Cancer

www.freeDCA.com is a scam A new scam site has popped up. www.freeDCA.com. This site has all the hallmarks of the previous scammer, who remains at large. Whether it is him or another person, this one is a fake.

...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:

sodium dichloroacetate

Anticancer properties of oxidation products of docosahexaenoic acid. Siddiqui RA, Harvey K, Stillwell W. Chem Phys Lipids. 2008 May;153(1):47-56. Epub 2008 Feb 23. Review. PMID: 18343223

This month, the authoritative International Agency for Research into Cancer (IARC) have weighed in on the issue. By gathering a group of expert scientists, they have looked at all the available evidence and published a detailed report on vitamin D and cancer. The massive tome weighs in at 465 pages, but we'll take a look at the key points in the first of two posts looking at the vitamin D debate. It is impossible for us to get more than about five percent of the vitamin D we need from our diet - unless, like Eskimos, we eat oily fish three times a day.

Not enough vitamin D: health consequences for Canadians. Schwalfenberg G. Can Fam Physician. 2007 May;53(5):841-54. Review PMID: 17872747 Conclusion Low levels of VTD are considered a major public health problem in Canada, especially during the winter. Those with risk factors should be screened for low 25(OH)D levels and repletion therapy instituted if needed. Researchers have estimated that the oral dose of vitamin D3 to attain and maintain 25(OH)D levels >80 nmol/L is 2200 IU/d if baseline levels are 20 to 40 nmol/L, 1800 IU/d if levels are 40 to 60 nmol/L, and 1160 IU/d if levels are between 60 and 80 nmol/L.64 We need to ensure that patients have healthy blood levels of 25(OH)D to prevent levels of parathyroid hormone from rising and to maximize absorption of calcium, magnesium, and phosphate. Positive effects on bone are marginal at best unless patients consume at least 800 IU/d of VTD. The emerging and exciting role of the VTD receptor and the actions of VTD in maintaining health in other cell types have become more apparent during the last decade.

The association of solar ultraviolet B (UVB) with reducing risk of cancer: multifactorial ecologic analysis of geographic variation in age-adjusted cancer mortality rates. Grant WB, Garland CF. Anticancer Res. 2006 Jul-Aug;26(4A):2687-99. PMID: 16886679 CONCLUSION: These results provide additional support for the hypothesis that solar UVB, through photosynthesis of vitamin D, is inversely-associated with cancer mortality rates, and that various other cancer risk-modifying factors do not detract from this link. It is thought that sun avoidance practices after 1980, along with improved cancer treatment, led to reduced associations in the latter period. The results regarding solar UVB should be studied further with additional observational and intervention studies of vitamin D indices and cancer incidence, mortality and survival rates.

Prospective study of predictors of vitamin D status and cancer incidence and mortality in men. Giovannucci E, Liu Y, Rimm EB, Hollis BW, Fuchs CS, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2006 Apr 5;98(7):451-9. PMID: 16595781 doi:10.1093/jnci/djj101 Conclusions: Low levels of vitamin D may be associated with increased cancer incidence and mortality in men, particularly for digestive-system cancers. The vitamin D supplementation necessary to achieve a 25(OH)D increment of 25 nmol/L may be at least 1500 IU/day.

Dietary vitamin D and cancers of the oral cavity and esophagus. Lipworth L, Rossi M, McLaughlin JK, Negri E, Talamini R, Levi F, Franceschi S, La Vecchia C. Ann Oncol. 2009 Sep;20(9):1576-81. Epub 2009 Jun 1. PMID: 19487490 Conclusion: We observed inverse associations between dietary vitamin D intake and risk of SCCE and, perhaps, oral/pharyngeal cancer, which were most pronounced among heavy current smokers and heavy consumers of alcohol.

Vitamin D in cancer patients: above all, do no harm. Goodwin PJ. J Clin Oncol. 2009 May 1;27(13):2117-9. Epub 2009 Apr 6. PMID: 19349538

BERLIN (Reuters) - More than 124,000 people in Europe developed cancer last year because they are overweight, and rising body fat levels threaten to add tens of thousands more to their ranks, experts said on Thursday.

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.

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.

Calcium, vitamin D and cancer. Peterlik M, Grant WB, Cross HS. Anticancer Res. 2009 Sep;29(9):3687-98. Review. PMID: 19667166

Vitamin D from dietary intake and sunlight exposure and the risk of hormone-receptor-defined breast cancer. Blackmore KM, Lesosky M, Barnett H, Raboud JM, Vieth R, Knight JA. Am J Epidemiol. 2008 Oct 15;168(8):915-24. Epub 2008 Aug 27. PMID: 18756015 doi:10.1093/aje/kwn198 This study suggests that vitamin D is associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer regardless of ER/PR status of the tumor. Future studies with a larger number of receptor-negative and mixed tumors are required.

Calcium, dairy foods, vitamin D, and colorectal cancer risk: the Fukuoka Colorectal Cancer Study. Mizoue T, Kimura Y, Toyomura K, Nagano J, Kono S, Mibu R, Tanaka M, Kakeji Y, Maehara Y, Okamura T, Ikejiri K, Futami K, Yasunami Y, Maekawa T, Takenaka K, Ichimiya H, Imaizumi N. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2008 Oct;17(10):2800-7. PMID: 18843026

Vitamin d and its role in cancer and immunity: a prescription for sunlight. Mullin GE, Dobs A. Nutr Clin Pract. 2007 Jun;22(3):305-22. Review. PMID: 17507731 DOI: 10.1177/0115426507022003305

Association between plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D and breast cancer risk. Crew KD, Gammon MD, Steck SE, Hershman DL, Cremers S, Dworakowski E, Shane E, Terry MB, Desai M, Teitelbaum SL, Neugut AI, Santella RM. Cancer Prev Res (Phila Pa). 2009 Jun;2(6):598-604. Epub 2009 May 26. PMID: 19470790 In summary, these results add to a growing body of evidence that adequate vitamin D stores may prevent breast cancer development. Whereas circulating 25-OHD levels of >32 ng/mL are associated with normal bone mineral metabolism, our data suggest that the optimal level for breast cancer prevention is ≥40 ng/mL. Well-designed clinical trials are urgently needed to determine whether vitamin D supplementation is effective for breast cancer chemoprevention.

Review article: vitamin D acquisition and breast cancer risk. Pérez-López FR, Chedraui P, Haya J. Reprod Sci. 2009 Jan;16(1):7-19. Review. PMID: 19144887 DOI: 10.1177/1933719108327595 Conclusions: Although there are controversial results, it seems plausible that sufficient endogenous vitamin D levels may have a protective function on mammary cells, reducing breast cancer risk.

A multicountry ecologic study of risk and risk reduction factors for prostate cancer mortality. Grant WB. Eur Urol. 2004 Mar;45(3):271-9. PMID: 15036670 CONCLUSIONS: These results are consistent with insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), being an important risk factor for prostate cancer, with alcohol and calcium being less important risk factors, and with allium family vegetables, and, to a lesser extent, vitamin D being important risk reduction factors. These results should provide guidance for additional studies on dietary and environmental links to prostate cancer.