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"Berberine, the yellow alkaloid ingredient of several traditional anticancer herbs such as Oregon grape root has an expanding literature confirming its anticancer properties. Here are a few recent studies…Oregon grape root was an ingredient of the controversial Hoxseys formula, and berberine herbs were included in Eclectic anticancer formula. Click Links for PubMed"

An estimate of cancer mortality rate reductions in Europe and the US with 1,000 IU of oral vitamin D per day. Grant WB, Garland CF, Gorham ED. Recent Results Cancer Res. 2007;174:225-34. Review. PMID: 17302200

Environmental toxins, such as asbestos, have been linked to a recent rise in lung cancer.

According to a recent YA study, doctors, nurses and other health care workers seem to be missing the chance to counsel patients with malignant pleural

(NaturalNews) An anti-cancer compound found in broccoli and cabbage stops breast cancer by lowering the activity of an enzyme associated with rapidly advancing breast cancer, according to a recent study from the University of California, Berkley. That compound was indole-3-carbinol (I3C). Today, scientists have found that diindolymethane (DIM), a molecule found in I3C, is the chemoprotective compound that gets the job done. According to them, DIM is the better choice for women wanting to halt breast

ScienceDaily (Feb. 10, 2009) - UGR News Researchers of the Catalonian Institute of Oncology (Spain) and the University of Granada (Spain) have discovered that extra virgin olive oil may help to combat breast cancer, according to a paper published in a recent issue of 'BMC Cancer'. The scientists have confirmed the bioactivity of polyphenols (this is, natural antioxidants) present in olive oil in breast cancer cell lines.

Recent media reports are suggesting that a diet high in fruits and vegetables and low in fat has no notable impact on breast cancer recurrence or death.\n\nInternationally recognized integrative cancer care specialist Keith Block, MD, is advising breast cancer survivors to pay no heed to these stories.

Vitamin D may not just be good for you, it may help save your life. Recent research from Johns Hopkins University suggests that higher amounts of vitamin D in your diet decreases your likelihood of dying. Studies found that a vitamin D deficiency increases your risk of death by 26 percent, and vitamin D decreases the mortality rate from almost every type of cancer including breast, colon and prostate. Research also suggests that vitamin D helps prevent diabetes, kidney disease and cardiovascular disease.

Dichloroacetate (DCA), a drug that has been used for many years in patients with metabolic disorders, has recently been gaining attention for its cancer-fighting capabilities. Studies in the lab have already shown its potential against lung, breast and glioblastoma cancer cells. Now a new study in the journal Gynecoogic Oncology finds that DCA might also be a promising therapy for endometrial cancer.

Grant WB, Garland CF, Gorham ED. An estimate of cancer mortality rate reductions in Europe and the US with 1,000 IU of oral vitamin D per day. Recent Results Cancer Res. 2007;174:225-34. PMID: 17302200 [PubMed - in process]

Recently, the attention as gone to a category of natural biochemical called "Salvestrols." These are a class of natural molecules with dozens of different names. Resveratrol was the first to be identified, from grape skins, but scientists are still lookin

OncoLink was founded in 1994 by Penn cancer specialists with a mission to help cancer patients, families, health care professionals and the general public get accurate cancer-related information at no charge. Recent changes have been made to OncoLink to update the look and feel of our site. OncoLink is designed to make it easy for the general public to navigate through the pages to obtain the information that they want. The home page has buttons and hypertext links. If you click on the buttons or the underlined text with your mouse, you will go directly to your area of interest.

ScienceDaily (Dec. 5, 2009) - A new study has found that the amount of vitamin D in patients being treated for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was strongly associated with cancer progression and overall survival. The results will be presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology in New Orleans. Also, several recent reports have concluded that vitamin D deficiency is associated with poor outcomes in other cancers, including breast, colon and head and neck cancer. This is the first study to look at lymphoma outcome.

Scientists in Japan recently studied some of the glyconutrients from spinach and found they inhibited destruction of DNA, cancer cell growth, and tumor growth. They used the nutrients to suppress the growth of colon adenocarcinoma in mice. After a two week period of ingesting the nutrients, a 56.1% decrease in solid tumor volume occurred without any side effects. And the nutrients reduced the ability of tumors to supply themselves with blood which they need to fuel their growth. Markers of cell proliferation were drastically reduced. (Lipids, August, 2008)

D structure of the virus, known as Seneca Valley Virus-001, reveals that it is unlike any other known member of the Picornaviridae viral family, and confirms its recent designation as a separate genus "Senecavirus." The new study reveals that the virus's outer protein shell looks like a craggy golf ball¬-one with uneven divets and raised spikes-and the RNA strand beneath it is arranged in a round mesh rather like a whiffleball. "It is not at all like other known picornaviruses that we are familiar with, including poliovirus and rhinoviruses, which cause the common cold," says the study's senior author, Associate Professor Vijay S. Reddy, Ph.D., of The Scripps Research Institute. "This crystal structure will now help us understand how Senecavirus works, and how we can take advantage of it." The Senecavirus is a "new" virus, discovered several years ago by Neotropix Inc., a biotech company in Malvern, Pennsylvania. It was at first thought to be a laboratory contaminant, but researchers found it was a pathogen, now believed to originate from cows or pigs. Further investigation found that the virus was harmless to normal human cells, but could infect certain solid tumors, such as small cell lung cancer, the most common form of lung cancer.

...has been the number one Google search term leading people to the blog this week - and that worries me. As I wrote about a week ago, dichloroacetate, or DCA, is the molecule tested recently by a team at University of Alberta for its ability to slow the growth of human lung cancer in immunocompromised rats. Among DCA's action is the ability to prevent cancer cells from producing lactic acid via aerobic glycolysis, a process used by more than half (but not all) tumors. Scientists continue to debate whether this process is a cause of cancer, or just a byproduct of malignant cell transformation. I am deeply concerned that desperate cancer patients may be trying to purchase dichloroacetate (DCA) and self-treat for cancer based on this highly-hyped single paper. To the credit of the researchers and their institution, who have set up a website to address the intense interest, they discourage such practice:

Coriolus versicolor is a mushroom of the Basidiomycetes class. It was used initially in Traditional Chinese medicine as a tonic, but recent studies suggest that it has immunostimulant and anti-tumor properties. Polysaccharide-K (PSK), a proprietary product derived from Coriolus, was developed for cancer treatment in Japan. When used as an adjuvant, PSK appears to improve survival rates in patients with gastric (1) (2) and colorectal (3) (4) (5) cancers. Other Coriolus extracts, such as polysaccharide-peptide (PSP) and VPS, are available as dietary supplements. When used in conjunction with chemotherapy, PSP may benefit patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (7). Other clinical studies using Coriolus extract alone or in combination with other botanicals also suggest positive immunomodulatory effects (8) (9). However, studies on breast cancer (10), hepatocellular carcinoma (11), and leukemia (12) produced mixed results. A hot water extract of Coriolus, VPS, was found to enhance development of large intestinal tumors in mice (21). Coriolus extracts are generally well tolerated but minor adverse effects have been reported. Many over-the-counter Coriolus products are not standardized, making it difficult to compare potency between brands. It is also unclear if PSK, PSP and other Coriolus extracts have comparable effects.

If you're from Japan, you're probably wondering why I've listed PSK under alternative therapies. In Japan, PSK is an approved anti-cancer drug with 20 years of research behind it. PSK sales in Japan account for hundreds of millions dollars worth of sales each year. But in the US, PSK is little known, is not used by mainstream doctors, and until recently nothing like it was readily available. Now a nutritional supplement designed to be identical to PSK is available in the US, but very few mainstream doctors, and actually not many alternative practitioners are aware of it. So in the US, PSK has the status of a little known nutritional supplement or alternative therapy. Which is too bad in light of its proven benefits, easy administration, and lack of toxicity. Before I start sounding too much more like an advertisement, let me confess. I really am excited about it, but I have no financial interest in it; I'm not selling it.

A recently published study in Nutrition and Cancer (60(5), 643-651) by researchers at Kansai Medical University in Osaka, Japan has shown that AHCC (Active Hexose Correlated Compound) enhances immune function by increasing the number of dendritic cells (DCs). DCs are a key part of the immune system responsible for presenting foreign substances to other immune system cells. The study was conducted in a double-blind randomized fashion where twenty-one healthy subjects received a placebo or AHCC at 3.0 g/day for 4 weeks. Blood samples were obtained and measured at baseline and at 4 weeks. The number of circulating types of DCs was measured which included CD 11c+ DCs (myeloid DC population; DC1) and CD11c- DCs (lymphoid DC population; DC2). Other parameters measured included mixed-leukocyte reaction (MLR), natural killer (NK) cell activity, the proliferative response of T lymphocytes toward mitogen (phytohemagglutinin [PHA]) and cytokine production of interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, interferon gamma-gamma, and (alpha)-tumor necrosis factor.

Vitamin D is associated with improved survival in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer patients. Zhou W, Suk R, Liu G, Park S, Neuberg DS, Wain JC, Lynch TJ, Giovannucci E, Christiani DC. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2005 Oct;14(10):2303-9. PMID: 16214909 In conclusion, the joint effects of surgery season and recent vitamin D intake seem to be associated with the survival of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer patients.