”Pain-Less Cancer Therapy”

With proper nutrition, cancer changes from a painful, acute disease to a simple, chronic, often 00painless disease. Present cancer therapies of radiation, surgery, hormones and even surgery weaken the body unnecessarily. Unfortunately, we generally avoid the obvious strengthening that good nutrition has demonstrated for thousands of patients.

Doctors treating cancer can use only the approved therapies just mentioned. Vitamin C and nutritional therapies are not approved. Approval comes only from state medical boards. In Texas, for example, the board follows “Rule 190 et. seq, [which] provides the Board with sole and exclusive authority to determine the charges on the merits, to impose sanctions for violation of the Act or a Board rule, and to issue a Final Order.” Note that Rule 190 provides legislative, executive and judicial power to state medical boards! All states have medical boards composed mostly of doctors who put profit above patients. Cheap therapies are not approved. This explains why cancer has become far too expensive and cure rates stagnate.

When your doctor says vitamin C is not approved for cancer, he is following his state medical board but also preserving his job. Fortunately, patients can safely and legally use vitamin C to control their cancer, as explained in this book.

Patients can frequently avoid being sucked into the maelstrom of medical misery. I did. I got well without ever getting sick! For 14 years, I have successfully treated my aggressive prostate cancer mostly with vitamin C and nutrition. In many cases, you can too.

In 1969 The National Cancer Institute¹ found that vitamin C killed cancer cells without harming normal cells. Dr. Abram Hoffer,² M.D., Ph.D., developed this laboratory test into a clinically demonstrated procedure for using vitamin C and other standard supplements to help patients with many types of cancer live longer and with less pain. This web site is based on improving regular therapies by strengthening our bodies by adding vitamins and over-the-counter supplements.

The mainline therapies for cancer: surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and hormones, work quite well and we should continue them. However, they weaken the body. Many clinical tests show that strengthening the body can greatly improve the results of using these mainline therapies. Vitamins and supplements have helped many types of advanced cancer patients live much longer than those patients not strengthening their bodies.

Linus Pauling² estimated that for every 8 patients who die of cancer, 7 could be saved by enough vitamins if started early. Irwin Stone³ said that “the cancer problem has been solved, and all that is needed now is the routine large-scale tests to verify this conclusion.” Hoffer’s extensive demonstrations, confirmed by others, shows that vitamin therapy can be used now and large-scale tests are not needed.

The author is a chemical engineer, not a physician. He was diagnosed with early but aggressive prostate cancer. After an initial PSA of 8.1 and a Gleason of 6, he used vitamins and triple hormones for about 1 year and then Proscar plus vitamins for the next 13 years. His cancer is nicely in remission with an average of PSA of 0.6. His latest PSA is 0.34. Normal PSA is 0 to 4.0. He has never had chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, or pain. This is written in love to help others who have cancer. He has no financial interest in any product or service mentioned here except book sales. This memo may be distributed for noncommercial use, in part or in full, in whatever manner the reader wishes without further permission. Please advise author of such use. Reagan Houston, 600 Carolina Village #165, Hendersonville, NC 28792, phone and fax 828-692-3722. Send comments to h@CancerTherapies.org.

This web site is provided for information only and not as medical advice or instruction. No action should be taken based solely on this web site; instead, readers who fail to consult appropriate health authorities assume the risk of all injuries or harm.

Thanks are due Townsend Letter for publishing several of my articles with some included here. We also thank Doctors Abram Hoffer and Steve Hickey for extensive comments and discussion.

Vitamins Cancer and Hope

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Chemotherapy and radiation are good, standard cancer therapies but even with these, one-third of cancer patients die in five years.⁴ Can we improve these therapies? Dr. Abram Hoffer,² a physician who had earned his Ph.D. in vitamins and is the author of Vitamin C and Cancer, chose diet and vitamins to help patients live longer and to combat the weakening caused by regular therapies. One of Hoffer’s early patients with pancreatic cancer had failed surgery because the tumor at the head of her pancreas was inoperable. However a bypass was installed. Her doctor offered no hope. He said she would be dead in three months. But she had hope. She knew that Norman Cousins (Anatomy of an Illness) had recovered after his doctors had given up. Cousins had used 15,000 mg/day of vitamin C. Hoffer gave her vitamin C at 35,000 mg/day plus other supplements. Seven months later a CT scan showed no sign of cancer. Five years later, she decreased her daily dose of vitamin C. Twenty years after her terrible prognosis, she died at age 79. Even pancreatic cancer has been controlled! The American Cancer Society⁴ reports that 96% of pancreatic cancer patients die within five years.

Hoffer's Multivitamins.

Beginning in 1978, Hoffer^5,6started a 15-year test on 134 advanced cancer patients. His approach was to counter the weakening caused by cancer, surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy by strengthening the body and the immune system. He offered vitamins, Table 1, and diet (low meat, low sugar, high fruits and vegetables). In his test group with patients having many types of advanced cancers, those who refused vitamins lived a median of 2.6 months. Those who accepted vitamins lived 45 months or 17 times longer.

Table 1. Dr. Hoffer's Regimens
	Early	Later⁶
Vitamin C mg	12,000	12,000
range	3,000 to 40,000	3,000 to 40,000
*Vitamin A, IU	10-50,000
*Beta carotene	30K-75K	30,000 IU
Vitamin B complex	B-50 to B-100	1 or 2 of B-100
Vitamin D-3	5,000 IU	To 19,000
Vitamin E, IU	300
Vitamin E succinate		800 IU.
Selenium	600 mcg	400 to 600
Zinc as citrate	60 mg	60 mg
Coenzyme Q10		300 IU
Curcumin		300 mg
*Bioperin		15 mg
* Optional

Use surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy in moderation. Then add pills each day in divided doses with meals. The vitamin C can be the regular ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate or a mixture. Hoffer occasionally included calcium and magnesium.

Hoffer⁶ has improved his average regimen by adding vitamin D3 at 4,000 to 6,000 IU, Coenzyme Q10 at 300 mg and a combination of curcumin 300 mg with bioperin 15 mg. As a major change,⁷ he recommends that patients receive 100,000 mg of sodium ascorbate by IV daily. Actually, his patients usually received only oral vitamin C.

To all of his cancer patients, Hoffer offered the vitamin regimen, diet, and hope based on the results with earlier patients. Those who accepted vitamins thus had the advantages of vitamins, diet and hope compared to those who rejected vitamins. Self-selection is not ideal for statistical purposes, but is typical of real life. Patients who chose vitamins demonstrated hope and hope helps healing.

