Dr. Shawn’s Blog

Understanding Medical Statistics:What You Must Know to Make the Best Decisions

As many of you know, I’m currently putting the finishing touches on my latest book detailing my wife’s battles against her recently diagnosed breast cancer. Fortunately her cancer was caught at a very early stage and is not an aggressive form of cancer, and she is expected to make a full recovery. However, there are many decisions she has faced regarding her treatment, and her choices are detailed in the book (which I hope to have finished and published in e-book format by the end of the year.)

As a result of her recent diagnosis, I’ve been spending many waking hours doing a lot of research for her, trying to find information that can help guide her choices regarding her treatment.

One area of concern in particular is whether or not she should use the drug tamoxifen as part of her ongoing therapy. Tamoxifen is a hormonal drug that is prescribed for all women with estrogen receptor positive breast cancer (isn’t it interesting that conventional medicine prescribes a treatment for ALL patients regardless of their particular set of circumstances or individual concerns.) Tamoxifen is a strange drug: it can block estrogen from attaching to breast cells (and theoretically lower the risk of breast cancer recurring) but also acts like estrogen as it stimulates other cells of the body (in particular cells of the uterus, which explains the possibility of uterine cancer as a side effect of tamoxifen therapy.) Since Sandy tends to not want to take conventional medications unless there is an absolute benefit to them, we wanted to find out as much information as possible about whether or not tamoxifen therapy might be of benefit to her, and if there is benefit to her taking it, find out how much benefit they would be for her.

And this is where the idea of medical statistics comes in. I’m going to include a lot of information on the research involving tamoxifen in my book, but for now I just wanted touch on the topic of understanding statistics.

Looking at the statistics of the benefits of tamoxifen for Sandy’s particular grade of cancer (which is obtained via a number of analyses performed on her tumor including the Oncotype DX test,) statistics show that 5 years of tamoxifen therapy could reduce her risk of breast cancer recurring in her affected breast, opposite breast, or somewhere else in her body by approximately 50% (notice that studies do not “guarantee” that tamoxifen will do this, only that it “could” do this.) On the surface, a risk reduction of 50% seems pretty good. If we didn’t look beyond that number, it would make sense that most women would benefit from tamoxifen therapy (ignoring for the sake of argument that some women will develop uterine cancer or a second breast cancer which is usually more aggressive than the initial breast cancer, not to mention other side effects such as hot flashes or blood clots that could lead to a stroke.)

However, in trying to understand how medical statistics apply to a treatment you’re considering for yourself, family members, or your pet, you have to look at the actual risk the patient may face in real numbers. Based on studies using the Oncotype DX recurrence score, women like Sandy with a low recurrence score have a 10 year survival of approximately 97% if they take tamoxifen. The same women have approximately a 94% ten-year survival if they do not take tamoxifen. In other words, 3/100 women taking tamoxifen are expected to die from breast cancer after 10 years following their diagnosis, whereas 6/100 women not taking tamoxifen are expected to die from breast cancer 10 years following their diagnosis. The difference between 6 women versus 3 women is 50%! Therefore, tamoxifen is expected to lower the risk of death by 50%. If you look at the real numbers however, we’re only talking about a difference of 3 women. For Sandy, it wasn’t worth the risk associate with tamoxifen therapy to reduce her real risk of only 3%.

And this is why it’s so important to look at the real numbers rather than simply medical statistics. While doctors and pharmaceutical companies love to quote statistics in terms of percentages, it’s vitally important to understand the real numbers behind the statistics. While a 50% reduction in death sounds great, when you are only talking about 3 people surviving if they use a certain medication, that 50% reduction in death doesn’t seem so impressive anymore.

Finally, whatever the statistics or the real numbers presented in the study, keep in mind that the patients being tested are “generic” patients. As much as possible, you must try to determine YOUR real risk or YOUR PET’S real risk in order to make the best decision for therapy.

Too Old for Proper Health Care?

In addition to offering natural, holistic care at our practice, one of my “specialties” is senior pet care, what is often referred to as gerontology in human medicine. I’m not sure why I’m especially drawn to these older pets. Maybe it’s because so many other doctors don’t seem to appreciate their special needs, or maybe it’s because so many of our senior pets have chronic illnesses which respond beautifully to natural therapies (and unfortunately, there are very few conventional medicines that really make a difference in the lives of patients with chronic diseases.) Regardless, I always enjoy the challenge of working with our older dog and cat patients, which make up over 50% of our practice.

Typical of many pet owners was a recent case I saw. Sam and Dianna brought in their 15 year old poodle Hank. Hank had really bad teeth (I estimated he was overdue for a dental cleaning for several years) and several warts on his body that would cause him to itch and bleed. Hank also had a heart murmur (for which he was taking 3 different potent heart medications.)They had come to me because they wanted us to clean Hank’s teeth and remove his bleeding warts and hoped we could help him stop “acting old.”

I asked them why their previous veterinarian hadn’t done cleaned his teeth or removed his wart. Their response, typical of these types of cases, was that their veterinarian thought that “Hank was too old” and might die under anesthesia. My response was “Too old for what-proper health care?!”

It’s rare that I ever see a pet that is “too old” for proper care, including anesthesia. It is true that many doctors fear anesthesia of senior pets, who often have health issues (such as Hank had with his heart condition) and have special anesthetic needs. If a veterinarian doesn’t’ feel comfortable giving anesthesia to an older pet with health issues, he shouldn’t do the procedure. At least the doctor is being honest in admitting his lack of comfort in doing a procedure.
However, this doesn’t mean that the procedure can’t be done safely. In Hank’s case, we further evaluated his “heart condition” and realized he didn’t need ANY of his medications. Switching him from expensive medicines to several natural therapies was all he needed to keep his heart healthy.

Second, we used a holistic approach to his anesthesia, which allowed him to quickly recover after the dental cleaning and wart removal, so he could return home within minutes of fully waking up.

Following his dental cleaning and wart removal, Sam reported that Hank was acting like a puppy again and felt great. This was no doubt due to replacing unnecessary heart medications with natural therapies and cleaning his horrible teeth, relieving his oral pain and removing the infection and inflammation from his mouth and body, and restoring health. Most of our senior pets feel great once their teeth are cleaned, and Hank was no exception.

I should note that Sam and Dianna had asked about cleaning Hank’s teeth without anesthesia. I explained to them that this is malpractice as it’s impossible to do a thorough cleaning with an awake pet. While there are some (mainly non-veterinarians) who perform this service, all they really do is scrape tartar off of the teeth which doesn’t address the underlying problem of periodontal disease. Additionally, non-veterinarians can’t be held to the same high standards of care as veterinarians, and if there are any problems with the procedure they can’t be sued for lack of proper care. By using a holistic approach to anesthesia, most pets, regardless of age or health, can be safely anesthetized and properly treated.

