Cancer Patients (Along With Everyone Else!) Should Eat More Fruits & Vegetables--Tell That To My Family!

We should all eat more fruits and vegetables—as many raw as possible. The proof? Hundreds of nutritionally related articles I have posted on this site over the past two years, for starters!

I am currently on a vacation with my family on beautiful Pawleys Island, located on the coast of South Carolina. This morning at breakfast, my father asked me how I felt about my weight. I told him it was "perfect." And it is! My BMI is excellent. I could use more muscle mass (still recovering—very slowly—from my early radiation/steriod therapy in 2007. (Why it is taking so long is another story...Maybe tomorrow?) Anyway, after enduring constant ribbing about how many vegetables I eat I from most of my family members over the past few days I then continued: "Dad, do you think I'm too thin?" "Maybe a bit." he replied. My response: "That's because you are around overweight people all of the time!” And it’s true! The insensitive thing (OK—I snapped!) was I made sure everyone heard me! But someone needed to say something! Catsup is a vegetable in my sister’s family. Most of my family members do not eat well. Even my father—who, at one time taught me the value of a balanced diet—has slipped into a “main course” eating mentality. There are exceptions, of course. My mother eats light. My sister is working on her weight and looks better than she has in years. But one’s weight is one thing—eating good, nutritious, natural (and dare I say organic?) food is another—and there they all fail. It isn’t a priority. All have their own excuses. But you would think—with my father having prostate cancer, my multiple myeloma, Pattie’s cervical, uterine and ovarian cancer—that nutrition should be an urgent priority.

Time to walk along the beach—it’s a beautiful day! I will walk miles and miles and miles today, just like yesterday. Exercise—don’t even get me started! Feel good and keep smiling! Pat

International Study Reports Many Breast Cancer Cases Can Be Prevented By Eating Properly

The following article I read today in Health News doesn't surprise me--but those of you who hate eating lots of vegetables won't like it:

BARCELONA, Spain — Up to a third of breast cancer cases in Western countries could be avoided if women ate less and exercised more, researchers at a conference said Thursday, renewing a sensitive debate about how lifestyle factors affect the disease.

Better treatments, early diagnosis and mammogram screenings have dramatically slowed breast cancer, but experts said the focus should now shift to changing behaviors like diet and physical activity.

The article, Up to a third of breast cancer cases could be avoided with diet and exercise, is detailed, extensive and worth the time to read.

Our regular readers know what I am going to write next: Feel good, keep smiling and eat lots of fruit and vegetables! Pat

Free Gift Cards For Cancer Patients Who Attend Nutritional Seminars? An Interesting Concept

I don't often write about regional cancer programs, but this one caught my interest: Nevada Cancer Institute Celebrates National Nutrition Month By Encouraging Patients To Develop Healthy Eating Habits As Part of Treatment. How cool is that... Mixing good nutrition with financial help (if even just a little) for cancer patients. Here is the press release promoting the program:

Las Vegas – March 18, 2010 – March is National Nutrition Month® and Nevada Cancer Institute (NVCI) is pleased to celebrate it by partnering with Smith’s Food and Drug to provide $25 gift certificates for cancer patients undergoing treatment. NVCI encourages patients to develop nutritional eating habits as part of treatment in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

According to the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), “about a third of the most common cancers in the US could be prevented” by following AICR’s recommendations that include a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight and being physically active.

Smith’s Food and Drug has generously donated 75 gift cards to help patients in the process of making healthy food choices as an ongoing part of treatment. Patients who attend NVCI’s free educational seminar on Wednesday, March 24, with Amy Patton, R.D., C.S.O., CNSD will be offered the opportunity to receive a $25 Smith’s gift card. Patton will be presenting on the topic of ‘Nutrition During Treatment’ and is the Institute’s registered dietitian.

“As a dietitian, it is important to encourage a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and other plant-based foods such as beans and nuts, as these foods may reduce the risk for cancer,” says Patton. “Instead of taking a fruit or vegetables supplement, try adding some extra diced veggies to a pasta dish or soup and add some extra fruit to your day by grabbing a piece for a snack.”


OK--a couple points. First, I'm not sure why I received this release today--after the fact--so I guess there is room for improvement there. Second, 75 $25 gift cards are not going to rock any patient's world. But I'm intrigued by the nutritional/financial aid combo for cancer patients. I am going to suggest a much larger version of this to some of my drug company contacts. Worth a try, right?

Feel good and keep smiling! Pat

What Causes Cancer?

Nature vs nurture. Yin or yang? Chicken or egg?
What causes cancer?
We originally explored this question on our site in 2008. Is it Genetics? Exposure to industrial chemicals like Benzene? Pesticides? Exposure to the sun? Poor nutrition? Stress? Genetics? The answer is yes! Yes to all of the above and more. It seems clear that there is no one cause of cancer, just like there is not and will not be a single cure. Recent innovations in chemotherapy use different drugs in various combinations to fight cancer. Why do some patients respond to one drug combination but not another- or not at all? Studies are beginning to prove that it is the genetic component which effects how well a therapy will work. Environmental factors seem to often contribute to the type or severity of the cancer. But genetics probably are what allows the cancer to get started in the first place. Refer to my "Bank on a Cure" post from November 19th, 2008 to learn more.

Feel good and keep smiling! Pat & Pattie

New Chemotherapy Combination Shows Promise in Endometrial Cancer, Researchers Find

ScienceDaily (Mar. 19, 2010) — Researchers from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center report that in a small study of women with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer, gemcitabine and cisplatin, when used in combination, produced a response rate in fifty percent of patients.

Go to ScienceDaily-New Chemotherapy Combination for details.
Feel good and keep smiling! Pat & Pattie

Long Term Steroid Use Decreases Lymphoma Risk

We found this brief summary of this major study in Rhematology News, dated March 22, 2010 by Nicola Garrett:

Rheumatoid arthritis patients who take steroids for more than two years have a reduced risk of lymphoma, a large study finds.
The study of almost 75,000 patients also found that intra-articular steroids were associated reduced risk, but only when used as swift flare treatment.

