Healthcare Hacks

Banana And Broccoli Extracts Help Crohn’s Disease

Fred Lee — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 05:17:47 +0000

Many of us may recall our parents encouraging us to eat our broccoli, but we were probably not aware of how farsighted their demands may have been. After all, broccoli is one of the "wonder foods" that is believed to be particularly good for us due to its high concentration of fiber, nutrients, and antioxidants.

Now, a new study has revealed that extracts from broccoli, as well as bananas, may be helpful in treating stomach problems, including Crohn's disease. The research focused on the fibers of broccoli and bananas as a way to help boost the body's own natural defenses against stomach infections.

Crohn's disease often affects the lower part of the small intestines, resulting in inflammation, though it can occur anywhere from the mouth to the anus. It is part of a larger group of disorders known collectively as inflammatory bowel disease, which also include ulcerative colitis.

Previous research had shown that people who suffer from Crohn's disease have a significant number of E. coli in their intestines that are described as being "sticky." This seems to coincide with a compromised ability to fight off undesirable bacteria from invading the gut. With the help of special cells (M-cells), these bacteria penetrate the gut wall and lead to chronic inflammation.

The purpose of the study was to see if dietary choices could improve this situation. What they found was that the soluble fiber of plantains actually prevented the uptake of E. coli in the gut. Interestingly, polysorbate 80, which is an emulsifier commonly used in processed foods, had the opposite effect to the fiber and helped the bacteria move across the intestinal wall.

The findings are particularly relevant in light of the increasing prevalence of processed foods in the diets of many people the world over. While a direct connection between processed foods and Crohn's disease has not been established, the disease tends to affect people more commonly in developed countries where dietary choices tend to favor processed foods while avoiding fiber. In fact, the condition is on the rise in areas that are increasingly embracing the Western Diet.

The research therefore suggests that healthy eating in conjunction with limiting the consumption of processed foods might be an important part of maintaining good intestinal health and by extension, preventing and treating conditions like Crohn's disease.

Crohn's disease can affect people of all ages, though it tends to occur in young adults. The exact cause is not known, but it is believed to result from a complex interaction between a person's genes, environment (including diet), and immune system.

It has been estimated that nearly one million Americans suffer from either Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, and males and females are affected equally. 10% of those affected are under the age of 18.

If you have questions or concerns about Crohn's disease, talk to you physician, or visit the homepage for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America.

Permalink | Comments | Fred Lee's blog | Channel: Alternative Treatments, Conditions & Diseases

Similar entries:

Psoriasis Increases Risk For Depression

Fred Lee — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 02:41:08 +0000

By Fred Lee

Psoriasis is a skin condition that affects 1% to 3% of the general population, though some experts estimate that anywhere from 0.4% to 2.3% of adults have the condition but do not report it. While it is not life threatening, it can lead to a rash that is uncomfortable and unsightly, and can affect a person's quality of life.

In fact, a new study has determined that people with psoriasis may have an increased risk for emotional problems that include depression, anxiety, and even suicide. The findings, published in the Archives of Dermatology, support conventional wisdom that indicates a link between psoriasis and mental health, though there are few studies that have actually evaluated the connection.

In order to further investigate this relationship, doctors examined medical records of over 900,000 patients who were divided into three groups. One group suffered from mild psoriasis (146,042), the second group suffered from severe psoriasis (3,956), and the third group did not have any psoriasis (766,950).

Within these groups, patients were subdivided according to whether they had new-onset depression, anxiety, or suicidality. For every 1000 patients with mild or severe psoriasis, 25.9 were diagnosed with depression, 20.9 with anxiety, and 0.9 with suicidality. In broad terms, the data indicates that among people suffering from psoriasis in the study, an estimated 10,400 cases of depression, 7,100 cases of anxiety, and 350 cases of suicidality are linked to psoriasis each year.

The significance of the findings lies in the fact that the emotional consequences of the skin condition can be profound yet, in many instances, treatable through the proper forms of intervention. These include both pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods.

Psoriasis is a skin disease that can lead to itchy or sore areas of skin, often resulting in red, scaly patches. The regions of the body that are most affected include the elbows, knees, scalp, face, and feet, though it can occur on most any part of the body.

Psoriasis is linked to our immune systems and a process called cell turnover. Under normal circumstances, new skin cells develop deep below the surface and slowly rise to the surface to form the skin, a process that can take a month. With psoriasis, this migration occurs too quickly, often within days, resulting in the skin condition.

Certain situations can aggravate psoriasis, including infections, certain medications, and stress. It usually occurs in adults, and often runs in families. Treatment includes creams, drugs, and light therapy.

If you suspect you might have psoriasis, speak with your doctor about your options. For more information, visit the homepage of the National Psoriasis Foundation.

Permalink | Comments | Fred Lee's blog | Channel: Conditions & Diseases

Similar entries:

Pharmaceutical Companies Often Produce Lemons

Fred Lee — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 05:06:20 +0000

By Fred Lee

Consumers must always be wary of being taken when they are making purchases, a concern that generally increases proportionally with the amount of the purchase. A good example of this is getting a new car. The fear of buying what has popularly come to be known as a "lemon" can make buying a car a stressful and anxious process.

However, with all this concern over getting defective products, why is that many of us do not give much thought to poor quality when it comes to our medications? Perhaps it is due to the fact that we inherently trust our doctors and pharmaceutical companies to look out for our best interest. However, a new report has found that this may not be so wise.

According to the findings, the drug industry is in fact a "market for lemons." They have a clear advantage in information that enables them to sell products that are not only less effective, but may also be less safe than most consumers are led to believe.

This behavior has led the industry to hide or downplay important information about side effects, some of which can be serious, while also exaggerating the supposed benefits of their products. They are able to accomplish this by spending huge sums of money on marketing and advertising in order to persuade the medical establishment to use their drugs. This allows drug companies to minimize negative findings while promoting the supposed advantages of their products.

Health care practitioners, in turn, are often recruited by the industry to use their drugs in a variety of situations, some outside their intended purpose, thereby feeding a conflict of interest that misinforms the public while compromising their safety and well-being in lieu of their trust.

The drug industry is able to accomplish this because of the fact that they themselves oversee the testing of new drugs. This can lead to a legal net by which they can protect themselves regarding their claims.

Furthermore,the standards of efficacy required to for new drugs to be approved are relatively low, allowing for the manufacture of medications that are low in quality. Drug manufacturers are able to inundate regulators with huge amounts of information in the form of incomplete trials and substandard studies in order to potentially overwhelm them and thereby approve their drugs.

The end result is that the public's safety is compromised as a myriad of drugs are released whose safety and efficacy is often not known. The situation is aggravated by the fact that toxic side effects and misuse of prescription drugs are a significant cause of death in this country.

The responsibility therefore lies with the public to be informed. If you have questions or concerns about a medication, voice them to your doctor, and if possible, seek out advice and second opinions from other sources. For more information about prescription medication, visit the website for Worst Pills.

Permalink | Comments | Fred Lee's blog | Channel: Drugs & Treatments

Similar entries:

Embryonic Stem Cell Treatment: NuTech "Procedures," Part I

Kyla Puklus — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:12:07 +0000

By Kyla Puklus

"Procedures," Part I

The most dramatic and involved way to receive stem cells here at Nu Tech Mediworld is by what is known as a "procedure." Procedures are different methods of injecting the stem cells into your spinal cord, spinal muscles, or neck area. These procedures are much more involved and are only done by Dr. Ashish Verma, who is the main doctor here besides Dr. Geeta Shroff herself.

I have toggled back and forth in my mind about discussing the different procedures I have experienced, mainly due to the fact that I don't want to scare anybody off. I can make them sound dramatic and scary, I could be vague and elusive or I could make them sound like 'no big deal.' I've asked other patients and have received mixed responses; many fear that telling about 'procedures' might shy people away from coming; others say, why not? It is a large part of the treatment here.

So, here is my disclaimer: I am just one person out of many who have received these various treatments; everyone here has different symptoms, ailments, pain tolerances, outlooks on life and healing, senses of humor, etc. No amount of words can truly describe any event and each person has a different story. It's only my story.

My First Procedure

The doctors and support staff meet about you and your progress daily. Then they decide what kind of 'procedure' you might benefit from and when. You are often told that you are having a procedure only the day before! I received my first procedure after about a week and a half after arriving here. I'd heard a little about the procedures, but had not read anything about them, so I didn't know what to expect. My first procedure was what is referred to as a "DSM," or deep spinal muscle, procedure.

A few of the nurses came to my room dressed in scrubs and told me it was time to come upstairs. On the third floor is a sterile 'surgery' room where some of the procedures take place. I put on the gown they gave me, kept my yoga pants on, and went with them upstairs. When the elevator doors opened to the third floor, I was greeted with a cheerful "Hello Kyla!"

I had no idea who was talking to me until a man pulled down his surgical mask and said, "It's me, O.P!" (Which is short for Om Prakash, I later learned.) If you recall, O.P. picked Jessie and me up from the airport! Ha! Who knew he was a surgery assistant AND a taxi driver?! (He's currently my favorite and I'm always happy when I have a procedure and see his face.) Welcome to India.

I removed my Crocs and walked into the clean room, barefoot, and felt like I'd stepped into the 1970s. The room was clean and brightly lit with medical equipment that looked a lot like the set to M.A.S.H. compared to US modern standards. They had me lie down on a narrow table and put a finger doo-dad on to keep track of my heart rate, etc.

Of course, I couldn't help but notice that every time the door opened and closed with nurses coming in and out, the beeping would speed up in anticipation of Dr. Ashish. It was honestly more nerve-racking than the procedure itself. While waiting, I distracted myself by playing with my heart rate: I thought of tropical beaches, camping in Zion, UT, The Grand Canyon, etc, and heard it slow. Then I would think of needles and impending doom, and hear it crank back up!

Dr. Ashish came in about five minutes later, though it felt like five hours (beep, beep, beep), and cheerfully asked me how I was doing? Um, hello! Freaking out?! But he put my mind at ease, reassured me it wouldn't be a big deal, and then had me turn onto my side and curl in fetal position while three people helped push and hold my legs up into my chest.

While in this comfortable position (not), he directed the mega-watt lights onto my bare back and examined my spine, pressing and fingering the vertebrae, searching for some specific magical place that some anatomy student might know about. He was good about telling me everything he was doing as he was doing it, which I REALLY appreciated.

He cleaned the area and warned me about a small pinch, which I think was a needle with some local anesthetics. He then told me not to move and pushed some sort of larger needle into the muscle next to my spine, about midway up my back. I felt extreme pressure in my back from the needle, then more pressure when he pushed fluid filled with stem cells into the area. The pressure gurgled down into my right hip and stayed there for what felt like forever (like a minute, maybe?), while I focused on impromptu Lamaze breathing.

Just when it stopped and I thought it was over, Dr. Ashish hit me with another shot on the other side of my vertebrate, causing pressure down in the other hip. He talked me through it the whole time, asking about the pressure, where it was, what I was feeling, and reassured me I was doing great and it would be over soon.

When we were finished (whew!) and I slowly uncramped myself from the Sow Bug position, they helped me sit up and got me into a wheelchair. I was wheeled back to my room and instructed to lay flat for an hour before I could get up and carry on with my day 'as usual.' I smiled and tried my best to keep my chin up, barely making it to the room. I made it until they closed my door before breaking down in front of Jessie and crying like a little girl. "Today is not one of my favorite days," I whined.

I described to Jessie how the pain wasn't that great, but the awkward vulnerability got to me. It's pain and pressure in an area you've never felt before. Most people do not know what the inside of their spine or hip feels like! I am already in so much pain in my back that any addition makes me 'lose my cool' — and being in fetal position, with your back exposed, is not a fun way to experience pain.

(Quick note: Looking back, they do get easier and less traumatic, once you know emotionally what to expect. Attitude is huge here, and being positive really helps.)

So, I cried myself to sleep and woke up just fine. Later, one of the nurses told me how excited people were to get procedures! How crazy, I thought to myself. It wasn't until my third procedure, when I really woke up feeling better, that I realized how great procedures really are: You get A LOT of stem cells! Duh!

Bottom line: Bring it on.

Permalink | Comments | Kyla Puklus's blog | Channel: The India Story

Similar entries:

Embryonic Stem Cell Treatment: The Side Effects

Kyla Puklus — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 16:35:12 +0000

By Kyla Puklus

Stem Cell Side Effects: Each Person Is an Individual

Most of my time here at Nu Tech would be considered by most people's standards as 'boring.' I say 'most people' simply because since Lyme Disease has slowly increased my disability, therefore increasing my ability to be content with doing 'nothing.' I'm rarely bored these days; even doing nothing is often 'something.' I used to be one of those 'busy people,' with my life scheduled in 30-minute increments to maximize productivity: college, work, projects, family and friends, etc. (One of my close friends even nicknamed me "Hummingbird.") Many of you probably relate, I'm sure. So, here at NuTech, I've been very busy doing nothing!

As I've previously written, the routine is simple: breakfast, injection, physio, lunch, physio, injection, bed. Somewhere in between that, I sit in my room and Skype family and friends, email, write, read, stretch, shower, or just talk to Andrea. (We've clocked a lot of conversational miles over the years.) Sometimes I get out for a little shopping, for dinner, or for a short sight-seeing stint. (See bird-nerding pic at Lodi Gardens.)

I thought that my blog would be focused on the medical side of stem cells, but I haven't written much on this topic because, well, not much has happened. I have not experienced any real side effects from receiving stem cells.

Some people with Lyme have said they feel 'wired' the first few weeks, then 'tired' the last few week. Amy blogged about feeling extremely hungry and extremely emotional at times; some people have noted increased sweating. My doctor even warned me, "stem cells will make you hungry and frisky.".A few Lyme patients have talked about nothing happening until the first 5-6 week mark, and then noting a sudden turn around where they notice significant improvements. They wake up one day and just "know they are getting better."

I did have a few days of significant improvement, and I did think maybe I was one of those people, but now that my back is hurting today as I sit here, I realize that I am not one of them. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I don't think it is working or that I won't heal; it's just not happening drastically, which, from a scientific perspective, doesn't surprise me at all. Stem cells take time: nine months to three years. In the meantime, from a medical perspective, I have not noticed any real side effects from a day-to-day basis.

There are certain situations that do bring about side effects from stem cells, but these are more intensive, and are, for me, probably caused by the various methods of receiving the stem cells more so than the stem cells themselves. The least invasive way to receive stem cells is via injections, given here twice daily. These injections are sub-cutaneous (although people keep referring to them as intramuscular, which is incorrect) and can be received in either arm or somewhere else if requested. (I have been getting mine in my hip lately.)

Depending on the patient's condition, stem cells can also be infused in an IV drip, which can tax the body and increase fatigue. I receive an IV drip with stem cells about once a week, on average. Most of the time, I feel fine after. The most dramatic and involved way to receive stem cells here is by what is known as a "procedure."

"Procedures" are different methods of injecting the stem cells into your spinal cord. These procedures are much more involved and are only done by Dr. Ashish Varma, who is the main doctor here besides Dr. Geeta Shroff herself. As you can imagine, these procedures would cause some 'side effects,' but again, I believe it is not the stem cells but the invasive application that causes the side effects. But this is just me. I do notice, however, that my condition improves drastically, right after a procedure. I have had four types of procedures since I have been here, but each and every patient who comes here is different, with different stem cell needs. There's no point in comparing notes in who got what procedure and why.

Coming up: more details on procedures themselves, my latest CT scan, the life of a 'caretaker' here, and (hopefully) and updated improvement list…

Stay tuned.

Permalink | Comments | Kyla Puklus's blog | Channel: The India Story

Similar entries:

Genetically Engineered Herpes Virus Used To Fight Cancer

Fred Lee — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 18:19:11 +0000

By Fred Lee

Head and neck cancer is a disease that affects the mouth, nose, sinuses, throat and lymph nodes in the neck. If it detected early enough, is treatable through surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, though because of its location, patients are often required to go through extensive rehabilitation.

Now, researchers have found an alternative approach to battling this form of cancer. Using a genetically modified herpes virus, doctors have successfully treated patients when used in conjunction with conventional treatment. The combination therapy was able to destroy the tumors in most of the patients.

The virus has been engineered to selectively enter only cancer cells and not healthy ones. One inside, it begins killing the tumor cells internally while also producing proteins that activate the immune system.

In the study, published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research, 17 patients were administered the virus in addition to standard cancer treatment, which included surgical removal of the tumor. Following therapy, 93% of the patients given the virus showed no signs of the cancer, and after more than two years, 82 percent of the patients had not succumbed to the disease.

The findings are particularly relevant in light of the fact that approximately 35 to 55 percent of cancer patients who undergo standard chemotherapy and radiation treatment usually relapse within two years.

The researchers indicate that there were no safety concerns regarding the use of the virus and the long-term goal was to use this approach to treat other types of cancer. With this in mind, more research studies are planned, including the use of the virus at different stages of the disease.

Scientists developed the therapy in the hopes of addressing a major problem that doctors run into with head and neck cancer. Though there exist effective ways in treating this form of cancer when it is diagnosed early enough, more than 70 percent of the tumors are not detected until they have progressed to an advanced stage.

Each year in this country, more than 35,000 people are diagnosed with cancer of the mouth or pharynx and more than 12,000 contract cancer of the larynx. It has been estimated that in the United States, nearly a quarter of a million people are survivors of oral or pharyngeal cancer.

Men are 89 percent more likely to contract the disease then women, and are twice as likely to die from it. Though the exact cause is not clear, smoking and tobacco use are a known risk factors and are linked to up to 85 percent of head and neck cancer cases.

If you have questions or concerns, speak with your doctor. For more information about head and neck cancer, visit the website for the National Cancer Institute.

Permalink | Comments | Fred Lee's blog | Channel: Alternative Treatments, Cancer, Conditions & Diseases, Drugs & Treatments

Similar entries:

Having A Drink To Lessen The Severity Of Arthritis

Fred Lee — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 17:00:05 +0000

By Fred Lee

Many of us enjoy having a drink at the end of a long day to help us unwind and relax, but now it seems that a drink may have some tangible health benefits.

That is because a new study has determined that drinking alcohol can ease the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis while also lessening the severity of the disease. The current findings are the result of research that looked at patients suffering from arthritis in relation to how much they drank.

In the study in question, researchers compared alcohol consumption between 873 patients who had arthritis and 1004 people who did not. Drinking profiles were obtained for both groups for the month leading up to the study.

Information pertaining to arthritis was gathered by way of questionnaires, X-rays and blood tests. What the researchers observed was that people who drank the most reported symptoms (joint pain and swelling) that were less severe than those individuals who drank little to no alcohol. Furthermore, people classified as non-drinkers were four times more likely to develop arthritis than people who had more than 10 drinks per month.

Less severe symptoms in the drinking group were confirmed by X-rays, which revealed less damage to the joints, and blood tests, which indicated lower levels of inflammation.

The authors of the study admit that they are at a bit of a loss in explaining why alcohol has a protective effect. Previous work has suggested that alcohol has an inhibitory effect on the immune system, which may in turn affect the progression of arthritis. Once arthritis begins, the anti-inflammatory and pain relieving capabilities of alcohol might come into play reducing the manifestation of symptoms.

More work needs to be done to confirm any relationships between alcohol consumption and arthritis, and health experts warn that this is not a justification for people to go out and start drinking profusely.

After all, excessive consumption of alcohol has many well-documented negative health and social consequences, and people should always drink responsibly. Also, some arthritis medications can severely damage the liver when taken in conjunction with large quantities of alcohol.

Arthritis is a condition that results in stiffness and difficulty in moving around. Arthritis can lead to pain and swelling of the joints, though it can also affect your organs, including your skin and eyes.

Though some forms of arthritis stem from aging or injury (osteoarthritis), rheumatoid arthritis results when our own immune system attacks our tissue. Rheumatoid arthritis can affect people of any age, including children.

There are many different forms of arthritis, so a proper diagnosis requires an examination by your physician. If you have joint pain or suspect you may be suffering from arthritis, consult your doctor as soon as possible. For more information, visit the website for the Arthritis Foundation or the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Permalink | Comments | Fred Lee's blog | Channel: Alternative Treatments, Conditions & Diseases

Similar entries:

Embryonic Stem Cell Treatment: The Week 3 Improvement List

Kyla Puklus — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 16:22:41 +0000

By Kyla Puklus

Week 3: Jessie passes the baton to Andrea as I slowly acknowledge some improvements.

Okay, so it's not really week three. It's more like week six and I'm totally behind on blogging! Very sorry! (I'm having college flashbacks of procrastination and excuses.) I had high hopes to blog regularly and chronologically, so my story would be fluid and helpful to future patients, but alas, I failed.

I think the big question everyone would like to know first and foremost is, "How I am doing?" so I'll start there. I have had some ups and downs and I think the expression "two steps forward, one step back" applies quite nicely. When I arrived, I left California in a state of chaos; it was the end of the school year and grades were due (I teach high school), graduation, my birthday, packing for India, fundraising and money issues, etc. I was exhausted and in incredible pain. I was overwhelmed, scared, excited, apprehensive, determined and, in many cases, dazed and confused. So, it needs to be said that any sort of relaxation would help improve my condition.

When I left CA, my symptoms were:

Lower back pain, upper back pain, shoulder pain, lyme fog, twitching a few times an hour (similar to Tourette's Syndrome), light/sound sensitivity, wrist/arm pain, right knee pain, facial numbness/tingling, fatigue, serious word loss, and a hard time putting sentences together.

Improvements by the third week:

Twitching stopped. Wrist/arm pain improved (I could actually stop sleeping on my arms/hands for compression, which I often did to ease the throbbing.) Right knee stopped hurting and I could slowly begin to take the stairs. Facial tingling stopped. Word loss improved.

But like I said, rest and de-stressing also helped; I'm sure of it. The real milestone is still ahead: Waking up without feeling like a Mac truck has hit me and being able to bend over without being in pain. That's my ultimate goal.

In any case, Jessie and I managed to get out and do a few fun things around my physio and injection schedule. We managed a short stint one Saturday/Sunday to the Taj Mahal (long drive in a taxi-van, but totally worth it!) and even gave an Ayurvedic massage a try. It is NOT relaxing, but a cultural experience nonetheless; imagine two women rubbing your body up and down with hot oil in a rapid, synchronized pattern as you lay on a hard, wooden table, holding on in a super-man position, trying not to fly off the table for like 45 minutes! It's, um, interesting?

Jessie left at the 2.5-week mark and I spent a few days alone Skyping friends and reading before my long-time friend Andrea arrived. She will be here for the remaining five weeks! (Well, two weeks left now.) How lucky am I to have not one, but TWO friends who were willing and able to come and help take care of me?! They made many serious sacrifices and alterations in their life to be here for me and I am truly grateful. It is mandatory to have a caretaker here with you, and besides the money, it is often the hardest aspect for most people. But rest assured, it really is necessary. (I have some perfect examples of why this…stay tuned for an up-coming blog about my migraine fiasco!) Having Jessie and Andrea here has made all the difference in my attitude and overall well-being and mental health. Sometimes we forget how much we really do need our friends!

Upcoming topics: Stem cell '"procedures," 6-week improvement list, the exorcism of a migraine demon, the life of a caretaker…

Permalink | 5 comments | Kyla Puklus's blog | Channel: The India Story

Similar entries:

Green Tea Extract Keeps Leukemia In Check

Fred Lee — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 17:00:04 +0000

By Fred Lee

Health experts believe that green tea has a protective effect on a number of chronic diseases, including heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers. Now, new data resulting from a phase 2 clinical trial has revealed that green tea extracts may have some clinical benefits in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

The extract in question is called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which is a major component of green tea, and has been found to reduce the number of cancer cells in patients suffering from CLL. Previous work with EGCG in the laboratory had shown that the compound was effective against leukemia cells in culture, and these results were followed by the successful use of EGCG in phase 1 clinical trials.

