Download Talk For IASC In Dallas - Therapy Of Cancer

First published at the International Aloe Science Council Seminar of September 2000 in Dallas, Texas
and recorded in the proceedings of that Council
This was written well before the full outcome of the Trust’s work was known (2006-7)
Provides further rationale of the Therapy and more supporting literature references
Clinical Application of a Nutritional Cancer
Therapy with Prescribed Diet and Nutrients
L.G. Plaskett*, Plaskett Associates, Trevallett,
Launceston, PL15 8SJ, United Kingdom
In Association with the Nutritional Cancer Therapy Trust
Introduction
An important issue of the day is whether foods, nutrients and natural products can
play a significant part not only in the prevention of cancer but also in its treatment.
Many natural products have been shown to have quite powerful effects in the
prevention of carcinogenesis. These have been reviewed by many authors including
Wattenberg (1986), Block et al (1992), Stavric, (1994), Wargovich (1997), Ren &
Lien (1997). Some of these materials would be classed as food constituents and
others as herbal products. Many of these are also the subjects of a less voluminous
but nonetheless impressive literature showing that they exert an anti-tumour effect
upon established cancers (See for example, Pettit 1977).
The objective of the present work was to develop an approach to human cancer
treatment that would apply the known anti-tumour effects of a compendium of dietary
measures in conjunction with the known or strongly indicated anti-tumour effects of a
compendium of nutritional and herbal measures. These compendia of measures have
been developed into a specific integrated therapy, the main features of which have
been kept constant from patient to patient. There have been introduced, however,
some fairly minor modifications or additions to the therapy for cancers known to have
originated from hormone sensitive sites or from the lungs or liver. These
modifications and additions are not detailed here but are to be published separately.
In this work the specified combination of measures was tested for efficacy by
application to a number of patients who would be kept under strict observation and
provided with the best possible support.
The details of the therapy were arrived at after a survey of the literature reporting
beneficial effects upon cancer from foods, nutrients and phytonutrients. This therapy
is considered unique although its individual measures are based mainly upon
published research, but it shares a continuity of therapeutic philosophy with the
therapy designed and used by Gerson (1958) and reported upon more recently in a
form edited by Hildenbrand (1986). Its measures, however, include a great many
completely new materials and exclude several measures rated as important by Gerson,
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so that it can only be considered as a new and independent therapy with a new basis
for its therapeutic effects.
To test a cancer therapy based only upon natural products poses certain ethical
problems if the patient is being offered orthodox treatment. Because orthodox
medicine and Medical Law favour orthodox procedures it is necessary to clearly
establish that the patients will not be denied, through taking the therapy, any orthodox
treatment that is on offer to them. And yet the use of a natural products therapy is
considered incompatible with either radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Therefore, the
patients admitted to the therapy have been those who have no orthodox treatment
currently on offer, or who opt to eschew orthodox therapy for reasons connected with
their own personal belief systems. Also, the therapy is offered to patients as a
nutritional programme that is thought likely to benefit them rather than as a means to
stop the cancer. All the patients who have been admitted to the therapy have come
forward spontaneously to request it.
This work does not constitute and cannot constitute a clinical trial. To meet the
conditions of a clinical trial for such a complex composite therapy would be very
expensive. The present research has been undertaken with a very small budget and
with a great deal of volunteer help. The therapy itself has been compiled with strict
attention to published evidence upon the anti-cancer activities of foods, nutrients and
phytonutrients. The testing of the concept of the therapy has been done in a
necessarily preliminary way. Since most of the patients concerned were not expected
to recover from cancer and most had been given short “lifetime expectancies”, each
patient who out-survives their prognosis provides us with an indicator of likely
efficacy of the therapy. The evidence so far collected has been presented here.
Methods
Lifestyle and Environment
Although there is no a priori reason to think that removing the factors that cause
cancer will necessarily help to reverse it, it was nonetheless decided to remove such
factors as a precaution. Both laboratory experiments and the epidemiology of cancer
are showing us that multiple factors may work together to generate the cancerous
transformation. Lanza et al (1990) stated that 68% of cancer deaths in the USA were
accounted for by diet, alcohol and tobacco.
