"Supplemental" Support

Alternative medicine has its fans and its critics. I have discovered in the past decade that alternative treatments are more heartily embraced in countries other than the United States. I have used alternative treatments from Canada, Mexico and Europe. In the past twelve years, we visited an alternative cancer specialist in New York City. I received high dose Vitamin C IV’s and hydrogen peroxide IV’s. Weekly I have acupuncture and have received Chinese massage. I wonder what, if any, of these therapies have helped to contribute to my longevity with cancer?

During the upcoming treatment, I will be using several alternative medicine approaches. I wanted to share these with my readers and the scientific data to support each decision.

BETA GLUCANS

My note: Researchers at the University of Louisville have been investigating the role of beta glucans with Rituxan therapy. We are going to replicate this research as I begin Rituxan treatments. I will begin the Beta Glucans next week.

Hong F, Hansen RD, Yan J, Allendorf DJ, Baran JT, Ostroff GR, Ross GD.
James Graham Brown Cancer Center and. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky 40202, USA.
The tumor-killing mechanisms available to monoclonal antibodies (mAbs; e.g., antagonism of growth factor receptors, antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity) limit efficacy. Previous studies suggested that i.v. beta-glucan might function as an adjuvant for antitumor mAbs. beta- Glucan had been shown to function via the iC3b-receptor complement receptor 3 (CR3; CD11b/CD18) thereby enhancing leukocyte killing of tumor cells coated with iC3b via naturally occurring antitumor antibodies. Therapy with beta-glucans was limited by levels of natural antibodies and by tumor escape through elimination of antigen-positive cells. Accordingly, it was hypothesized that beta-glucan responses could be improved by combined administration with antitumor mAbs. Five tumor models were explored in BALB/c or C57Bl/6 mice using tumors that expressed either high levels of naturally occurring antigens (e.g., G(D2) ganglioside) or recombinant human MUC1. In comparison with antitumor mAb or beta-glucan alone, combined treatment with mAb plus beta-glucan produced significantly greater tumor regression in all models that included mammary, s.c., and hepatic tumors. Tumor-free survival only occurred in models that incorporated stable expression of the target antigen. beta-Glucan enhancement of the mAb tumoricidal response did not occur in mice deficient in either leukocyte CR3 (CD11b(-/-)) or serum C3, confirming the requirement for CR3 on leukocytes and iC3b on tumors. Granulocytes appeared to be primarily responsible for tumoricidal activity, because beta-glucan therapeutic responses did not occur in granulocyte-depleted mice. These data suggest that the therapeutic efficacy of mAbs known to activate complement (e.g., Herceptin, Rituxan, and Erbitux) could be significantly enhanced if they were combined with beta-glucan.
PMID: 14695221

CURCUMIN

My note: I have taken Curcumin for sometime. It is a derivative of the Tumeric spice, widely used in Indian cooking. This supplement has anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. (WARNING: The brilliant yellow Curcumin can ruin white carpeting when your pet dog breaks a capsule open!)

Curcumin Inhibits Prosurvival Pathways in Chronic
Lymphocytic Leukemia B Cells and May Overcome
Their Stromal Protection in Combination with EGCG
Asish K. Ghosh, Neil E. Kay, Charla R. Secreto, and TaitD.Shanafelt
Clin Cancer Res 2009;15(4) February 15, 2009

Results: Curcumin induced apoptosis in CLLB cells in a dose-dependent (5-20 umol/L) manners and inhibited constitutively active prosurvival pathways, including signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3), AKT, nuclear factor nB. Moreover, curcumin suppressed expression of the anti-apoptotic proteins Mcl-1and X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP), and up-regulated the pro-apoptotic protein BIM. Coculture of CLL B cells with stromal cells resulted in elevated levels of STAT3, increased expression of Mcl-1and XIAP, and decreased sensitivity to curcumin. When curcumin was administered simultaneously with EGCG, antagonism was observed formost patient samples. In contrast, sequential administration of these
agents led to substantial increases in CLLB-cell death and could overcome stromal protection.

EGCG (Green Tea Extract)

My note: I have been taking this extract long before Mayo Clinic researchers decided to investigate its potential to help CLL patients.

