Pancreatic cancer - tough to crack with conventional medicine
Can anything work against Pancreatic cancer, or cancer of the pancreas, one of the most aggressive cancers of the Western World?
“Pancreatic cancer has a poor survival rate primarily due to late diagnosis, rapid disease progression, a high rate of metastases and poor record of conventional therapy success. The high presence of cancer stem cell subtypes makes current drugs almost useless. This has prompted scientists to look at exactly what lies behind it and at repurposed off-label drugs and natural bioactive compounds that can have an effect against cancer stem cells and to look for effects in different research methodologies (in vitro, in mouse and rat models and in existing populations) that might give hope for alternative treatments in Pancreatic cancer”; Here Chris Woollams, former Oxford University Biochemist and a founder of CANCERactive reviews what scientists are exploring..
You could add these to your personal plan today!
1. Oral bacteria and a fungus link to pancreatic cancer
Several studies have now shown that bacteria in the mouth which are usually associated with gum disease, have a much higher presence in pancreatic cancer patients.
NYU Langone has several studies, but they were not the first.
Then there was research showing that prior to developing the disease, there was a thousand fold rush of bacteria including pathogens from the gut to the pancreas. No one is sure what triggers this.
Go to: Oral Bacteria link to pancreatic cancer
Finally a 2019 study showed that a yeast or fungus, which has a molecule - MBL - attached to its membrane was linked to the disease. Sure enough research shows that MBL can cause carcinogenesis.
Go to: Fungus prompts pancreatic cancer development
We have almost always suggested that people with pancreatic cancer kill their yeasts and pathogens (with natural compounds such as oregano oil and artemisinin).
Interestingly there is work with Itraconozole, a drug used to treat fungal infections. When used off-label with pancreatic cancer, it increased survival times.
Go to:anti-fungal Itraconozole linked to increased cancer survival
2. Can off-label repurposed drugs have an effect with Pancreatic cancer?
Itraconozole is not the only repurposed drug to show benefit. Beta blocker, Propranolol has also been shown to extend survival times.
Go to: Beta blocker Propranolol shown to extend survival times
There are also repurposed drugs known to attack cancer stem cells such as:
* Doxycycline - see After Doxycycline use IVC or berberine
* Niclosamide
* Accutane
Go to: How to build an off-label drug protocol
Early days yet!
3. Natural compounds that attack cancer stem cells
If you don't like the idea of using any drug to fight your cancer, you could look at natural bioactive compounds shown to have an effect.
The list includes Ursolic acid (in Holy Basil and pistachio nuts), lycopene, curcumin, resveratrol and others.
4. Using pancreatic enzymes to regulate cancer stem cells
Since 2006 when a Mancunian embryologist working in Scotland Dr John Bearddeveloped the Trophoblast Theory of Cancer to explain how pancreatic enzymes might convert stem cells into normal healthy lung, liver, heart and brain cells, pancreatic enzymes have been a constant interest in the treatment of cancer. William Donald Kelley used them to treat and beat his wife's breast cancer; then the mantle was taken up by Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez,who developed a metabolic protocol, and conducted Clinical Trials showing that diet, including supplements and pancreatic enzymes could beat pancreatic cancer. It is well worth reading the full story.
Go to: The Gonzalez protocol and pancreatic cancer
5. Natural compounds that can fight cancer of the pancreas
1. Ginger - particularly two of the bioactive constituents gingerol and shagaol - has been shown to have potent anti-cancer effects against several subtypes of pancreatic cancer cell lines. The ginger components create Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and these kill the cancer cells. Ginger has been shown to be more potent than the drug Taxol against cancer cells. It should not be underestimated.
2. Berberine – Berberine is a constituent of several herbs and is known to possess anti-inflammatory properties. It is also known to attack the AMPK pathway in cancer cells and reduce blood sugar levels. People are known to be at a higher risk of pancreatic cancer if they have high blood sugar levels and eat low levels of whole carbs(1, 2). Indeed sugar starvation has been shown important in pancreatic cancer(3)and not surprisingly there is research on the beneficial effects of the diabetes drug Metformin(4) and the natural compound Berberine(5). There is research on the beneficial effects of both too(6)
3. Dandelion Root Extract - Researchers in Canada have systematically studied Dandelion Root Extract against a number of different cancer cell lines. There is clear research showing it can kill pancreatic cancer cells.
Go to: Can Dandelion Root Extract fight cancer?
4. Feverfew – A potent herb fast tracked against Leukaemia and Lymphoma already. The potent constituent is parthenolide, which has been shown to be effective in killing pancreatic cancer cells by attacking Nuclear Factor Kappa-B. In particular, parthenolide is known to be effective against cancer stem cells.
5. Holy Basil - An important Ayurvedic Herb with a number of proven and potent anti-cancer constituents like Apigenin and Ursolic acid. Holy Basil in the leaf extract form has been shown in research to kill pancreatic cells both in vitroandin vivo. In experiments with mice given pancreatic cancer there was a notable reduction in tumour size. Research also showed it stopped new metastases.
6. Black Cumin Seed oil - One potent constituent of Black Cumin Seed oil (Nigella sativa) is Thymoquinone which is proven to block pancreatic cell growth and enhance programmed cell death according to researchers at the Kimmel Cancer at Thomas Jefferson Cancer Center in Philadelphia.
7. Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHM) could also be a possible answer. People with pancreatic cancer who used CHM survived significantly longer than those who did not according to research from Taiwan.In the real life study, the most common single beneficial herb was Bai-hua-she-she-cao (Herba Oldenlandiae; Hedyotis diffusa Spreng) while the most successful Chinese herbal formula taken was Xiang-sha-liu-jun-zi-tang (Costus and Chinese Ammonia in combination).
Go to: Overview on Pancreatic cancer – symptoms, causes and alternative treatments
8. Thunder God Vine(Terpterygium welfare) is another important herb in the Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine armoury. One active constituent is triptolide which has been shown by researchers at the University of Minnesota to turn off a protein dubbed GRP78. This protein is normally responsible for stopping cells dying. It is found in very high levels in pancreatic cancer and triptolide stops its protective action.
9. Yams are a part of a plant family called Dioscoreaceae and commonly contain Methyl Proxtodioscin, or MPD. This compound has many health properties. For example in research it has been shown to be lipid-lowering, anti-inflammatory and have anti-cancer properties. The National Cancer Institute has confirmed three anti-cancer properties - cytoxic activity, cancer cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. 2018 research has shown that injections into mice with pancreatic cancer greatly reduced glycolysis (the energy production system of cancer), reducing proliferation and promoting cancer cell death. It is quite possible this would work on other cancers too.
10. Lycopene found in tomatoes is known to reduce cholesterol in the body. As cholesterol and triglycerides rise in the liver (often due to the effects of cancer’s lactate production), two Professors of Diabetes showed that the fats rose in the blood stream and wrapped themselves around cells in the pancreas. Their answer was to put people on a non-starchy vegetable juice diet but researchers have shown lycopene reduces blood fats as well, if not better, than statins. Lycopene can make the pancreatic cancer drug Gemcitabine work better.
11. Black Chokeberry,which has high levels of antioxidants such as anthocyanins, flavonoids and carotenes has also been shown to reduce risk of pancreatic cancer. It too makes Gemcitabine work better.
12. Vitamin D has been linked to lowered levels of Pancreatic cancer (7). It has also been shown in a modified form to capable of treating and reducing pancreatic tumours (8). Pancreatic cancer cells have been shown to have vitamin D receptor sites
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References
1. Sugary foods linked to pancreatic cancer - https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sugary-foods/sugary-foods-linked-to-pancreatic-cancer-risk-idUSTRE65E5H420100615
2. Carbohydrate load and pancreatic cancer - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2915491/
3. Tumour inhibition by glucose restriction - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4570497/
4. Metformin increases cancer survival - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28271076
5. Berberine and pancreatic cancer - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4321216/
6. Berberine or metformin and cancer - http://www.oncotarget.com/index.php?journal=oncotarget&page=article&op=view&path[]=20807&path[]=66277
7. https://www.vitamindcouncil.org/health-conditions/pancreatic-cancer/#.XD2vay17G9g
8. https://www.salk.edu/news-release/modified-vitamin-d-shows-promise-as-treatment-for-pancreatic-cancer/