Phone Consultations Can Help Pets

I’m often asked how pets can receive holistic care if a holistic veterinarian does not practice in your area. After all, while it’s great to desire a more natural approach to pet care, how can you accomplish this goal if all of the veterinarians in your area only offer conventional therapies and don’t agree with your choice to be more natural?

The answer is the phone appointment. Each week I do a number of phone consultation appointments in my office for clients who do not live in our area but who would like to get help using a holistic approach to health care. It’s very easy to do and costs the same as a regular in- person appointment in our office.

If you would like me to put together a health plan for your pet to keep your pet healthy, or need help with any specific illnesses or medical problems, you can easily set up a phone consultation by calling our office at 972-867-8800 extension 0. Please leave a message if we are busy helping someone else and we will return your call as soon as possible and schedule the phone appointment at a time that is convenient for you that fits into our daily appointment schedule.

And of course, visit www.petcarenaturally.com anytime to get free information on a variety of pet care topics (currently there are several hundred articles on natural pet care on the site)

Cancer:You and Your Pet

Regarding cancer therapies, we really haven’t made much progress in the war on cancer.

About 40 years ago, President Nixon declared war on cancer. His goal was to find a cure for this horrible disease. Sadly, we are no closer to reaching that goal today than we were 40 years ago. In most cases (a notable exception being leukemia (specifically a cancer called A.L.L.) in children,) we really haven’t done a better job of treating or curing cancer. While it is true that survival rates have increased, this is mainly due to early diagnosis. People and pets with Stage 3 or Stage4 metastatic cancer rarely survive.

The situation is no better for our pets. While treatment protocols have changed over the last 40 years, most pets with cancer are expected to only live 6 to 12 months following diagnosis, and that’s ONLY if owners spend thousands of dollars treating the pet with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.

The good news is that using an integrative approach changes these sobering facts and statistics. Designing individualized treatment protocols for each person or pet with cancer, incorporating a proper diet, nutritional supplements, and other natural therapies offers a much better prognosis for the cancer patient. We now have large volumes of research to show exactly how these natural therapies work in killing cancer and extending the lives of cancer patients.

In my own practice, the average pet with cancer, given a prognosis of 6 to 12 months of life expectancy from conventional veterinarians, typically lives 12 to 24 months or even longer. Additionally, many pets with “incurable” cancers are cured from their cancers using an integrative approach to boost the pet’s immune system, kill cancer cells, reduce the spread of cancer, and detoxify the patient.

The world of integrative oncology offers much hope for the cancer patient. Integrative doctors are helping people and pets with cancer live longer lives and in many cases curing cancers that are still considered incurable by conventional medicine.

I encourage you to read my blogs posted at www.petcarenaturally.com/blog so that you will come to appreciate how important it is to diagnose cancer early and treat it properly using every tool available at your disposal.

BioTherapeutic Analysis-An Important Tool That May Save Your Pet’s Life

Biotherapeutic analysis is a useful tool developed over 10 years ago to allow for extremely early detection of possible disease in apparently healthy pets. Through the use of biotherapeutics analysis, holistic veterinarians are able to diagnose subtle changes in the pet’s laboratory testing that allows for early intervention before the pet becomes ill.

Biotherapeutics analysis involves a special blood and urine profile (available to any veterinarian) which allows holistic doctors to get a comprehensive feel for a pet’s overall health. This testing, which is done every 6 to 12 months, allows the doctor to detect early, subtle changes that may indicate disease BEFORE the pet becomes clinically ill. Diagnosing subtle changes in the pet’s laboratory testing at this very early stage allows the doctor to intervene using natural therapies (homeopathics, nutritional supplements, herbal remedies, etc.) Early intervention can often prevent more serious problems from developing in the pet.

Using biotherapeutic analysis in my practice for over the last 10 years, I have detected a number of subtle changes in my patients that were very easily dealt with using a natural therapeutic approach. In the majority of cases, pets diagnosed using this approach and treated accordingly never developed more serious diseases. While I regularly consult with pet owners whose dogs and cats suffer from a whole host of problems including cancers, inflammatory bowel disease, seizures, liver disease, kidney disease, heart disease, and many other problems, the majority of my own patients who are routinely screened using biotherapeutic analysis do not develop such life-threatening problems.

The good news is that the cost of biotherapeutic analysis is very reasonable for the amount of information it provides. If you would like your veterinarian to do the testing, he can contact me for more information at shawnvet@sbcglobal.net. Then I can consult with you and make recommendations based upon your pet’s testing.

While many pets do not have problems detected using this approach (offering peace of mind to their owners,) those that do are easily treated and monitored for the development of future health issues (which fortunately only develop in a rare number of pets.)

Blog #14 Using Supplements to Save Your Life-Part 4- Indole-3-Carbinol (I3C, Cruciferous Vegetables)/ Green Food Extract-Cruciferous Vegetables

As I mentioned in prior blogs, as a reminder about the EXTREME IMPORTANCE of using supplements if you have cancer (or want to limit your chances of developing cancer,) and as a disclaimer:

“No matter how much surgery you do to cut out cancer, or how much radiation you use to burn out cancer, or how much chemotherapy you use to poison cancer, if the patient’s immune system is not functioning properly, that patient will die from cancer.”

That statement, made by world-famous cancer expert Dr. Russell Blaylock in my book, The Natural Vet’s Guide to Preventing and Treating Cancer in Dogs, really says it all.

After surgery cuts out most of the cancer, and chemotherapy kills most of the cancer, and radiation burns most of the cancer, what’s left to do destroy any remaining cancer cells? Absolutely nothing! Unless the patient continues therapy, using a combination of proper diet, mind-body medicine, and nutritional supplements, any cancer cells that have survived conventional therapy will, at some point, continue to grow, spread, and ultimately kill the patient.
Unfortunately, unless you are familiar with naturopathic medicine or are lucky enough to work with a naturopathic doctor, your conventional doctors will not tell you any of this. Despite the fact that Sandy has visited several outstanding conventional doctors, not one of them, NOT ONE, has ever talked about the use of diet or supplements to kill cancer or boost her immune system.

The sad news is that so many cancer patients will ultimately die after surviving conventional therapies because nothing is done to prevent the recurrence of cancer. Ever since Sandy’s diagnosis, it seems that not a day goes by that I don’t discover that someone else I know has been diagnosed with cancer (usually breast cancer.) Yet not one of these patients is doing anything “natural” to support her immune system or continue the fight against cancer once conventional therapies have finished. How sad and tragic to know that many people will needlessly die out of ignorance once their cancer returns.

