They found some important trends. Granulocytes from people over 50 years old had a reduced ability to kill cancer cells, as did granulocytes from people with cancer. This raises the possibility that cancer is not simply the result of getting too old, but a very specific weakening of the immune system.
The most important finding, however, was that the granulocytes' kung-fu grip declined dramatically during the winter months. Here's Dr. Cui:
Nobody seems to have any cancer-killing ability during the
winter months from November to April.
Cancer Incidence and Mortality After Treatment With Folic Acid and Vitamin B12.
Ebbing M, Bønaa KH, Nygård O, Arnesen E, Ueland PM, Nordrehaug JE, Rasmussen K, Njølstad I, Refsum H, Nilsen DW, Tverdal A, Meyer K, Vollset SE.
JAMA. 2009 Nov 18;302(19):2119-2126. v
PMID: 19920236
Conclusion Treatment with folic acid plus vitamin B12 was associated with increased cancer outcomes and all-cause mortality in patients with ischemic heart disease in Norway, where there is no folic acid fortification of foods.
Rosmarinic acid antagonizes activator protein-1-dependent activation of cyclooxygenase-2 expression in human cancer and nonmalignant cell lines.
Scheckel KA, Degner SC, Romagnolo DF.
J Nutr. 2008 Nov;138(11):2098-105.
PMID: 18936204
Safety evaluation of topical applications of ethanol on the skin and inside the oral cavity.
Lachenmeier DW.
J Occup Med Toxicol. 2008 Nov 13;3:26.
PMID: 19014531
doi:10.1186/1745-6673-3-26
"Cancer lies dormant in all of us," he wrote in his new book, "Anticancer: A New Way of Life" (Viking, $25.95). "But our bodies are also equipped with a number of mechanisms that detect and keep such (defective) cells in check." Cancer rears its ugly head when things get out of balance, Servan-Schreiber said in an interview. And that can happen if the bad guys that promote the growth of cancer cells (tobacco, excessive alcohol, excessive sugar, hydrogenated fats, environmental pollutants) outnumber the good guys that support our natural defenses (cancer-fighting phytochemicals found in fruits, vegetables, herbs and teas; physical activity; and stress management techniques). But conventional treatment, while indispensable, focuses on a single target: destroying cancer cells. Doctors rarely address the other side: teaching patients how to fortify themselves using nutrition, exercise and stress-management techniques to create an inhospitable environment for cancer.
"Cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption before head and neck cancer diagnosis strongly predicts the patient's future risk of death, according to published studies. Now, results of a new study show a similar effect among those who continued these habits after cancer diagnosis.
"Most cancer survivors are counseled to quit smoking; despite this, many still smoke. In our study, 21 percent continued to smoke even after their cancer diagnosis, increasing their risk of death," said researcher Susan T. Mayne, Ph.D. "Similarly, we found that continued drinking increases the risk of death.""
Is regular exercise a friend or foe of the aging immune system? A systematic review.
Haaland DA, Sabljic TF, Baribeau DA, Mukovozov IM, Hart LE.
Clin J Sport Med. 2008 Nov;18(6):539-48. Review.
PMID: 19001887
doi: 10.1097/JSM.0b013e3181865eec
A 22-y prospective study of fish intake in relation to prostate cancer incidence and mortality.
Chavarro JE, Stampfer MJ, Hall MN, Sesso HD, Ma J.
Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Nov;88(5):1297-303.
PMID: 18996866
Conclusion: These results suggest that fish intake is unrelated to prostate cancer incidence but may improve prostate cancer survival.
Seneca Valley virus, a systemically deliverable oncolytic picornavirus, and the treatment of neuroendocrine cancers.
Reddy PS, Burroughs KD, Hales LM, Ganesh S, Jones BH, Idamakanti N, Hay C, Li SS, Skele KL, Vasko AJ, Yang J, Watkins DN, Rudin CM, Hallenbeck PL.
J Natl Cancer Inst. 2007 Nov 7;99(21):1623-33. Epub 2007 Oct 30.
PMID: 17971529
doi:10.1093/jnci/djm198
Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and colon cancer: eight-year prospective study.
Garland CF, Comstock GW, Garland FC, Helsing KJ, Shaw EK, Gorham ED.
Lancet. 1989 Nov 18;2(8673):1176-8.
PMID: 2572900
Blood samples taken in 1974 in Washington County, Maryland, from 25 620 volunteers were used to investigate the relation of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) with subsequent risk of getting colon cancer. 34 cases of colon cancer diagnosed between August, 1975, and January, 1983, were matched to 67 controls by age, race, sex, and month blood was taken. Risk of colon cancer was reduced by 75% in the third quintile (27-32 ng/ml) and by 80% in the fourth quintile (33-41 ng/ml) of serum 25-OHD. Risk of getting colon cancer decreased three-fold in people with a serum 25-OHD concentration of 20 ng/ml or more. The results are consistent with a protective effect of serum 25-OHD on colon cancer.
Are sunlight deprivation and influenza epidemics associated with the onset of acute leukemia?
Timonen T, Näyhä S, Koskela T, Pukkala E.
Haematologica. 2007 Nov;92(11):1553-6.
PMID: 18024404
doi:10.3324/haematol.10799
Month of diagnosis of 7,423 cases of acute leukemia (AL) in Finland during 1964-2003 were linked with data on influenza and solar radiation. Acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) showed the highest risk in the dark season. During the light season, the incidence decreased by 58% (95% confidence interval, 16-79%) per 1,000 kJ/m2/d increase of solar radiation. Independent of solar radiation, AML increased by 9% (95% confidence interval, 0-19%) during influenza epidemics. Reoccurring at the same time annually, darkness-related vitamin D deficiency and influenza could cause successive and co-operative mutations leading to AL with a short latency.
Vitamin D status and the risk of lung cancer: a cohort study in Finland.
Kilkkinen A, Knekt P, Heliövaara M, Rissanen H, Marniemi J, Hakulinen T, Aromaa A.
Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2008 Nov;17(11):3274-8.
PMID: 18990771v
In conclusion, although there was no overall association between vitamin D and lung cancer risk, women and young participants with a higher level of vitamin D were observed to have a lower lung cancer risk. Although experimental data support the suppressing effect of vitamin D on the development of lung cancer, large epidemiologic studies from different populations with repeated measurements of vitamin D are warranted to confirm this finding. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2008;17(11):3274-8)
Inverse association between serum 25(OH) vitamin D levels and non-melanoma skin cancer in elderly men.
Tang JY, Parimi N, Wu A, John Boscardin W, Shikany JM, Chren MM, Cummings SR, Epstein EH Jr, Bauer DC; for the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS) Study Group.
Cancer Causes Control. 2009 Nov 18. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID: 19921445
Our results suggest that a diagnosis of NMSC is not a surrogate for adequate 25(OH)D levels or increased UV exposure, and high 25(OH)D levels may be associated with a reduced risk of NMSC.
Mitochondrially targeted effects of berberine [Natural Yellow 18, 5,6-dihydro-9,10-dimethoxybenzo(g)-1,3-benzodioxolo(5,6-a) quinolizinium] on K1735-M2 mouse melanoma cells: comparison with direct effects on isolated mitochondrial fractions.
Pereira GC, Branco AF, Matos JA, Pereira SL, Parke D, Perkins EL, Serafim TL, Sardão VA, Santos MS, Moreno AJ, Holy J, Oliveira PJ.
J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2007 Nov;323(2):636-49. Epub 2007 Aug 17.
PMID: 17704354
doi: 10.1124/jpet.107.128017
The present work shows that berberine is accumulated by mitochondria of a mouse melanoma cell line, leading to mitochondrial fragmentation and dysfunction, accompanied by decreased cellular energy charge. When the effect was compared with the results obtained on isolated mitochondrial fractions, it is observed that regardless of the system used, berberine is toxic for mitochondria. One major limitation of the present study (as in many others) is the lack of knowledge of the real concentration of berberine that reaches mitochondria in intact cells. Although we do not possess data regarding this aspect, it is wise to speculate that mitochondrial berberine concentrations will be much higher than in the bulk cytosol due to electrophoretic accumulation. We believe that the range of berberine concentrations accumulated by mitochondria in intact cells is within the range of concentrations used on isolated mitochondrial fractions in the present study. The present work not only provides insights on the mechanism by which berberine interferes with tumor cell proliferation, demonstrating previously unknown effects on mitochondrial physiology, but also raises a note of caution on the use of berberine as a nontoxic "natural" over-the-counter medication.