When “chemicals and other
environmental factors” are also included Simone (1992) estimated that 80-90% of all
cancers were accounted for. It seems clear that interaction of these different factors is
important and that any anti-cancer programme should avoid known cancer-causing
agents. Because carcinogenicity is a common property among chemicals of many
types, it was decided to follow a general policy of excluding chemical agents as far as
possible.
The following guidelines were therefore issued to all patients joining the programme.
1. That all food used should be organically grown.
2. That all tap water to be consumed or used for cooking should be treated to
remove such contaminants as pesticides, nitrates and nitrites, heavy metals and
metallo-organic compounds of heavy metals, chlorine from the Water
Company’s treatment plant, organo-chlorine compounds which come from the
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chlorine treatment of water, PCBs, fluoride, aluminium etc. and for this
purpose a reverse osmosis water treatment was recommended.
3. That all types of chemical exposure be avoided. This included household
chemical products, including particularly aerosols, insect sprays, cosmetics and
hairsprays, gardening sprays and garden chemicals and any high concentrations
of the vapour of petroleum products, such as oil and petrol.
Designing the Diet
The foods were selected to embody the principles of balanced nutrition within the
context of a vegan diet. All foods were grown without agricultural chemicals. The
protein intake was controlled to 50g/day or less in accord with literature showing a
relationship between tumour growth and protein intake. For similar reasons fat intake
was controlled to 25g/day or less while ensuring provision of essential fatty acids.
Fresh vegetables were used (1000g/day excluding potatoes), providing 80g of
vegetable solids/day. Pulses were also used (<40g/day). The selection of dietary
items was based upon research literature showing that the foods contained anti-tumour
biochemicals in significant concentration. Diet items specifically prescribed included
onions or shallots (120g/day) and garlic (10g/day) for their content of flavonoids and
organic sulphides, turmeric (5g/day) for curcuminoids, cruciferous vegetables
(170g/day) for carotenoids (especially lutein and zeaxanthin), isothiocyanates and
indoles. In some cases tomatoes (200g/day) were also taken for lycopene and other
carotenoids.
Juices (minimum 200ml, six/day) were taken, having been prepared from fresh
oranges, apples, carrots and green leaf vegetables. These were selected as sources of
multiple anti-tumour biochemicals, most particularly many different forms of
carotenoids and flavonoids.
Literature Support for the Diet and Supplement Programme
A low protein diet is advocated for cancer patients and is known to activate some
important immune system functions (Tannenbaum, 1940, Good and Jose 1973,
Franceschi et al., 1989, Hildenbrand 1990, Buiatti et al. 1990, Böing et al. 1985).
Werbach (1993) lists five studies that disclose an advantage, with regard to cancer
incidence, for following a vegetarian diet. There are many reports of the negative
effect of meat diets upon cancer; for example, Day et al. (1994) report that meat
specifically (rather than just protein), was one of the factors that increased the
development of a second primary tumour in patients who already had one.
The paper by Lindblad et al (1997) refers to previous studies on diet and renal cell
cancer, which found “an inconsistent positive association with meat, milk, and
protein”. Overall the evidence incriminates milk less than meat, but the link to total
protein intake appears to be strong.
The case for use of onions and garlic in connection with cancer has been reviewed by
(Ernst 1997) and the selenium compounds of garlic have been much implicated in its
anti-cancer actions (el-Bayoumy et al, 1996, Lea, 1996).
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Curcuminoids have been the subject of many reports showing an anti-cancer effect,
e.g. Nagabhushan & Bhide (1992). Broccoli, and its anti-cancer active principal,
sulforaphane, was the subject of a very careful investigation by Fahey et al (1997).
There have been many studies of the anti-cancer effects of carotenoids, for example,
Nishino, (1995), who studied several carotenoids apart from beta-carotene, including
alpha-carotene and also fucoxanthin, a carotenoid dominant in the phaeophyta or
brown algae.
Aloe vera has been implicated in the possible treatment of cancer through several
research reports. Aloe’s high molecular weight polysaccharide (in the form of a
separated proprietary preparation, Acemannan) has been used to treat cancer in
animals (Peng et al, 1991, Harris et al, 1991, Tizard, 1991, King et al, 1995) and
effects of Aloe extracts upon human cancer tissue cells have been demonstrated
(Winters et al 1981). The effect of Aloe vera juices, either gel or whole leaf products,
upon established cancers in vivo has not been documented to the same extent but
many anecdotal accounts of apparently successful human treatment have been
recorded (Ritter, 1993, Ritter 1998). However, the ability of Aloe preparations to
stimulate the animal and human immune system in vivo seems to be beyond doubt
(Karaca, 1995, t’Hart et al 1989, Pulse TL & Uhlig, 1990).
Notwithstanding the previously published anecdotal accounts of success in cancer
treatment with Aloe treatment alone, it was considered unlikely that this could provide
a realistic and worthwhile cancer treatment on its own. Moreover, Aloe extracts taken
by mouth could not be expected to fulfill the same function as the injected
Acemannan employed by United States researchers in animals. It was therefore
important that the Aloe should comprise just one constituent within a multicomponent therapy.
Bromelain, an enzyme preparation obtained from pineapple stem juice, matches Aloe
vera in that it also possesses both anti-inflammatory and anti-tumour properties as
well as other benefits. The anti-tumour effects have been investigated primarily by
Taussig and co-workers (Goldstein et al, 1975, Taussig et al 1985, Taussig et al 1988,
Taussig et al 1991).
Evidence has continued to accumulate that certain flavonoids from natural products
can discourage the growth of established tumours. Kandaswami (1993) demonstrated
that flavonoids such as quercetin exert an antiproliferative effect upon squamous cell
carcinoma in-vitro that is enhanced by Vitamin C. Kuo (1997) showed that quercetin
and genistein were the most potent anti-proliferative flavonoids against cells of colon
cancer. Armand (1988) carried out a study that included the screening of 200 naturally
occurring flavonoids and found that quercetin enhanced the lifespan of mice with P388 leukemia. Teofili (1992) demonstrated that quercetin was potentially useful in
the treatment of acute leukemias. Liao et al (1995) that the catechins in green tea
reduced the size of human prostate and mammary tumours growing in mice.
The same is true of the carotenoids and terpenoids. Beta-carotene and Vitamin C (or
possibly other nutrients consumed within the diet that yielded these) appear to very
strongly influence the survival of women with breast cancer (Ingram 1994).
Wattenberg et al (1986) showed that “high doses of D-Limonene can cause regression
of mammary tumours that have already reached a size that can be palpated grossly”.
Rock et al. (1996) also found that a carotenoid-rich diet improved the prognosis after
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diagnosis of breast cancer. From this work it appears that the carotenoid lutein was
particularly important. Hall (1996) found that beta-carotene, canthaxanthin and
retinoic acid could inhibit the growth of human DU145 prostate cancer cells to the
extent of 45, 56 and 18%, respectively. Lycopene was also found to inhibit cell
growth.
The literature concerning the anti-tumour activities of vitamins, minerals and vitaminlike substances is too complex and voluminous to quote here. However, an example
is that of Co-enzyme Q10. Following some work which showed that administration
of high doses of Co-Enzyme Q10 (Lockwood et al 1994a) could favourably influence
the progression of established cancer of the breast, Lockwood and colleagues (1994b)
set out to find out the effect of combining this co-enzyme with a wide range of other
vitamins and minerals. The trial involved 32 women with breast cancer. In a period
running from 1992 to 1995 none of the women died of the disease, none of the women
showed signs of the development of distant metastases, whilst six showed some
degree of remission, extending in two cases to actual disappearance of the tumour.
Further results from continuation of this study are awaited, but at this stage it appears
from the above work that nutritional supplements alone, whilst not a complete therapy
in themselves, have a markedly favourable influence even upon actively growing
tumours.
The positive effects upon the immune system performance from using a wide range of
mineral and vitamin supplements is well documented by Weiner (1986). The effects
of such supplements upon the immune system and also upon carcinogenesis and
cancer are also documented extensively by Werbach (1993).
This work, which has been touched upon here only briefly, indicates that it is
absolutely unsupportable to maintain today that nutrients do not influence both
carcinogenesis and the growth of established tumours. That being the case it should
be incumbent upon all oncologists to study the subject and to at last move away from
the habit of advising cancer patients, as they do, to take no special measures with their
diets.
Elsewhere (Plaskett 1999) this author has analysed the mechanisms of action of
different phytonutrients according to the research literature. Phytonutrients may
influence established tumours by any of the following routes:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Quenching free radicals
Acting as anti-proliferative agents
Inducing detoxifying enzymes
Inducing differentiation of cancer cells
Inhibiting metastasis
Stimulating the anti-tumour activities of the immune system
Inhibiting angiogenesis (i.e. blood vessel formation within the tumour).
Nutritional Supplements
The nutrients given as supplements, with daily intakes, were magnesium, as citrate,
1008mg, nicotinamide, 100mg, thiamine, riboflavin, pyridoxine, pantothenate, para
amino benzoic acid, 50mg of each, cyanocobalamine and biotin, 50μg of each, folic acid,
90μg, iron 30mg, zinc, 63mg, manganese, 63mg, chromium as the GTF form, 198μg,
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selenium as selenomethionine, 198μg, molybdenum 648μg, boron 5.4mg, silicon 162mg,
Vitamin A, 7560 i.u., potassium, as mixed organic salts, citrate, gluconate and acetate,
2.72g, choline as choline bitartrate 1.5g, inositol, 1.5g, calcium ascorbate, 2.25g,
ascorbic acid, 2.25g, citrus bioflavonoids, 500mg, beta-carotene, 14.5mg, alphacarotene, 300μg, lutein, 110μg, zeaxanthin, 55μg, cryptoxanthin, 35μg, 19 different
amino acids: individual intakes from 90mg to 450mg: total intake 5.4g, bromelain,
1500mg, co-enzyme Q10, 30mg, pancreatin, 3000mg, selenium as “Food State” form,
200μg, chromium as “Food State” form, 120μg, Vitamin C as “Food State” form,
500mg, Vitamin E as “Food State” form, 200mg, isoflavones of soya or clover (certain
patients only): daidzein, 31mg, genistein, 8mg, glycitein, 21mg, fish oil, 5ml,
Bifidobacterium bifidus, 4 billion active organisms, Lactobacillus acidophilus and
rhamnosus, 10 billion active organisms, betaine hydrochloride, 1944mg, pepsin, 30mg.
The majority of these nutrients, or metabolites derived from them, have been implicated
in inhibiting either the genesis of growth of cancer.
Sources of Procurement
NUTRIENT
Magnesium
PRODUCT CURRENTLY USED
Healthlink Magnesium Formula 1 from Archturus
Healthcare Ltd. of Fife, Scotland, UK.
Vitamin B group
Thiamine, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine, Pantothenate, PABA,
Nicotinamide, Cobalamine, Biotin, Folic Acid, all
contained in the above Healthlink Formula.
Vitamin A
Contained in the above Healthlink Formula.
Microminerals
Iron 30mg, Zinc 63mg Manganese 63mg, Chromium as
GTF 198mcg, Selenium as selenomethionine 198mcg,
Molybdenum 648mcg, Boron 5.4mg, Silicon 162mg, all
contained in the above Healthlink Formula.
Potassium, as mixed organic HealthLink “Mixed Potassium Salts”, 110g from
salts
Archturus Healthcare Ltd. of Fife, Scotland, UK. Mixed salts
made up to 1 litre: 75ml used in juices at rate of 15ml per
juice.
Choline bitartrate & Inositol Healthlink Choline and Inositol Capsules, from Archturus
Healthcare Ltd. of Fife, Scotland, UK.
Calcium ascorbate, 2.25g,
Ascorbic acid, 2.25g with
Citrus Bioflavonoids,
500mg.
Beta-carotene 14.5mg, alphaCarotene 300mcg, Lutein
110mcg, Zeaxanthin 55mcg,
Cryptoxanthin 35mcg.
19 Different Amino Acids:
Individual intakes from
90mg to 450mg: Total intake
5.4g.
Bromelain
Betaine/Pepsin HCl
HealthLink Vitamin C Complex Powder, 5g per day
from Archturus Healthcare Ltd. of Fife, Scotland, UK.
Beta-Carotene with Mixed Carotenoids (15mg), Product
No. 8018 from Lamberts of Tunbridge Wells, UK,
Higher intakes of this product are used in some variant
versions.
HealthLink Free Aminos Formula, from Archturus
Healthcare Ltd. of Fife, Scotland, UK.
HealthLink Bromelain from Archturus Healthcare Ltd. of
Fife, Scotland, UK. (500mg)
HealthLink Betaine/Pepsin HCl tablets from Archturus
Healthcare Ltd. of Fife, Scotland, UK.
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Co-Enzyme Q10
Pancreatin
Selenium as “Food State”
form
Chromium as “Food State”
form
Vitamin C as “Food State”
form
Vitamin E as “Food State”
form
Bifidobacteria
Aloe vera Whole Leaf
Concentrate
Soya Bean Isoflavones:
Daidzein,
Genistein, Glycitein.
Fish Oil
Lamberts Co-Enzyme Q10 from Lamberts of Tunbridge
Wells, UK (30mg). Higher intakes of this product are
used in some variant versions.
Natures Plus from Larkhall Laboratories of Putney,
London, UK (1000mg).
“Food State” Selenium (100mcg) from CytoPlan of
Malvern, UK.
“Food State” GTF Chromium from CytoPlan of
Malvern, UK. (60mcg).
“Food State” Vitamin C from CytoPlan of Malvern, UK.
(250mg) (used in addition to Vitamin C Complex
Powder).
“Food State” Vitamin E from CytoPlan of Malvern, UK.
(200mg)
Bifido Bowel Flora (Bifidophilus Extra) from CytoPlan
of Malvern, UK..
CytoPlan “Aloe Gold” Aloe vera 40ml, (diluted to 100ml
with non-chlorinated water) three times per day.
Manufactured by AloeCorp, Supplied by Aloe
Commodities, OR “Golden Aloe” manufactured by
Australian Aloe, supplied by Nutricell of Tiverton,
Devon UK.
Feminine Balance Capsules from Be-Well of
Peterborough, UK. These are used in certain versions of
the therapy only.
Eskimo-3 Fish Oil from Nutri of High Peak, Yorkshire,
UK.
Coffee Enemas
Coffee enemas are used (4/day, 560-840ml each) for their naturopathically recognised
purpose of increasing the detoxification capacity of the liver. Biochemically their role is
to increase the titre of the enzyme family, the glutathione-S-transferases in that organ
(Hildenbrandt, 1990). They comprise an extremely important set of enzymes of
detoxification. Four enemas are used, spaced through the day. Each enema is prepared
from 25g of organic ground coffee to one litre of treated water. Patients are supplied
with a precise preparation method.
Procedure
A central office was established in 1997 for receipt of enquiries. Patients using the
therapy were assessed in depth including a detailed clinical history, to ensure that they
would be suitable and that they fully understood all that would be entailed in
following the therapy. In order to follow the therapy patients must be able to ingest
the normal quantities of food for their age, be able to swallow the daily quantities of
supplements and have a reasonable level of initial physical fitness. They need to have
a life expectation above 3 months combined with strength of character and the
determination to persist with the therapy. Family relationships are of paramount
importance to provide support for continued application of the therapy. Mental
stability and capability to deal with personal traumas are important for success. The
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patients come from a wide range of social backgrounds, ranging in age from 2 years
to those over 70 years. Their cancers span most of the common sites, as will be
detailed below.