The most important reason I’m writing these blogs is to educate current and future cancer patients about all of their options. Just because your conventional doctors don’t know about these options or don’t agree with these options doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider them.

The questions are very simple: what are you doing now to make your conventional therapies more effective and reduce their side effects, and what will you do once your conventional therapies stop to prevent your cancer from coming back?
In this blog and the ones to follow, I will share with you the supplements that I have put together (with help from several naturopathic doctors) to help Sandy maximize the benefits from our conventional therapies, reduce their side effects, and remain cancer-free the rest of her life. While there are no guarantees, we believe this is a better approach than simply doing nothing and waiting to see what happens (in most cases, “what happens” is that the cancer returns and kills the patient.)

In my own veterinary practice, while I can never offer guarantees to my patients, I tell them that based upon my years of using natural therapies to help pets with cancer, I expect my patients to live one and a half to two times longer than their conventional doctors expect them to live IF they will use properly prescribed natural therapies.
Please note that I am NOT saying that the supplements we have chosen for Sandy are appropriate for you if you have cancer. You MUST work with your naturopathic doctors to find the right treatments for you, similar to working with your conventional doctors to find the right conventional therapies for you.

I’m also NOT saying that these supplements will guarantee that Sandy will never have cancer or any other illness again. I do know that using supplements to help her immune system stay strong enough to fight cancer is much better than doing nothing excepting waiting to see what happens in the future.

And since there are many out there (especially doctors!) who are skeptical about the effectiveness of natural supplements, I have included a description of why each supplement was chosen to help Sandy win the war against her cancer based upon volumes of research.

Sandy’s supplement regimen (which changes depending upon her circumstances and as new research becomes available):

Indole-3-Carbinol (I3C, Cruciferous Vegetables)/ Green Food Extract-Cruciferous Vegetables

Indole-3-carbinol (I3C,) a product of glucosinolates present in cruciferous vegetables, is a potent inducer of liver cytochrome P450 enzymes. A protective effect may occur due to increased 2-hydroxylation and consequent inactivation of endogenous estrogens. I3C appears to be effective in shifting the metabolism of estradiol from the dangerous 16-alpha-hydroxylase pathway to the 2-hydroxylase pathway. As a result, consumption of I3C boosts the ratio of 2-OHE1:16a-OHE1, which correlates with reduced risk of breast and other cancers, including cervical, prostate, and even head and neck cancers. Cruciferous vegetable compounds (such as I3C) are effective in shifting estrogen metabolism to the more beneficial pathway, thus reducing levels of toxic 16- alpha-hydroxyestrone and increasing levels of protective 2-hydroxyestrone.

Scientists working with breast cancer cell cultures observed that a broccoli-watercress extract effectively lowers the expression of metalloproteinase-9, an enzyme associated with breast cancer’s invasiveness. The same team simultaneously published research indicating that isothiocyanate compounds in watercress suppress production of pro-inflammatory compounds in laboratory models of cellular activity. “Overproduction of both nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandins (PGE) has been associated with numerous pathological conditions, including chronic inflammation and cancer,” the researchers noted. They speculated that this effect may contribute to the anti-cancer activity of cruciferous vegetables.

Dietary intake of I3C prevents the development of estrogen-enhanced cancers, including breast, endometrial, and cervical cancers. While estrogen increases the growth and survival of tumors, I3C has been found to cause growth arrest and increased apoptosis (programmed cell death).

I3C has been shown to inhibit the growth of human cancer cells in vitro and possesses anticarcinogenic activity in vivo; in one study involving human breast cancer cells, a derivative of I3C inhibited breast cancer cell growth.

According to information from Life Extension Foundation, I3C controls estrogen metabolism through the same receptor that allows dioxin into the cell (the “Ah” receptor (aryl hydrocarbon)). Ah is similar to the estrogen receptor in that it can induce cellular growth. Unlike the estrogen receptor, however, scientists haven’t found the body’s natural “Ah” that fits into the Ah receptor. The only substances known to activate Ah are certain phytochemicals, including I3C-and the proven cancer promoter, dioxin. Dioxin is a very toxic chemical made from chlorine. It’s used in all kinds of things-from Saran Wrap(r) to pesticides to wood preservative. It has been detected in McDonald’s Big Macs(r), Haagen-Daz(r) ice cream and Kentucky Fried Chicken(r). Meat, dairy products and fish are the most concentrated sources. When paper is bleached or plastic is burned, dioxin is released into the environment. Because it lodges in fat, it’s almost impossible to remove from the human body.

Dioxin, like I3C, affects estrogen metabolism. For this reason, it has been called an estrogen blocker (like tamoxifen). But it doesn’t work through the estrogen receptor. Dioxin and I3C both affect estrogen metabolism through the Ah receptor. In addition to changing the metabolism of estrogen, dioxin also disrupts other important growth regulatory factors. Among those factors are insulin, IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF). It also activates cancer genes and suppresses tumor suppressor genes.

I3C, on the other hand, fits into the Ah receptor, but instead of sending signals that help cancer grow, it sends signals that stop it. I3C uses the Ah receptor to indirectly affect estrogen metabolism also, but in a beneficial way. Not only does it positively affect estrogen, it can also keep dioxin out of cells. When researchers at Texas A & M University treated breast cancer cells with I3C and dioxin at the same time, dioxin’s adverse effects were reduced 90% by I3C.

I3C not only weakens estrogen and keeps chemicals out of cells, it also goes after cancer in ways similar to tamoxifen. It, interrupts the cell cycle. I3C inhibits the growth of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cells by 90% compared to tamoxifen’s 60% by stopping the cell cycle. (Adding tamoxifen to I3C gave a 5% boost.) In estrogen receptor-negative cells I3C stopped the synthesis of DNA for new cells by about 50% whereas tamoxifen had no significant effect. I3C also restores the tumor suppressor gene p21 and other tumor suppressors that act as check points during synthesis of a new cell. Tamoxifen, by contrast, has no effect on p21. A study on rodents shows that damaged DNA in breast cells is reduced 91% by I3C.

While there is no proven breast cancer preventive, the best and most comprehensive scientific evidence so far stands behind phytochemicals such as I3C. I3C beat out more than 80 other substances, including tamoxifen, for anti-cancer potential in an assay done at the National Cancer Institute.

Caution: Pregnant women should not take I3C because of its modulation of estrogen. I3C appears to act both at the ovarian and hypothalamic levels, whereas tamoxifen appears to act only on the hypothalamic-pituitary axis as an anti-estrogen. Both I3C and tamoxifen block ovulation by altering preovulatory concentrations of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH.) The reported aversion to cruciferous vegetables by pregnant women may be associated with their ability to change estrogen metabolism. Estrogen is a necessary growth factor for the fetus.