Journal of Clinical Oncology, 10.1200/JCO. 2008.21.1284

Phase I Trial of Daily Oral Polyphenon E in Patients With Asymptomatic Rai Stage 0 to II Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Tait D. Shanafelt,* Tim G. Call, Clive S. Zent, Betsy LaPlant, Deborah A. Bowen, Michelle Roos, Charla R. Secreto, Asish K. Ghosh, Brian F. Kabat, Mao-Jung Lee, Chung S. Yang, Diane F. Jelinek, Charles Erlichman, and Neil E. Kay
From the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology; Division of Biostatistics, and Departments of Immunology and Oncology, Mayo Clinical, Rochester, MN; and the Department of Chemical Biology, and the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ.

Purpose: To define the optimal dose of Polyphenon E for chronic daily administration and tolerability in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

Patients and Methods: Previously untreated patients with asymptomatic Rai stage 0 to II CLL were eligible for participation. Polyphenon E with a standardized dose of epigallocatechin- 3-gallate (EGCG) was administered using the standard phase I design with three to six patients per dose level (range, 400 to 2,000 mg by mouth twice a day). Trough plasma EGCG levels were measured 1 month after initiation of therapy. Response was classified using the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Working Group (WG) Criteria.

Results: Thirty-three eligible patients were accrued to dose levels 1 to 8. The maximum-tolerated dose was not reached. The most common adverse effects included transaminitis (33%, all grade 1), abdominal pain (30% grade 1, 0% grade 2, and 3% grade 3), and nausea (39% grade 1 and 9% grade 2). One patient experienced an NCI WG partial remission. Other signs of clinical activity were also observed, with 11 patients (33%) having a sustained 20% reduction in absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) and 11 (92%) of 12 patients with palpable adenopathy experiencing at least a 50% reduction in the sum of the products of all nodal areas during treatment. Trough plasma EGCG levels after 1 month of treatment ranged from 2.9 to 3,974 ng/mL (median, 40.4 ng/mL).

Conclusion: Daily oral EGCG in the Polyphenon E preparation was well tolerated by CLL patients in this phase I trial. Declines in ALC and/or lymphadenopathy were observed in the majority of patients. A phase II trial to evaluate efficacy using 2,000 mg twice a day began in November 2007.

ACUPUNCTURE

My Note: I receive weekly acupuncture to treat my pain. As I enter into treatment, the acupuncture points will be addressed that can assist with nausea relief, hematological improvements, and immune function.

Dr, Michael Murray, author of “How to Treat and Prevent Cancer with Natural Medicine” writes:

“From a scientific standpoint, stimulating these acupuncture points produces measurable biological effects. It serves as a natural pain reliever, produces favorable changes in blood chemistries, and affects electrical stimulation of nerves. Several studies have shown that acupuncture enhances immune function by increasing the number of white blood cells…. All these effects are valuable in the treatment of cancer.”

VITAMIN D3

My Note: I have taken Vitamin D3 for years now. Current research has proven that it has a vital role in cancer prevention and helpful for other medical conditions. My
Vitamin D3 level was extremely low when tested.

The vitamin D3 analog EB1089 induces apoptosis via a p53-independent mechanism involving p38 MAP kinase activation and suppression of ERK activity in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells in vitro.
Pepper C, Thomas A, Hoy T, Milligan D, Bentley P, Fegan C.
Department of Haematology, Llandough Hospital, Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, United Kingdom. chrisp@llanhaem.demon.co.uk
EB1089, a novel vitamin D3 analog, has been shown to have cytotoxic and antiproliferative properties in a variety of malignant cells. However, its potential as a treatment for B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) has not been evaluated. EB1089 induced apoptosis in all of the 102 B-CLL samples tested with a mean LD(50) (the concentration of EB1089 required to kill 50% of cells) value (+/- SD) of 2.1 x 10(-8) M (+/- 1.4 x 10(-8) M). Furthermore, no significant difference was found in the cytotoxicity of EB1089 in B-CLL samples from previously treated and untreated patients (P =.1637). Induction of apoptosis was associated with a reduction in Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 protein expression, but this was evident only in the apoptotic cells. In contrast, the expression of Bax, p21, and p53 was not altered in the viable or apoptotic cells from either B- or T-lymphocyte lineages. EB1089-induced apoptosis was preceded by activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase and suppression of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activity, and this was associated with downstream activation of caspase-3. The pancaspase inhibitor (Z-VAD-FMK) and the caspase-9 inhibitor (Z-LEHD-FMK) were able to partially abrogate the apoptotic effects of EB1089 but did not affect the phosphorylation of p38 MAP kinase or the suppression of ERK. The B-CLL cells in the study were shown to highly express vitamin D receptor, but an additional receptor-independent mechanism of cell killing cannot be ruled out at this stage. These findings show that EB1089 is a potent apoptosis-inducing agent in B-CLL cells and may be useful in the treatment of B-CLL patients, particularly those with p53 mutations or drug-resistant disease.
PMID: 12446453

PROBIOTCS

My Note: The use of probiotics has transformed my life. Side effects of many antibiotics are simply eliminated for me when I take probiotics with the antibiotics. Other health potentials are emerging.

Probiotics: delineation of prophylactic and therapeutic benefits.
Kaur IP, Kuhad A, Garg A, Chopra K.
Division of Pharmaceutics, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UGC Center for Advanced Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India.
Probiotics produce a beneficial impact on the host by improving the endogenous flora. It has been advocated that nonpathogenic bacteria like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium may undergo antagonistic interactions with other bacterial strains and can be used to control pathogenic bacteria. Novel modes of therapeutic and prophylactic interventions are based on their consumption either alone or in combination with prebiotics. Usefulness of probiotics has been implicated in allergies, cancer, AIDS, and respiratory and urinary tract infections. In this review we have listed various findings suggesting their benefits in alleviating symptoms associated with aging, fatigue, and autism. Newer claims indicating their role in reducing the risks of osteoporosis, obesity, and possibly type 2 diabetes are also discussed. Considering the wide array of such activities, the present review comprehensively elaborates upon the proposed benefits of probiotics. The concept of synbiotics, a combination of probiotics and prebiotics beneficially affecting the survival and implantation of such live organisms, is also discussed. Available probiotic strains, their commercial preparations, and newer approaches to improve the efficacy and overcome limitations of the therapy are also discussed in relation to the future of probiotic therapy. Considering that the purported claims about disease risk reduction are tentative, the review also encompasses various aspects regarding the safety of probiotics and their possible future role in disease prevention.
PMID: 19459724

GREEN DRINKS

Have you ever tried a green drink – good mixes of spirulina, wheat grasses, algae and barley? If you say you don’t remember drinking one, I can almost assure you that you have not. These brilliant green drinks are nutritiously dense and a boost to cancer patients (and oh, so tasty)!. The green drink I use also throws in dozens of other healthy substances – kind of like throwing everything but the kitchen sink into a blender and pushing puree.

FISH OILS

J Nutr. 2002 Nov;132(11 Suppl):3508S-3512S.
Omega-3 fatty acids to augment cancer therapy.
Hardman WE.
Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
The results of animal studies have demonstrated that the consumption of omega-3 fatty acids can slow the growth of cancer xenografts, increase the efficacy of chemotherapy and reduce the side effects of the chemotherapy or of the cancer. Molecular mechanisms postulated to contribute to the multiple benefits of omega-3 fatty acids include 1) suppressing the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in tumors, thus decreasing proliferation of cancer cells and reducing angiogenesis in the tumor; 2) decreasing the expression of AP-1 and ras, two oncogenes implicated in tumor promotion; 3) inducing differentiation of cancer cells; 4) suppressing nuclear factor-kappaB activation and bcl-2 expression, thus allowing apoptosis of cancer cells; and 5) reducing cancer-induced cachexia. It seems reasonable to assume that after appropriate cancer therapy, consumption of omega-3 fatty acids might slow or stop the growth of metastatic cancer cells, increase longevity of cancer patients and improve their quality of life.
PMID: 12421878

CRANBERRY EXTRACT

Cranberry or trimethoprim for the prevention of recurrent urinary tract infections? A randomized controlled trial in older women.
McMurdo ME, Argo I, Phillips G, Daly F, Davey P.
Ageing and Health, Division of Medicine and Therapeutics, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, Scotland, UK. m.e.t.mcmurdo@dundee.ac.uk
OBJECTIVES: To compare the effectiveness of cranberry extract with low-dose trimethoprim in the prevention of recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) in older women. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred and thirty-seven women with two or more antibiotic-treated UTIs in the previous 12 months were randomized to receive either 500 mg of cranberry extract or 100 mg of trimethoprim for 6 months. RESULTS: Thirty-nine of 137 participants (28%) had an antibiotic-treated UTI (25 in the cranberry group and 14 in the trimethoprim group); difference in proportions relative risk 1.616 (95% CI: 0.93, 2.79) P = 0.084. The time to first recurrence of UTI was not significantly different between the groups (P = 0.100). The median time to recurrence of UTI was 84.5 days for the cranberry group and 91 days for the trimethoprim group (U = 166, P = 0.479). There were 17/137 (12%) withdrawals from the study, 6/69 (9%) from the cranberry group and 11/68 (16%) from the trimethoprim group (P = 0.205), with a relative risk of withdrawal from the cranberry group of 0.54 (95% CI: 0.19, 1.37). CONCLUSIONS: Trimethoprim had a very limited advantage over cranberry extract in the prevention of recurrent UTIs in older women and had more adverse effects. Our findings will allow older women with recurrent UTIs to weigh up with their clinicians the inherent attractions of a cheap, natural product like cranberry extract whose use does not carry the risk of antimicrobial resistance or super-infection with Clostridium difficile or fungi.
PMID: 19042940

VITAMIN B3

MY NOTE: Most of my readers are aware of the battles I have had with my immune system. I have been taking weekly Neupogen injections (approximately $400 each) to eradicate neutropenia. Therefore, you can understand the addition of this product.

Vitamin B3 Fuels Neutrophil Production

As the first line of defense against invading microbes, neutrophils
are the “foot soldiers” of the innate immune system. Upon release
from the bone marrow, neutrophils circulate in the blood for only a
few hours before homing to peripheral tissues where they survive at
most for 2 or 3 days. To keep up with the heavy demand for these
short-lived cells, a normal healthy adult produces approximately 10 to the 11th power
neutrophils each day and up to 10 times that number in the setting of
acute infection.

Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy often experience disruptions
in neutrophil homeostasis, which places them at increased risk for
infection. The ability to boost neutrophil production with
recombinant granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) has
revolutionized care for patients with chemotherapy-induced febrile (fever)
neutropenia. However, the molecular mechanism by which G-CSF induces
myeloid differentiation remains poorly understood.

A team of researchers at Hannover Medical School in Germany recently
reported a major breakthrough in neutrophil development that may have
important clinical implications. Upon binding to its receptor on the
surface of myeloid progenitor cells, G-CSF turns on an enzyme that
converts intracellular vitamin B3 (nicotinamide) into an activate
metabolite (nicotinamide monocleotide). The researchers found that
this is the rate-limiting step in a signal transduction pathway that
triggers granulopoiesis.

Addition of vitamin B3 or its precursor induced granulocyte
differentiation of cultured hematopoietic stem cells. Administration
of high doses (10-20mg/kg/day) of vitamin B3 to six healthy
individuals resulted in significant increases in neutrophil count over
a 7 day period and a return to physiological cell counts when vitamin
B3 was withdrawn.

These findings identify a new role for vitamin B3 in granulopoiesis
and beg for clinical trials to evaluate the use of vitamin B3 either
alone or in combination with G-CSF for the treatment of neutropenia.

Source:
Skokowa J, Lan D, Thakur BK, et al. NAMPT is essential for the
G-CSF-induced myeloid differentiation via a NAD+-sirtuin-1-dependent
pathway. Nat Med. 2009;15(2):151-158.

MELATONIN

Not only is melatonin induce sleep, research has also documented that melatonin has the potential to signal cellular apoptosis. The leukemia that I have is, in part, due to apoptosis defects where the cells do not normally die off.

MULTIVITAMIN
I also take six quality, multivitamins each day.