CancerWire covered a wide range of important cancer issues in 2007, many of which received national coverage.

January

We kicked-off 2007, with an article about gene therapy and its' potentially more efficacious and safer alternative - epigene therapy. The article discussed the potential and pitfalls of gene therapy and suggested some reasons why this approach has not provided the "home run" many cancer researchers had envisioned. The concept of epigene therapy which is just entering its infancy, however, may validate Hippocrates dictum - "Let food be your medicine, and medicine be your food." If the environment around the cell, which is affected both by toxins and nutrition, can actually change how the cell's DNA is expressed this could provide the biological basis for many nutrition-based cancer therapies in the future.

February

In February 2007, we focused on the immune system and immunotherapy. Over recent years, researchers have discovered that our immune systems are equipped to fight against cancer. For example, Natural Killer (NK) cells are a type of lethal lymphocyte that target tumor cells and protect against a wide variety of infectious microbes. Researchers around the world are using various methods to try to artificially stimulate a cancer patient's immune system. Results have been mixed. In some cancers there have been some impressive responses but this approach has not provided durable cures for solid advanced cancers. Why hasn't this approach hit a home run? In this edition we contrast the concept of immunotherapy with plant-based immune boosting approaches. Throughout millennia, human cultures have used various naturally occurring plant-based products to help fight infections. If one reviews the actual biological mechanisms of plants it is apparent that their efficacy is the result of the varied, interdependent, and independent biological pathways in which they act. For example, many medicinal plants may possess some or all of the following properties: antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, direct cytotoxic, differentiation, detoxification, apoptotic, and immune-stimulatory. How many man-made immunotherapies can do all of this simultaneously? Perhaps this is the problem with the current paradigm of immunotherapy.

March

In March, we continued the theme advanced in February and focused on "Food and Medicine." We discussed the fascinating research into the herb Echinacea that revealed that it can stimulate Natural Killer (NK) cells in mice. These cells are the body's first line of defense. They are always on the lookout for the cell-surface irregularities that occur in intruders - from cancer cells to the cells that contain viruses, such as flus, colds, and other "bugs." We also reported on a study conducted by nutritional scientists from the University of Illinois, Urbana, and oncologists from the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute that show that the active ingredients in broccoli and tomatoes work together to inhibit tumor growth in rats. Also in this issue, we looked at recent research that examined black cohosh and breast cancer risk. The study estimated that the women who reported using black cohosh and/or Remifemin had a 61 percent lower risk of developing breast cancer than the women who did not use either of these supplements. While more studies were needed before any recommendations could be made, this research was encouraging.

April

In April, we looked at "Cancer Treatments from the Past - How Doctors Approached Cancer 100 Years Ago." What we found was startling. We discovered that many doctors who treated cancer in the beginning of the 1900's believed that general health, nutrition, and diet played an important role in both the cause of cancer and its management. In fact, many of these doctors used cancer therapies specifically aimed at eliminating toxins and reinstating a general state of health in the body. A few were critical of the use of "local measures" like surgery and radiation for what they viewed as a "constitutional" disease. For example:

"Cancer is a constitutional disease related to diet. It is now generally agreed that there is a constitutional factor, which establishes a predisposition … the major factor is some habit of living … From considerable experience, I have concluded that cancer might be reduced as much as we have reduced tuberculosis in the past twelve years, since we gave up looking for a specific 'cure,' and began to treat it as a disease of faulty nutrition." - Thomas J. Allen, M.D., "Dietetic Treatment of Cancer," Medical Record, pp. 633-634, October 8, 1921.

"The laity as well as the profession have, of late years, become so obsessed with the idea of its purely local character, and so carried away with the craze for surgery, that practically every one thinks only of local operative treatment by the knife, x-ray, radium, etc … and yet for many years eminent surgeons have time and again acknowledged their inability to cope with cancer, as such, and have contented themselves with attempting to remove the product of the disease, namely, the malignant new growth. But little regard has been given thus far to the real cause of this new growth … And all of this in spite of the fact which everyone must recognize, that all growth, whether normal, abnormal, or malignant, depends upon the character of the blood supply, which again derives its quality from the food and drink taken, and the manner in which the metabolism of the system is carried out." - L. Duncan Bulkley, M.D., "Cancer in Relation to Body Elimination," Medical Record, pp. 14-16, Volume CII, 1915.

May

In May, 2007 we focused on a recent review article on cancer and antioxidants. This investigation examined 845 studies in the medical literature that focused on the simultaneous use of antioxidants and chemotherapy. From these, 19 studies met the study design criteria to include in the review - all randomized controlled clinical trials. The research found "solid and consistent data showing that antioxidants did not interfere with chemotherapeutic effects - and in fact mitigated cancer treatment toxicity - in most patients." This is a surprising and remarkable conclusion given the fact that most oncologists discourage patients from taking antioxidants while getting chemo. This research, if validated, can change the way chemo is administered.

We also reported on research that concluded that mushroom extracts induce reduction in bladder cancer cell lines. While six of the agents tested showed no effect, two - the GD fraction (active ingredient in maitake mushroom) and PL-fractions (extract of meshimakobu mushroom) - slowed cell growth by more than 90 percent over 72 hours.

June

In June 2007, we reported that oncologists can make profits on the drugs they prescribe. Unlike other doctors, medical oncologists (doctors who prescribe chemotherapy) can profit directly from prescribing certain drugs when they administer them in their offices. Oncologists can purchase chemotherapy at lower prices than the amounts that Medicare and other private insurance companies pay them. Then they pocket the difference. This mark-up, which historically can be as high as 86%, is called the chemotherapy concession. Recent reports have demonstrated that these reimbursements influence prescribing patterns and can affect the treatment a cancer patient receives.

July

In July's CancerWire we reported on "Chemotherapy: Measuring its Success Responses and Survival are Not the Same." When discussing the success of chemotherapy in helping cancer patients, oncologists typically discuss the "response rate." The response rate is a measure of how much a tumor or tumor metastasis decreased in size or how much a tumor marker declined. It is easy to assume that a tumor response is equivalent to an increase in survival, but, unfortunately, it is not. In fact, tumor responses with chemotherapy for solid cancers often have no relationship whatsoever to an increase in survival. A tumor may temporarily shrink only to explode in growth a short time later. This is especially true for advanced and metastatic solid tumors. This article discusses the history of this metric and how the concept of "evaluable patients" and "observational bias" can also impact these frequently used statistics.

August

In August, we reported on recent research that suggests that diet may some day be used as a conventional cancer therapy. For example, one recent study that appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) demonstrated that a higher intake of a Western dietary pattern after cancer diagnosis was associated with a significantly worse disease-free survival in patients with Stage III colon cancer. And in a study from Ohio State University, researchers tested the anti-cancer effects of anthocyanin-rich extracts from a variety of fruits and vegetables on colon cancer cells. Science Daily reported, "The researchers found that the amount of anthocyanin extract needed to reduce cancer cell growth by 50 percent varied among the plants. Extract derived from purple corn was the most potent, in that it took the least amount of this extract (14 micrograms per milliliter of cell growth solution) to cut cell numbers in half."

September

In September, we reported on "Hydrazine sulfate - Promising Compound Blacklisted Claims Doctor." According to Joseph Gold, MD, for 30 years, studies have shown that an inexpensive chemical compound stops the physical wasting ultimately responsible for many cancer deaths. We discussed the history of this intriguing compound; it's mechanism of action, low cost, and controversy.

October

October's edition focused on four reports on lung cancer. The first, "Lung Cancer: Conventional Therapies Provide Little Improvement in Treatment Outcomes in 20 Years" examined how lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer related deaths among men and women in the industrialized countries and how the survival rate has only improved 2% for white patients and 1% for black patients over a twenty year period. In "When Lung Cancer is Not Caused by Smoking" we explored another main cause of lung cancer - asbestos. In "Lung Cancer and Traditional Chinese Medicine" we discussed recent studies that demonstrate that certain mushrooms and herbs may have efficacy in treating lung cancer. And in "Clinical Trials for Lung Cancer" we discussed the various trials currently available for small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer.

November

And lastly, CancerWire focused on "Spontaneous Remissions" - when cancer seemingly goes away by itself. This is an important phenomenon because it suggests that the body can heal itself of this disease. Although considered rare, over the last one hundred years, spontaneous remissions have been widely documented in the professional literature. (Authors Brendan O'Regan and Caryle Hirshberg extensively searched the world's medical literature for spontaneous remissions and selected 1,051 cancer references for their annotated bibliography on the subject). Even though many scientists are hesitant to examine this important phenomenon, some research has suggested that spontaneous remissions may, in some cases, be the result of apoptosis or inflammatory necrosis following severe local infection.

In 2007, Cancer Monthly published nearly 50 original news articles on cancer. These articles were written and researched by our own writers and often included exclusive interviews with a study's principal investigator. Because of their subject matter and credibility, Google the giant search engine indexed every one of these articles in its voluminous news section.

The largest number of articles, over 20, focused on diet, vitamins and cancer. There is important research being performed into the benefits that certain dietary factors, vitamins and herbs possess in preventing and potentially controlling cancer. Because this is a controversial subject it deserves emphasis that these studies were led by doctors at leading medical centers and research institutions in the U.S. and other countries and their original results were published in the peer reviewed medical literature.

We also published four articles on Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) that explored doctor and patient attitudes towards CAM. Other articles focused on Cancer Survivors, Treatment Decision Making, Breakthrough Research, and Vaccines. We also published two special series: one on the aggressive cancer "Mesothelioma," and the other on Chemotherapy.

For your convenience, many of the articles are indexed below. The full archive can be found here.

Diet, Vitamins and Cancer

Cancer and Vitamin C
High Vitamin C Levels May Thwart Cancer: Advances in understanding prompt a closer look at a "key player"

Vitamin C and Cancer
Is Vitamin C a Viable Treatment for Cancer?

Herb Shows Cancer Prevention and Treatment Promise Echinacea significantly diminishes leukemia and extends lives in animal models

Black Cohosh and Breast Cancer Risk
Black Cohosh Taken for Menopause Woes May Reduce Breast Cancer Risk: Study examines link between breast cancer and hormone-related supplement

Prostate Cancer? Add Tomatoes and Broccoli to Your Diet
Animal study shows prevention and treatment benefits

Vitamin D and Colorectal Cancer
More Vitamin D Lowers Risk of Colorectal Cancer - and Second Primary Cancers: Data indicate potential benefits, few dangers

Breast Cancer and Green Tea-Mushroom
Green Tea-Mushroom Combination May Suppress Breast Cancer: Pairing of natural compounds appears to work in cells - without toxicity

Breast Cancer and Medicinal Herb
Medicinal Herb Appears to Hinder Breast Cancer Cells: Data suggests Ocimum gratissimum may help prevent and treat the disease

Small-Cell Lung Cancer and Green Tea
Green tea data show promise in treating small-cell lung carcinoma: Ingredient brings about cell death by reducing activity of key enzyme

Chamomile Targets Cancer Cells
Chamomile selectively kills cancer cells and spares normal cells through a process of programmed cell death, or apoptosis

Prostate Cancer and Lycopene
Lycopene Shows Benefit in the Treatment of Prostate Cancer

Colon Cancer and Red Yeast Rice
Red Yeast Rice Might Help Slow Colon Cancer Growth

Cancer, Diet, and the Master Switch
To Turn Off Cancer's Master Switch, Heed Grandmother's Advice: Fruits and vegetables target the disease at the molecular level

Selenium and Prostate Cancer
Higher selenium concentrations linked to lower prostate cancer risk in some men: Smokers and multivitamin and vitamin E users showed reduced risk

Bladder Cancer and Mushrooms
Stopping Bladder Cancer at the Cellular Level - Naturally: Mushroom extracts induce sharp growth reduction in superficial tumor cells

Zinc, Copper, and Lung Cancer
Zinc and Copper Linked to Lower Lung Cancer Risk: Data indicate protection from increased dietary intakes

Cancer and Reactive Oxygen Species
Reactive Oxygen Species - A Promising Target in the Fight Against Cancer: Patients may benefit from a diet high in cruciferous vegetables

Dang gui and Astrocytoma
Biological inhibitory effects of the Chinese herb danggui on astrocytoma

Complementary and Alternative Medicine

What Doctors Know About CAM Physicians' Attitudes Toward Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Their Knowledge of Specific Therapies: A Survey at an Academic Medical Center


Breast Cancer and CAM Alternative Therapies Not So Alternative Anymore: Data back up widespread belief, indicate prevalent use among breast cancer patients

Cancer Pain & Complementary Therapies
A new study examines the role of acupuncture, massage, mind-body techniques, and dietary supplements in dealing with the pain associated with cancer

Cancer Conference Focuses on CAM
The Evidence-based CAM for Cancer Advocates Conference, sponsored by The Annie Appleseed Project, will be held on January 10-11, 2008.

Cancer Survivors

Cancer Survivors Have Unique Wellness Needs
Data reveal benefit of specialized post-treatment care

Treatment Decision Making

High-Risk, High-Dollar Cancer Therapies
What drives our treatment decisions?

Breakthrough Research

Study Identifies Cancer Stem Cell "Incubators"
Brain tumor drug data could open doors for treating other cancers

Cancer and Biofield Therapies
Biofield therapies tap into body's energy system, may benefit both cancer patients and caregivers

Vaccines

Gardasil - the Cervical Cancer Vaccine?
FDA Approval Not Based On Actual Cancer Prevention

Mesothelioma Series

Mesothelioma Survivors and the Immune System
Is there a connection between survival and immunity?

Mesothelioma and Virotherapy
Virotherapy Shows Promise in Treating Mesothelioma: Viruses may also be engineered to kill ovarian cancer and glioma cells

Mesothelioma and Molecular Pathways
"Slow but definite progress" furthers understanding of mesothelioma: Molecular signaling pathways provide clues to targeted therapies

Pleural Mesothelioma and Surgery
Remove all visible pleural mesothelioma, surgeon says: Macroscopic complete resection must be the goal

Mesothelioma Research Update
Overexpressed Protein Prevalent in Mesothelioma Cells: Study uncovers important link that could lead to targeted therapies

Asbestos and Cancer: Lessons in Shame
How can a tiny mineral kill tens of thousands of people and cost industry billions of dollars? It's actually pretty simple when the mineral is a carcinogen called asbestos and companies tried to hide its dangers.

Chemotherapy Series

Antioxidants and Chemotherapy
The Antioxidant-and-Chemotherapy Combo: "Solid and consistent data" shows significant benefits of antioxidants

Chemotherapy, Profits and Oncologists
The Chemotherapy Concession is still with us and still affects the drugs some cancer patients receive.

Chemotherapy Kickbacks Influence Prescribing Patterns
Oncologists can make profits on the drugs they prescribe

Cancer Foundations

Mesothelioma Research Foundation of America - The mission of the Mesothelioma Research Foundation of America is to fund research that will lead to the quickest cure for mesothelioma. Mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs caused by asbestos exposure, has very few treatment options at this time. Since the year 2001, the foundation has funded the opening of the Mesothelioma Laboratory under the supervision of Dr. Parkash Gill at the USC/Norris who is currently investigating Veglin, an anti-angiogenesis agent. A Phase I study of Veglin has demonstrated some success in patients suffering from lymphoma, sarcoma, and colon and lung cancers. Phase II studies are on-going with the hope they will demonstrate continued clinical efficacy in mesothelioma and other cancers. For more information about the Phase II study of Veglin you may contact Dr. Gill through the Mesothelioma Research Foundation of America. 1-800-909-Meso (6376) http://www.mesorfa.org

Immune Boosting Products

Get Healthy Again.com - This company provides a variety of immune boosting nutritional supplements designed to enhance the immune system. http://www.health-reports.com/cancer- conquest.html

Polyerga® Plus - Polyerga® Plus is a unique nutritional supplement for supporting the immune system. Although this German-developed spleen peptide technology has been used in Europe and Asia for decades, it is only now becoming available in America. Laboratory and clinically tested to improve key immune system parameters, these peptides help to regulate and stabilize the immune system. http://www.polyer gaplus.com

Legal Services

Brain Cancer Misdiagnosis Information Center - Brain Cancer Misdiagnosis Information Center provides information on the frequency of brain cancer misdiagnosis, how you can find out if you have been misdiagnosed, and what you can do about it. The Center is run by the law firm of Webb, Scarmozzino & Gunter. http://www.brai ncancerlaw.com

Goldberg, Persky & White, P.C. - This law firm (and its predecessor law firms) has been a pioneer in asbestos litigation in the United States. The attorneys of Goldberg, Persky & White, P.C. (GPW) have been involved in asbestos and mesothelioma lawsuits since 1978. Their experienced mesothelioma lawyers participated in the gathering of evidence, such as the testimony of corporate executives and doctors, and the accumulation of corporate documents, that helped create the basis for successfully suing the asbestos industry. GPW has represented thousands of mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis victims. Because of their involvement in asbestos litigation from the beginning, GPW has a clear understanding of what is required to succeed. In addition to outstanding trial experience, GPW is backed by a large arsenal of corporate documents, depositions, and medical articles with which to vigorously prosecute your asbestos case. http://www.gpwlaw. com/cm

Paul, Hanley & Harley LLP - Paul, Hanley & Harley LLP has built its reputation on mesothelioma-asbestos litigation-representing individuals diagnosed with mesothelioma or serious asbestos-related diseases. They have an outstanding track record of success and have garnered many of the most significant California verdicts. Their lawyers are known for their honesty, integrity and compassion. They handle a select number of cases at a time and represent workers and families with the extra special attention required for the best possible outcome in each case. They understand your case is unique, so they take the time to get to know you and your family. Contact them today for a free and confidential consultation. They will discuss your specific case and give you honest answers to your important questions. Their toll free telephone number is 1-800- 281-9804. They look forward to helping you. http://www.phhlaw.com

Nutritional Support

Haelan Products offers Haelan 951, an international award-winning, super nutritious, fermented soybean protein beverage. Clinical research and numerous reports from doctors and cancer patients have demonstrated that Haelan 951 helps protect cancer patients from the toxic side-effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatments. In addition, one study found that the soy isoflavone genistein (which is found in Haelan 951) produced greater apoptosis with both chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Apoptosis means "programmed cell death" and it is a goal of most orthodox cancer therapies. Because Haelan 951 is a nutritional supplement, not a cancer treatment, it was used in this study to offset the toxicity of the treatments, not as a cancer therapy. http://www.haelan9 51.com