A summary of studies provided by the Life Extension Foundation shows that indole-3-carbinol (I3C) can:

• Increase the conversion of estradiol to the safer estriol by 50% in healthy people in just 1 week.
• Prevent the formation of the estrogen metabolite, 16,alpha-hydroxyestrone, that prompts breast cancer cells to grow, in both men and women in 2 months.
• Stop human cancer cells from growing (54-61%) and provoke the cells to self-destruct (apoptosis.)
• Inhibit human breast cancer cells (MCF7) from growing by as much as 90% in vitro.
• Inhibit the growth of estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer cells by 90%, compared to tamoxifen’s 60%, by stopping the cell cycle.
• Prevent chemically induced breast cancer in rodents by 70-96%. Prevent other types of cancer, including aflatoxin-induced liver cancer, leukemia, and colon cancer.
• Inhibit free radicals, particularly those that cause the oxidation of fat.
• Stop the synthesis of DNA by about 50% in estrogen-receptor-negative cells, whereas tamoxifen had no significant effect.
• Restore p21 and other proteins that act as checkpoints during the synthesis of a new cancer cell. Tamoxifen has no effect on p21.
• Virtually eliminate DNA damage and cancer prior to exposure to cancer-causing chemicals (in animals fed I3C.)
• Reduce DNA damage in breast cells by 91%.
• Reduce levels of a major nitrosamine carcinogen in female smokers.

Blog #13 Using Supplements to Save Your Life-Part 3-Coenzyme Q-10, Vitamin D3 and MCP

As I mentioned in prior blogs, as a reminder about the EXTREME IMPORTANCE of using supplements if you have cancer (or want to limit your chances of developing cancer,) and as a disclaimer:

“No matter how much surgery you do to cut out cancer, or how much radiation you use to burn out cancer, or how much chemotherapy you use to poison cancer, if the patient’s immune system is not functioning properly, that patient will die from cancer.”

That statement, made by world-famous cancer expert Dr. Russell Blaylock in my book, The Natural Vet’s Guide to Preventing and Treating Cancer in Dogs, really says it all.

After surgery cuts out most of the cancer, and chemotherapy kills most of the cancer, and radiation burns most of the cancer, what’s left to do destroy any remaining cancer cells? Absolutely nothing! Unless the patient continues therapy, using a combination of proper diet, mind-body medicine, and nutritional supplements, any cancer cells that have survived conventional therapy will, at some point, continue to grow, spread, and ultimately kill the patient.
Unfortunately, unless you are familiar with naturopathic medicine or are lucky enough to work with a naturopathic doctor, your conventional doctors will not tell you any of this. Despite the fact that Sandy has visited several outstanding conventional doctors, not one of them, NOT ONE, has ever talked about the use of diet or supplements to kill cancer or boost her immune system.

The sad news is that so many cancer patients will ultimately die after surviving conventional therapies because nothing is done to prevent the recurrence of cancer. Ever since Sandy’s diagnosis, it seems that not a day goes by that I don’t discover that someone else I know has been diagnosed with cancer (usually breast cancer.) Yet not one of these patients is doing anything “natural” to support her immune system or continue the fight against cancer once conventional therapies have finished. How sad and tragic to know that many people will needlessly die out of ignorance once their cancer returns.

The most important reason I’m writing these blogs is to educate current and future cancer patients about all of their options. Just because your conventional doctors don’t know about these options or don’t agree with these options doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider them.

The questions are very simple: what are you doing now to make your conventional therapies more effective and reduce their side effects, and what will you do once your conventional therapies stop to prevent your cancer from coming back?

In this blog and the ones to follow, I will share with you the supplements that I have put together (with help from several naturopathic doctors) to help Sandy maximize the benefits from our conventional therapies, reduce their side effects, and remain cancer-free the rest of her life. While there are no guarantees, we believe this is a better approach than simply doing nothing and waiting to see what happens (in most cases, “what happens” is that the cancer returns and kills the patient.)

In my own veterinary practice, while I can never offer guarantees to my patients, I tell them that based upon my years of using natural therapies to help pets with cancer, I expect my patients to live one and a half to two times longer than their conventional doctors expect them to live IF they will use properly prescribed natural therapies.

Please note that I am NOT saying that the supplements we have chosen for Sandy are appropriate for you if you have cancer. You MUST work with your naturopathic doctors to find the right treatments for you, similar to working with your conventional doctors to find the right conventional therapies for you.

I’m also NOT saying that these supplements will guarantee that Sandy will never have cancer or any other illness again. I do know that using supplements to help her immune system stay strong enough to fight cancer is much better than doing nothing excepting waiting to see what happens in the future.

And since there are many out there (especially doctors!) who are skeptical about the effectiveness of natural supplements, I have included a description of why each supplement was chosen to help Sandy win the war against her cancer based upon volumes of research.

Sandy’s supplement regimen (which changes depending upon her circumstances and as new research becomes available):

Coenzyme Q-10

Blood levels of coenzyme Q10 are frequently reduced in cancer patients. In several small short studies, positive results were seen in patients taking anywhere from 90 mg per day up to 300-400 mg per day. In some of the patients, complete regression of their residual breast tumors occurred. All breast cancer patients who supplemented with CoQ10 experienced decreased use of painkillers, improved quality of life, and an absence of weight loss.
Coenzyme Q10 may be useful in treating cancer because it boosts the immune system. Also, studies suggest that CoQ10 may prevent the growth of cancer cells directly. As an antioxidant, coenzyme Q10 may help prevent cancer from developing.

Data suggests that CoQ10 may also help fight cancer by significantly reducing expression of the bcl-2 gene family, which is responsible for conferring resistance to cell death. CoQ10 modulates bcl-2 in a manner that allows the cancer cells to kill themselves without adversely affecting normal cells.

Vitamin D3

Research shows that most people are severely deficient in Vitamin D, even those who receive sunlight exposure. It is recommended that vitamin D3 should be a supplement most people taken for its numerous health benefits, including cancer prevention.

Vitamin D kills cancer by promoting cell differentiation and supporting apoptosis (normal programmed cell death), as well as helping to prevent metastases and angiogenesis (new blood vessel formation needed for cancer to grow and spread.)
Mammographic density is considered a strong risk factor for breast cancer. Women who had a combined daily intake of 100 IU or more of Vitamin D combined with 750 mg or more of calcium demonstrated decreased breast density compared to women with lower intakes of the two nutrients, suggesting that adequate consumption of Vitamin D and calcium may reduce breast cancer risk by reducing breast density.

