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The Author The author of this site is the British writer, John Davidson. Please note that the author is neither a doctor, nor a qualified health practitioner. Every cancer patient should always consult his or her medical practitioner with regard to the use of complementary remedies or treatments, and nothing on this site should be construed in any way as medical or therapeutic advice. It is simply the result of one person's search for solutions. Please read our disclaimer. About This Site Internet searches trawl up vast amounts of information about cancer, from a broad spectrum of viewpoints. The information and internet links on this site are for those seeking to augment the treatment offered by their hospital oncology (cancer) unit. Of course, a great many other internet sites concerning cancer can be found by keying the requisite search words into any of the major search engines. The content of this site was initially prepared, at the request of medical and nursing staff and others, some weeks after I had had an emergency operation for the removal of a colon cancer, and while undergoing chemotherapy in case any cancer cells had gone AWOL. There had been some escape of cancer cells into associated lymph nodes (3 out of 17, including the most distal), but no other tumours had been picked up by a CT scan. When I returned home from hospital in September 2005, with the help of friends, I started doing some research on cancer. I was amazed to discover that despite the billions of pounds/euros/dollars etc. spent on cancer research, and the many advances in understanding the numerous variants of the disease, the standard treatment for my stage of colon cancer is still a drug (fluorouracil, also called 5FU) that has been in use for more than forty years, has uncomfortable side effects, and which only increases the chances of survival after five years by 5 to 10%.

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The role of vitamin D in cancer prevention. Garland CF, Garland FC, Gorham ED, Lipkin M, Newmark H, Mohr SB, Holick MF. Am J Public Health. 2006 Feb;96(2):252-61. Epub 2005 Dec 27. Review. PMID: 16380576 DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2004.045260 Vitamin D status differs by latitude and race, with residents of the northeastern United States and individuals with more skin pigmentation being at increased risk of deficiency. A PubMed database search yielded 63 observational studies of vitamin D status in relation to cancer risk, including 30 of colon, 13 of breast, 26 of prostate, and 7 of ovarian cancer, and several that assessed the association of vitamin D receptor genotype with cancer risk. The majority of studies found a protective relationship between sufficient vitamin D status and lower risk of cancer. The evidence suggests that efforts to improve vitamin D status, for example by vitamin D supplementation, could reduce cancer incidence and mortality at low cost, with few or no adverse effects.

The role of vitamin D in cancer prevention. Garland CF, Garland FC, Gorham ED, Lipkin M, Newmark H, Mohr SB, Holick MF. Am J Public Health. 2006 Feb;96(2):252-61. Epub 2005 Dec 27. Review. PMID: 16380576 DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2004.045260 Vitamin D status differs by latitude and race, with residents of the northeastern United States and individuals with more skin pigmentation being at increased risk of deficiency. A PubMed database search yielded 63 observational studies of vitamin D status in relation to cancer risk, including 30 of colon, 13 of breast, 26 of prostate, and 7 of ovarian cancer, and several that assessed the association of vitamin D receptor genotype with cancer risk. The majority of studies found a protective relationship between sufficient vitamin D status and lower risk of cancer. The evidence suggests that efforts to improve vitamin D status, for example by vitamin D supplementation, could reduce cancer incidence and mortality at low cost, with few or no adverse effects

Vitamin D and the epidemiology of prostate cancer. Schwartz GG. Semin Dial. 2005 Jul-Aug;18(4):276-89. Review. PMID: 16076349 DOI: 10.1111/j.1525-139X.2005.18403.x

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.

Pilot study: potential role of vitamin D (Cholecalciferol) in patients with PSA relapse after definitive therapy. Woo TC, Choo R, Jamieson M, Chander S, Vieth R. Nutr Cancer. 2005;51(1):32-6. PMID: 15749627

Antitumor activity of human papillomavirus type 16 E7-specific T cells against virally infected squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Albers A, Abe K, Hunt J, Wang J, Lopez-Albaitero A, Schaefer C, Gooding W, Whiteside TL, Ferrone S, DeLeo A, Ferris RL. Cancer Res. 2005 Dec 1;65(23):11146-55. PMID: 16322265

Nutritional intervention with omega-3 Fatty acids in a case of\nmalignant fibrous histiocytoma of the lungs. Pardini RS, Wilson D, Schiff S, Bajo SA, Pierce R. Nutr Cancer. 2005;52(2):121-9. PMID: 16201843