Patients follow the therapy in their own homes, where they and their carers are fully
trained in all aspects of the therapy, and are then supervised and advised as they
proceed. Patients vary in their situations and history and individual cancers require
different responses, in particular the use of homoeopathic remedies to control possible
symptoms arising from their illness and its resolution. This makes it mandatory that
the practitioners overseeing progress are both professionally competent in
naturopathic and nutritional medicine and are well trained and supervised in the
application of the therapy.
Patient’s Previous Treatment
Most patients had received orthodox treatment before coming to use this therapy by
one or more from among surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy. In some cases they
had been informed that there was no more orthodox treatment that could be usefully
applied. In other cases they had opted out of further orthodox treatment for their own
reasons.
The Support Team
The Patient Support Team numbered some 70 professional practitioners covering the
major centers in England, Scotland and Wales. The majority of these had been at
trained at The Plaskett Nutritional Medicine College, which offers a nutritional
programme of training recognized by The University of Exeter. These practitioners
possess the necessary technical background and are competent in applying the
therapy. Some of the practitioners have a nursing background, whilst others are able
to include some homoeopathy and a range of complementary naturopathic disciplines.
The Team is crucial for the application of the therapy and its members liaise with the
authorized allopathic physicians and consultants who retain the final medical
responsibility for the patient. Each patient had a support team practitioner allocated to
monitor and assist in the therapy. They provide the necessary contact and advice all
through the application of the therapy and are very important to maintaining the
confidence and motivation of carers and patients alike.
Initiation
The therapy is quite complex and therefore requires a full day’s training for the
patients and carers at the outset, covering diet and food preparation, supplements,
juices and enemas. This was training was provided wherever possible by a visiting
practitioner direct from the central office. Where this was precluded by distance a
support team member undertook this training.
Results
Overall Results
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Recruitment onto the therapy commenced in the autumn of 1997 and is still running at
the present time. This recruitment commenced very slowly when the therapy was
little known. In just less than 2 years up to August 1999 38 patients were recruited
but between then and August 2000 another 55 were recruited to give a total of 93. In
addition reference will be made to two patients recruited onto the therapy before the
current programme began, in 1993 and in 1996 respectively.
Persistence with the therapy is clearly a problem for a proportion of the patients
recruited and a total of 28 patients have discontinued the therapy. Due to the careful
monitoring programme it has been possible to assess the reasons for discontinuance.
These have usually been though either family pressure to return to orthodox therapy
or withdrawal of carer assistance and support for assorted family reasons. In some
cases there has been a breakdown in the financial arrangements to provide the
materials needed for the therapy and in one case a family moved abroad where the
support for the therapy was not available. In the majority of cases where the patient
has been doing the therapy for 6 months or more the patient had not been expected to
survive to the present day, having been recorded as untreatable within orthodox
medicine and therefore terminal within a short timescale, usually 3-9 months. The
overall result to date is that no patient undertaking the therapy has been lost to death
from cancer. As a result there are 65 patients with active cancer under treatment at
the time of writing of whom 12 have commenced in the last 6 weeks.
The breakdown of cancer types registered with the therapy at July 20th 2000 was as
follows:
SITE
Breast
Colon
Adrenal
Lymphatic
Cervix
Thyroid
Pancreas
Malignant melanoma
Stomach
NUMBER OF PATIENTS
15
5
1
5
3
2
2
4
2
SITE
Bone
Prostate
Ovarian
Liver
Bladder
Skin
Face
Testicles
Lung
TOTAL
NUMBER OF PATIENTS
2
3
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
53
The majority of the patients had known secondary tumours remote from the known
primary site. In the case of breast tumours the secondary tumours were in bone, liver
or lung. In the case of the colon, the liver became involved. The results to date defy
statistical analysis on account of different starting times, prognoses, primary sites and
previous orthodox treatments. These results are therefore presented in the form of a
selection of individual outcomes from among those who began therapy between 10
months and 7 years ago.
Individual Results
Patient, Age 57, Female.
Breast cancer diagnosed April 1994 and the tumour removed surgically. Prognosis
was initially thought to be good. However a secondary tumour was found in her
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armpit in June 1996 and was also removed. No firm prognosis was given but
considerable danger was implied by the discovery of the secondary tumour. She
commenced therapy in September 1996. She has no further cancer at August 2000
and is in very good health.
Patient, Male, Aged 62.
Cancer of the bowel diagnosed in 1992 and was accorded a life prognosis of 9
months. He underwent bowel surgery and then undertook a related nutritional therapy
programme. He was still in great difficulties at June 1993 and undertook this therapy
at that time. The primary tumour was spread severely to the liver. Liver surgery was
performed to remove the known secondary tumours. At midsummer 1997 the patient
was free from any detectable cancer. Examination of his bowel revealed it to be in
excellent condition. This patient is pursuing his life with much energy and is in first
rate health.
Patient, Female, Aged 76
Breast cancer diagnosed and full mastectomy performed at Dec. 1998, but it was
impossible to remove the tumour fully and she was declared terminal. She
commenced the therapy at Jan. 1999. She has progressed without further problems
apart from a few pains that have led her to wonder about having further clinical tests.
In good health at August 2000.
Patient, Female, Aged 36
Diagnosed with thyroid cancer July 1998. She was given a full thyroidectomy but the
cancer had spread through the lymph nodes. She commenced the therapy in March
1999. Her health has steadily improved with no further problems. All evidence of
cancer has disappeared. Emigrated to California.
Patient, Male, Aged 36
Diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in May 1999 and had a large tumour removed
from his neck, followed by radiotherapy for 6 weeks. This was not successful. He
has been on the therapy since June 1999 and is doing well.
Patient, Male
Joined the therapy in July 1999 with terminal lymphatic cancer and has maintained
good health since then.
Patient, Female, Aged 58
Has a long history of gastrointestinal troubles leading to a diagnosis of stomach
cancer in 1996, with removal of the stomach and spleen. This treatment was not
successful. She joined the therapy in Nov. 1999. From being in continual discomfort
with severe intestinal pains and reflux to the throat, she is happy and well with only
very occasional intestinal discomfort.
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Patient, Female, Aged 53
Breast cancer was diagnosed in Sept. 1996. The tumour was removed in the autumn
of 1997. Soon a secondary tumour appeared in the same breast and she decided
against any further surgery. She commenced the therapy at January 1998 and is still
on it after two and a half years. It has been possible for her to watch the tumour
shrink and has experienced healing of the whole breast. She is left with a small
secondary tumour in the armpit that is now shrinking.
Patient, Male, Aged 55
He noted blood in his stools in 1993 that was eventually diagnosed as colon cancer.
Orthodox therapy did not succeed and he was found to have secondary tumours in the
liver in February 1999 and revealed a very poor prognosis. He commenced the
therapy at July 1999. After nine months of therapy he was declared by his hospital to
be showing no physical evidence of cancer and a wide range of biomedical
assessments were all within normal limits. He currently has some discomfort arising
from accumulation of lymph fluid on account of the surgery he received but shows no
signs at all of cancer.
Patient, Male, Aged 39
After a diagnosis of thyroid cancer he had the thyroid and parts of the parathyroids
removed but was then found to be suffering from spread of cancer to the lymph nodes.
He commenced the therapy in Oct. 1999 and within three months these palpable
tumours had decreased in size. He is fit and active and currently shows no signs of
the original cancer.
Patient, Female, Aged 44
She had breast cancer diagnosed in August 1998 and a partial mastectomy in Sept.
1998. She had 12 lymph nodes removed, 9 of which proved malignant and was then
found to have the cancer spread already to the bones in four main areas. She
commenced the therapy in Oct. 1998, having refused both the removal of her ovaries
and also chemotherapy. After 13 months of therapy all signs of cancer had gone from
the pelvis and right hip but it still remained in her spine. Now, after 23 months of
therapy she has no signs of cancer at all and is in good health with a full time job.