Vitamin D3 works synergistically with tamoxifen to inhibit breast cancer cell proliferation.

Compared with sun-deprived women, women from lower, sunnier latitudes had lower rates of breast cancer. Additionally, the women from sunny places who consumed the most dietary vitamin D (from foods and supplements) enjoyed a greater breast-risk reduction than the women who consumed less dietary vitamin D. In other words, a combination of ample sun exposure and ample vitamin D intake was associated with the greatest risk reduction, compared with getting vitamin D from either sunlight or diet alone.

The Food & Nutrition Board of the U.S. Institute of Medicine just tripled the recommended daily allowances for vitamin D3 from 200IU for adults to 600IU. However, most naturopathic physicians recommend at least 1000 IU per day (Sandy is taking 7000 IU per day; the ideal amount should be based upon blood testing for vitamin D levels.) For cancer patients, a target goal for Vitamin D3 blood levels should be at least 60-80 ng/ml (most people have levels less than 35, with 35 being a minimum level for health.) New research shows that even higher daily doses of oral vitamin D3 (10,000-50,000 IU/day are unlikely to be associated with toxicity (defined as blood levels above 200 ng/ml.) However, the best dose for each person to reach a target range of 60-80 ng/ml is best determined by blood testing due to individual response to supplemental vitamin D3.

Modified Citrus Pectin (MCP)

Research indicates that MCP significantly increases the urinary excretion of toxic heavy metals like aluminum and mercury and inhibits tumor growth and metastasis.

MCP’s cancer-fighting potential appears to arise from its ability to interact with specialized proteins called galectins. MCP may help fight certain cancers by binding with galectin-3 to help decrease cancer cell aggregation, adhesion, and metastasis.

Galactose-binding lectins (galectins) are carbohydrate-binding proteins detected within some cancer cells (especially breast and colon cancer cells) that help the cells clump or cluster together more easily and attach to the inner linings of blood vessels. The adherence of circulating tumor cells (CTC) to the blood vessel walls is an essential step for the process of metastasis. This may facilitate the growth and spread of certain types of cancer. Galectin-3 may be particularly important in numerous processes involved in cancer, such as cancer adhesion, migration, progression, and metastasis.

Increased levels of galectin-3 in the blood or tissue are associated with more frequent cancer metastasis or an increased stage of tumor progression. Other findings suggest that intracellular galectin-3 exerts an anti-apoptotic effect, protecting cancer cells against programmed cell death by affecting mitochondrial function.

Taking MCP prior to, at the time of, and immediately following surgery can help reduce the spread of cancer cells that consistently occurs when tumors are manipulated.

Blog #12 Using Supplements to Save Your Life-Part 3-Healthy Oils and Fats (Fatty Acids)

As I mentioned in prior blogs, as a reminder about the EXTREME IMPORTANCE of using supplements if you have cancer (or want to limit your chances of developing cancer,) and as a disclaimer:
“No matter how much surgery you do to cut out cancer, or how much radiation you use to burn out cancer, or how much chemotherapy you use to poison cancer, if the patient’s immune system is not functioning properly, that patient will die from cancer.”

That statement, made by world-famous cancer expert Dr. Russell Blaylock in my book, The Natural Vet’s Guide to Preventing and Treating Cancer in Dogs, really says it all.

After surgery cuts out most of the cancer, and chemotherapy kills most of the cancer, and radiation burns most of the cancer, what’s left to do destroy any remaining cancer cells? Absolutely nothing! Unless the patient continues therapy, using a combination of proper diet, mind-body medicine, and nutritional supplements, any cancer cells that have survived conventional therapy will, at some point, continue to grow, spread, and ultimately kill the patient.
Unfortunately, unless you are familiar with naturopathic medicine or are lucky enough to work with a naturopathic doctor, your conventional doctors will not tell you any of this. Despite the fact that Sandy has visited several outstanding conventional doctors, not one of them, NOT ONE, has ever talked about the use of diet or supplements to kill cancer or boost her immune system.

The sad news is that so many cancer patients will ultimately die after surviving conventional therapies because nothing is done to prevent the recurrence of cancer. Ever since Sandy’s diagnosis, it seems that not a day goes by that I don’t discover that someone else I know has been diagnosed with cancer (usually breast cancer.) Yet not one of these patients is doing anything “natural” to support her immune system or continue the fight against cancer once conventional therapies have finished. How sad and tragic to know that many people will needlessly die out of ignorance once their cancer returns.

The most important reason I’m writing these blogs is to educate current and future cancer patients about all of their options. Just because your conventional doctors don’t know about these options or don’t agree with these options doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider them.

The questions are very simple: what are you doing now to make your conventional therapies more effective and reduce their side effects, and what will you do once your conventional therapies stop to prevent your cancer from coming back?
In this blog and the ones to follow, I will share with you the supplements that I have put together (with help from several naturopathic doctors) to help Sandy maximize the benefits from our conventional therapies, reduce their side effects, and remain cancer-free the rest of her life. While there are no guarantees, we believe this is a better approach than simply doing nothing and waiting to see what happens (in most cases, “what happens” is that the cancer returns and kills the patient.)

In my own veterinary practice, while I can never offer guarantees to my patients, I tell them that based upon my years of using natural therapies to help pets with cancer, I expect my patients to live one and a half to two times longer than their conventional doctors expect them to live IF they will use properly prescribed natural therapies.

Please note that I am NOT saying that the supplements we have chosen for Sandy are appropriate for you if you have cancer. You MUST work with your naturopathic doctors to find the right treatments for you, similar to working with your conventional doctors to find the right conventional therapies for you.

I’m also NOT saying that these supplements will guarantee that Sandy will never have cancer or any other illness again. I do know that using supplements to help her immune system stay strong enough to fight cancer is much better than doing nothing excepting waiting to see what happens in the future.

And since there are many out there (especially doctors!) who are skeptical about the effectiveness of natural supplements, I have included a description of why each supplement was chosen to help Sandy win the war against her cancer based upon volumes of research.

