Terry Thompson’s Blog

I am departing from my blog series on minerals today to highlight the latest on the Provenge cancer vaccine.  This vaccine, not a typical preventive type of vaccine, treats existing cancer by training the immune system to fight tumors.  If approved, it would be the first such treatment on the market.  The second major study of the vaccine just released showed improvement in overall survival in 512 prostate cancer patients in the advanced stage of the disease.  It has scientists talking more seriously about a new approach to fighting cancer beyond the surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.

“This is an exciting result, demonstrating the harnessing a patient’s own immune system can successfully attack prostate cancer,” said Dr. Eric Small, cancer specialist at the University of California at San Francisco. “Now we have more confidence that the initial results we saw were real.”  Integrative oncologists could incorporate this treatment into their practice immediately upon approval.  However, the conventional treatment establishment that almost all patients depend on today would have a major paradigm shift to deal with.  This is another reason that we must greatly expand not only research of complementary methods, but also the level of integrative practice in this country.  Increased awareness and support of integrative oncology is an objective of the new strategy for the war on cancer and the Connie Thompson Foundation.  Let’s team together to this end.

According to researchers Maureen Keane and Daniella Chace in their book, What to Eat if You Have Cancer, selenium has been shown in animal studies to inhibit the formation of tumors and may slow their growth.  It helps the body defend against free radicals.  There is also evidence that it may be directly toxic to tumors.   As is most trace minerals, selenium is found naturally in foods such as certain fish, barley, brown rice, and sunflower seeds.  The ACS’s Guide to Complementary and Alternative Cancer Methods affirms selenium as a nutrient that may prevent the development and progression of cancer.  Both animal and human studies suggest the selenium may play a role in lowering a person’s risk of developing cancer, and reducing death rates from cancer in those who already have the disease.  Since selenium appears to be directly toxic to tumors, maybe researchers should be subjecting it to more laboratory scrutiny. Imagine something as natural and harmless as a trace mineral being discovered by medical science as a significant breakthrough in cancer treatment.

Unfortunately, hardly any potential breakthroughs outside the realm of conventional therapy are being seriously considered today.  Until we see a new strategy for cancer treatment, the debilitating, toxic chemotherapy and radiation will continue to be the choice of conventional oncologists.  Join with the Connie Thompson Foundation in supporting integrative oncology as the future of cancer treatment.

Zinc and copper, both trace minerals, play an important role in the immune system.  Cancer patients may need to supplement zinc and copper levels that have been depleted in their systems.  Zinc and copper enhance T cell and Natural Killer (NK) cell activity necessary for optimum operation of the immune system.  Low zinc levels have been linked to increased size of head or neck tumors, more advanced stages of disease, and a greater number of unplanned hospitalizations.  Copper complexes have shown to have anti-cancer properties in laboratory studies.  If zinc and copper are so essential to keeping immune cells healthy and smaller tumor size, more study is needed regarding these minerals as major cancer fighting agents.

Integrative oncologists routinely prescribe zinc and copper supplements as enhancers of the immune system which helps the body fight the cancer cells.  A new strategy incorporating trace minerals, vitamins, nutrition, etc. into conventional cancer treatment is essential.  I’m still collecting information on practicing integrative oncologists that readers are familiar with.  Please pass on the information to: info@cancerchoices.org.  Tomorrow: selenium.

There are 22 minerals that are considered essential to bodily functions.  They are particularly critical to cancer patients for two reasons.  First, the effects of cancer often cause shortages of vital minerals.  Second, some of the minerals have qualities that help in the body’s fight against the disease.  In other words, when the cancer patient needs them most, the cancer often causes a mineral deficiency.

Cancer usually causes the following conditions which lead to mineral deficiency:

     * Loss of appetite and a poor selection of foods

     * Decreased mineral absorption due to conventional treatment

     * Decreased potency of minerals due to drug interactions

     * Loss of minerals due to diarrhea and vomiting

     * More minerals required due to tumor growth

Seven minerals are needed by the body in relatively large amounts: calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sulfur, sodium, potassium, and chloride.  Although these minerals are important to balancing the body’s nutrition, they don’t appear at present to contribute directly to fighting cancer.  Trace minerals, on the other hand are needed by the body in relatively small amounts, but have a more direct impact on cancer.  Posts for the next few days will cover various trace minerals relative to cancer treatment.

Conventional oncologists seldom provide any information on mineral supplements as a complement to treatment and will hardly ever prescribe them.  Only integrative oncologist, trained in such complements will ensure that patients get the full benefit of them.

Silymarin is a herb more commonly known as milk thistle.  It is a tissue regenerator and an augmenter of the immune system.  In this role, silymarin has most recently been targeted toward liver detoxification.  Medical providers in Europe widely prescribe it for liver diseases, but its use in America is mostly from recommendation of naturopathy and holistic medicine  practitioners.  Since the liver is the main organ involved in removing toxins from the body, its health is essential to the body’s cancer battle. The liver also stores most vitamins and minerals as well as produces bile for digestion.  It is one of the main fronts in the internal fight against cancer.  Silymarin has been shown in tests to heal damaged liver tissue and to protect liver cells.

Silymarin should be a priority for clinical trial testing.  However, like almost all natural herbs and compounds, its testing takes a back seat to new and exotic drugs which has the potential of much higher returns on investment.  A new strategy for the war on cancer must invert our nation’s priority for clinical testing. 

Frankincense is familiar to most of us as one of the three gifts brought by the Wise Men to baby Jesus.  It is now being evaluated for its possible  benefit to cancer patients.  The compound (resin from the Boswellia tree) caused no major adverse effects and is safe for human consumption and long-term use.  The National Cancer Institute Bulletin recently highlighted a clinical trial being conducted by the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center testing dietary and herbal therapy for brain cancer.  The Phase II study is testing frankincense as part of a vegan diet for patients with high-grade Gliomas, a type of aggressive brain tumor. Frankincense has been touted for centuries in some cultures as a healing agent for various diseases.  It has been shown in animal and human studies to reduce inflammation, particularly in osteoarthritis patients.  Laboratory studies have suggested that it may also cause human brain cancer cells to undergo programmed cell death (apoptosis).  Dr. Glen Stevens, principal investigator for this clinical trial said, “Some small studies have suggested that frankincense extract may help limit brain edema and even have an anti-tumor effect.  We hope that dietary changes in conjunction with use of this herbal preparation will help improve patient outcomes and act in a complementary fashion with standard treatments for high-grade Gliomas.”

We hope so, too, Dr. Stevens.  Of course, if frankincense or any other natural herb proves effective against cancer, it will not benefit most cancer patients for quite some time, maybe decades.  Most oncologists are not trained and have little motivation to practice anything but the standard conventional therapy.  Only the small number of integrative oncologists practice methodologies complementary to the conventional.  Integrative oncology must become the standard if the new strategy for the war on cancer is to be successful.  It needs your support.