Cancer Decisions - Free Newsletter -December 13, 2003

In the weeks and months following a cancer diagnosis there are few things more vital to patients and their families than to have a reliable source of unbiased, accurate information concerning all the available treatment options, both conventional and alternative. With more than 216 different reports on various kinds of cancer, there is a Moss Report for almost every cancer diagnosis, from the most common to the most rare. Reports can be ordered online, via our Web site at www.cancerdecisions.com, or by phone at 1-800-980-1234 (or (814)238-3367 if you are calling from outside the United States). We also offer personal research assistance for people who need help in gathering information, narrowing down treatment choices or finding appropriate clinical trials. Meanwhile we continue to provide our weekly newsletter, free of charge, with the aim of keeping our growing readership up to date with new ideas in cancer research and treatment. We encourage you to pass along to friends the invitation to subscribe to our free newsletter. Instructions for signing up can be found at the end of this newsletter, or at our Web site, http://www.cancerdecisions.com.

CLT PAPER PUBLISHED

My article on CLT (Cytoluminescent Therapy®) was recently published in a peer-reviewed medical journal. The article appears in the December 2003 issue of Integrative Cancer Therapies (volume 2, number 4). The publisher is SAGE Publications, Thousand Oaks, California (http://www.sagepub.com). The Abstract of the paper can be found at PubMed by clicking here.

ANOTHER BOOST FOR ANTIOXIDANTS

Reports on the benefits of using antioxidants to fight cancer continue to emerge from scientific laboratories around the world. One of the latest comes from Giovanni Montovani, MD, Chief of the Division and Laboratory of Medical Oncology at the University of Cagliari, and his colleagues, writing in the August (2003) issue of the Journal of Molecular Medicine.

These Sardinian scientists took blood samples from 120 patients with advanced cancer, as well as from 60 healthy controls, and then cultured the samples in separate batches along with three different antioxidants. Two of the three antioxidants were the supplements alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) and N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), generally available in health food stores. The third was a prescription drug, amifostine (AMI), which is sometimes used to counteract the free radical damage caused by radiation and chemotherapy. The scientists found that the addition of any of these three antioxidants significantly enhanced the progression of patients' white blood cells through their normal cell cycle. Cancer patients' sluggish white blood cells became highly activated and able to progress once they were cultured with these antioxidants. The greatest degree of activation, boosted by 150%, came with use of the supplement NAC. But ALA and AMI were almost equally effective.

The Italian scientists also studied the patients' blood to gauge the levels of damaging free radicals and innate antioxidant systems. They found that the level of free radicals was significantly higher in cancer patients than in normal volunteers, while beneficial antioxidant systems were "significantly lower in cancer patients than controls."

They also looked at the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which are hormone-like chemicals that can sometimes cause pain and discomfort in patients with advanced cancer. Examples of these 'bad' cytokines are IL-1 beta, IL-6, and TNF-alpha. The researchers found that levels of these substances were all significantly higher in cancer patients. Another key sign of inflammation, C-reactive protein (CRP) was also elevated. At the same time, a 'good' cytokine, IL-2, was "significantly lower in cancer patients than controls."

"Patients with advanced cancer thus exhibit both a high-grade OS [oxidative stress, ed.] and a chronic inflammatory condition," the Italian doctors wrote. Meanwhile, the antioxidant agents ALA, NAC, and amifostine, "enhanced significantly" the progression of white blood cells through their normal cell cycle, "thus providing evidence of their potential role in the functional restoration of the immune system in advanced cancer patients."

The Italian scientists called for further investigation with adequate clinical trials. They join other Italian scientists, such as Milan's Dr. Paolo Lissoni, in pointing to the beneficial effects that natural and inexpensive agents can have in treating cancer. Cancer patients should speak to their doctors about the advisability of adding antioxidants to their current regimens.

GREEN TEA CREAM PREVENTS SKIN DISEASE

A doctor in Alabama has recently shown that green tea, either taken as a drink or rubbed on as a cream, can protect the skin from developing cancer. Certain substances in green tea (such as EGCG) possess "antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties," according to Santosh K. Katiyar, PhD, a researcher in the Dermatology Department of the University of Alabama. It is particularly useful against the harmful effects of the sun.

Solar ultraviolet (UVB) light is a "complete carcinogen," which means that it can both initiate and promote the growth of skin disorders, including basal and squamous cell cancers and melanomas. However, both topical treatment and the oral consumption of green tea polyphenols have been found to inhibit the formation of skin cancer in several laboratory animal models.

Green tea may also help to prevent the typical inflammatory response, immunosuppression and oxidative stress caused by UVB light. Experiments in mice have shown that certain ingredients of green tea are associated with a decrease in the 'bad' immune-suppressive cytokine IL-10 in the skin and also in the lymph nodes that drain the areas of skin exposed to UVB. Meanwhile, production of the 'good' cytokine IL-12, which stimulates natural killer cells, has been shown to be significantly enhanced by green tea components.

The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of green tea have also been observed in human skin. These studies strongly suggest that polyphenols from green tea, such as EGCG, can protect skin from sunlight, and can be used as to prevent UVB damage including photo-aging, melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. While clinical trials are certainly warranted, skin creams containing green tea are already available for sale (including over the Internet). Drinking more green tea might also be an inexpensive and effective strategy for reducing the risk of skin damage.

--Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D.

References:

Katiyar SK. Skin photoprotection by green tea: antioxidant and immunomodulatory effects. Curr Drug Targets Immune Endocr Metabol Disord. 2003 Sep;3(3):234-42.

Mantovani G, Maccio A, Madeddu C, Mura L, Gramignano G, Lusso MR, Massa E, Mocci M, Serpe R. Antioxidant agents are effective in inducing lymphocyte progression through cell cycle in advanced cancer patients: assessment of the most important laboratory indexes of cachexia and oxidative stress. J Mol Med. 2003 Aug 19.

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IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER

The news and other items in this newsletter are intended for informational purposes only. Nothing in this newsletter is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice.