that the key to recovery was to restore proper function of the liver. This was done through detoxification. Gerson also believed it important to restore a proper sodium/potassium balance as well as provide oxygen to the cells.

Germanium

A versatile, health-giving mineral that is found in high concentration in many medicinal plants. Germanium is a is an oxygen catalyst, antioxidant, electro­stimulant and immune enhancer. Researched heavily in both the United States and Europe, Germanium is capable of strengthening the body's immune system, enriching its oxygen supplies and freeing it from toxic substances. Treatment of human cancer patients over almost two decades has occurred in parallel with the careful scientific studies in animals, establishing its anticancer action and resulting in a wealth of documentation from the human side, as well as laboratory data. Putting together the cancer research studies of the three organic Germanium compounds, Ge-132, Sanumgerman and Spirogermanium, at the cellular level, the evidence for organic Germanium's anticancer properties is solid and reproducible. And, happily, it is inexpensive.

Graviola (See also N-Tense)

Nearly 25 years ago it was discovered that the leaf of the Peruvian Graviola tree contained natural compounds having exceptional cytotoxic activity. In other words, they had a very strong ability to prevent abnormal cellular division. In the early 1990s, extensive independent research--including research by one of today's leading drug companies and by the National Cancer Institute--confirms that the tree's chemical extracts attack and destroy cancer cells with lethal precision. Although not yet tested in wide scale human trials, Graviola has been studied in more than 20 laboratory tests since the 1970s, where it's been shown to effectively target and kill malignant cells in 12 different types of cancer, including colon, breast, prostate, lung, and pancreatic cancer. Further it is shown to be 10,000 times stronger in killing colon cancer cells than Adriamycin, a commonly used chemotherapeutic drug. It exhibits the ability to selectively hunt down and kill cancer cells without harming healthy cells, much unlike chemotherapy. Today it is commonly available on the Internet in pill or liquid form.

Green Tea

Exciting research studies have been published on green tea and its anti-cancer qualities. A recent study from Japan demonstrates that green tea goes way beyond it's role as a well-known antioxidant. If the study is confirmed, it will propel the ancient beverage squarely into the middle of 21st century science. One of the factors that sets cancer cells apart from normal cells is that they have telomerase, an enzyme that maintains telomeres on the ends of DNA. Most normal cells do not have telomerase to maintain their telomeres. Every time a normal cell divides, telomeres are lost. When all the telomeres are gone, the cell dies. Cancer cells' ability to maintain their telomeres may be the secret to their immortality. Consequently, inhibiting telomerase and causing cancer cells' telomeres to shorten has become a focus of cancer therapy. The first natural telomerase inhibitor has been discovered: green tea. Japanese researchers have been able to show that green tea extract (ECGC) inhibits telomerase of cancer cells in two different types of cancers in the test tube: leukemia and the solid tumor type. Within a month of treatment, some of the cancer cells began dying. Within three months, most were dead. The experiment has been repeated several times with the same result. Curiously, the telomeres of normal cells will remain unaffected. Extracts of green tea in pill form are now available.

Haelan 951®

Haelan 951 is a promising and popular nutritional-based anti-cancer agent made from fermented liquid soy bean extract. Its array of benefits include blocking cancer-cell blood supplies, enzymatic activity, tumor reduction, and boosting of the immune system. It has also been found to help relieve the side-effects of toxic conventional therapies. Writing in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, researchers at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles say animal tests have shown that genistein, found in soy-based products such as this, stops cells from making stress proteins produced by cancer cells. Those proteins help cancer cells survive attacks by the body's immune system and anti-cancer therapies, researchers say.