Sandy’s supplement regimen (which changes depending upon her circumstances and as new research becomes available):

Flax/Lignans

Flaxseed is the world’s richest source of lignans, providing up to 800 times more than any other plant, and alpha linolenic acid (ALA.) Lignans are both antioxidants ( compounds that protect cells from oxidative damage) and phytoestrogens (weak plant estrogens that inhibit the body’s own harmful estrogen and protect breast cells from developing cancer.) Lignans have been shown in scientific studies to inhibit the growth and spread of breast cancer cells, possibly due to downreguation of insulin-like growth factor I and epidermal growth factor receptor expression. In one study of 1122 post menopausal women with primary breast cancer, higher intake of lignans significantly reduced all cause mortality and breast cancer mortality. Although the dietary intake of lignans did not have any effect on breast cancer survival in premenopausal women, postmenopausal women with a high intake of plant lignans were approximately 70% less likely to die from their breast cancer. While Sandy is premenopausal, she has decided to take flax anyway since….it can’t hurt, it certainly has health benefits, she will be menopausal within a few years, and possibly it will reduce the chances of new tumors developing while she is still menopausal. In general, nutritionists recommended women increase their intake of dietary beneficial phytoestrogens/lignans due to the health benefits.

Ground flax seed (but not flax oil) provides a healthy dose of lignans. The most efficient way of consuming fresh flax seed with other cancer-fighting phytochemicals is to consume two to five tablespoons a day of freshly ground flax seeds (grind the seeds every few days and keep them refrigerated to prevent oxidation of the flax oil.)

Research indicates that higher blood levels of enterolactone— the primary lignan derived by the body from flaxseed—are associated with a lower risk of breast cancer. Conversely, the researchers noted, “values of serum enterolactone were significantly lower in women who subsequently developed breast cancer,” leading them to conclude that the phytoestrogen enterolactone “had a strong protective effect on breast cancer risk.”

Lignans may also protect against endometrial cancer, a condition associated with prolonged exposure to unopposed estrogens. Flax lignans may offer protection through an anti-estrogenic effect in the body. Researchers in California assessed lignan intake and cancer status among nearly 1,000 women in the San Francisco area and determined that women with the highest dietary lignan intake experienced the lowest risk of developing this carcinoma of the uterine lining.

It is suggested that there are several ways that lignans may reduce breast cancer:decreased estrogen production (by blocking the aromatase enzyme;) by blocking the estrogen receptors in the breast from stronger cancer-stimulating estrogens in a similar way to the drug Tamoxifen; by preferentially creating more “good” estrogen (the 2-OH estrone;) by making breast tissue more resistant to the damaging effects of environmental toxins by increasing well-differentiated breast tissue which is more resistant to damage; by inhibiting the growth of both breast (and colon) cancer cells; by decreasing the incidence of metastasis; by decreasing levels of VEGF (which reduces blood vessel growth to the cancer cells;) and by lengthening the menstrual cycle (the more menstrual cycles a woman has the greater the risk of breast cancer.

Flaxseeds contain over 300,000 mcg lignans/100 grams. In one study, the lowest risk of dying was seen in women consuming >318 mcg per day; in another study, those women in the highest quartile of total lignan intake (>1395 μg/day) had a reduced risk of breast cancer. High dietary intakes of plant lignans and high exposure to enterolignans were associated with reduced risks of ER- and PR-positive postmenopausal breast cancer in a Western population that does not consume a diet rich in soy. In addition to flax seed, lignans can be consumed in other food products including:curly kale (2321 mcg/100 grams,) broccoli (1325 mcg,) white cabbage (787 mcg,) brussels sprouts (747 mcg,) sauerkraut (316 mcg,) red cabbage (276 mcg,) cauliflower (185 mcg,) garlic (536 mcg,) apricots (450 mcg,) strawberries (334 mcg,) peaches (293 mcg,) pears (193 mcg,) nectarines (190 mcg,) raisins, white (181 mcg,) raisins, blue (144 mcg,) grapefruit, pink (152 mcg,) cherries (147 mcg,) kiwi (129 mcg.)

Fish Oil

While some cases of breast cancer arise from genetic factors, but most are linked to diet, lifestyle, and exposure to environmental triggers. Studies suggest that chronic activation of a pro-inflammatory gene switch (transcription factor) called Nf-KappaB or NFKB is key to cancer cell survival. NFKB has also been found to play important roles in all stages of breast cancer development, from initiation to promotion. A study in isolated female breast cells shows that omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil suppress activation of NFKB.

Fish oil in the diet was also found to significantly increase the level of PTEN protein in the breast tumors. PTEN is a tumor suppressor gene which has been shown to be important in the inhibition of the development of cancer.
Additionally fiish oil reduces the PI 3 kinase and Akt kinase activity in breast tumors (leading to significant inhibition of NFκB activation) and prevent the expression of the anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL in the breast tumors (with attendant increase in caspase 3 activity.)

Additional thoughts on fish oil:

A case control study examining levels of fatty acids in breast adipose tissue of breast cancer patients has shown that total omega-6 PUFAs may be contributing to the high risk of breast cancer in the United States and that omega-3 PUFAs, derived from fish oil, may have a protective effect.

A higher omega-3:omega-6 ratio ((n-3)):(n-6) ratio) may reduce the risk of breast cancer, especially in premenopausal women.

Omega-3 fatty acids (primarily eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaneoic acid (DHA)) have been shown to retard the growth of breast cancer in vitro and in animal experiments, and inhibit tumor development and metastasis.

Fish oils have antiproliferative effects at high doses, reducing the growth of cancer cells.

Diet-Olive Oil

Oleuropein from olive fruit has additional biological properties including enhancement of cellular antioxidant mechanisms. Diets high in monosaturated oils such as olive oil are also less inflammatory as these diets contain less proinflammatory fats (omega 6 fatty acids, partially hydrogenated oils, etc.)

Those afflicted with certain inherited genetic mutations are predisposed to contracting disorders related to defects in cell replication. A gene of particular concern to some women is HER2. When evaluating various olive polyphenols on HER2 expression, oleuropein most effectively down-regulated HER2 expression. The scientists who conducted this study remarked that their findings help explain why those who consume a Mediterranean diet have such marked reductions in disorders such as breast cancer related to excess expression of the HER2 gene.

CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid)

CLA has direct breast cancer cell inhibitory effects. CLA has been shown both in vitro and in animal models to have strong anti-tumor activity. One study examined the effect of dietary CLA on the growth of human breast adenocarcinoma cells in mice. Dietary CLA inhibited local tumor growth by 73% and 30% at nine and 14 weeks post-inoculation, respectively. Moreover, CLA completely abrogated the spread of breast cancer cells to lungs, peripheral blood, and bone marrow. This indicates the ability of dietary CLA to block the local growth and systemic spread of human breast cancer. A suggested dose is 3000-5000 mg/day. CLA inhibits the proliferation of human breast cancer cells (MCF-7), induced by estradiol and insulin (but not EGF.)