Disease duration at the initiation of oral steroids and use of steroid for less than two years did not affect lymphoma risk, the study authors reported in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

The links here were not good. We will try to get more in-depth info as it becomes available.
Feel good and keep smiling- Pat & Pattie

Common Questions About Diet and Cancer - Reviewed & Answered By The American Cancer Society

I understand the American Cancer Society's position on nutritional links to cancer is conservative--very conservative. I consider this to be the mainstream/default position--a safe starting point. This article, Common Questions About Diet and Cancer, has a number of links to specific foods associated with cancer, good and bad.

Our goal here is to present you with all of the options. Then it is up to you to decide if and when you want to make nutritional or lifestyle changes in an effort to slow or defeat your cancer.

Feel good and keep smiling! Pat

Is It True? Prostate Cancer Growth Can Be Reduced By Walnuts

Intriguing how I could find such a promising bit of nutritional cancer research news on an Asian Indian Website:

A research finding says that Walnut consumption slows the growth of prostate cancer in mice and has beneficial effects on multiple genes and helps controlling tumour growth and metabolism.

Paul Davis, nutritionist and researcher with the UC Davis Cancer Centre in California, said the findings provide additional evidence that walnuts, although high in fat, are healthy.

"This study shows that when mice with prostate tumours consume an amount of walnuts that could easily be eaten by a man, tumour growth is controlled," he said. "This leaves me very hopeful that it could be beneficial in patients."

Prostate cancer affects one in six American men. It is one in which environmental factors, especially diet, play an important role. Numerous clinical studies have demonstrated that eating walnuts -- rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, antioxidants and other plant chemicals -- decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Davis fed a diet with whole walnuts to mice that had been genetically programmed to get prostate cancer. After 18 weeks, they found that consuming the human equivalent of 2.4 ounces of walnuts per day resulted in significantly smaller, slower-growing prostate tumours compared to mice consuming the same diet with an equal amount of fat, but not from walnuts.

They also found that not only was prostate cancer growth reduced by 30 to 40 percent, but that the mice had lower blood levels of a particular protein which has been strongly associated with prostate cancer.

Additionally, Davis and his research colleagues looked at the effect of walnuts on gene activity in the prostate tumours using whole mouse gene chip technology, and found beneficial effects on multiple genes related to controlling tumour growth and metabolism.

"This is another exciting study from UC Davis nutrition researchers, where truly promising results that have a molecular footprint are having beneficial effects against cancer," said Ralph deVere White, UC Davis Cancer Centre director and a prostate cancer researcher. "We have to find a way to get these kinds of studies on nutritional products funded so that we can truly evaluate their effects on cancer patients.

"The bottom line is that what is good for the heart -- walnuts -- may be good for the prostate as well," he said.

The Website, Indiaserver.com, may originate on the other side of the world—but the research study is all American. I eat lots of walnuts each and every day. Rich in Omega 3's, great fiber, low fat. A few anti-cancer properties help seal the deal!

Feel good and keep smiling! Pat

More From Dr. Lieb About Using Antidepressants For Cancer Therapy

More from Dr. Lieb in response to yesterday's post. Good points--although I don't understand the "zombie science stuff" at the end:

You were doing great until lumping it with alternative medicine. Died in the wool, bona fide medical researchers such as I abhor being lumped with the shoots, leaves, and berries crowd. The anticancer property of antidepressants is easily the most significant advance in cancer therapeutics in history, with aspirin/ibuprofen next. Readers don’t know what to believe when confronted with so many theories, most of them bogus. And antidepressants do more than “slow.” They arrest, even eradicate, and can significantly extend life. This is a massive threat to oncology, no surprise that ACS, NCI, KOMEN etc are suppressing it. Paradigm shifts are incredibly difficult to launch, thus the message must be as powerful as possible, and not diluted. You have already done more than the buzzards on the Web, but please do not equivocate or diminish.

The genome is dead, zombie science. So Obama puts Collins head of NIH, and now Varmus at NCI. A monopolistic win for the cartel. This is a war, and you must field the best troops. Take a look at Bruce Charlton’s essay on zombie science (Google).

I recommend, “Stimulating immune function to kill viruses.” (2009) Amazon

Best,
Julian

I will do some research of my own about antidepressants and cancer. Are there FDA issues? I'm not a conspiracy theorist, so it's unclear why such an exciting anti-cancer therapy wouldn't be embraced by oncologists. Dr. Lieb states: "bona fide medical researchers such as I abhor being lumped with the shoots, leaves, and berries crowd." I want to reassure Dr. Lieb and my readers, I remain open to all alternative cancer therapies, even those involving "shoots, leaves and berries." Closing our minds to any possible cure is how obscure and important breakthroughs get lost or ignored!

Feel good and keep smiling! Pat

Evidence Antidepressants Can Slow Growth Of Liver Cancer, Kidney Cancer, Lung Cancer, Breast Cancer, Lymphoma & Multiple Myeloma

Dr. Julian Lieb wrote a lengthy, technical comment at the end of yesterday's post. I invited Dr. Lieb to contribute further material about the positive affects of antidepressants against cancer. Here is Dr. Lieb's response:

I am a semi-retired, former, Yale medical school professor, and author or coauthor of 48 articles and 11 books. In 2001, I published the first of five reviews on the remarkable anticancer properties of antidepressants. Access Medline or Pubmed, and enter "antidepressants" and "cancer," and you may retrieve about 70 clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory studies confirming the anticancer properties of antidepressants.
Antidepressants can arrest tumors even in advanced stages, occasionally eradicate them, and significantly extend life. It appears that they may be effective for many cancers, including those considered resistant, such as liver, kidney, and lung cancers, gliomas, neuroblastomas, inflammatory breast cancers, resistant lymphomas, and multiple myelomas. Despite the overwhelming weight of evidence contributed by hundreds of laboratories, not one cancer organization, including NCI and ACS, has come forward to support the innovation. It has been said, that when clinical progress occurs, research funds dry up.
In 1990, I evaluated a woman with invasive, inflammatory breast cancer who was given a poor prognosis following standard treatment. I treated her with a succession of antidepressants, and when relocating in 2003, she was in good health. An acquaintance had taken an antidepressant for many years when she developed pancreatic cancer. I suspected that the medication might have lost its effectiveness, until she was declared cancer free after a course of chemotherapy. Another acquaintance had a cancerous kidney removed, and was declared cancer free. Four years later, she was shown to have a large metastatic nodule in a lung. Five years after she started an antidepressant at a low dose, the nodule had shrunk.

Major innovations usually follow decades of stagnation, are often simple, and emerge from unexpected and improbable sources. Clinical research is often light years ahead of basic research, but propagandists wouldn’t have you believe that. A friend has a Béarnaise mountain dog, which last June rapidly lost 30 lbs due a lymphoma. He improved a few days after starting an antidepressant, and is in full remission. In America, a dog can receive cutting edge treatment for cancer, which humans cannot.

Sincerely, Julian Lieb, M.D

Interesting, don't you think? Add antidepressants to a long list of alternative cancer therapies which are ignored or brushed aside by mainstream medicine.

Feel good and keep smiling! Pat

Cancer Patients Should Consider Adding Music To Their Nutritional Program

You can learn the most interesting things while out and about. While I was checking-out at Walmart last evening, my associate, Helen, inquired what I was going to be doing for the rest of the day. I answered “Writing!” Helen asked about it, so I shared with her that I was a medical writer. “Can't you tell from all of the healthy food I just purchased?” I asked, half joking. I then asked her if she payed attention to the types of foods people purchased throughout the day. “Yes.” she replied. “But it isn't what type of food someone eats that makes the difference... It's how they eat it.” Intrigued, I asked what she meant. (By now the folks in line were starting to get irritated. But in my extroverted way, I included them in the conversation and everyone seemed to be OK.) Helen went on to talk about how important it is for someone to eat slowly—and especially with music—soft, soothing music. “Helps the digestion.” she affirmed.

I think Helen has a point! Cancer patients should be avoiding stress through meditation and by simplifying their lives. To that end, eating slowly and deliberately while listening to calming music might just be what the doctor ordered!

Feel good, keep smiling and play soothing music while you eat your raw fruits and vegetables!
Pat

Why Should Cancer Patients Without Insurance Pay More For Their Health Care?

With so much news about health care swirling around this weekend, now seemed to be a good time to reflect on this rhetorical question: Why do patients without insurance pay more than patients with insurance? You would think “cash is king”—that someone paying for their own treatment should be the ones getting a break. But our system works in an opposite way. One needs only to look as far as their last insurance statement. My new carrier is Cigna—My wife Pattie's employer mandated company. The cost of my initial consultation with my myeloma specialist/oncologist, Dr. Melissa Alsina, was $438. Now I don't know if that is a fair price, or charge, for that service or not. I did meet with several different medical professionals during my visit, including Dr. Alsina's medical fellow/assistant and her oncology nurse. Dr. Alsina is a well known multiple myeloma expert—which is one of the reasons I chose Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa for my medical care. Cigna only allows, and is only paying $157.95. The balance is written off. That's a 63% discount. Similarly, Pattie also recently visited Moffitt. The insurance “discount” on her labs went as high a 85%. One fee, a $231 “facility charge,” was disallowed altogether.

I have no problem with any of this. If Cigna can negotiate health care costs down on our behalf—great! But what if I didn't have any health insurance? What if I was expected to pay that bill? Would I receive similar discounts? NO! That's fair? This is so counter-intuitive to me.

Watching CNN last week, a financial health care advisor recommended negotiating your bill down if you are paying yourself—saving you up to 30%. What? 30% is far less than the Cigna billed discounts. Worse yet, why should you or I need to negotiate a medical bill. That is one of the reasons I hate buying a car. The negotiation. What ever happened to bottom line, fair pricing—for autos or health care?

Feel good, keep smiling and hold on to your wallets! Pat

Guidelines For Helping Chronically Ill Cancer Patients Maintain Weight

Maintaining weight can be a constant challenge for some cancer patients. I read and review articles about nutrition for chronically ill cancer patients often. Most are so basic they aren't worth forwarding. This short post by Susan Sisk, listing specific nutritional componants a cancer patient trying to maintain weight should understand, is worth noting. Here is that list from Hubpages.com:

Cancer tears the body down, and wipes out caloric reserves. At the cancer center where I worked, we would tell our new patients, that "this is not the time to be on a weight loss diet." If a patient starts at 175 lbs., the goal is to stay at 175 lbs. during treatment. Cancer causes faulty DNA replication within the cells. A person fighting cancer needs increased protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. They may need to increase their caloric intake to counteract the increased metabolism from the cancer.