HANSI therapy

HANSI is a general term Argentinean botanist Juan Hirschmann gave to his family of homeopathic based treatments for a wide range of diseases, including cancer, AIDS, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, arthritis, asthma, and hepatitis. Early experiments in the 1970's led to successful treatments for animal cancers. In July of 1990, he opened his first clinic in Buenos Aires and began treating human cancer patients with HANSI. Hirschmann and his team of physicians have now treated nearly 100,000 Argentineans in three Buenos Aires clinics, and they state that HANSI has produced positive results with every kind of cancer treated. Although the medical evidence from Argentina is largely derived from retrospective chart reviews and testimonials, it is massive, more than enough to justify serious consideration. HANSI International, Ltd., is a Bahamian company with production and worldwide distribution rights to all of Juan Hirschmann's homeopathics. It maintains its production facility in Freeport, Grand Bahamas, and imports its product under the FDA's personal use exemption rule. HANSI International, Ltd. has kept a relatively low profile while it completes requisite studies.

Hoxsey therapy

For over thirty years, Harry Hoxsey (1901-1974), a self-taught healer, cured many cancer patients using an herbal remedy reportedly handed down by his great-grandfather. By the 1950s, the Hoxsey Cancer Clinic in Dallas was the world's largest private cancer center, with branches in seventeen states. Born in Illinois, this practitioner of herbal folk medicine faced unrelenting opposition and harassment from a hostile medical establishment. Nevertheless, two federal courts upheld the therapeutic value of Hoxsey's internal tonic. Even his archenemies, the American Medical Association and the Food and Drug Administration, admitted that his treatment could cure some forms of cancer. A Dallas judge ruled in federal court that Hoxsey's therapy was "comparable to surgery, radium, and x-ray" in its effectiveness, without the destructive side effects of those treatments. But in the 1950s, at the tail end of the McCarthy era, Hoxsey's clinics were shut down. The AMA, NCI, and FDA organized to suppress Hoxsey's methods according to a 1953 federal report to Congress and Hoxsey's Dallas clinic had to close its doors in 1960. Three years later, at Hoxsey's request, Mildred Nelson, R.N., his long-time chief nurse, moved the operation to Tijuana, Mexico.

Hulda Clark's therapies

For decades, Hulda Clark has been a highly controversial healer. Although many people worldwide worship her as visionary inventor, therapist and humanitarian, just as many attack her as a quack. Parasite removal in the body is a cornerstone of her approach to almost all diseases. Patient screening for various disease conditions utilizes a frequency testing device she invented called a Syncrometer. This short write-up briefly mentioning her long history of medical research and patient treatment cannot possibly due her justice or decide her value in health and healing. Her principal book about cancer, which has sold many thousands of copies, is called "The Cure for All Cancers". Pictured here is her "zapper".

Hydrazine Sulphate

This is a common industrial chemical that was first proposed in the treatment of cancer in the 1970s by Joseph Gold, M.D., of the Syracuse Cancer Research Institute. Its use is based on the fact that a cancer cell is known to derive it's energy from fermenting sugar instead of by burning oxygen, as donormal cells. Gold reasoned that hydrazine sulfate would inhibit the liver's ability to deliver sugar to the tumor and, in that way, inhibit tumor growth. The advocates of hydrazine sulfate claim that it is also useful in combating cachexia, the extreme loss of weight that often is associated with the terminal stages of cancer. More info is at Syracuse Cancer Research Institute's website at http://scri.ngen.com/

Hypothermia therapy

A type of treatment in which body tissue is exposed to high temperatures to damage and kill cancer cells, or in the case of conventional therapy, to make cancer cells more sensitive to the effects of radiation and certain anticancer drugs. Local hyperthermia treatment (heat applied to a very small area, such as a tumor) is a well-established cancer treatment method with a simple basic principle: If a rise in temperature to 106ºF can be obtained for one hour within a cancer tumor, the cancer cells will be destroyed. The area may be heated externally with high-frequency waves aimed at a tumor from a device outside the body. Ultrasound is more easily focused than other energy modalities, and can be applied to tumors located from the skin to 8 centimeters (approx. 3 in.) within the body. This allows the treatment of tumors unreachable by other external modalities. Whole-body heating is used to treat metastatic cancer that has spread throughout the body. It can be accomplished using warm-water blankets, hot wax, inductive coils (like those in electric blankets), or thermal chambers (similar to large incubators).

Hyperthermia

Hyperthermia, also called thermal therapy, involves exposing tissues to high temperatures, up to 113 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees C). This damages and kills cancer cells, with minimal damage to normal tissues, which produce proteins to mitigate heat injury and can tolerate temperatures up to 111 degrees. Also, tumors have poor blood supply relative to their metabolic needs and cannot dissipate heat, so they tend to get hotter than the surrounding area.

Hyperthermia is almost always used in conjunction with other treatments, and can be given just before chemo or radiotherapy in order to enhance the effects. Normally, part of the damage caused by radiation is repaired by the cancer cells, enabling some to survive; however, heat interferes with this repair mechanism. Hyperthermia is now approved in the U.S. for treatment of breast cancer recurrence.

Hyperthermia can be applied to the entire body, or just one area. Diarhhea, nausea and vomiting are common side effects of whole-body hyperthermia, which involves induction of a fever up to 107-108 degrees Fahrenheit.

The National Institute Of Health reports several ongoing clinical trials in the United States on the effectiveness of hyperthermia. Numerous studies have been done on hyperthermia in combination with radio or chemotherapy for the treatment of various types of cancer. Many of these studies have shown a significant reduction in tumor size. However, patient survival was not always increased.

History

For hundreds of years, heat has been used as a medical treatment for a variety of illnesses. Examples include the traditional Finnish sauna and Native American sweat lodges. Historically, doctors have noticed that "spontaneous remissions" of tumors often occurred after a serious febrile illness. In the West Indies, natives afflicted with syphilis or cancer deliberately subjected themselves to infection from such high fever diseases as malaria, typhus fever or typhoid fever.

In biological clinics in Europe, artificially induced fever, usually in the form of overheating baths, has been used successfully to treat a variety of conditions including cancer. Dr. Josef Issels, the founder of the renowned Issels Clinic in Germany, has said, "Artificially induced fever has the greatest potential in the treatment of many diseases, including cancer." The Issels Clinic currently uses hyperthermia as part of a combination treatment for cancer.

Dr. Werner Zabel told the following true story, which illustrates the cancer-preventive and cancer-healing effect of artificially induced fever:

Not far from Rome, Italy, there were huge swampy areas called the Pontine Swamps. These swamps were excellent breeding grounds for malaria mosquitoes, and the whole area was affected by malaria.

Then, by government action, the Pontine Swamps were drained and dried out. As a result malaria completely disappeared. But Italian medical researchers made a remarkable observation. While earlier the whole malaria-infected area was completely free from cancer, now, one generation later, it had the same prevalence of cancer as the rest of Italy. The scientists concluded that the frequent fever attacks common in malaria stimulated the body's own defenses so that cancer could not develop.

Fever has been too long a misunderstood and mistreated symptom. Most orthodox doctors try to combat and suppress fever. Actually fever is a constructive, health-promoting symptom, initiated and created by the body in its own effort to fight infections and other conditions of disease and to restore health. High temperature speeds up metabolism, inhibits the growth of invading virus or bacteria and accelerates the healing processes.

In folk medicine in various parts of the world fever has been used for centuries to heal disease. In the West Indies, natives afflicted with syphilis or cancer cured themselves by deliberately subjecting themselves to infection from such high fever diseases as malaria, typhus fever or typhoid fever.

Dr. A. Lwoff, famous French bacteriologist, has demonstrated in repeated scientific experiments that fever is indeed a "great medicine," and that it can help to cure many "incurable diseases". In biological clinics in Europe, artificially induced fever, mostly in the form of overheating baths, has been used successfully to treat such conditions as rheumatic diseases, skin disorders, insomnia, arthritis - and cancer. Dr. Josef Issels has said, "Artificially induced fever has the greatest potential in the treatment of many diseases, including cancer." Mark well that this remark is made by one of the leading cancer specialists in the world!

The usual method of inducing fever is the so-called Schlenzbath.43 The patient is totally immersed in a large bathtub filled with water between 100-102 degrees Fahrenheit. Only the nose and mouth are left free for breathing. In about half an hour, the body's temperature will gradually rise to match the temperature of the water.