This represented the first time that green tea extracts had been studied in patients. EGCG is part of a growing trend in medicine known as neutraceuticals, which are food or food products that provide potential health or medical benefits, much like a drug.

Neutraceuticals also have the added advantage of being naturally derived and as a consequence, less toxic that synthetic drugs and chemicals. However, experts stress that they are not necessarily a substitute for more stringent approaches to therapy like chemotherapy.

In fact, the patients were given EGCG at a time when their diseases were asymptomatic and would not have otherwise been treated unless the conditions progressed. Furthermore, the use of GECG did not show substantial repression of CLL, though the clinical activity suggests that it may be useful as a way to help stabilize and slow down the progression of the disease.

In the study in question, doctors used the information from the previous trial to design their current approach. Using the highest dose tested, they enrolled a total of 42 patients (41 completed the study) and found that 31 percent of them experienced a 20 percent reduction in leukemia cell counts in their blood. Doctors also saw a reduction in lymph node sizes of up to one half or more in 69 percent of the patients with enlarged glands.

Researchers were also vigilant in keeping track of side effects, mainly because the patients in question were not in advanced stages of the disease. While most trials only look at grade 3 or higher side effects, they included grade 1 and 2 side effects in their analysis. With this in mind, several of the patients experienced some degree of grade 1 or 2 side effects, but only three of the 42 had grade 3 side effects over the course of the study, indicating the treatment was well tolerated.

The authors stress, however, that without phase 3 clinical trials, they cannot at this time make firm recommendations about the use of EGCG in patients with CLL. Those individuals who want to take supplements of EGCG should only do so with under the supervision of their physicians.

If you have questions or concerns about CLL, speak with your doctor or visit the website for the National Cancer Institute. For more information about EGCG, visit the website for the American Cancer Society.

Permalink | Comments | Fred Lee's blog | Channel: Alternative Treatments, Cancer

Similar entries:

A Peachy Way To Fight Breast Cancer

Fred Lee — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 17:00:09 +0000

By Fred Lee

New research has found that extracts from peaches and plums were effective in destroying breast cancer cells while leaving healthy, normal cells unharmed.

The findings, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, indicate that certain chemicals contained in the fruit are responsible for the cancer-fighting abilities. These molecules are known as phenolic compounds, which are slightly acidic and possibly give the fruit their distinctive flavor, appearance, and smell.

Previous work had shown that fruits like plums were actually higher in antioxidants than even blueberries, which have always been considered the gold standard in terms of healthful compounds. Using this information, researchers selected specific varieties of the fruit to test their potential anti-cancer potential.

The specificity of the extracts were also desirable due to the toxicity of current cancer fighting regimens, which can include chemotherapy and radiation. Chemotherapy is also non-selective, meaning that it kills all cells that it comes in contact with, even healthy ones. As a consequence, the side effects of treatment can be very difficult to endure.

In the study in question, cancer cells from breast tumors as well normal cells were exposed to peach and plum extracts. What they observed was that cancer cells were killed while the normal cells were left unharmed. The results were confirmed in animal models.

Scientists believe that the active molecules are two phenolic acid components, chlorogenic and neochlorogenic. The compounds are common in fruit, but are especially high in what are known as "stone fruits," which include peaches and plums.

The authors of the study plan on performing more tests on the fruit in question in order to gain a better understanding of the molecular mechanism behind their cancer fighting abilities as well as how they might be influenced by breeding. They also hope to study the their potential therapeutic effects in other forms of cancer.

Breast cancer originates in the breast tissue, most often in the inner lining of the milk ducts or the lobules that supply milk to the ducts. There are numerous forms of cancer that vary according to the stage of the disease, its aggressiveness, and genetic makeup of the patient. All of these factors can play a role in survival.

After skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common form of cancer diagnosed in women, affecting 1 in 8 women in this country. In 2009, there were 192,370 new cases of breast cancer in women and 40,610 fatalities as a result of breast cancer in both men and women.

If you have questions or concerns, speak with your doctor. For more information about breast cancer, visit the homepage of BreastCancer.org and the National Cancer Institute.

Permalink | Comments | Fred Lee's blog | Channel: Alternative Treatments, Cancer

Similar entries: