Nov
22
2012

New Breast Cancer Treatment

For decades the dogma in medicine has been that any kind of cancer, including breast cancer would be treated with surgery, radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. However, the 5-year survival rates were disappointing as this table shows. In the 1980’s the idea of adjuvant treatments for cancer came up and one of the popular methods was hyperthermia treatment. Cancer cells of a variety of cancers were found to be very heat sensitive, but the limiting factor in treating with hyperthermia systemically was the fact that   bone marrow cells were found to be very heat sensitive, which limited this application. With respect to breast cancer a review of data pooled from 5 trials showed that there was an 18% survival advantage due to the added step of hyperthermia in addition to radiotherapy. With radiotherapy alone a group of advanced breast cancer patients had a 5-year survival of 41%, but a comparable group treated with a combination of radiotherapy and hyperthermia had a survival of 59%.

Let’s back track for a moment and ask what breast cancer is. In the past we thought it developed out of one mutated cell, a breast cancer cell that would multiply into a clone of cells, which would first grow locally and then spread as metastases throughout the body at a later time. Unfortunately further research has shown that breast cancer can simultaneously occur in several spots in one breast or even in both breasts. The spreading of the cell clones to distant areas can occur very early on, but cells can lay dormant for years and start growing again at a time when the immune system is weak. With these facts in mind it can readily be seen that surgery cutting out a “local breast lump” will not be successful in the long term as a treatment of breast cancer, even when radiotherapy treatment is added to sanitize the local lymph glands of local cancer metastases.  Adding chemotherapy to eradicate distant metastases may  sound like a good idea, but chemotherapy is very toxic to bone marrow cells and to the immune cells that are supposed to kill the last breast cancer cells. As a result, chemotherapy has its own problems. Medical researchers had to start thinking outside of the box to discover a breakthrough in breast cancer treatment.

Fast forward to 2012. We still need a breast cancer treatment method that is non-toxic, that kills the breast cancer cells and that ensures that there will be no recurrences in the future.

New Breast Cancer Treatment

New Breast Cancer Treatment

This new treatment method is called “laser-assisted immunotherapy“, and it is being studied in a pilot study right now. 62.5% of end stage breast cancer patients had a response rate, something that has never been achieved before. The systemic side-effects of hyperthermia are overcome by heating only locally and directing the laser beam to the diseased tissue. The quality of the Laser beam is close to the infrared frequency of light . This is amplified by injecting the FDA approved compound indocyanine green, which absorbs more heat from the laser beam right in the cancer cells where it is needed for local hyperthermia treatment. The immune cells and the bone marrow cells are not harmed. The killed cancer cells release the cancer antigens that the immune system could not recognized before, as the immune cells were suppressed by suppressor T lymphocytes. With this added immune booster which is called “glycated chitosan” the cancer patients’ immune cells(called “killer T lymphocytes”)  are now being stimulated and are in a position to eradicate the last trace of cancer cells anywhere in the body. This is similar to a vaccination procedure that takes place within the body of the cancer patient. The T lymphocytes remember the surface antigen of the cancer cells that were killed. As a result the same type of tumor will never reoccur in that person’s life. It also takes care of the dilemma of the past that sometimes more than one cell type clone was found among the biopsy material of a cancer patient.

At this point the trial has not reached the 5 year mark of survival. Only 15 patients of the total of 45 patients have so far been enrolled. But 80% of the 15 patients have survived 2.5 years, which is unheard of with stage IV (late stage) breast cancer. In an experimental breast cancer model in rats where laser assisted immunotherapy was first shown to be effective, there was 100% survival of the treated group. However, it was noted that it was essential that all three components of the new treatment modality were followed. The protocol for the human pilot study therefore is as follows:

1. After placement of an anesthetic in the tumor area the indocyanine green is injected into the tumor (placement of the photosensitizer).

2. The laser beam near infrared frequency of light is applied in the tumor area (or over the palpable metastases). This application takes about 10 to 12 minutes and two courses are given over two weeks. An option of a third course within one year may be considered, but did not have to be done so far.

3. The adjuvant immune booster (glycated chitosan) is injected into and underneath the tumor right after the laser treatment is finished.

This triple therapy is the secret to the success of the new breast cancer treatment as each step is augmenting the other steps resulting in a complete destruction of the breast cancer and an active immunization against any of the residual cancer cells.

At this point the offshore Caribbean breast cancer treatment pilot study has been chosen to bypass frustrating FDA slow-downs in the US. But I suspect that proper protocols in a much bigger randomized US based study will follow the obvious successes in these late stage breast cancer cases. New cancer therapies are urgently needed. They are typically introduced by treating “incurable” (late stage) patients first. We are about 2 1/2 years away from the completion of this pilot study so that 5-year cures rates can be compared to older studies with the conventional cancer treatment approach. I am convinced that this new approach will not only help breast cancer patients,  but will also help prostate cancer patients and pancreas cancer patients (these three come to mind as they all are glandular cancers). Surgery for the removal of lymph gland metastases in prostate cancer patients and breast cancer patients using laser assisted surgery with indocyanine green stained lymphatic tissue has already been pioneered. It also opens up possibilities of modifying the method to suit other types of cancers.

More information about breast cancer: http://nethealthbook.com/cancer-overview/breast-cancer/

Last updated Nov. 6, 2014

Nov
01
2008

Hormone Dependency of Prostate Cancer

In this month’s Lancet Oncology Manit Arya et al. have reviewed the research and clinical achievements of Harvard Medical School trained Charles Huggins. This Canadian-born American surgeon won the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine in 1966 for his outstanding research on treatment of prostate cancer. Here are the key findings of a publication in 1941 by Huggins and Hodges: 1. Prostate cancer is a cancer that is hormone controlled 2. Prostate cancer that has spread to other organs can be inhibited in growth by removal of testosterone production (surgical removal of testicles or orchiectomy) or by treating with female hormones (estrogens). 3. Prostate cancer that has spread to other organs is made to grow faster, if testosterone is injected. The authors of this review pointed out that despite hundreds of further research papers these “original studies have withstood the test of time”.

Hormone Dependency of Prostate Cancer

Low testosterone causes prostate cancer

Estrogen treatment has caused cardiovascular and thromboembolic complications, which resulted in cessation of this treatment modality. Newer studies attempted to improve prostate cancer survival with synthetic luteinising-hormone-releasing-hormone (LHRH) agonists and various antiandrogens, but nothing compares to the survival success of a simple orchiectomy. The authors concluded that Huggins and Hodges have provided an “epic work”, which will stand out from the myriad of publications in science for “years to come”.

Manit Arya, Dr, FRCS, Iqbal S Shergill, FRCS, Philippe Grange, MD, Mark Emberton, FRCS , The Lancet Oncology – Volume 9, Issue 11 (November 2008)

Comment on Nov. 18, 2012: Unfortunately this type of research has confused the treatment of prostate cancer for decades. I have explained this in detail under this link: http://www.nethealthbook.com/articles/cancer_prostatecancer.php#introduction  It turns out that the precise opposite is true: The aging male who is most prone to develop prostate cancer needs testosterone replacement, as prostate enlargement and prostate cancer is due to a LACK of testosterone, which causes estrogen dominance.  This hormone scenario takes place in the aging male, if not corrected! This type of patient would need an understanding urologist as explained under the link above. Unfortunately many physicians, including famous ones are slow to adapt to new knowledge from their peers (in this case Harvard trained Dr. Abraham Morgentaler, an urologist who is cited under the above mentioned link).

Last updated December 3, 2012

Oct
01
2008

Concerns Over Bisphenol A Bottles

Early in 2008 polycarbonate bottles containing bisphenol A (BPA) have been deemed “toxic” under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. The compound was first identified by researchers that autoclaved (heat sterilized) their polycarbonate flasks. They were studying the growth of breast cancer cells and found that the chemical which was identified from the flasks promoted growth of breast cancer cells. No human research was involved, and the data come from tests in animal research. Nevertheless BPA is an “endocrine disruptor”, that mimics the action of estrogen, reports Dr.Rebecca Sherlock, clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of British Columbia. The question that remained was the leaching of the substance into food. As an experiment, bottles with the content of BPA were subjected to conditions that simulate household use. They were run through regular household dishwashers, but they also were subjected to the use of industrial dishwashers that have higher temperatures. Also the bottles were subjected to scrubbing with steel wool. Dr. Sherlock reported that the final result is that there is leaching of the substance into foods. None of the studies showed that the quantity of BPA is higher than the acceptable daily intake limit set in the U.S.A. and in Europe.

Concerns Over Bisphenol A Bottles

Concerns Over Bisphenol A Bottles

There are animal results that there may be some health effects, especially in the brain, the prostate and other endocrine tissues. Due to these results the federal Health Minister has proposed a ban on manufacture, import, and sale of baby bottles. Newborn babies and infants may be more sensitive to the effects of the chemical. A lot of controversy has surrounded the polycarbonate bottles containing bisphenol A.
In August the FDA has declared them “safe’, but by September a report from the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences cited once again “some concern”. There are potential effects on the behavior, brain and prostate gland in fetuses, infants and children at the current exposure level.

More information about toxins in the environment: https://www.askdrray.com/protecting-yourself-from-environmental-toxins/

85th Annual Conference of The Canadian Pediatric Society (CPS) in Victoria/BC as reported by The Medical Post, Sept. 16, 2008, p. 14

Last edited November 6, 2014

Oct
01
2008

Lifestyle Can Be A Killer For Middle Age Women

Generally it is assumed that persons in their thirties and forties should be in their prime, and health concerns are cropping up in the higher middle age or only in old age.
Also, women were thought to generally enjoy better health and life expectancy, but the large Nurses’ Health Study on 77,782 women in the age group of 34 to 59 years shows other aspects.
Even in females who had no heart problems and no cancer at the onset of the study, lifestyle choices can make it or break it. At the end of the study that spanned 24 years, it became obvious that a total of 28% of all the mortalities could be attributed to smoking. If risky lifestyle choices were combined in the form of smoking, being overweight, having a lack of physical activity and a qualitatively poor diet, this number jumped to 55%. Alcohol intake did not change this estimate significantly.

Lifestyle Can Be A Killer For Middle Age Women

Lifestyle Can Be A Killer For Middle Age Women

It is obvious that for the benefit of better health and less mortality in middle age women, diet, exercise, a healthy body weight and eradicating smoking are key factors.

Reference: BMJ 2008;337:a1440

Comment on Nov. 18, 2012: So how many years longer will a woman live, if she quits at age 30? The Million Women Study found out that she will live 10 years longer than the control group of smoking women (see link). Nothing has changed since 2008. Lifestyle issues remain at the forefront.

Last edited December 3, 2012

Sep
01
2008

Survey Shows People Underestimate Lifestyle Factors As Cancer Causes

Roy Morgan Research Company and Gallup International have released an opinion poll study at the recent International Union Against Cancer’s World Cancer Congress in Geneva (August 27 to 31, 2008) that reveals significant differences among low-income countries and high-income countries. Cancer of the liver and other cancers can be caused by alcohol and throat and lung cancer as well as others are caused by carcinogens from cigarette smoking. These are medical facts that have been well established. But the opinion poll showed that there is ignorance and confusion in the public both in poor and wealthy nations. For instance in high-income countries 42% felt that there was no cancer risk from drinking alcohol and 8% were unsure, in low-income countries 15% were of the opinion that alcohol was not a cancer risk and 29% were unable to say. Other differences were that 62% of people in wealthier nations believed that cancer was one of the three top health issues in the country, while only 36% of people in poorer nations believed this. On the other hand with so much information about pollution in the press 76% to 78% of people living in middle and high income countries are of the opinion that this is an important cause of cancer while only 30% believe this in the poorer countries. The reality is that smoking and drinking of alcohol are more important in terms of cancer causation than pollution is.

Survey Shows People Underestimate Lifestyle Factors As Cancer Causes

Survey Shows People Underestimate Lifestyle Factors As Cancer Causes

David Hill, president-elect of the International Union Against Cancer, said that these opinion polls reveal data about attitudes and believes previously unknown. This kind of data can be used to formulate programs for cancer prevention so that the public is accurately informed about cancer facts and they learn in rich and poor countries alike that factors like smoking, drinking alcohol and a high body mass index are more significant cancer causes than pollution. Pollution is more difficult to control by the individual, but these life style factors can be modified, and people need to be empowered to make the right choices. People have the power to stop smoking, to cut down their alcohol consumption and to increase their exercise, which helps them to shed pounds.

More information about causes of cancer: http://nethealthbook.com/cancer-overview/overview/epidemiology-cancer-origin-reason-cancer/

International Union Against Cancer’s World Cancer Congress in Geneva (August 27 to 31, 2008)

Last edited November 3, 2014

Aug
01
2008

Osteoporosis Drug Prevents Breast Cancer Recurrence

Standards in breast cancer treatment have been surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. In hormone receptor positive cancer types Tamoxifen has been the drug of choice for many years to achieve suppression of the ovaries in premenopausal women. A new medication under the name of Anastrozole has also been introduced. In the meantime researchers have examined the success of the various approaches. No difference has been found between Anastrozole and Tamoxifen, but a new drug which has been used for osteoporosis patients shows that it can boost disease free survival for breast cancer patients. The medication called zoledronic acid taken in combination with either Tamoxifen or Anastrozole can increase disease free breast cancer survival by 36%. Zoledronic acid can inhibit tumor cell growth and stimulate the immune response, and the lead author of the study, Dr. Michael Gnant concludes that the combination treatment creates a tumor-hostile environment. The benefits are not only a reduction of bone metastases but others as well.

Osteoporosis Drug Prevents Breast Cancer Recurrence

The most concerning side effect is osteonecrosis of the jaw, but the researcher reported that in the trial not a single case has materialized. Other researchers, such as Dr. Martine Piccart-Gebhart , professor at the department of oncology at the University of Brussels caution that this is an important trial, but it should not be seen as a practice-changing trial. More work is needed to establish the best dosage and treatment schedule. More results from other trials investigating the combination treatment with zoledronic acid are expected this summer.

More information about breast cancer: http://nethealthbook.com/cancer-overview/breast-cancer/

National Review of Medicine, June 2008, page 18 and 19

Comment on Nov. 17, 2012: There is criticism regarding Zoledronic Acid because of osteonecrosis of the jaw and the fact that biophosphonates also have the metatasis suppressing effect. See this link.

Last edited November 4, 2014

May
01
2008

Glucose and Colorectal Cancer Are No Sweet Deal

It has been noted in various publications that insulin resistance carries a host of health risks: aside from type 2 diabetes, there is cardiovascular disease. Also high insulin levels are associated with growth hormone like substances in the body. These substances are contributing to the development of some cancers.

There is other extensive medical literature stating that glucose (=sugar) and refined carbohydrate (cookies, cakes, French fries, doughnuts, bread, rice, potatoes)  intake lead to chronic inflammation in blood vessels throughout the body, but also to a weakening of the immune system. This explains why such varied diseases as high blood pressure, hardening of arteries with resulting strokes and heart attacks, diabetes, asthma and cancer are caused by the same chronic inflammation that in turn is brought on by our eating habits of a refined diet consumed by most industrialized nations. This blog deals only with cancer of the colon and cancer of the rectum as a result of  chronic inflammation.

Researchers from Minnesota and Maryland examined 375 individuals with recurrent polyps (=adenomas) and the identical number without recurrent adenomas. They followed the course of the patients for 4 years. In their study they looked at fasting serum. Patients who were found to have the highest levels of both insulin and glucose in their serum were at an approximately 50% higher risk of colorectal cancer recurrence. The strongest risk factors were elevated glucose levels.

Glucose and Colorectal Cancer Are No Sweet Deal

Glucose and Colorectal Cancer Are No Sweet Deal

The individuals with the highest glucose levels also tended to be slightly older, have a higher waist to hip ratio and a higher body mass index. These results do point out the necessity of keeping a close tab on glycemic control in person with a history of colorectal polyps. It also is evident that consuming foods with a low to medium glycemic index will help to reduce the risk for colonic cancers.

More information about:

1. Colon cancer: http://nethealthbook.com/cancer-overview/colon-cancer/

2. Sugar causes cancer: https://www.askdrray.com/sugar-as-a-cause-of-cancer/

Reference: The Medical Post, April 1, 2008, page 21

Last edited November 3, 2014

May
01
2008

Cancer Risk Higher For Hairstylists or Barbers

A report coming from the International Agency for Research on Cancer which was recently published in the Lancet Oncology reported that working as a hairstylist or barber does have occupational hazards. A small but consistent risk for bladder cancer was noted in male hairdressers and barbers. As there were no reliable data on duration and periods of exposure the data are considered to be limited evidence of a cancer risk. Some carcinogenic substances have been present in modern hair dyes.

These particular colorants were discontinued in the 1970’s after positive cancer tests in mice and rats were seen. The researchers also examined the personal use of hair dyes, but could not show an adequate evidence that hair dyes would be cancerogenic. As a result they also could not definitely judge that the dyes carried a cancer risk.

Other chemicals that like hair dyes belong into the group of aromatic amines were assessed by the researchers.

Ortho-toluidine which is used in the production of dyes, pigments and rubber chemicals is now classified as a carcinogenic substance to humans, as is the chemical called MOCA , which stands for 4,4-methylene bis (2-chloroaniline) and is used as a curing substance in the plastics industry.

Cancer Risk Higher For Hairstylists or Barbers

Cancer Risk Higher For Hairstylists or Barbers

The consumer needs to be aware that the cosmetics industry that produces shampoos  and hair conditioners and companies that produce hair dye for home use often use parabens and other mildly carcinogenic substances as a preservative that will be additive to the cancer producing effect of the hair dyes used in saloons.

