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Determining the best way of treating cancer remains highly controversial, even among mainstream oncologists. What may surprise the reader is the large number of documented therapies that have been overlooked by establishment medicine. The fundamental objective of this book is to encourage the expedient transfer of published scientific findings from the research bench to the clinical setting where the patient may benefit. This is the concept of translational medicine, which means translating knowledge from the laboratory side of medicine to the front lines of patient care. Physicians who practice translational medicine react uniquely when informed about a novel therapy. Their curiosity first motivates them to evaluate the new approach in order to reaffirm safety and efficacy in the context of treatment that is appropriate to the patient's condition. The dedicated translational physician uses novel therapeutics based on:

"Língzhī (traditional Chinese: 靈芝; simplified Chinese: 灵芝; Japanese: reishi; Korean: yeongji, hangul: 영지) is the name for one form of the mushroom Ganoderma lucidum, and its close relative Ganoderma tsugae. Ganoderma lucidum enjoys special veneration in Asia, where it has been used as a medicinal mushroom in traditional Chinese medicine for more than 4,000 years, making it one of the oldest mushrooms known to have been used in medicine. Lingzhi may possess anti-tumor, immunomodulatory and immunotherapeutic activities, supported by studies on polysaccharides, terpenes, and other bioactive compounds isolated from fruiting bodies and mycelia of this fungus (reviewed by R. R. Paterson[4] and Lindequist et al.[7]). It has also been found to inhibit platelet aggregation, and to lower blood pressure (via inhibition of angiotensin-converting enzyme[8]), cholesterol and blood sugar.[9] Laboratory studies have shown anti-neoplastic effects of fungal extracts or isolated compounds against some types of cancer. In an animal model, Ganoderma has been reported to prevent cancer metastasis,[10] with potency comparable to Lentinan from Shiitake mushrooms.[11] The mechanisms by which G. lucidum may affect cancer are unknown and they may target different stages of cancer development: inhibition of angiogenesis (formation of new, tumor-induced blood vessels, created to supply nutrients to the tumor) mediated by cytokines, cytoxicity, inhibiting migration of the cancer cells and metastasis, and inducing and enhancing apoptosis of tumor cells

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) are therapies of proven or unproven efficacy that have been used to promote wellness, to manage symptoms associated with cancer and its treatment or to treat cancer. When properly combined with standard cancer treatments, some complementary therapies can enhance wellness and quality of life, but others may be harmful during or after treatment for cancer. Most, but not all, are natural products.

Researchers at McGill University and the University of Pennsylvania have discovered that a widely used anti-diabetic drug can boost the immune system and increase the potency of vaccines and cancer treatments. Their findings will be published June 3 in the journal Nature. The discovery was made by Dr. Russell Jones, an assistant professor at McGill's Goodman Cancer Centre and the Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Yongwon Choi, PhD, professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, and postdoctoral fellow Erika Pearce, PhD, of the University of Pennsylvania. They discovered that the widely prescribed diabetes treatment metformin increases the efficiency of the immune system's T-cells, which in turn makes cancer and virus-fighting vaccines more effective.

The Integrative Medicine Service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center was established in 1999 to complement mainstream medical care and address the emotional, social, and spiritual needs of patients and families. The Service includes: patient and outpatient clinical care research, and education and training. In addition, the Service provides unique access to otherwise unavailable information about over-the-counter products and unproven cancer treatments and their impact in the context of cancer care via our About Herbs database

The National Cancer Institute is sponsoring a clinical trial of a new medicine in hopes that it will help mesothelioma patients whose cancers have been unresponsive to chemotherapy.

Copper Control as an Antiangiogenic Anticancer Therapy: Lessons from Treating Wilson's Disease -- Brewer 226 (7): 665 -- Experimental Biology and Medicine

Over many centuries, Frankincense oil has been found to have medicinal benefits. Now, an enriched extract of the Somalian Frankincense herb (Boswellia carteri) has been shown to kill off bladder cancer cells growing in culure. Research presented in the journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine demonstrates that this herb has the potential to become an alternative therapy for bladder cancer.

Stem cells are unprogrammed cells in the human body that can be described as "shape shifters." These cells have the ability to change into other types of cells. Stem cells are at the center of a new field of science called regenerative medicine. Because stem cells can become bone, muscle, cartilage and other specialized types of cells, they have the potential to treat many diseases, including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, diabetes and cancer. Eventually, they may also be used to regenerate organs, reducing the need for organ transplants and related surgeries. "Stem cells are like little kids who, when they grow up, can enter a variety of professions," Dr. Marc Hedrick of the UCLA School of Medicine says. "A child might become a fireman, a doctor or a plumber, depending on the influences in their life -- or environment. In the same way, these stem cells can become many tissues by making certain changes in their environment."

"Berberine is a plant alkaloid isolated from the roots and bark of several herbs. Some of these herbs include: Barberry (Berberis vulgaris), Berberis integerrima. Berbamine and berberine are found in the plant barberry. Coptis chinensis or Berberis aristata Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) Oregon Grape (Berberis aquifolium) Phellodendron Amurense Yerba mansa (Anemopsis californica). The berberine alkaloid can be found in the roots, rhizomes, stem, and bark of the plants. Berberine-containing plants are used medicinally in many traditional medical systems, including Ayurvedic herbal and Chinese herbal medicine. Coptis chinensis rhizome -- Golden Thread -- Huang Lian -- Intense yellow color most likely due to high content of berberine, which is very bitter in taste"

"Berberine is a bitter-tasting, yellow, plant alkaloid with a long history of medicinal use in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine. Berberine is present in the roots, rhizomes and stem bark of various plants including Hydrastis canadensis (goldenseal), Coptis chinensis (coptis or goldenthread), Berberis aquifolium (Oregon grape), Berberis vulgaris (barberry), and Berberis aristata (tree turmeric). Berberine has also been used historically as a dye, due to its yellow color. Clinical trials have been conducted using berberine. There is some evidence to support its use in the treatment of trachomas (eye infections), bacterial diarrhea, and leishmaniasis (parasitic disease). Berberine has also shown antimicrobial activity against bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoans, helminths (worms), and chlamydia (STD). Future clinical research is warranted in these areas, as well as cardiovascular disease, skin disorders, and liver disorders.

Researchers investigating the role of cannabis in cancer therapy reveal it has the potential to destroy leukaemia cells, in a paper published in the March 2006 edition of Letters in Drug Design & Discovery.  Led by Dr Wai Man Liu, at Barts and the London, Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry, the team has followed up on their findings of 2005 which showed that the main active ingredient in cannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, has the potential to be used effectively against some forms of cancer.  Dr Liu has since moved to the Institute of Cancer in Sutton where he continues his work into investigating the potential therapeutic benefit of new anti-cancer agents.

Zittermann A. Vitamin D in preventive medicine: are we ignoring the evidence? Br J Nutr. 2003 May;89(5):552-72. Review. PMID: 12720576 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Li H, Stampfer MJ, Hollis JBW, Mucci LA, Gaziano JM, et al. (2007) A Prospective Study of Plasma Vitamin D Metabolites, Vitamin D Receptor Polymorphisms, and Prostate Cancer. PLoS Med 4(3): e103 doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0040103

Traditional Chinese medicine Astragalus reverses predominance of Th2 cytokines and their up-stream transcript factors in lung cancer patients. Wei H, Sun R, Xiao W, Feng J, Zhen C, Xu X, Tian Z. Oncol Rep. 2003 Sep-Oct;10(5):1507-12. PMID: 12883732

In a paper published Nov. 9 in Science Translational Medicine, computer scientists at the Stanford School of Engineering and pathologists at the Stanford School of Medicine report their collaboration to train computers to analyze breast cancer microscopic images.

THURSDAY, March 5 (HealthDay News) -- A drug based on compounds extracted from cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage could offer a potent and safe treatment against melanoma, Penn State College of Medicine researchers say.

February 14, 2009 - (BRONX, NY) - Scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have piggybacked antibodies onto radioactive payloads to deliver doses of radiation that selectively target and destroy microbial and HIV-infected cells. The experimental treatment - called radioimmunotherapy, or RIT - holds promise for treating various infectious diseases, including HIV and cancers caused by viruses. The research was presented today at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world's largest general scientific society and the publishers of the journal Science.