Patient, Female, Aged 52
Diagnosed with very aggressive breast cancer and operated for removal of the tumour
and associated lymphatics but it was found that there was no possibility to remove the
cancer fully by surgery. She declined chemotherapy and commenced the therapy in
Oct. 1998. She has applied the therapy most meticulously and has remained in very
good health despite the tumour. There has been no sign of the tumour that was known
to be present and active in her breast and lymphatics. It does not appear to have regrown. She will soon undergo the hospital for tests to find out whether any cancer is
still present.
Patient, Female, Aged 67
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She had both terminal non-Hodgkins lymphoma and terminal heart disease at the
beginning of 1998 – the consultants arguing as to which out of the immediately life
threatening diseases should be treated first. She commenced the therapy in February
1998 and made steady progress with both the cancer and the heart/circulation
problems. Her blood counts were monitored frequently by the hospital. After 15
months she was told she would no longer need the threatened chemotherapy as there
were now “no signs of the non-Hodgkins lymphoma” and that “now is the time for the
heart surgery”. She declined the surgery and then continued on a reduced therapy for
her heart condition only, feeling “extraordinarily good”. This lady has unfortunately
suffered some non-health related misfortunes and has since died from causes entirely
unconnected with cancer.
Some patients have extremely good initial outcome from the therapy but find the
rigour of performing the therapy too much for them and their families in the long run.
The following is an example of a discontinued patient.
Patient, Male, Aged 68
He had brain cancer and had very invasive surgery before he was told that he would
definitely only live for a few months. The first 3 months therapy necessitated around
the clock care and continuous supervision by his wife. He made rapid progress and
showed marked outward signs of remission passing his prognosis date by a wide
margin. The results are best summarized in a letter from his wife: “he had been a
miserable, hunched-up zombie walking round the village and not recognizing the
people he knew well. Now the villagers witness that he is a happy and healthy
person”. Unfortunately this man abandoned the therapy and rapidly became ill again
and died.
Other Patients
There currently are 16 patients who registered onto the therapy during 1999 and who
have persisted with it whilst several others who registered in the same year have
dropped out. These 16 patients are all in good or fair condition. In view of the nature
of their illnesses and their mostly advanced condition it must be considered extremely
unlikely that most of these survivals would have occurred without the intervention
that was made.
There currently are registered 32 patients who registered onto the therapy between
January and July 2000 and a further 12 have registered since July 2000.
There are also 14 further patients who do not suffer from cancer but have other
degenerative diseases. These patients are given a lesser programme. Nonetheless at
the present time 10 of them are reported by their monitors to be “recovered”. One of
them who had fertility problems has also become pregnant.
Discussion
The conclusions that can be drawn from this work are limited by the low numbers of
patients who registered during 1998 and 1999 and by substantial numbers of drop12
outs from the therapy. Indeed, this work to date has been a clinical report rather than
a trial. Nonetheless it is usual to offer such information in published form because
clinical reports can give a distinct pointer to future research. Larger numbers have
now been recruited onto the programme. Those who are involved in managing and
caring for these patients have no doubt about the efficacy of the treatment and the
responses that they witness in the patients. The main conclusion from this programme
to date has been that it would be well worthwhile to arrange full clinical trials of this
approach to cancer treatment so that a body of objective and statistical evidence can
be built up.
The further work that is planned will be to continue to increase the numbers on the
therapy while tackling the causes of discontinuation among a proportion of the
participants. Also the work includes a research programme that will be progressed as
funding allows. This aims to produce and then introduce into the therapy some
concentrates of carotenoids, isothiocyanates and curcuminoids to provide substantially
more of these than can be provided by diet alone.
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*Acknowledgement
This development of the therapy and the accompanying literature research was carried
out with the fullest motivation and collaboration of The Nutritional Cancer Therapy
Trust and the Trust’s Director, Mr. C. Ashton. The Trust has provided initial funding
for a research programme on phytonutrients. The clinical application of the therapy
provisions has been carried out entirely by the Trust and its team of practitioners. In
that context the author’s role here has simply been to report upon their clinical
application of the author’s ideas.
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