Research published in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology questioned whether or not chlorophyll could prevent cancer and concluded yes and no. They found that when tested against modest carcinogen exposure levels most often found in the environment, chlorophyll from green vegetables offered protection. However, in very high carcinogen exposure levels it actually increased the numbers of tumors.
In the study, 12,360 rainbow trout were used as lab models instead of mice. In one part, the trout were exposed to fairly moderate levels of a known carcinogen but also given chlorophyll that reduced their number of liver tumors by 29-64 percent and stomach tumors by 24 to 45 percent. However, in another part of the study using much higher and unrealistic dosages of the same carcinogen the use of chlorophyll caused a significant increase in the numbers of tumors. Thus, at the lower carcinogen doses and cancer rates relevant to humans, chlorophyll was very protective. However, the outcome of chlorophyll protection in major target organs is dependent upon carcinogen doses. The researchers concluded that the “results derived at high carcinogen doses and high tumor responses may be irrelevant for human intervention>”

In a new study published in the online edition of Nature researchers conclude that it may be possible to block the formation of secondary cancers in the body. These cancers that have metastasized are often the main cause of complications and death. Instead of focusing on the primary cancer the researchers looked at the development of the metastasized cancers and found a protein that plays a major role in their development. They also found that the secondary cancers could be prevented by blocking the protein.

They found a protein, periostin, in niches where metastases develop and without this protein the cancer stem cells cannot initiate the metastasis but instead, disappear or remain dormant. Periostin, that exists naturally as part of the extracellular matrix is only active in certain organs in adults including the mammary glands, bones, skin and intestine. It seems to play a role in the environment needed by cancer stem cells to develop metastasis because mice that were bred to lack the protein were resistant to metastasis. Researchers said “We developed an antibody that adheres to this protein, making it inoperative, and we are hoping it this way to be able to block the process of metastasis formation.” The researchers found few side effects from blocking the periostin in mice but caution that the results, although encouraging, cannot be assured to be effective in humans without further research.

Research presented at the 76th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology concluded that physicians who listen to Mozart while performing colonoscopy may increase their detection rate over doing the procedure without music.

In the randomized, controlled study, two experienced endoscopists completed at least 1,000 colonoscopies with or without Mozart music and the detection rates were compared with their baseline rate before the study. For the first doctor the polyp detection rate was 67% with the music and 30 percent without the music. This is higher that the doctors prestudy baseline rate of 21 percent. For the second doctor , the polyp detection rate was 37 percent with the music, and 40 percent without. These are higher than the prestudy baseline rate of 27 percent. Adenomas are a type of colon polyp that are considered a precursor for invasive colorectal cancer so it is important to identify and remove these polyps. The researchers said “Anything we can do to get those rates up has the potential to save lives.” There is a large body of research that shows that clearing the colon of polyps significantly reduces colorectal cancer mortality and when detected in its earliest and most treatable stage, the survival rate for colorectal cancer exceeds 90 percent. This study has a small sample but the results may assist doctors to improve their detection rates of colon polyps.

Recent research published in Nature concluded that a plant based compound piperlongumine (PL) derived from the fruit of a pepper plant found in India and Southeast Asia kills cancer cells without affecting healthy cells. Cancer cells have an overactive metabolism fueling their rapid growth, but also needs anti-oxidative enzymes to reduce the potential toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) resulting from the hyperactive metabolic demands. PL interferes with the mechanism of dissipating the high oxidative stress caused by the high metabolism and the resulting ROS but does not affect normal cells that have lower metabolism and resulting low levels of ROS.
The researchers said “The novelty of this compound was that it was able to recognize cancer cells from normal cells” and “It has a mode of action that targets something especially important to the cancer cell.” Testing the compound against cancer cells and normal cells engineered to develop cancer in mice, they found PL inhibited cancer growth without showing toxicity in normal cells with human bladder, breast, lung, and melanoma cancer cells. In another trial of mice developing breast cancer spontaneously PL blocked tumor growth and metastasis. However, the chemotherapy drug pacilitaxel (Taxol) was less effective at high levels.
More research is planned to focus on different types of cancer.

A new study published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, and based upon mice research concluded that eating a diet high in protein and low in carbohydrate may reduce the risk of cancer and slow the growth of tumors.

The researchers implanted various strains of mice with human tumor cells or with mouse tumor cells and assigned them to one of two diets. One diet that was typical of Western diets contained about 55% carbohydrates, 23% protein and 22% fat. The other diet was high in protein, contained 15% carbohydrate , 58% protein, and 26% fat.

Findings showed that tumors consistently grew slower in the Hi-Protein, Lo-Carb diet. In one group of mice genetically predisposed to breast cancer half were placed on the Western type diet and half on the other diet. Almost half of those on the Western type diet developed breast cancer within the first year whereas none of those on the other type diet did. In addition, only one of the mice on the Western type diet reached age 2 (normal life span) and 70% of them died from cancer. Conversely over half of those on the Hi Protein, Lo-Carb diet live to age two and only 30% developed cancer.
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It is interesting that alternative physicians have utilized this information for years using an intervention that reduces carbohydrates as part of the insulin potentiation treatment. It is also interesting that 36 years ago when I was given 6 months to live when diagnosed with lung cancer and sought out an alternative physician , part of my alternative treatment was a diet that eliminated most carbohydrates and all simple sugars.

Researchers have shown for the first time that sulforaphane, one of the primary photochemicals in broccoli, cauliflower and other cruciferous vegetables, selectively target and kill cancer cells while leaving normal prostate cell unaffected. This adds to previous research that these vegetables help prevent cancer. It is believed that sulforaphanes is an inhibitor of histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzymes, that are a family of enzymes that affect access to DNA and play a role in whether certain genes such as tumor suppression genes are expressed or not.
The researchers concluded that consumption of sulforaphane-rich foods should be safe, simple, and affordable.

Research presented at the 2011 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago June 4-8 reported that following treatment cancer survivors often continue to suffer moderate to severe problems of pain, fatigue, sleep, memory, and concentration for 3 to 5 years. Two hundred forty eight cancer survivors (breast, colorectal, lung,and prostate) primarily female, with most beyyond 5 year survival were evaluated. The most common symptoms reported were: fatigue (16%), disturbed sleep (15%), pain (13%), and cognitive impairment (13%). Physicians and health care providers need to be more aware of these problems and educate survivors on natural ways to deal with them.

Dr Carl O. Helvie, Host, will interview Dr Susan Kolb and Dr Gene Ang on the Holistic Health Show on Saturday on BBS Radio (http://www.bbsradio.com) Station 1 at 12 noon PST. They will discuss Faith, Healing, and Spirituality.

Susan Kolb, M.D., F.A.C.S. graduated from Johns Hopkins University and received her medical degree from Washington University, School of Medicine. Susan completed post-graduate education in plastic and general surgery and has been certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery since 1985. She is a founding diplomat of the American Board of Holistic Medicine, a member of the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, American Medical Association, and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Dr Kolb has been in private practice in the Atlanta area since 1988 and is the founder of Plastikos Surgery Center, a holistic surgery center that incorporates many disciplines of alternative medicine and spiritual healing. She hosts a weekly radio program “Temple of Health” every Saturday from 12 noon to 1 p.m. that offers a variety of informative topics on holistic and spiritual medicine. Shows are available at http://www.bbsradio.com
or: http://www.plastikos.com

Dr Kolb is the Founder of Millennium Healthcare and Avatar Cancer Center and is a recognized authority on energy healing and spiritual medicine and and a leading plastic surgeon. She incorporates holistic, spiritual, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the teaching of ancient healers into her modern day surgery practice.

Susan is author of two books: The Naked Truth about Breast Implants: From Harm to healing and Goddess Shift: Women Leading for a Change More information is available at: http://www.TheNakedTruthAboutBreastImplants.com

Dr Gene Ang, Ph.D. has a healing practice in Thousand Oaks, California where he utilized several therapies with clients including Pranic Healing, Reconnective Healing, the Reconnection Shamanic Healing, Vortex Healing, and the 12 Blueprints: Accelerating the Evolution of the Human Energy Field. In addition he teaches seminars that focus on science, spirituality, and healing and travels throughout the United States facilitating healing sessions and workshops.

Gene was formally trained as a Neurobiologist at Yale University where he earned his doctorate in basic mechanisms of how the brain develops followed by a post-doctoral fellowship on how ultrasound can affect the developing cerebral cortex. After finishing school, he decided to step into the role of a facilitator of healing in order to help people through direct interaction. Most of his work centers around the use of subtle energy to align the subtle energy body, its channels, meridians, and energy centers to restore balance and harmony so that healing can occur whether physical, emotional, mental, and/or spiritual.
More information is available at: http://www.geneang.com

Researchers who have been studying how to use the bodies own resources to fight cancer have found a molecule that lies dormant until it interacts with a cancer cell and then it activates the immune system to fight the cancer cells. In their experiment, the researchers used interleukin-2 (IL-2) a chemical messenger that amplifies the effects of the immune system that turns on T cells and natural killer cells that recognize and kill cancer cells. Although approved by the FDA this chemical has serious side effects such as harming healthy tissue when active throughout the body. The researchers hoped to reduce the toxicity of the chemical so that it could be used more widely.

In their work they were able to direct the chemical and the turn on of the immune system to a specific area of the body such as prostate, thus, reducing the side effects of the chemical on the whole body. Their approach is to turn on a magnified immune system response in the neighborhood of the cancer cells to destroy those cells but to avoid a system wide immune response that could cause serious side effects. More information is available at:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110412121247.htm

Research published in the Journal Anticancer Research on February 21 concluded that markedly increasing the intake of vitamin D is necessary to reach blood levels that will prevent or cut the incidence of breast cancer and other major diseases. Although the levels identified from the research (4,000-8,000 IU daily) is considerably higher than those traditionally recommended by physicians they are within a range considered safe for daily use by the National Academy of Science Institute of Medicine in a December, 2010 report.

This research was based upon a survey of several thousand volunteers who were taking between 1000 and 10,000 IU of vitamin D daily. Blood samples were studied to determine the circulating level of 25-vitamin D that is the form in which most vitamin D circulates in the blood.

The researchers found that ” the daily intake of vitamin D by adults in the range of 4,000-8,000 IU are needed to maintain blood levels of vitamin D metabolites in the range needed to reduce by about half the risk of several diseases-breast cancer, colon cancer, multiple sclerosis, and type 1 diabetes.” However, according to a recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey only about 10% of the United States population have levels in this range and those are mostly people who work outside.

More information can be found at:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110222140546.htm