Slowing the Growth of cancer
If the health condition, may it be arthritis, heart disease, cancer, etc..., can not be improved with drugs or surgery, then one is told that EVERYTHING has been done and the patient has to simply accept the fact that they have to live (or die) with their condition.
How sad but NOT true..
Today's article addresses the most feared disease on earth and that is cancer.
What is one to do when chemotherapy no longer works, the cancer is spreading, and the doctor says.. I am sorry but their is NOTHING else we can do for you.
Do you accept it hook, line and sinker?
I hope not..
I want to make mention that most cancer patients do not die from the cancer itself instead from the spreading of the cancer (metastases) to other parts of the body. Basically the body simply gets overwhelmed and begins to shut down.
Once a cancerous tumor grows too big in an organ, it has to spread to the rest of the body and try to "attach itself" to a new spot that does not have as much competition.
It is simple to say when the existing mass can no longer support any further growth, the cancerous cells have a new mission to seek out a new location and blood supply.
As the cancer cell begins to spread say from the prostate or breast and reaches it new destination may it be the brain, lungs or bones, it has to have some way to attach itself to the new location. Basically, it needs a specific anchor to secure it onto the brain, bone, liver or wherever it has metastasized too. This anchor becomes the "fuel line" for nutrients allowing it to grow and spread even further.
As you are probably wondering this anchor goes by a number of different names. But to keep things simple and to avoid confusing you, I will refer to it by one of its names here, galectin-3.
It is common for oncologists to check a cancer patient's galectin levels. It is well known that the higher the galectin-3 level goes up, the more aggressive the metastasis will be and unfortunately, the more likely the tumor will become resistant to chemotherapy. For most cancer patients this is commonly a death sentence and the worst news they can hear.
Now what if there was something that could actually block this anchor from attaching to any organ in the body. And what if it was non-toxic?
Well, there is something that has been found to block the cancer cells's anchor, galectin-3 and it is called Modified Citrus Pectin (MCP). It's the white stuff, pulp and fiber of citrus fruits.
In one study of only 29 patients using MCP, at four months 20% of the patients had benefit. Bear in mind that these folks were told that there was nothing more that could be done for them.
In another study using 15 gms a day of MCP in seven patients with recurrent prostate cancer, four of them showed a 30% increase in the time that it took for the PSA to double, which can be interpreted as slowing down the cancer growth rate.
Please understand that no single nutrient, medication,or surgery is sufficient to address the total package of cancer. In most of the positive case reviews no nutrient/toxicity assays were done!
What I see as the real benefit of MCP is that it simply buys people more time to get a more thorough nutritional and toxicity work-up to help identify where and how the body's chemistry is failing.
Just like I mentioned at the beginning of this article, don't settle for the saying, "that everything has been done."
That can simply be translated to say that there are no drugs or surgery to help you.
Remember there are tons of the medical peer-reviewed papers stating that there are possible and probable causes of XYZ disease(s) including different types of cancer.
The sad news is you are unlikely to hear about in the traditional medicine world.
So getting rid of the underlying causes is not only important but essential.
If you or a loved one has cancer and if the cancer has spread or become resistant to chemotherapy you have nothing to lose by discussing MCP with your oncologist. Simply show your doctor all of the references that follow this article.
Now I have to admit, I would NOT hang your hat on assuming that taking MCP is the ticket to solving the cancer challenge but like I said above it may afford you more time to look deeper into the possible underlying biochemical glitches which has caused your body to malfunction leading to the cancer diagnosis.
I would find someone who is trained in functionaltesting and have a CardioIon Test ordered. This is one of the most comprehensive nutritional test on planet earth. It provides at least 14-20 pages of critical information that could very well save your life.
Returning back to the MCP, I recommend Thorne Modified Citrus Pectin. The dose used is usually 5 gm (5000 mg) three times a day, but as you see, some tripled it. But remember, that dose may be so high because they had never addressed the underlying biochemical and toxic load.
So remember the benefit of MCP is the fact that it was found to block the anchoring galectin-3 attachment of cancer cells so they can't metastasize. In other words, if the floating cancer cells are unable to adhere to the organs they will not be able to set up house and gain a hold on the blood supply thereby not able to survive and grow.
Paul Foley Nutritional Therapist Dip Nut CNM, mBANT, mCNH
Phone; 0759 793 6899 Email; paul@pfoleyclinic.com Web; www.pfoleyclinic.com
This was adapted and edited with compliments from Functional Medicine University www.FunctionalMedicineUniversity.com. Paul is currently studying functional medicine with the university.
References:
Zhao Q, et al, Circulating galectin-3 promotes metastasis by modifying MUC1 localization on cancer cell surface, Cancer Res 69; 17:6799-6806, 2009
Wang Y, et al, Calpain activation through galectin-3 inhibition sensitizes prostate cancer cells to cisplatin treatment, Cell Death and Disease, an open access journal (2010) 1, e101;doi: 10. 1038/cddis. 2010. 79
Wang Y, et al, Regulation of prostate cancer progression by galectin-3, Am J Pathol 174:1515-23, 2009
Nomura T, et al, Expression of the inhibitors of apoptosis proteins in cisplatin-resistant prostate cancer cells, Oncol Rep 14:993-7, 2005
Pienta KJ, et al, Inhibition of spontaneous metastasis in the rat prostate cancer model by oral administration of modified citrus pectin, J Nat'l Cancer Inst 87:348-53, 1995
Nangier-Makker P, et al, Inhibition of human cancer cell growth and metastases in nude mice by oral intake of modified citrus pectin, Journal National Cancer Institute, 94:1854-62, 2002
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Rogers Sherry, Total Wellness, Prestige Publishing, November 2011
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Gunning AP, et al, Recognition of galactan components of pectin by galectin-3, FASEB J, 23:415-24, 2009