•Proteins take part in almost every process within cell division. They help to maintain the structure of the cells. Protein can be found in meat, dairy, eggs, and nuts.
•Carbohydrates give the body energy, and are often starchy. Cereals, bread, pasta, potatoes, sugars contain carbohydrates.
•Vitamins are nutrients that have many functions within the body. Some help with cell division, some are antioxidents, some help enzymes to function properly. Some vitamins that are inportant in fighting cancer are:
1.Vitamin A: regulates cell and tissue growth. Vitamin A includes retinol and carotenoids. Vitamin A can be found in red, yellow, and orange fruits and vegetables.
2.Vitamin C: helps with the formation of collagen. Citrus fruits contain Vitamin c. Some people feel that Vitamin C helps protect against stomach, esophageal, and mouth cancers.
3.Vitamin E: is found in wheat germ oil, and liver. It is thought to cut the risk of getting colon cancer.
•Resvertrol is a substance that can be found in grapes. It is thought to help inhibit cancer growth by helping to prevent DNA damage in the cells.
•Catechins Green tea, which has become very popular contains catechins. Catechins are antioxidants that may inhibit tumors.
•Soy is found in Tofu, and may popular vegetarian foods. There is also soy milk, and soy cheese, which is widely available. Some reasearchers have found that it may stunt the growth of some breast cancer cells.
•Lycopene is part of the carotene group. It is found in tomatoes. Usually raw foods contain more nutrients, but cooked tomatoes are actually higher in lyopene.
•Selenium a mineral that is thought to help lower risks of lung, colerectal, and prostate cancer.

Read the article in it's entirety by going to: Healthy Nutrition for Cancer Patients.

Feel good and keep smiling! Pat & Pattie

Reflections From A Long Ride To Orlando: Cancer Sucks!

I just finished a post on our other daily site, www.multiplemyelomablog.com, about the stress many cancer patients face "Watching, waiting, and hoping—and praying—for just a bit more time. A few more months or years." If you are feeling reflective—and don't mind reading a bit of a downer—you may want to check it out.

But this brief post isn’t about that—not really. I wanted to share something my wife said to me on the ride. As you know, Pattie is also a cancer survivor. As the miles slid by, I shared with her some of the e-mail topics I had been reading from other myeloma patients recently. One in particular intrigued me. This patient wrote about how she didn’t feel it was fair for multiple myeloma be referred to as a “beast.” This patient had come to terms with her cancer—and felt it had opened her eyes to the blessings she experienced around her. My usually quiet, non-opinionated wife stopped me right there! “I hate that!” she vehemently exclaimed. Cancer has no redeeming character. Cancer sucks! Being a cancer patient sucks—and it makes cancer patients who are having a hard time or aren’t doing well feel bad about themselves for feeling that way.”

Setting aside the fact that I am one of those positive—make the best of your situation and stay positive—cancer patient types she was referencing, I do understand how she feels. It’s OK for me to feel that way—it’s my cancer. But it is also an incurable cancer which may inevitably take me away from her someday. And she’s right! Cancer does suck! We may come to accept it. It may help make us stronger—or grow closer to friends or the ones we love—but it still sucks! For us and those closest to us—and it’s alright to feel that way!

Feel good (or not—that’s OK!) and keep smiling! Pat

High Dose Vitamin C Cocktail Helps Cancer Patients In Vancouver

Extreme doses of vitamin C for cancer and other ailments were popular this past decade, but I haven't been hearing or reading much about it recently. Here is an excerpt from an article in the Vancouver Sun, featuring a doctor who is still pushing extreme C therapy:

Although vitamin infusions have been around for decades – they are popular with many professional athletes — they’re gaining mainstream interest from patients looking for preventive treatments and natural ways to deal with chronic conditions, according to John Dempster, a naturopathic doctor based in Toronto.

Dempster says intravenous vitamin therapy – a mixture of vitamins and minerals administered intravenously – is fast becoming one of his most requested remedies to treat such conditions as fatigue, fibromyalgia and depression and chronic diseases such as cancer.

The article interesting. Go to "Canadians turning to “vitamin cocktails” to boost energy, health" for more.
Feel good, keep smiling and don't forget to take your vitamin C--and eat your veggies! Pat & Pattie

Vitamin A Limits Effectiveness Of Vitamin D In Cancer Patients

I subscribe to an alternative nutritional newsletter, Mercola.com, featuring raw diet advocate and nutritionist, Dr. Mercola. I found this report about vitamin A blocking vitamin D absorption in last week's edition:

The British Medical Journal has published a remarkable paper confirming that low vitamin D levels obtained in the past are a risk factor for developing colon cancer in the future.

But the study contained an even more significant finding -- as Dr. Cannell's site has reported before, vitamin A, even in relatively low amounts, can thwart vitamin D's association with reduced rates of colon cancer.

This is the largest study to date showing vitamin A blocks vitamin D's effect.

Hidden on page eight of the paper was one sentence and a small table, showing that the benefits of vitamin D are almost entirely negated in those with the highest vitamin A (retinol) intake.

And the retinol intake did not have to be that high -- only about 3,000 IU/day. Young autistic children often take 3,500 IU of retinol a day in their powdered multivitamins, which doesn't count any additional vitamin A given in high single doses.

The finding explains some of the anomalies in other papers on vitamin D and cancer -- similar studies sometimes have widely different results. This may be because the effect of vitamin A was not taken into account. In some countries, cod liver oil, which contains vitamin A, is commonly used as a vitamin D supplement, and in others it is used more rarely, causing differences in the results.

How you combine and time your vitamin and supplement intake is so important. Hard to keep track (or stay on track!) of it all.
Feel good and keep smiling! Pat

Patient Ambassadors Help Others With Cancer

Cancer survivors and others living with chronic medical conditions may want to consider sharing their stories and becoming patient ambassadors. Here is part of the introduction I found on PatientAmbassodor.com:

Welcome to PatientAmbassador™.com, an online community that provides support, knowledge and inspiration to patients and care partners who strive to live well in spite of a chronic medical condition.

How exactly do we support others? We tell patient stories. Why? Because compelling stories—stories like yours—matter. They connect us with each other and have a real impact on our lives. If you have a story to share, then you have the potential to make a difference in the life of someone living with a chronic condition.

If you’d like to tell us about living with a chronic condition or proactively managing your health care, we’d love to hear from you. And if you’d like the potential opportunity to share your journey to promote awareness and empowerment, sign up to join our community today. By joining, you may have the opportunity to meet and inspire others just like you at educational seminars, or reach people through:

•Print media
•Public relations
•Interactive platforms

I know a number of patient ambassadors--all are strong, remarkable and inspirational people! They have turned their unfortunate conditions into a positive by helping others. You might consider sharing your story and helping other cancer patients as well.

Feel good and keep smiling! Pat

Dr. Herman Kattlove's Cancer Blog: Worth A Look!

In January, a retired oncologist named Herman Kattlove wrote an insightful article about the cost of treating cancer on his appropriately named site, Dr. Kattlove's Cancer Blog, titled "How much should cancer treatment cost? How much is too much?" Other recent posts include "Brain radiation may be hazardous to your mind" and "If I developed acute leukemia."

I like Dr. Kattlove's stuff. He posts every week or so, and his topics are always relevant for cancer patients and caregivers. His writing is simple and direct, yet detailed--no "fluff." Last week I wrote an article about his latest post, "I was wrong--transplants work for multiple myeloma." on my other site, www.multiplemyelomablog.com.

I wouldn't mind meeting Dr. Kattlove someday--seems like a nice guy! He certainly has worked with, and lived through, some profound changes in oncology while he was actively practicing.

Feel good and keep smiling! Pat

Article About Nutrition & Prostate Cancer

Here is a quick read about nutrition and how it affects prostate cancer from HealthArticlesLibrary.com:
Prostate Health – 10 Facts About Prostate Cancer
Resveratrols and prostate health are much related and are some of the things people should show interest in. it is very important that you get to learn more about prostate health, its effects and how it can be eradicated in terms of adenocarcinoma cancer, how it can be treated and how one can live with it if it has reached chronic stage. cancer is very widespread amongst men who are beyond the age of 50years. The cancer that affects these men is the adenocarcinoma. Therefore, it is very essential that a cancer patient seeks treatment while the disease is at its early stage.

Read the rest at 10 Facts About Prostate Cancer.
Feel good and keep smiling! Pat

In-Depth View Of Complementary Cancer Related Therapies

This is a good read on EverydayHealth.com from last week: Alternative Medicine for Cancer Treatment. To be honest, I'm not a big fan of EverydayHealth.com.--their articles tend to be short and light on substance. For an example of a more detailed approach, check out today's post on our other blog, www.multiplemyelomablog.com, featuring a link to an in-depth analysis arguing for alternative medical options in smoldering multiple myeloma patients on a European patients blog called Margaret's Corner. However, this particular EverydayHealth.com article is longer and more detailed than most-- although it doesn't deal with "hard core" medical alternatives to traditional cancer care. "Understanding Complimentary and Alternative Medicine in Cancer Treatment" does suggest a number of adjunct therapies to use along with more traditional cancer therapies and is definitely worth a look!

Feel good and keep smiling! Pat

Link To List Of Nutritional Resources For Cancer Patients

Here is a link to a number of other links and resources for cancer patients interested in nutrition: Nutritional Resources For Cancer Patients

Feel good and keep smiling! Pattie

Don't Forget To Read Saturday's Post: "Flax Seed Is Great For Cancer Patients!"

Please don't let my small but important post on Saturday, get lost among all of our other posts. Flax seed is good, healthy stuff!

Go back to "Flax Seed Is Great For Cancer Patients" and read all about flax meal. Not as exciting as Gleevec or new clinical studies in lymphoma, but one of the simplest, least expensive and tasty ways we can all improve our health!

Feel good and keep smiling! Pat & Pattie

More Good News About Leukemia Drug Gleevec & GVAX Leukemia Vaccine

BioSante Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: BPAX) announced positive results of a human clinical study that show that its GVAX Leukemia vaccine may be able to reduce or eliminate the last remaining cancer cells in some chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients taking the drug Gleevec (imatinib mesylate). All patients enrolled in the trial used Gleevec for at least one year and still had cancer cells present. The study was conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center in Baltimore, Maryland, led by Hyam Levitsky, M.D., professor of oncology, medicine and urology at the Cancer Center. The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health.

More in-depth information available by going to: BioSante Announces Positive Leukemia Vaccine Results

Feel good and keep smiling! Pat & Pattie

Clinical Trial Needs More Lymphoma Patients

Found this post on LymphomaInfo.net. Here is part of the article, and a link to help you find an applicable clinical trial for all of you "lymphomaniacs" out there:

Biggest Challenge of Drug Development in Lymphoma is Enrolling Patients on Clinical Trials
Submitted by Angie on Fri 03/05/2010

There are currently 1230 clinical trials actively enrolling patients in 1419 worldwide centers. Since January 2009, a total of 437 new lymphoma studies were registered and are currently enrolling patients, of which 238 trials are enrolling patients in the United States.

Dr. Anas Younes is an oncologist, lymphoma expert, and a Professor of Medicine at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He is asking for help in promoting high priority clinical trials that are likely to make an impact on patients’ lives.

“We are now accepting patients with newly diagnosed Hodgkin lymphoma for SGN35 + ABVD study. This novel combination may change the future of therapy for newly diagnosed patients with Hodgkin lymphoma. SGN35 is a targeted monoclonal antibody that preferentially kill the tumor cells. SGN35 has a good single agent activity in heavily pretreated patients with relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma. Please spread the word and help referring patients.”

Go to Lymphoma Clinical Trials to investigate your options.
Feel good and keep smiling! Pat & Pattie

Flax Seed Is Great For Cancer Patients!

Featuring lots of anti-oxidants and omega 3 fatty acids, flax seed is a cancer patient's healthy alternative to a number of other fats and grains. Since flax seed oil can spoil or be altered during processing. The best and tastiest way to add flax seed to your diet is by using milled flax seed. I buy a brand called Hodgson Mill--available in most grocery stores and even Walmart. Inexpensive and tasty, I put several tablespoons full into my daily, blended "nutritional sludge." (a lot like a smoothie) Pattie and I also add it to any baking we do. Sometimes we put it on cereal like you would wheat germ. Low cal, great for staying regular, omega 3's and anti-oxidants. Sounds like a "superfood" to me--right up there with blueberries and kale.