More information on carcinogens: http://nethealthbook.com/cancer-overview/overview/epidemiology-cancer-origin-reason-cancer/

Reference: The Lancet Oncology – Volume 9, Issue 4 (April 2008)

Last edited November 3, 2014

Apr
01
2008

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) Treatment For Prostate Cancer

High-intensity focused ultrasound, also known as HIFU is a treatment that prostate cancer patients are seeking out. The treatment technique is minimally invasive, has low risks of impotence and urinary incontinence and can be done on an outpatient basis. It is a two to three hour procedure which can be done with some mild sedation and spinal anaesthesia, and generally men can resume their normal lives immediately after surgery with the knowledge of being cancer-free. Dr.Ian Brown, the medical president of the Niagara HIFU clinic in Niagara Falls, Ontario likens the technique to the effect of a magnifying glass that focuses sunrays on a leaf and burns it. Except there is no sunlight, but a pulse of high-energy ultrasonic waves focused onto a specific area of the prostate. Temperatures reach approximately 90 °C (= 194 °F), until the cancer cells are dead. The transducer is equipped with ultrasonic imaging, so the treating physician can see the entire prostate gland on a monitor, and as a result surrounding nerve structures that are responsible for erectile function are not damaged. There is some inconvenience for the patient after the surgery. He has to wear a catheter for two to three weeks until he can urinate on his own. Like any prostate cancer treatment, HIFU also has potential side effects like retrograde ejaculation or urethral fistula.

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) Treatment For Prostate Cancer

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) Treatment For Prostate Cancer

Reports state that these side effects are minimalized with HIFU, but they are not eliminated. This treatment is not suitable for every patient. Patients with early stage prostate cancers are suitable candidates. HIFU is not available in the US at present, but has been approved by Health Canada in 2004 based on European data. It is not covered by health insurance, and at $20,000 this new costly option is not affordable for everybody.

More information about prostate cancer: http://nethealthbook.com/cancer-overview/prostate-cancer/

Reference: National Review of Medicine, March 2008, page 35, 39

Comment: Here is an update regarding FDA approval in the US. According to the FDA panel there is not enough solid data to confirm effectiveness or safety, so it was not approved in 2014.

Last edited November 3, 2014

Mar
01
2008

Early Breast Cancer Diagnosis With PET/CT Scan Combination

Breast cancer remains a disease that can strike women in any age group. Despite the immense amount of ongoing research and new treatment modalities, the disease presents puzzles to researchers and treating physicians and enormous challenges to patients. Early diagnosis, accurate staging of the disease and prompt treatment remain the most important points. Breast self examinations on a regular basis are just one aspect. Mammography screening can pick up the disease earlier, and a biopsy of any suspicious area can tell more about the type of cells that cause it. A particularly aggressive type is inflammatory breast cancer. It is not characterized by a suspicious lump. The only symptom is diffuse redness and swelling in the breast of the patient.

This type of cancer can metastasize within six months. It accounts for 1 to 5% of all breast cancers in North America and has a five year survival rate of 25 to 50% of the patients. A team of researchers from the University of Texas M.D.Anderson Cancer Center in Houston led by Dr. Selin Carkaci examined a combination approach of high tech tests for early diagnosis and treatment. Dr. Carkaci pointed out that breast cancer is not a localized disease, but one that is systemic involving the entire body. Based on this knowledge 41 patients with the highly aggressive form of inflammatory breast cancer were examined with a combination PET/CT whole body scan. It was possible to identify cancer in patients’ lymph nodes with 98% accuracy. Early metastasis could be found in 49 % of patients.

Early Breast Cancer Diagnosis With PET, CT Scan Combination

Nodule in lung. A: PET scan . B : CT scan. C : PET, CT scan combo.

PET/CT scan combinations detect cancer in its earliest stages, when changes are happening at the cellular level. Other tests like mammograms, ultrasound and MRI scans can only identify disease when there is destruction of the normal anatomy. The accurate depiction of the cancer within the body is important for an effective treatment plan. PET/CT combination scans are used in cancer diagnosis for a variety of tumors where distant metastases are expected (the image above shows a nodule in one of the lungs). It is especially significant for inflammatory breast cancer patients, where it offers a promise for earlier diagnosis resulting in more effective treatment plans.

More information about diagnosis of breast cancer: http://nethealthbook.com/cancer-overview/breast-cancer/breast-cancer-diagnosis/

Reference: The Medical Post, December 18, 2007, page 15

Last edited November 3, 2014