Blog #11 Using Supplements to Save Your Life-Part 2

As I mentioned last week (and will do so each time I post an ongoing addition to the topic of using supplements) as a reminder about the EXTREME IMPORTANCE of using supplements if you have cancer (or want to limit your chances of developing cancer,) and as a disclaimer:

“No matter how much surgery you do to cut out cancer, or how much radiation you use to burn out cancer, or how much chemotherapy you use to poison cancer, if the patient’s immune system is not functioning properly, that patient will die from cancer.”

That statement, made by world-famous cancer expert Dr. Russell Blaylock in my book, The Natural Vet’s Guide to Preventing and Treating Cancer in Dogs, really says it all.

After surgery cuts out most of the cancer, and chemotherapy kills most of the cancer, and radiation burns most of the cancer, what’s left to do destroy any remaining cancer cells? Absolutely nothing! Unless the patient continues therapy, using a combination of proper diet, mind-body medicine, and nutritional supplements, any cancer cells that have survived conventional therapy will, at some point, continue to grow, spread, and ultimately kill the patient.

Unfortunately, unless you are familiar with naturopathic medicine or are lucky enough to work with a naturopathic doctor, your conventional doctors will not tell you any of this. Despite the fact that Sandy has visited several outstanding conventional doctors, not one of them, NOT ONE, has ever talked about the use of diet or supplements to kill cancer or boost her immune system.

The sad news is that so many cancer patients will ultimately die after surviving conventional therapies because nothing is done to prevent the recurrence of cancer. Ever since Sandy’s diagnosis, it seems that not a day goes by that I don’t discover that someone else I know has been diagnosed with cancer (usually breast cancer.) Yet not one of these patients is doing anything “natural” to support her immune system or continue the fight against cancer once conventional therapies have finished. How sad and tragic to know that many people will needlessly die out of ignorance once their cancer returns.

The most important reason I’m writing these blogs is to educate current and future cancer patients about all of their options. Just because your conventional doctors don’t know about these options or don’t agree with these options doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider them.
The questions are very simple: what are you doing now to make your conventional therapies more effective and reduce their side effects, and what will you do once your conventional therapies stop to prevent your cancer from coming back?

In this blog and the ones to follow, I will share with you the supplements that I have put together (with help from several naturopathic doctors) to help Sandy maximize the benefits from our conventional therapies, reduce their side effects, and remain cancer-free the rest of her life. While there are no guarantees, we believe this is a better approach than simply doing nothing and waiting to see what happens (in most cases, “what happens” is that the cancer returns and kills the patient.)

In my own veterinary practice, while I can never offer guarantees to my patients, I tell them that based upon my years of using natural therapies to help pets with cancer, I expect my patients to live one and a half to two times longer than their conventional doctors expect them to live IF they will use properly prescribed natural therapies.
Please note that I am NOT saying that the supplements we have chosen for Sandy are appropriate for you if you have cancer. You MUST work with your naturopathic doctors to find the right treatments for you, similar to working with your conventional doctors to find the right conventional therapies for you.

I’m also NOT saying that these supplements will guarantee that Sandy will never have cancer or any other illness again. I do know that using supplements to help her immune system stay strong enough to fight cancer is much better than doing nothing excepting waiting to see what happens in the future.

And since there are many out there (especially doctors!) who are skeptical about the effectiveness of natural supplements, I have included a description of why each supplement was chosen to help Sandy win the war against her cancer based upon volumes of research.

Sandy’s supplement regimen (which changes depending upon her circumstances and as new research becomes available):

Curcumin (Turmeric)

Curcumin significantly lowers the expression of the MDR1 gene, thus inhibiting the P-glycoprotein pump which can increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy. Curcumin is a potent antioxidant that is best known for its use during radiation therapy where it increases the effectiveness of radiation as well as reduces side effects of radiation therapy. Curcumin (like the drug tamoxifen) also blocks access of estrogen to cells and protects against chemicals that mimic estrogen (like estrogen, estrogen-mimicking chemicals promote the growth of breast cancer.) In a study on human breast cancer cells, curcumin reversed growth caused by 17b-estradiol by 98%. The toxic chemical DDT’s growth-enhancing effects on breast cancer were blocked about 75% by curcumin.

Curcumin also inhibits multiple kinase enzymes that are necessary for cancer cell growth and spread. Curcumin known for its anti-inflammatory action, inhibits cyclooxygenase (COX) and lipoxygenase (LOX), two enzymes that promote inflammation. Inflammation plays significant and diverse roles in the initiation and promotion of cancer.
Curcumin arrests the growth of cancer cells in the G2 stage and induces apoptosis (death) of cancer cells. EGCG in green tea arrests cancer cell growth at the G1 phase. Combining EGCG with curcumin increases the odds of killing more cells.
Curcumin blocks AP-1, thereby decreasing angiogenesis (new blood vessel growth needed for tumors to grow and spread.)
Curcumin’s effects are a dose dependent response, and a standardized product is essential. The recommended dose is four 900-mg capsules 3 times per day, preferably with food.

Sandy is taking a specialized type of curcumin called Super BioCurcumin by Life Extension. This product allows a lower dose to be taken (fewer capsules per day) yet achieves the same bioavailability as “regular” curcumin.

Quercetin

Quercetin, another powerful antioxidant, suppresses cell proliferation, promotes programmed cell death (apoptosis,)and protects DNA. Quercetin, especially when combined with curcumin (another antioxidant with anti-inflammatory and tumor-blocking potential,) minimizes damage in tissues exposed to radiation (mammography) while increasing the cancer killing ability of radiation (such as radiation received with breast cancer radiation treatment.)

Resveratrol

Resveratrol exhibits many anti-cancer properties, including suppression of tumor growth by increasing or decreasing the production of various enzymes and molecules that regulate cellular reproduction and blood supply to the tumor. Through these mechanisms, resveratrol may enhance the anti-cancer effects of chemotherapeutic drugs and radiation. With its potent antioxidant capabilities, resveratrol may even protect healthy tissues from damage induced by chemotherapy.

Blog #11 Using Supplements to Save Your Life-Part 1

“No matter how much surgery you do to cut out cancer, or how much radiation you use to burn out cancer, or how much chemotherapy you use to poison cancer, if the patient’s immune system is not functioning properly, that patient will die from cancer.”

That statement, made by world-famous cancer expert Dr. Russell Blaylock in my book, The Natural Vet’s Guide to Preventing and Treating Cancer in Dogs, really says it all.

After surgery cuts out most of the cancer, and chemotherapy kills most of the cancer, and radiation burns most of the cancer, what’s left to do destroy any remaining cancer cells? Absolutely nothing! Unless the patient continues therapy, using a combination of proper diet, mind-body medicine, and nutritional supplements, any cancer cells that have survived conventional therapy will, at some point, continue to grow, spread, and ultimately kill the patient.
Unfortunately, unless you are familiar with naturopathic medicine or are lucky enough to work with a naturopathic doctor, your conventional doctors will not tell you any of this. Despite the fact that Sandy has visited several outstanding conventional doctors, not one of them, NOT ONE, has ever talked about the use of diet or supplements to kill cancer or boost her immune system.