Feel good and keep smiling! Pat & Pattie

Genetic Screening May Be A Good Idea For People With A Family History Of Cancer

CancerCare.com ran a Q & A article this week which is worth reading:
Ask Dr. Martee Hensley - Test for Ovarian Cancer? The part that interested me was about genetic testing for people with a history of certain cancers in their families:

Knowing the specifics of your family history of cancer will help the doctor determine your own cancer risk. Depending on the details, your doctor may discuss whether it would be useful to test your blood for certain genes that we know can predispose women to breast and ovarian cancer. Women who are known to have these abnormal genes need specialized counseling about how to manage their increased risk of cancer.

Read the entire article by clicking on the link above. Recently while at Moffitt Cancer Center, one of the staff members suggested I get genetically tested. Why? Apparently there is a link between uterine, ovarian and colon cancer. Who knew? Anyway, I have had uterine and ovarian cancer. I thought I was at greater risk for developing breast cancer. But since my mother just died of colon cancer, there was concern in the group. But it's not that simple. Next stop: Will my insurance pay for this genetic testing which is often considered experimental or unnecessary.

I will keep you updated on what I find out. But don't hold your breath--one way or the other, it may take a few months to find out.
Feel good and keep smiling! Pattie

Orphan Drug Status For Experimental Cancer Drugs Getting Boost From FDA

Here is an excerpt from an article we found in the Wall Street Journal, "Push to Cure Rare Diseases, by Amy Docker Marcus:

CLAREMONT, Calif.—Staff members at the Food and Drug Administration are doing something unusual. They are leaving Washington to help drug makers take a crucial step in developing drugs for rare diseases.

The staffers help administer the Orphan Drug Act, which provides incentives to create therapies for so-called orphan diseases—those that affect fewer than 200,000 Americans. There are about 7,000 such maladies, most of them serious, that have few or no drugs to treat them, from adenoid cystic carcinoma, a rare head and neck cancer, to Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, which is associated with a tumor that causes the production of high levels of stomach acid.

As a result, doctors may end up prescribing drugs developed for other diseases off-label, but not all insurers will cover this kind of use.

Getting an orphan-drug designation opens the door to incentives once the FDA approves a medicine for sale in the U.S., including seven years' marketing exclusivity and tax breaks. Last year, just 250 requests for orphan-drug designation were filed, and 160 received it.

Read this extensive and important article by going to: FDA Officials Go to New Lengths to Encourage Applications for Orphan-Drug Status.

Feel good and keep smiling! Pat & Pattie

New Test May Help Doctors Identify Ovarian Cancer

Here is part of a Wall Street Journal report "Doctors Get New Test to Help Determine If Ovarian Masses Are Cancer," written by LAURA JOHANNES:

Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Doctors and hospitals are getting a new test that many think will help fight ovarian cancer, one of the deadliest cancers, by helping them to more quickly distinguish cancerous from benign growths.

The test, which is called OVA1 and will be available for general use Tuesday, was shown to correctly flag 92 percent of cancers, when used along with radiological imaging and a standard patient work-up, in a study of 27 hospitals, doctors' offices and clinics. Physicians using their usual detection methods but not OVA1 had previously found 72 percent of the cancers.

"It is an amazing move forward," said Cara Tenenbaum, vice president of policy for the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance, a nonprofit patient advocacy group.

The test, though, has a serious downside: It generates a lot of false positives. Of the women flagged as likely having cancer, 64 percent didn't, as determined by biopsies done during surgery. False positives might prompt, in addition to the likely emotional suffering, women to make an out-of-town trip to have surgery under a specialist's care when it could have been done at a local hospital. The trial funded by Vermillion Inc., of Fremont, Calif., which developed the test, found that physicians' current methods, which generally included another blood test, an exam and imaging, had a false-alarm rate of only 40 percent.

Go to: Wall Street Journal-Ovarian Cancer to read the entire article.

Feel good and keep smiling! Pattie

Men With Prostate Cancer Need To Plan Before Using Nutritional Supplements

Here is a link to an article called "Use of Nutrition Supplements Discouraged for Men with Prostate Cancer," by Denise Reynolds with EMaxHealth.com. The bottom line:

Although doctors are concerned about men with prostate cancer who take extremely high doses of nutrition supplements and its potential for negative effects on treatment, it appears that taking a standard multivitamin may be okay to take with the physician’s approval. A small study on 52 men presented at the American Society for Radiation Oncology in November 2009 did not find harmful effects of normal levels of vitamin or antioxidant supplementation on radiation therapy for prostate cancer, however they also did not find a significant benefit in the treatment. Men who took a standard multivitamin had no difference in PSA response than those not taking supplements.

Dr. Zietman, of the Harvard Medical School in Boston who conducted the study, did say that men taking supplements marketed specifically for prostate health may inadvertently be getting hormonal therapy. Some dietary supplements may contain phytoestrogens or synthetic hormones which may stimulate the growth of the cancer cells.

"Cancer patients turn to supplements to aid in their treatments for a variety of reasons, but this study proves that what some patients believe is helping them may actually be harming them," said Dr. Marples. "It is very important for all patients to discuss any type of supplement they may be taking with their physician and especially important for prostate cancer patients receiving radiation therapy as this study shows that it may be negatively affecting the effectiveness of their treatments."

In our opinion, it takes more than just your doctor to help you review and approve the use of different supplements. Pattie and I have talked often about developing your "medical team." If you are going to delve into the world of "hard core" supplementation, you will need additional help. More about that tomorrow.
Feel good and keep smiling! Pat & Pattie

Avastin Proving To Be Versatile--Although Sometimes Controversial Chemotherapy Drug

I just read an article about the cancer drug, Avastin. I remembered also reading late last spring that Avastin had just been preliminarily approved for use in certain types of brain cancer. According to ChemoCare.com, Avastin is also used for:

Treatment of metastatic colon or rectal cancer, used as part of a combination chemotherapy regimen.
Treatment for non-squamous, non-small cell lung cancer as part of a combination chemotherapy regimen.
As part of a combination chemotherapy regimen in patients who have not recieved chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer.
Treatment of glioblastoma (GBM) that has worsened following prior chemotherapy.
In combination with interferon alfa for the treatment of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.
Note: If Avastin has been approved for one use, physicians may elect to use avastin for other problems if they believe it may be helpful.

I did find one negative article about this versatile drug titled: Questions swirl around Avastin--June--Forbes Magazine. The opening line of the article, written by Matthew Herper and Robert Langreth, states: "Cancer researchers are beginning to ask why Roche's very expensive and very lucrative drug Avastin is not providing bigger survival gains for cancer patients." The writer's criticism is that Avastan often only extends a patient's life by a few months--and that once use of the drug is stopped, sometimes the cancer seems to return more aggressively than before.

I don't know enough about the drug and these cancers to editorialize here. Once can only hope that, as time goes on, dosing can be improved--along with the drug. But sounds like it is a start, considering several of these cancers have proven very stubborn and difficult to treat.
Feel good and keep smiling! Pat

News Gets Around - Good Nutrition Helps Prevent Ovarian Cancer

Friday I wrote about a story I found in the Palm Beach Post about how good nutrition can help prevent ovarian cancer. Saturday, the same news ran in an African paper, the Ethiopian Review. Good news gets around--all the way around the world! Click on either link to read all about it.

Feel good and keep smiling! Pat

Most Common Cancers In The United States - 2010

Go to this link: EverydayHealth.com/10 most common cancers for details about the most prevalent and dangerous forms of cancer in the United States.
Skin cancer is far and away most common. I was surprised how many more cases of lymphoma are diagnosed each year than leukemia.

Feel good and keep smiling! Pat

Another Example Of How Good Nutrition Can Help Prevent Cancer

Here is an article out today, supporting Pat's premise that good nutrition can help prevent cancer in the Palm Beach Post:

Healthy eating habits lead to longer survival for ovarian cancer patients, U.S. researchers say.

In a study of 351 women with incident epithelial ovarian cancer, the researchers found that higher total fruit and vegetable consumption, higher vegetable consumption alone, and healthy grain consumption were associated with longer survival. High consumption of "less-healthy" meats was associated with shorter survival.

The findings "suggest that food patterns three to five years prior to a diagnosis of epithelial ovarian cancer have the potential to influence survival time," Therese A. Dolecek, research associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and colleagues wrote in their report published in the March issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

"The pre-diagnosis food patterns observed to afford a survival advantage after an epithelial ovarian cancer diagnosis reflect characteristics commonly found in plant-based or low-fat diets. These diets generally contain high levels of constituents that would be expected to protect against cancer and minimize ingestion of known carcinogens found in foods," the researchers wrote.

"The authors provide new evidence that dietary factors, particularly total fruit and vegetable, red and processed meat, and milk intakes may influence ovarian cancer survival," Cynthia A. Thomson, an associate professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Arizona, Tucson, and Dr. David S. Alberts, director of the Arizona Cancer Center in Tucson, wrote in an accompanying editorial. "These findings corroborate earlier work . . . and are among only a select few studies of dietary associations with ovarian cancer recurrence and/or prognosis despite a significant and growing body of literature suggesting diet may influence ovarian cancer risk."

Read the entire article by going to: Healthy Eating Helps Prevent Ovarian Cancer.

Feel good and keep smiling! Pattie

Editorial About Value Of Gerson Therapy For Cancer Patients

Part of my sudden interest in Gerson Therapy concerns a book I am writing about living better lives with cancer. Nutrition is about one third of the content. Now I'm not “plugging” or promoting the book—it won't be out until this time next year. But the thrust of the book is that better nutrition can make a difference in how long and how well a cancer patient lives. Without spending any more time on the specifics of Gerson Therapy, it seems to me one needs to temper criticism of his protocol with the knowledge that Dr. Gerson was one of the first “hard core,” raw diet nutritionalists.

The government's National Cancer Institue stresses: "The US Food and Drug Administration has not approved the Gerson therapy for the treatment of cancer or other diseases."

I was surprised to discover that there aren't as many "news and views" postings, pro or con, from credible sources I found on Google. Sure, you read lots about how everyone hates "coffee enemas--and how dangerous they are." There are claims and counter-claims. Detractors point to lack of support by traditional medical institutions and the FDA. Gerson supporters point to informal study after study which show improved post cancer survivorship among advanced cancer patients who used Gerson Therapy. There are even some cross or mixed studies, where patients used traditional chemotherapy and Gerson at the same time. Here is a link to an excellent, balanced review from Masonic Cancer Center and the University of Minnesota: University of Minnesota/Gerson Therapy.This site doesn't "bash" Gerson. It simply lays out facts in a detailed, systematic way.

I understand desperate times call for desperate measures. Trouble is, by the time conventional medicine gives up on an advanced cancer patient, is it fair to expect a nutritional/detox program like Gerson to do much, if anything? The fact it helps some patients tells me there may be some truth mixed-in with the unconventional methods and claims.

The Bottom line: I believe good nutrition can help improve--and extend a cancer patient's life. But the million dollar question remains... Which nutritional program works best and why? Gerson Therapy is a bit to far "out there" for me. But it is hard to criticise juicing, eating lots of fruits and vegetables and even maintaining a vegetarian diet as a way to help our body heal. (I do share some of the standard concerns about balance and protein for patients switching to a vegetarian diet--but that is another topic--one worthy of in-depth investigation in my upcoming book!) Seems to me, Dr. Gerson was ahead of his time.

Feel good, keep smiling and keep eating your (raw) fruits and vegetables! Pat

Readers Split Over Value Of Gerson Therapy For Fighting Cancer

What? No public comments about Gerson Therapy? That isn't what I am hearing behind the scenes by e-mail... Some comments have been positive--some negative. Here's one comment: "Gerson Therapy is so quacky and unsubstantiated through ANY trials whatsoever that it is literally ILLEGAL to market in the US..." This reader goes on to criticize me for even writing about the topic--like somehow my informal series about Gerson gives it credibility or legitimizes it. Fair enough. Yes, taken literally, Gerson's claims and program are outdated and unsubstantiated. But my interest isn't literal. It is academic. It is nutritional. And, there have been enough positive—no, almost miraculous patient testimonials supporting the program over the decades—one shouldn't be criticized for exploring or using some of Gerson's principles. I have several meetings and some other personal obligations today and this evening. Let's continue this discussion tomorrow. In the meantime, if you have any questions or comments you would like to keep private, feel free to e-mail me at: Pat@HelpWithCancer.Org. When you do, let me know if I can share part or all of your feelings "off the record."

Feel good, keep smiling and try to keep an open mind... Not so much about Gerson, but different nutritional and medical cancer therapies in general- Pat

Links To International Cancer Research News on U.S. News.Com

Breast cancer research news from England, and prostate cancer research news from Australia, as reported on U.S News.Com:

Scientists Spot Breast Cancer Genes That Influence Drug's Effectiveness

Genes that can predict which breast cancer patients will respond to the anti-cancer drug paclitaxel have been identified by an international team of scientists.
They analyzed 829 genes in breast cancer cells and pinpointed 6 that had an impact on whether the drug was effective, BBC News reported.

Study May Lead To New Prostate Cancer Treatment

A new method of treating prostate cancer has been identified by Australian researchers.
In tests on lab animals and human cells and tissues, the team at Monash University in Melbourne used a drug compound to selectively activate prostate beta estrogen receptor cells, United Press International reported.
The researchers found that triggering these estrogen receptor cells leads to the death of prostate cancer cells that are often resistant to conventional treatment and can cause recurrent incurable prostate cancer.

Read more about the above developments by going to: Cancer news/U.S. News.com.

Feel good and keep smiling! Pat & Pattie

Dr. Max Gerson - Creator Of The Gerson Therapy

You can read a summary of Dr. Max Gerson's accomplishments by going to: Bio-Dr. Max Gerson. Here is a brief highlight from the bio:

In 1958, after thirty years of clinical experimentation, Gerson published A Cancer Therapy: Results of 50 Cases. This medical monograph details the theories, treatment, and results achieved by a great physician. Gerson died in 1959, eulogized by long-time friend, Albert Schweitzer M.D.: “...I see in him one of the most eminent geniuses in the history of medicine. Many of his basic ideas have been adopted without having his name connected with them. Yet, he has achieved more than seemed possible under adverse conditions. He leaves a legacy which commands attention and which will assure him his due place. Those whom he has cured will now attest to the truth of his ideas.”

I will share a sample of expert conclusions about Dr. Gerson's program tomorrow.
Feel good, keep smiling and don't forget to eat lots of raw vegetables each and every day! Pat

Can Gerson Nutritional Therapy Cure Cancer?

Over the next few days, I'm going to be examining claims made by Gerson Therapy proponents and detractors alike. Let's start by reading what their own Website, www.gerson.org, has to say about their therapy protocol:

The Gerson Therapy is a powerful, natural treatment that boosts your body's own immune system to heal cancer, arthritis, heart disease, allergies, and many other degenerative diseases. One aspect of the Gerson Therapy that sets it apart from most other treatment methods is its all-encompassing nature. An abundance of nutrients from thirteen fresh, organic juices are consumed every day, providing your body with a superdose of enzymes, minerals and nutrients. These substances then break down diseased tissue in the body, while enemas aid in eliminating the lifelong buildup of toxins from the liver.

With its whole-body approach to healing, the Gerson Therapy naturally reactivates your body's magnificent ability to heal itself - with no damaging side-effects. Over 200 articles in respected medical literature, and thousands of people cured of their "incurable" diseases document the Gerson Therapy's effectiveness. The Gerson Therapy is one of the few treatments to have a 60 year history of success.

Although its philosophy of cleansing and reactivating the body is simple, the Gerson Therapy is a complex method of treatment requiring significant attention to detail. While many patients have made full recoveries practicing the Gerson Therapy on their own, for best results we encourage starting treatment at a Gerson Institute licensed treatment center.

You can download a more detailed brochure about the program at Gerson Therapy information. Tomorrow: Who is Dr. Gerson and what makes this program unique?

Feel good and keep smiling! Pat

Exciting News About New Cancer Drug For Melanoma

One of our readers, Bob, alerted me to this excellent article in the New York Times about a new melanoma drug, PLX4032. Here is a short excerpt from that February 22, 2010 article:

The trial of PLX4032 offers a glimpse at how doctors, patients and drug developers navigate a medical frontier as more drugs tailored to the genetic profile of a cancer are being widely tested on humans for the first time.

Throughout the fall, the only two patients on the trial whose tumors continued to grow were the ones who did not have the particular gene mutation for which the drug had been designed. They were removed from the trial. By late December, tumors in the 11 patients who did have the mutation had shrunk. Those involved in the trial held their collective breath waiting to see how long the remissions would last.

I love the way writers from the New York Times operate--long, detailed, in-depth articles--but way to long to reproduce in their entirety here. This one is no different. Go to After Long Fight, Drug Gives Sudden Reprieve to read more about PLX4032.

Feel good and keep smiling! Pat