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What Types Of Cancer?

Hoffer has treated over thirty types of cancers with impressive results, Table 2. Most of his patients had advanced cancers that could not be helped by additional surgery, radiation or chemotherapy. For example, all 32 of the breast cancer patients had surgery, radiation and/or chemotherapy. The median life of these very sick patients who chose to take vitamins was 70 months while those without vitamins had a median life of only 3.7 months.

Table 2. Median Survival of Hoffer's Patients with Various Types of Cancer, Months
Type of	With	Without
Cancer	Vitamins	Vitamins
Breast	70	3.7
Uterus	99	4.0
Ovary	16	3.6
Lung	17	2.0
Pancreas	40	2.4
All types	45	2.6

High-dose vitamin C appears to act as an antioxidant in most of the body but as a cancer-killing oxidant within cancer cells. Hoffer's vitamin therapy “has given [his patients] more energy, has improved depression and anxiety, has created a sense of well being, has eased pain and has often eliminated pain entirely.”²

As reported by Hoffer, Pauling said “The cancer death rate could be reduced by 25% of its present value...if a reasonable multivitamin regimen were to be followed regularly by every person.”

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Cameron's Vitamin C Regimen

Instead of a handful of common vitamins, Dr. Ewan Cameron, MB, ChB,⁸ Senior Consultant Surgeon in Scotland, started his patients on vitamin C only. He administered vitamin C in the form of sodium ascorbate and mostly 10,000 mg/day either orally or intravenously, IV, for two weeks followed by oral vitamin C continuously. His vitamin-taking patients lived four times longer than similar patients at the same hospital who were not given vitamins. Cameron joined with Dr. Linus Pauling, Ph.D. a double Nobel Laureate, to publish the results in Cancer and Vitamin C in 1993.

Cameron described his first very advanced cancer patients. "They responded dramatically indeed, being converted from a hopeless, terminal 'dying' situation into a hopeful 'recovering' situation." After 8 years and 500 terminal patients with many types of cancer, Cameron concluded that vitamin C is not a miraculous cure but a major step forward.

Cameron and a few doctors report "ascorbic acid" when they mean sodium ascorbate. Ascorbic acid is too acid for intravenous injection. Cameron's patients took vitamin C as sodium ascorbate solution, Table 3. Intravenous sodium ascorbate can be made as Cathcart⁹ indicated.

Table 3. Sodium Ascorbate Solution
Ascorbic acid	167 grams
Sodium bicarbonate	80 grams
(baking soda)
Water and then juice to	1000 ml

Fifteen ml taken four times a day preferably with meals provides 10,000 mg/day of ascorbate. The refrigerated solution has a shelf life of about one month. The water solution has almost no taste. Add water first and then juice to minimize foaming.

Example, Prostate Cancer

Cameron reported many specific cases in considerable detail. Case V’ was for a retired navy admiral with widespread prostatic cancer, diagnosed in January 1971 and confirmed by a biopsy. He refused hormone therapy as possibly feminizing, and started vitamin C at 8,000 mg/day. After 14 months, the cancer was somewhat smaller and the dose reduced to 1,000 mg/day. After 2 years, the cancer was again growing and he increased the dose to 10,000 mg/day. In 1978 surgery was required to remove the bladder-neck obstruction caused by the cancerous prostate gland. At this time a bone scan showed metastases to the pelvic bone. He increased his vitamin C to 12,000 and then 20,000 mg/day, added high doses of vitamin A and a vegetarian diet with good effect. He suffered a stroke in 1979 but recovered nearly completely. At age 78 and 8 years after diagnosis, he is active and apparently free cancer symptoms. His unorthodox and unadvisable treatment, according to Cameron, shows the effect of variable amounts of vitamin C on changing cancer growth.

Other Regimens

Many other doctors have successively used vitamin C as cancer therapy and published their results. Irwin Stone, D.Sc.,¹⁰ author of The Healing Factor: Vitamin C against Disease; Robert Cathcart, MD¹¹ a physician in Los Altos, California; Fukumi Morishige, MD¹² in Fukuoka, Japan and Hugh Riordan, MD¹³ in Wichita, Kansas, successfully used vitamin C in the form of intravenous sodium ascorbate. Hoffer was able to successfully use oral vitamin C by including vitamin E and other vitamins.

Drs. Edward Creagan,¹⁴ and Charles Moertel,¹⁵ physicians at Mayo Clinic, used ascorbic acid at 10,000 mg/day without success. Creagan's randomized test used patients whose immune system had been decimated by prior chemotherapy. Moertel administered vitamin C for an average of only 2.5 months although the test lasted over 14 months. Also, they did not administer IV sodium ascorbate or other vitamins. Dr. Mary L. Lesperance¹⁶ followed most of Hoffer’s Average Regimen but omitted vitamin E and E succinate. She also chose control patients who were less sick than the test patients. Her test patients did not live longer than the controls. Importantly, none of these three trials used Cameron’s or Hoffer’s regimens. The regimens of Creagan, Moertel, and Lesperance showed that some regimens do not work. They do not show that all regimens for vitamin C do not work.

Immune System Strength

With a strong immune system, IS, and strong white blood cells, the IS can fight infections, bacteria, viruses, toxins, poisons, dead cells and other problems. The white blood cells are weak if the vitamin C level in the blood (called plasma ascorbate level) is low. Doctors routinely measure white blood cell count but rarely plasma ascorbate or white blood cell strength.

Ask your doctor to measure your plasma ascorbate as an indication of your IS strength. If that doesn’t work, you can measure it yourself. Suitable urine dipsticks are available from The Bright Spot.^17,18If the dark blue spot shows little or no change, your blood ascorbate indicates scurvy or near scurvy. Light blue-green is normal and light yellow indicates a high plasma ascorbate and strong white blood cells. Cancer patients recover far better with a high plasma ascorbate (Personal communication from Dr. J. A. Jackson at the Bright Spot) Chemotherapy, radiation and cancer all lower the plasma ascorbate and may cause scurvy.