Effects of perioperative cimetidine administration on peripheral blood lymphocytes and tumor infiltrating lymphocytes in patients with gastrointestinal cancer: results of a randomized controlled clinical trial. Li Y, Yang GL, Yuan HY, Bai DJ, Wang K, Lin CR, Hu MB, Feng MH. Hepatogastroenterology. 2005 Mar-Apr;52(62):504-8. PMID: 15816467

Nutrient intake and immune function of elderly subjects. Wardwell L, Chapman-Novakofski K, Herrel S, Woods J. J Am Diet Assoc. 2008 Dec;108(12):2005-12. PMID: 19027403 doi:10.1016/j.jada.2008.09.003

Platelets and fibrin(ogen) increase metastatic potential by impeding natural killer cell-mediated elimination of tumor cells. Palumbo JS, Talmage KE, Massari JV, La Jeunesse CM, Flick MJ, Kombrinck KW, Jirousková M, Degen JL. Blood. 2005 Jan 1;105(1):178-85. Epub 2004 Sep 14. PMID: 15367435 DOI 10.1182/blood-2004-06-2272

H. Weiler A platelet cloak for tumor cells Blood, January 1, 2005; 105(1): 5 - 6. Palumbo and colleagues show that platelets and fibrinogen protect metastatic tumor cells from elimination by NK cells, confirming a striking mechanistic link between activation of the blood coagulation system and the spread of tumor metastases

Age, stress, and poor nutrition can sap our immune system of its effectiveness. Influenza provides one example. During young adulthood, when the body can mount a robust immune response to this common virus, influenza is rarely fatal. Among the elderly, however, the virus is associated with significant rates of death and hospitalization (Nichol KL 2005). The impact of aging on the immune system is profound. As people age, a number of critical immune system components are reduced or slowed, including cellular response, response to vaccines, and antibody production. At the same time, susceptibilities to infection and cancer are increased. Some of this increased susceptibility to disease is linked to chronic inflammation, which is associated with many disorders of aging (Ershler WB et al 2000; Hamerman D 1999; Taaffe DR et al 2000).

Mainstream medical treatment of cancer revolves around surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, used either alone or in combination (Isobe T et al 2005; Ostoros G et al 2005). Chemotherapy and radiation therapy cannot discriminate between cancer cells and healthy cells; thus, they damage both types of cells and cause serious and often debilitating side effects, frequently forcing patients to abandon treatment (Ettinger DS 2005; Giraud P et al 2004; Munden RF et al 2005). Therefore, it is not surprising that many cancer patients now opt to complement conventional treatments with alternative therapies that may not only temper the adverse side effects of conventional cancer therapy, but also improve its effectiveness via independent anti-cancer effects.

Nutritional intervention with omega-3 Fatty acids in a case of malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the lungs. Pardini RS, Wilson D, Schiff S, Bajo SA, Pierce R. Nutr Cancer. 2005;52(2):121-9. PMID: 16201843

A collaborative study led by UCL (University College London) shows that the compound - inositol pentakisphosphate - found in beans, nuts and cereals inhibits a key enzyme (phosphoinositide 3-kinase) involved in tumour growth. The findings, published in the latest issue of Cancer Research, suggest that a diet enriched in such foods could help prevent cancer, while the inhibitor offers a new tool for anti-cancer therapy.

Dr Marco Falasca and colleagues have discovered that a natural compound, called inositol pentakisphosphate, which is found in most legumes as well as in wheat bran and nuts, blocks the activity of the enzyme. When they tested its action in mice with ovarian and lung cancer they found it not only blocked tumour growth but also enhanced the effect of other cancer-killing drug

Cannabinoids inhibit the vascular endothelial growth factor pathway in gliomas. Blázquez C, González-Feria L, Alvarez L, Haro A, Casanova ML, Guzmán M. Cancer Res. 2004 Aug 15;64(16):5617-23. PMID: 15313899

Cannabinoids and cancer: causation, remediation, and palliation. Hall W, Christie M, Currow D. Lancet Oncol. 2005 Jan;6(1):35-42. Review. PMID: 15629274 doi:10.1016/S1470-2045(04)01711-5

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.