The sad news is that so many cancer patients will ultimately die after surviving conventional therapies because nothing is done to prevent the recurrence of cancer. Ever since Sandy’s diagnosis, it seems that not a day goes by that I don’t discover that someone else I know has been diagnosed with cancer (usually breast cancer.) Yet not one of these patients is doing anything “natural” to support her immune system or continue the fight against cancer once conventional therapies have finished. How sad and tragic to know that many people will needlessly die out of ignorance once their cancer returns.

The most important reason I’m writing these blogs is to educate current and future cancer patients about all of their options. Just because your conventional doctors don’t know about these options or don’t agree with these options doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider them.

The questions are very simple: what are you doing now to make your conventional therapies more effective and reduce their side effects, and what will you do once your conventional therapies stop to prevent your cancer from coming back?
In this blog and the ones to follow, I will share with you the supplements that I have put together (with help from several naturopathic doctors) to help Sandy maximize the benefits from our conventional therapies, reduce their side effects, and remain cancer-free the rest of her life. While there are no guarantees, we believe this is a better approach than simply doing nothing and waiting to see what happens (in most cases, “what happens” is that the cancer returns and kills the patient.)

In my own veterinary practice, while I can never offer guarantees to my patients, I tell them that based upon my years of using natural therapies to help pets with cancer, I expect my patients to live one and a half to two times longer than their conventional doctors expect them to live IF they will use properly prescribed natural therapies.
Please note that I am NOT saying that the supplements we have chosen for Sandy are appropriate for you if you have cancer. You MUST work with your naturopathic doctors to find the right treatments for you, similar to working with your conventional doctors to find the right conventional therapies for you.

And since there are many out there who are skeptical about the effectiveness of natural supplements, I have included a description of why each supplement was chosen to help Sandy win the war against her cancer based upon volumes of research.

Sandy’s supplement regimen (which changes depending upon her circumstances and as new research becomes available):

Cimetidine

Cimetidine is an antihistamine (H2 blocker) that is usually prescribed for its antacid function (blocking the production of stomach acid through inhibition of histamine’s actions on the acid-secreting cells in the stomach.)

Taken at night before bed, it is very useful for cancer patients and works through several mechanisms of action: preventing suppression of the immune system caused by tumor secretion of histamine, halting cancer cell growth, preventing angiogenesis (new blood vessel formation that cancer cells need in order to grow and spread,) promoting cancer cell death (apoptosis,) and averting often fatal cancer metastasis (cimetidine inhibits cancer cell adhesion by blocking the expression of an adhesive molecule—called E-selectin—on the surface of cells lining blood vessels. Cancer cells latch onto E-selectin in order to adhere to the lining of blood vessels; by preventing the expression of E-selectin, cimetidine significantly limits the ability of cancer cell adherence to the blood vessel walls.

Cimetidine also increases NK cells.

However, because recent studies show that it may stimulate prolactin, and in at least one study, the administration of cimetidine to men decreases the 2-hydroxylation of estradiol and results in an increase in the serum estradiol concentration. This mechanism may help to account for the signs and symptoms of estrogen excess reported with the long-term use of cimetidine. Because this could be harmful to women with estrogen influenced breast cancer, Sandy stopped taking cimetidine after several months of administration. Additionally, she is taking additional supplements which favor the formation of “good” estrogen (the 2-series) rather than “bad” estrogen (the 16 series.)
People taking cimetidine as part of their cancer treatment protocol tend to live longer than patients who do not take cimetidine (improved 10 year survival rate.)

Melatonin

While well-known as a sleep aid, high dose melatonin is prescribed for patients with cancer due to its effect as an anti-oxidant (particularly in neutralizing the hydroxyl radical.) It is also effective in reducing adverse effects of as well as enhancing the cancer killing ability of various chemotherapy drugs. For breast cancer patients, administering melatonin with tamoxifen may increase the effectiveness of and reduce side effects of tamoxifen. Melatonin may also directly modulate estrogen receptor expression to inhibit breast cancer cell growth (especially valuable in the most common form of breast cancer ER+ tumors) and also boosts the production of immune components that kill metastasized cancer cells.

Green Tea

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is the most powerful of the catechins contained in green and black tea and functions as an antioxidant that is about 25-100 times more potent than vitamins C and E.

EGCG has a number of benefits to help the patient with cancer, including: suppresses angiogenesis (new blood vessel growth that tumors use to grow and spread;) helps prevent metastasis in a number of ways, including inhibiting the secretion of collagenases by tumor cells, thus arresting their ability to invade normal tissue; enhancing glucuronization of estrogens in the liver, a process through which estrogens are rendered inactive by being conjugated with glucuronic acid, a form in which they are excreted from the body (very important in preventing and treating breast cancer;) protects against radiation-induced DNA damage (possibly by scavenging the dangerous hydroxyl radical that is formed by radiation damage to the cell;) inhibit the activation of protein kinase C, and interfere with the binding of growth factors to their receptors (in the case of breast cancer, catechins interfere with the binding of estrogen to estrogen receptors;) inhibits the release of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), a highly inflammatory cytokine, and of nitric oxide synthase, an enzyme necessary for the production of nitric oxide (nitric oxide plays an important role in inflammation and carcinogenesis;) inhibits telomerase (the enzyme that “immortalizes” cancer cells by maintaining the end portions of the tumor cell chromosomes. In the presence of EGCG, cancer cells but not normal cells exhibited telomere shortening and death;) interferes with the enzyme quinol oxidase (NOX, an enzyme is required for growth by both normal and malignant cells. While normal cells express NOX only when dividing, tumor cells express it all the time. The tumor form of the enzyme is called t-NOX, or tumor-associated NOX. Drugs that inhibit tNOX also inhibit tumor growth. EGCG inhibitstNOX while sparing the NOX of healthy cells;) lowers serum glucose and insulin (elevated insulin is a potent growth factor for many kinds of tumors, as well as a pro-inflammatory and immunosuppressive hormone, the lowering of insulin in itself should help prevent cancer or, in cases of existing cancer, slow down its growth;) and protects the liver against damage during tamoxifen administration.

EGCG arrests tumor cell growth in a different cell-cycle stage than curcumin. When the two compounds are combined, growth inhibition was enhanced, suggesting a synergistic effect.

Coming Soon-Blog #11- Using Supplements to Save Your Life-Part 2