Scurvy? Didn’t scurvy disappear when sailors started eating citrus fruit? No! In the last few years, several groups^19,20have had their plasma ascorbate measured. At 3 different hospitals, out patients tested with 5, 6, and 6.3% scurvy. Probably none of them knew they had scurvy since symptoms are so common and variable. At a hospital,¹⁹ 19% of inpatients had scurvy, as did 30% of cancer patients in a hospice.²¹ With low plasma ascorbate our health is weakened. If your oncologists says to stay away from crowds to avoid catching something, he is saying what he would say if you had scurvy. While we are fighting cancer, we should fight poor health simultaneously. Vitamin C can be a big part of cancer therapy and good health.

Vitamin C Is Safe

Many people have taken 30,000 mg/day for years. Several doctors^11,13 have given 200,000 mg/day by IV. Some claim that vitamin C “might” cause kidney stones although doctors who give large doses of vitamin C rarely if ever see stones in these patients. Ascorbic acid can make the urine acidic to possible dissolve some types of stones.

Excessive vitamin C can cause diarrhea. People with cancer can frequently take 30,000 mg/day while well people have a typical limit of 3,000 to 10,000 mg/day. If people on therapeutic doses of vitamin C develop diarrhea, the dose should be reduced. Actually, diarrhea is a useful blessing because it provides a simple measure of the proper dosage for each individual.¹¹ Hoffer’s patients took from 3,000 to 40,000 mg/day. This illustrates the wide range of dosages for individual cancer control. Humans cannot make the vitamin C they need³ although most animals can. A 150-pound goat can make 13,000 mg/day- -a reasonable dose for people with cancer. Hoffer and Cameron both advised their patients to continue a high dose of vitamin C indefinitely. Table 4 includes some of the precautions, side effects, and alternatives listed by Riordan.¹³ However, Cameron and Hoffer did not report that they followed the precautions in step 5.

Table 4. Precautions with High-Dose Vitamin C

1. Build up the dose by about 1,000 or 2,000 mg/day to minimize diarrhea and other problems.

2. If necessary, decrease the dose slowly to allow the body to adjust.

3. Vitamin C -- especially ascorbic acid -- may cause gas, upset stomach or skin itch. If this problem occurs, consider using sodium ascorbate or calcium ascorbate.

4. Excess sodium intake from sodium ascorbate is possible. Consider using calcium ascorbate or ascorbic acid.

5. Some people have a rare immune deficiency called glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase enzyme. These people may not be able to take large, IV doses of vitamin C without getting acute anemia.

6. For their own safety people should work with a doctor knowledgeable about vitamins. All people may not be able to use high doses of vitamin C.

How Vitamins Work

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As reported in 1969, Dr. L Benade¹ et al at the National Cancer Institute found that, in cultures, vitamin C selectively destroyed cancer cells by generating excess intracellular H₂O₂. When vitamin C acts as an antioxidant and neutralizes free radicals, it produces dehydroascorbate, DHA, an oxidant. The DHA is then converted to ascorbate and hydrogen peroxide, H₂O₂, by an oxidation/reduction process. Cancer cells are less able than normal cells to neutralize H₂O₂ because they are deficient in an enzyme called catalase. Dr. D.B Agus²² et al reported that cancer cells have extra glucose channels that rapidly bring in glucose and excess DHA. Cancer cells are defective in that they cannot fully distinguish between glucose and DHA. Normal cells need and take in DHA, but they can control the amount taken in. This may explain why vitamin C is safe in large doses for normal cells but toxic to cancer cells. The good results of Cameron and Hoffer with humans confirm the National Cancer Institute lab tests.

Boik²³ presents another view of how vitamins might kill cancer. He lists seven traits that distinguish cancer, Table 5, and vitamins that are or may be therapeutic for each step. He describes how various vitamins combat each of these traits. He does not give any test results.

Hoffer’s vitamins fight each of the traits with at least four vitamins and minerals. Vitamin C combats 6 of the 7 traits. Cancer mutates as it tries to survive but vitamins can continue to combat each trait. Based on the long-term experiences of Hoffer and Cameron, cancer mutation may not be a problem with vitamin C. Boik’s vitamins appear to be better suited to early or less aggressive cancers. Hoffer and Cameron reported success with very advanced cancer patients.

Table 5. Seven Traits of Cancer

And Their Therapeutic Vitamins

1. Defective DNA or bad genes,

Vitamins A, C, D, E and selenium

2. Abnormal growth factors within the cells,

Vitamins A, C, D, E calcium and selenium

3. Abnormal growth factors outside the cells,

Vitamins A, B-6, B-12, C, D, E and selenium

4. Excess growth despite surrounding cells and tissue,

Vitamins A, C, D, E and selenium

5. Abnormal blood-vessel growth, angiogenesis,

Vitamins A, C, D, E and selenium

6. Spread of cancer to new locations and

Vitamins A, B-12, C, D, E and selenium

7. Ability to hide from the immune system.

Vitamins A, E, zinc and selenium.

Hickey and Roberts²⁴ in their excellent book Ascorbate, The Science of Vitamin C, 2004, carefully explain the basic science and delve deeply into the controversy of vitamin requirements and therapy results. They list 6 references that attempt to explain the mechanism by which vitamin C controls cancer. The important point is that vitamin C does combat cancer with excellent success.

Vitamins without Radiation and Chemotherapy

Can vitamins lengthen the lives of patients who do not receive radiation or chemotherapy? Surgery for operable cancer is usually advisable to remove all or almost all of the cancer. The body than has less cancer to fight. Radiation aims to kill cancer locally while chemotherapy works throughout the body. Both therapies are poisons that kill healthy cells. An unfortunate disadvantage for standard therapies is that they provide only surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and occasionally hormones as tools to fight cancer. When these cease to control the cancer, the oncologist can only give up or continue radiation and chemotherapy hoping to give slight hope to the patient. This is often false hope.¹⁵ If given beyond the therapeutic dosage; radiation and chemotherapy may even shorten the life of the patient while decreasing his quality of life. Excess chemotherapy may be harmful to the patient but a placebo for the doctor. However, radiation is often helpful for pain control, even though not helpful for treating the cancer.

All of Cameron's early 100 patients had had surgery and radiation as appropriate. Chemotherapy was generally not offered in Scotland at the time. The use of vitamin C without surgery or radiation was thus untested. Almost all of Hoffer's early patients had prior surgery, radiation, and/or chemotherapy as prescribed by their oncologists. Some patients continued these therapies. Of Hoffer’s initial test group of 134 patients, Table 6 describes the results of patients who avoided radiation and chemotherapy although many had surgery.

Table 6. Median Life of Patients Who Avoided Radiation and Chemotherapy, months after seeing Hoffer
Therapy	With	Without
	Vitamins	Vitamins
No surgery	16	1.6
With surgery	68	8
No. of patients	43	13

These results are from a very small group and may not be typical. Vitamins appear to be better than nothing but this is only indicated.

Medical Politics

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Vitamin Acceptance

In 1973 Cameron reported on an experimental but successful clinical test of vitamin C for 50 cancer patients. However, the medical community says they require that new cancer therapies pass large, randomized and preferably double blind tests. In reality, the FDA, acting through the various state medical boards, will not approve a therapy such as vitamin C because it not profitable to doctors!! Surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy were each accepted in desperation without randomized tests against each other. Neither radiation nor chemotherapy can be given randomized, double blind tests versus each other because of the obvious and debilitating side effects. These therapies were accepted in comparison with historic experience. To require vitamins to pass tests that radiation and chemotherapies have not and cannot pass raises questionable logic. Based on common sense, the randomized and double blind tests should be required only on poisonous or hazardous therapies.

Hickey²⁴ gives a thorough review of how to evaluate a proposed therapy. A few simple questions are sufficient:

1. Has it helped others?

2. Might it help me?

3. Is it safe?

4. Does it assist other therapies?

Vitamins rate ‘yes’ on all questions. The new question becomes, "Doctor, why are you not giving me high-dose vitamin C?"

There are reasons that oncologists don't administer high-dose vitamin C, but are they good reasons? Many doctors object to people taking antioxidants simultaneously with radiation or chemotherapy because they believe that the vitamin C, acting as an antioxidant, “might” protect the cancer cells. However Davis W. Lamson,²⁵ M.S., N.D., summarized thirty-six clinical tests where antioxidants were used with radiation or chemotherapy. The antioxidants were helpful in thirty-one cases, neutral or possibly helpful in five and adverse in none. Judith O. Stoute²⁶ reviewed 44 articles regarding the use of vitamin C with chemotherapy. She found 36 positive studies or reviews, one neutral study, 2 negative reviews and 4 responses to the negative reviews. Because vitamin C, radiation, and some chemotherapies appear to kill cancer by a similar mechanism, vitamin C can generally be used with radiation and chemotherapy.

Oncologists are trained in the use of mainline therapies. They are frequently not allowed by peer pressure or state medical boards to recommend “unapproved” therapies such as vitamin C. Doctors are not allowed to recommend other doctors or patients who know about vitamins as therapy. Doctors don’t want their peers or prospective patients calling them quacks! Doctors knowledgeable about vitamins are not allowed to treat cancer but they can strengthen people with cancer. This distinction is important and most useful. Patients can decide to take vitamin C and tell their doctors. They should not ask their doctors to approve vitamin C—doctors could lose income and stature. Many doctors work with patients who are taking vitamin C. Patients need oncologists and their extensive knowledge.

Doctors who can assist cancer patients with nutrition and vitamins may be located at The American College for Advancement of Medicine (www.acam.org). Also the phone book may list integrative, complementary, or alternative doctors. One can inquire of dietitians, home care nurses, compounding pharmacists, chiropractors, naturopathic physicians, and support group members to locate medical professionals who know vitamins.

Medical Politics, c/o State Medical Boards

FACTS:

1. Vitamin C Can Kill Cancers.

2. Doctors cannot prescribe vitamin C for cancer. State Medical Boards could revoke their license.

3. Patients can safely and legally take vitamin C to control their cancer.

4. Vitamin C works for widespread and metastatic cancers of all types.

Why doctors can’t prescribe vitamin C for cancer patients:

Every state has a state medical board authorized to certify doctors and approve safe and effective therapies. The problem is in the application or this simple law. The boards choose to approve only expensive drugs and therapies. Radiation and chemotherapy are approved because they are profitable to the cancer community. Vitamin C for cancer therapy is not approved since it is cheap and does not require a doctor. State medical boards penalize only a few doctors but put fear into many doctors who use or might use vitamin C to treat cancer, heart attack, autism or other diseases. Low cost therapies are not approved.

A therapy can be approved only by arbitrary state medical boards, not by peer reviewed clinical tests. For example Jesus Caquias, MD. was accused of “IV vitamin infusion” and “inappropriate treatment” and “failure to treat patient according to generally accepted standard of care.”Judgment was based on “Rule 190 et. seq., [which] provides the Board with sole and exclusive authority to determine the charges on the merits, to impose sanctions for violation of the Act or a Board rule, and to issue a Final Order.”Note that Rule 190 provides legislative, executive and judicial power to doctors who put profit ahead of patients!

Reference: Barrett, Stephen. More disciplinary action against Jesus Caquias. Casewatch, Downloaded 10/10/2010. http://www.casewatch.org/board/med/caquias/2010_complaint.shtml.

But the power of state medical boards is limited. Patients can safely and legally take high-dose vitamin C. Dr. Abram Hoffer’s regimen is safe, simple and easy to do. It uses available, over the counter supplements. In one test, advanced cancer patients of many types lived about 4 times as long as similar (not matched) patients who were offered Hoffer’s vitamins but refused. His therapy does not cause pain and frequently reduces or even eliminates pain.

Patients have a big advantage when they know why doctors cannot prescribe high-dose vitamin C but that patients can take them. I suggest that current cancer patients discuss with their doctors about adding vitamin C to their present therapies of surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and hormones.

Hoffer’s regimen should also be good for preventing cardiovascular diseases.

Vitamin C changes cancer from a wicked disease into an easy, chronic disease. Hoffer’s easy chronic disease therapy is actually a good lifestyle to prevent cancer, heart disease and other maladies.

As I see it, cancer pain and deaths can be greatly decreased, starting right now. For many cancers, Hoffer’s multivitamin therapy might well be the initial therapy for all types and stages of cancer for the first week or month or more.

For some patients, his multivitamins may be the only therapy needed.

The author was diagnosed 14 years ago with aggressive prostate cancer. He refused radiation but chose short-term hormones plus Hoffer’s regimen. He is in remission with no surgery ... no radiation ... no chemotherapy ... no pain or fear ... no hospitalization ... and almost no side effects. Vitamins worked for him!

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Tests on Vitamins

Large, randomized tests are useful for poisonous therapies that are expected to show small improvements. These tests are sufficiently expensive that the drug companies will probably never support low-profit vitamins. The U.S. government, in close contact with the drug companies, has not repeated either Cameron's or Hoffer's therapy. Creagan's and Moertel's two tests with different procedures and results did not show that vitamin C to be harmful. Their claim (that vitamin C does not help cancer patients) applies only to their regimens.

Cameron's clinical trial (even with retrospectively matched controls) is convincing because the vitamin-taking patients lived four times as long as those without vitamin C. Hoffer's multivitamin detailed results are also convincing. Many doctors have used high-dose vitamins for cancer therapy: 1,300 patients by Hoffer and 1,000 by Cameron. They believe that vitamins for cancer therapy are sufficiently tested that they can now be used with proper medical supervision.

As Hickey points out, the benefits of ascorbate therapy clearly outweigh the risks.

Patient Options

Patients in a hospice situation have much to gain from ascorbate vitamins. Cameron’s early patients would mostly qualify as hospice-like. Many of Cameron’s patients improved from bedridden to comfortably at home. An oncologist at a hospice realizes that surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy have helped as much as they can and doctors knowledgeable about vitamins are available. Terminal patients are frequently willing to try experimental therapies. Terminal patients often enter experimental clinical trials. In these tests half of the patients often get a placebo and thus are not helped. Vitamins are safer and offer more hope to terminal patients--hope based on clinical trials of over a thousand people. Cameron’s first patients were too sick to be helped by regular therapies but vitamin C did help them considerably and also reduced their pain. Patients with an initial cancer diagnosis might also consider Cameron's or Hoffer's vitamin therapy. This situation is less tested but general experience says that early treatments often work better than the same treatment given later.

The government's recommended amount of vitamins is based on healthy people. Sick patients need extra vitamins. Hoffer's success is at least partly due to a good diet and extra vitamins. Some patients, at their own risk, may quietly add vitamins to regular therapies without the knowledge of their oncologist. Keeping everyone fully involved is safer.

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Discussion

Regular cancer therapies are only moderately successful. Cameron’s vitamin C therapy and Hoffer’s multivitamin cancer therapies are reasonably well tested even if not given a randomized, double blind test. Vitamin C is very safe and its side effects are temporary. A therapy based on work at the National Cancer Institute may explain why vitamin C, an antioxidant, can act as an oxidant within cancer cells. This mechanism applies to all types of cancer that take in excess glucose. This may explain why Hoffer obtained good results with 30 types of cancer. We have the hope that all, yes all, cancer patients may eventually be helped by Hoffer’s safe and economical therapy.

The therapies of Cameron and Hoffer have not been given randomized tests and probably won’t--for lack of money. Most oncologists do not study vitamins as cancer therapy and are not trained or allowed to prescribe vitamins as cancer therapy. Doctors knowledgeable about vitamins but not certified as oncologists can prescribe vitamins to strengthen cancer patients but not as cancer therapy. Thus two types of doctors may be needed for a patient’s care and safety. Vitamin therapies may be given to terminal cancer patients under proper medical supervision.

The advantages of vitamin C are tabulated in Table 7.

Table 7. Advantages of Vitamin C Therapies^1,2,6,8

• Systemic therapy rather than local,

• No long-term side effects,

• Often relieve pain within two weeks,

• Fifteen-year clinical test with 134 patients by Hoffer

• Over 1,300 patients treated by Hoffer and 1,000 by Cameron

• Helpful with most or all types of cancer,

• Apparently are not limited by cancer mutation,

• Economical

• Materials available over the counter

(use with professional supervision for safety)

• Safe for use now but development should improve results.

· Doctors can allow vitamin C therapy but only if patients ask/demand vitamin C.

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Conclusion

Although Cameron’s and Hoffer’s vitamin therapies are demonstrated effective, they are ‘unapproved. ‘Unapproved does not mean unworkable or unsafe. Unapproved is a political conclusion of the Federal Drug Administration, and state medical boards. Radiation and chemotherapies were accepted by comparison with existing therapies. Vitamin therapies, being very safe, can also be accepted by comparison with historic results. Patients choosing vitamin therapy should work proper medical supervision for their own safety and for best results.

Patients with any stage or type of cancer might well consider Doctor Hoffer’s multivitamin therapy for the first week or month. Reduction of pain, symptoms or cancer size indicates that multivitamins might well be continued longer.

*******************************************************************************************

The author, a research chemical engineer, was leader of a prostate cancer support group. When his prostate cancer was diagnosed fourteen years ago, his PSA, a measure of the cancer, was eight and doubling every six months -- a sign of aggressive cancer. A PSA of four or less is normal. He chose intermittent triple hormone therapy (Lupron, Eulexin and Proscar) and Hoffer type vitamins, both highly experimental in 1997. After one year, he stopped the Lupron and Eulexin but continued the Proscar and vitamins. His PSA has averaged 0.6 for the last 12 years and is now 0.3. He has never had nor needed surgery ... chemotherapy ... radiation of any kind ... pain ... or hospitalization for cancer. He has never had pain from cancer or its therapy.

References for Vitamins, Cancer, and Hope

1. Benade L, Howard T and Burke D. Synergistic killings of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells by ascorbate and 3 amino-1, 2, 4-triazole. Oncology.1969;23:33-43.

2. Hoffer A. Vitamin C and cancer, discovery, recovery, controversy. 2000, Kingston, Ontario: Quarry Press.

3. Stone I. Scurvy and the cancer problem. American Laboratory. September 1976: 21-30.

4. Cancer facts and figures 2005. American Cancer Society. American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA.

5. Hoffer A and Pauling L. Hardin Jones biostatistical analysis of mortality data for cohorts of cancer patients with a large fraction surviving at the termination of the study and a comparison of survival times of cancer patients receiving large regular doses of vitamin C and other nutrients with similar patients not receiving those doses. J of Orthomolecular Medicine. 1990;5:143-154.

6. Hoffer A and Pauling L. Hardin Jones biostatistical analysis of mortality data for a second set of cohorts of cancer patients with a large fraction surviving at the termination of the study and a comparison of survival times of cancer patients not receiving these doses. J of Orthomolecular Medicine.1993;8:1547-167.

7. Letter, A. Hoffer to R. Houston, January 18, 2005.

8. Cameron E and Pauling L. Cancer and Vitamin C. 1993, Philadelphia, PA: Camino Books.

9. Cathcart RF. Preparation of Sodium Ascorbate for IV and IM Use (For M.D.'s only). Downloaded July 1, 2005, http://www.doctoryourself.com/vitciv.html.

10. Stone I, The healing factor -- vitamin C against disease. 1972, New York, NY: Grosset and Dunlap.

11. Cathcart RF. Vitamin C, titrating to bowel tolerance, anascorbia, and acute induced scurvy. Medical Hypotheses.1981;7:1359-1376.

12. Morishige F & Murata A. Prolongation of survival in terminal human cancer by administration of supplemental ascorbate. Journal of International Academy of Preventative Medicine.1979;5:47-52.

13. Riordan NH, Riordan HD, Meng X, Li Y and Jackson JA. Intravenous ascorbate as a tumor cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agent. Medical Hypotheses.

1995;44:207-213.

14. Creagan ET, Moertel CG, O'Fallon JR et al. Failure of high-dose vitamin C (ascorbic acid) therapy to benefit patients with advanced cancer. New England J of Medicine.1979;301:687-690.

15. Moertel CG, Fleming TR, Creagan ET, Rubin J, O’Connell MJ and Ames MM. High-dose vitamin C versus placebo in the treatment of patients with advanced cancer who have had no prior chemotherapy. New England J of Medicine. 1985;312:137-41.

16. Lesperance ML, Olivotto IA, Forde N et al. Mega-dose vitamins and minerals in the treatment of non-metastatic breast cancer: an historical cohort study. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. 2002;76:137-143.

17. The Bright Spot, 3100 N. Hillside Ave., Wichita, KS, 67219, phone 800-447-7276, Fifty dipsticks cost about $16.00 including shipping.

18. Jackson JA, Wong K, Krier C and Riordan HD. Screening for vitamin C in the urine: is it clinically significant?

Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine, 2005;204(4):259-262 and personal communication May 31, 2008.).

19. Gan R, Eintracht S and Hoffer J. Vitamin C deficiency in a university teaching hospital. J of American College of Nutrition. 2008;27(3):428-433.

20. Johnston CS and Thompson LL. Vitamin C status of an outpatient population. J of the American College of Nutrition. 1998;17(40):366-370.

21. Mayland CR, Bennett MI and Allan K. Vitamin C deficiency in cancer patients. Palliative Medicine. 2006;19:17-20.

22. Agus DB, Vera JC and Golde DW. Stromal cell oxidation: a mechanism by which tumors obtain vitamin C. Cancer Research. 1999;59:4555-4558.

23. Boik J. Natural compounds in cancer therapy. 2001, Princeton, Mn: Oregon Medical Press.

24. Hickey S & Roberts H. Ascorbate, The Science of Vitamin C.2004, United Kingdom: Lightning Source UK.

25. Lamson DW and Brignall MS. Antioxidants and cancer therapy II: quick reference guide. Alternative Medical Review. 2000;5(2):152-163.

26. Stoute JA. The use of vitamin C with chemotherapy in cancer treatment: an annotated bibliography. J of Orthomolecular Medicine. 2004;19(4):198-245.

Other Cancer Therapies

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Coenzyme Q10

Coenzyme Q10 is an optional therapy that may be added to the vitamin therapy. Coenzyme Q10 or Co Q10 is a vitamin or vitamin-like enzyme that is present in foods and also made by the body. Absorption varies from person to person. Oil based gel caps allow better absorption than dry pills. Co Q10 strengthens the immune system and is basic to the energy production of every cell in the body. It strengthens white blood cells rather than just producing more of them. It helps the T cells to recognize cancer cells. Co Q10 reportedly can minimize high blood pressure, heart attack, angina, periodontal disease, lack of energy and obesity. Co Q10 also has cancer-killing abilities.

As you might expect from this wide list of helps, it can extend the life of animals and probably humans. For example, few mice of one type live longer than 104 weeks. In one test, half of the cancer-free mice were given weekly injections of Co Q10 when they were 68 weeks old. That is already old for a mouse. At week 96, 70 % of the controls had died of old age but only 40 % of the treated mice. At week 104, all of the control mice were dead but 40 % of the treated mice were still alive. All of the treated mice were dead by week 150.

In one small test 15 patients had hormone refractory prostate cancer and a rising PSA. They were given 600 mg/day of oil based Co Q10. In 100 days, 10 of the patients (67 %) had shrinkage of the prostate gland size and stabilized PSA readings. Excellent. Therapies that work fairly well with advanced cancer often work wonderfully well for early cancer.

Apparently 10 % of the Japanese do or did take Co Q10. For them it is a prescription drug. In Denmark, Lockwood1-3 had 32 breast cancer patients whose cancer had spread to the lymph nodes. The regular treatment protocol included vitamin C 2850 mg, vitamin E 2500 I.U., beta carotene 32.5 I.U., selenium 387 mcg, linolenic acid (an omega 3 essential fatty acid) 3.5 gm. To the test patients, Lockwood added Co Q10 at 90 mg. Results were excellent in the 18-month trial.

1. None died although 4 deaths were expected.

2. There was no sign of further distant spread of the cancer.

3. Their Quality of Life improved. None lost weight and there was reduced use of painkillers.

4. 6 patients of the 32 showed partial remission.

5. For two of these 6, the Co Q10 was increased from 90 to 300 and 390 mg/day. After 2 months, x-ray showed an absence of the tumor in one patient. The other patient had had a lumpectomy that did not remove the entire tumor. After 3 months at 390 mg there was no residual tumor. This was not a good test procedure but indicate a possible, safe and painless therapy.

Folkers4 found increased survival of 5 to 15 years in 8 case studies. Most studies of Co Q10 have been on the cardiovascular system and periodontal disease. Cancer is third in studies. The common connection is probably strengthening the immune system.

References for CoQ10

1. Lockwood K. Apparent partial remission of breast cancer in ‘high risk’ patients supplemented with nutritional antioxidants, essential fatty acids and coenzyme Q10. Molecular Aspects of Medicine. 1994;15 Suppl: s231-40.

2. Lockwood K. Progress on therapy of breast cancer with vitamin Q10 and the regression of metastases. Biochemical Biophysical Research Communications.1995 July 6; 212(1):172-177.

3. Lockwood K. Partial and Complete Regression of Breast Cancer in Patients in Relation to Dosage of Coenzyme Q10. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications.March 30, 1994;199(3):1504-1508.

4. Folkers K. Survival of cancer patients on therapy with coenzyme Q10. Biochemical Biophysical Research Communications. April 15, 1993;192(1):241-5.

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Flaxseed Oil and Cottage Cheese

Flaxseed and flaxseed oil sound too simple to be a cancer therapy. Yet there is strong technical evidence to show that flaxseed helps. Combining flaxseed oil with cottage cheese gives a spectacular set of testimonials. For someone dying of advanced cancer, the combination has essentially no risk, negligible cost but great hope and a reasonable possibility of cancer remission. It appears that actual tests on a specific group of patients have not been reported. But if patients have advanced cancer, what have they got to lose? More important, what have they got to gain? Life!

Testimonials indicate that many advanced cancer patients taking flaxseed oil and cottage cheese can have good pain relief within 2 weeks. Measurable improvement in the cancer size and blood cell counts can be expected within about 3 months if the therapy is working for a particular patient. Side effects are apparently negligible.

The procedure for using flaxseed oil, FO, is simple. For a 150-pound person, 3 to 6 tablespoons, TBS, of fresh flaxseed oil are thoroughly mixed with half to 1 cup of low fat cottage cheese, then flavored to taste such as with fruit, onion or honey and eaten in one or more servings during the day. The success rate is unknown but some reports give 90 % with many types of cancer including breast and prostate cancer. In a few cases where the patient could not swallow, therapy was started by an enema of flaxseed oil and skim milk.

There are important warnings. The flaxseed oil must be cold pressed and kept refrigerated to prevent oxidation of the omega 3 fatty acid. If it tastes bad, it is. In local health food stores, “Barlean’s” is one brand. Storage life of the oil is 1 year in the freezer and 4 months in the refrigerator. Do not substitute any pills or processed or heated flaxseed product for the oil. Three TBS. of flaxseed can be used instead of one of the TBS of flaxseed oil if the seed is ground (in a coffee grinder) immediately before mixing with the cottage cheese. Do not grind more than will be consumed in one day. After the cancer is in remission, the above dosage can be cut but FO and cottage cheese must be continued or the cancer will return.

Dr. Johanna Budwig, M. D.1,2 in Germany apparently developed and publicized the flaxseed oil and cottage cheese therapy. Budwig developed the steps of using very fresh flaxseed oil and mixing it with low fat cottage cheese before consumption. For some patients, she recommended a low sugar and vegetarian diet as well as FO.

Budwig claims that cottage cheese is a necessary ingredient for cancer therapy and that without cottage cheese, flaxseed oil is harmful to cancer patients. Dr. Charles E. Myers, Jr., M. D.,3 also advises against flaxseed oil for prostate cancer patients. He cites several studies showing that flaxseed oil increases the risk of getting prostate cancer. Dr. Myers did not comment on cottage cheese with the flaxseed oil therapy.

Some patients have taken chemotherapy or radiation with FO. Frequently the white blood cell count will go up or not drop as rapidly as a doctor would expect. Some of these patients have continued FO therapy only and gone into remission. Some patients who continued FO plus chemotherapy or radiation have DIED. A possible guess as to the cause is that the FO improved the blood cell counts more than it strengthened the body’s ability to withstand chemotherapy or radiation. This could lead the doctor to give an excessive dose. As a possible alternate, a patient can consider continuing the FO, discontinuing or minimizing the chemotherapy or radiation but checking frequently to see if the cancer is going into or staying in remission. Remember, vitamin therapy strengthens the immune system while chemotherapy and radiation weaken it. In addition to cancer, flaxseed oil and cottage cheese are reported by some to also be good for arthritis, cardiovascular health, diabetes, energy, and impotence.

The effectiveness of flaxseed oil and cottage cheese has not been proven nor do I know of a good demonstration. Boik4 lists good technical references on flaxseed and omega 3 fatty acids. Karmali5 finds that omega 3 fatty acids and flaxseed oil are beneficial in the control of DU-145 human prostate cancer implanted in mice. Other references are included.

Flaxseed oil contains 55 % of an omega 3 fatty acid called linolenic acid. Linolenic acid tends to balance the omega 6, hydrogenated, and saturated fatty acids that we consume. Boik lists the following ways in which omega 3 fatty acid can help control cancer.

1. Inhibits the development of colon and pancreatic cancers.

2. Inhibits the growth of prostate, mammary, colon and pancreatic cancers.

3. Increase the fluidity of tumor cell membranes and thus their sensitivity to chemotherapy drugs.

4. Omega 3 fatty acid is cytotoxic to human breast, prostate and lung cancer cells but not toward normal cells when tested in cultures.

5. Increases the amount of prostaglandin PGE3, which is good, and decreases the amount of PGE2. PGE2 promotes the spread of cancer to the bone, decreases survival, and inhibits natural killer cell activity.

6. Decreases new blood vessel growth, angiogenesis.

7. Decreases cachexia or body wasting which finally kills many cancer patients.

The following anecdotes are by permission from Cliff Beckwith.

“In ‘How to Fight Cancer and Win’,6 an account is given of a young women, 35, who had cancer so advanced she could no longer eat. She was given enemas of flaxseed oil and skim milk. In a short time she was able to eat and in 3 months she was home taking care of the family.”

In another case from a man using flaxseed oil and cottage cheese: “the doctor said his bladder had crystallized and lost its elasticity. He couldn’t stay out of the bathroom 15 minutes... The doctor said it was a condition he’d just have to live with. After taking flaxseed oil and cottage cheese for a while, he went to the doctor for a physical. ...The doctor examined him and said, ‘Mr. C., you’ve had cancer in your bladder and it’s gone. The bladder is elastic again and everything is back to normal.’”

“A friend of ours has an uncle, 72, who was badly off with prostate cancer and preparing to die...He got the information and began using the oil. We didn’t hear for some time, but one day I saw his brother-in-law and he said, ‘Oh, he’s doing great! He’s going to meetings and there’s no more thought of dying. He’s telling everyone about the value of flax oil’.”

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Flaxseed Alone

Dr. Wendy Demark-Wahnefried,7 a research professor at Duke University, had a prostate cancer patient whose biopsy showed high levels of pre-cancerous cells throughout his prostate gland. He was put on a low fat (20 %) diet plus 30 grams (3 tablespoons) of freshly ground flaxseed. Cottage cheese was not included. Three months later, his PSA had fallen from 5.9 to 2.7. Six months after the start, his PSA was 2.6 and a biopsy indicated a complete absence of pre-cancerous cells. Next, she worked with about two dozen patients who were scheduled to have a radical prostatectomy. They were put on about the same diet. In 2 to 3 weeks, their average cholesterol dropped from 196 to 162 mg/dl. For those patients who started with a Gleason score of 6 or less, the average PSA dropped from 8.3 to 6.7. Pathological examination of the prostate showed beneficial changes, even in this short period. The authors commented, “These data provide evidence that a flaxseed supplemented, fat restricted diet may have a biological effect on established prostate cancer which may be mediated through a hormonal mechanism ...” The lignan in flaxseed is estrogenic and may act similarly to Lupron.

Testimonials are generally a poor basis for choosing a therapy. However the cost and hazards are minimal with flax.

References for Flax

1. Erasmus, Udo. Fats That Heal - Fats That Kill. 1993, Vancouver, British Columbia:Alive Books.

2. Budwig, Johanna, M.D. Flaxoil As a True Aid Against Arthritis, Heart Infraction, Cancer and Other Diseases.1994, Vancouver, BC: Apple Publishing Co.

3. Myers CE, Prostate Forum, August 2000.

4. Boik, John. Cancer & Natural Medicine. 1996, Princeton, MN: Oregon Medical Press.

5. Karmali, Rashid. The effects of dietary omega-3 fatty acids on the DU-145 transplantable human prostatic tumor. Anticancer Research. 1987;7:1173-1180.

6. Fisher W. How to Fight Cancer and Win. 1997, Baltimore, MD:Fischer Publishing Corp.

7. Demark-Wahnefried Wendy. Cancer Communication Newsletter.April, 2000;7.

8. Simopoulos, Artemis and Robinson J. The Omega Plan(hard cover) or The Omega Diet (paperback). 1998, New York, NY:HarperCollins.

9. Gillian EC. et al. The effect on human tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-1 production on diets enriched in n-3 fatty acids. Am Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1996;63.

10. Yan L et al. Dietary flaxseed supplementation and experimental metastasis of melanoma cells in mice. Cancer Letters.1998;124(2):181-6.

11. Thompson LU et al. Flaxseed and its lignan and oil components reduce mammary tumor growth at a late stage of carcinogenesis. Carcinogenesis.1996;17(6):1373-6.

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Essiac Tea

Essiac tea as a cancer therapy is supported by thousands of favorable testimonials1,2,3 but no formal studies. Essiac (EE see ak) is Caisse spelled backward. Rene Caisse was a Canadian nurse who got the formula from an Indian woman. Caisse tested and improved it over the years. She was afraid that if she disclosed the formula, the government would outlaw it or make it very expensive. Eventually she sold the 4-herb formula to the Resperin Corp. She expected that they would develop and distribute the tea. They did not. Later she worked with Dr. Charles Brusch, MD, who was a physician to President John F. Kennedy. Brusch was able to buy the 8-herb formula that she developed later.

Numerous companies sell Essiac tea even though the exact or real formula is in doubt. Several brands seem to work. One published formula gives 16 oz of Sheep Sorrel Herb (Rumex Acetosella), 6.5 cups of Burdock Root (Arctium Lappa), 1 oz of Turkey Rhubarb Root (Rheum Palmatum) and 4 oz of Slippery Elm Bark (Ulmus Fulva) to make about 4 gallons of tea. Local health stores sell “Flor-Essence” brand for about $25 a box. This contains 3 packets which each make 32 ounces of tea. One box is enough for 2 to 6 weeks. For advanced cancer, some people start with 6 oz. per day and drop to 4 or 2 oz when the symptoms decrease significantly. Caisse recommended a maintenance dose of 1 oz. The tea can be taken in 2 oz portions somewhat before a meal or 1 to 2 hours after a meal. This brand also sells a liquid version to use.

Side effects of the tea reportedly are few and usually due to taking too much, such as 12 oz. per day. Possible side effects include aches in the lower back or head, flu-like feelings, allergy, itches or diarrhea. By all means, work with a cooperative doctor. Since a patient is likely to use other therapies along with Essiac tea, the doctor might want to check liver and cardiovascular functions. The doctor may be able to verify measurable results in 3 months if the therapy is working. Obviously a healthy life style is important. Stop smoking, eat your vegetables, and do all those things your mother told you.

References for Essiac

1. Glum, Gary. Calling of an Angel. 1988, Los Angeles, CA:Silent Walker Publishing, ISBN 0-9620364-0-4 1988.

2. Fraser, Sheila S. & Allen, Carroll. Could Essiac Halt Cancer? Homemakers’ Magazine. 1977;June/July/August.

3. Thomas R. The Essiac Report. 1993, Los Angeles, CA:The Alternative Treatment Information Network.

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Melatonin

Ah, that wee sleeping pill that sometimes helps with jet lag. As a strong antioxidant, it is effective against two types of free radicals. It increases the expression of p53 in breast and other cancers.1 Thus melatonin can significantly reduce cell proliferation. It modifies many cytokines such as TNF and some interleukins to help the body resist cancer.2 Lissoni3 found that 20 mg/day slowed cancer progression to 53 % in test patients vs 90 % in controls receiving only supportive care. Melatonin was helpful with cisplatin-refractory non-small cell lung cancer,4 brain cancer metastases and malignant melanoma. Animal tests indicate that doses as high as 250 mg/kg are nontoxic. Take melatonin near bedtime, as it is a sleeping pill. As always, check with your doctor first.

References for Melatonin

1. Peller S. Clinical implications of p53: effect on prognosis, tumor progression and chemotherapy response. Semin Cancer Biology.1998;8:379-387.

2. Neri B et al, Melatonin as a biological response modifier in cancer patients. Anticancer Research.1998;18:1329-1332.

3. Lissoni P et al. Is there a role for melatonin in the treatment on neoplastic cachexia. Euro J Cancer.1996;32A:1340-1343.

4. Lissoni P et al. Randomized study with pineal hormone melatonin versus supportive care alone in advanced non-small cell lung cancer resistant to first-line chemotherapy containing cisplatin. Oncology.1992;49:336-339.

5. Lissoni P et al. A randomized study with subcutaneous low-dose interlukin 2 alone vs. Interlukin 2 plus the pineal neurohormone melatonin in advanced neoplasms. British J Cancer.1994;69:196-199.

6. Lissoni P et al. Endocrine and immune effects of melatonin therapy in metastastic cancer patients. Euro J Cancer Clin Oncology. 1989;25:789-795.

7. Lissoni P et al. A randomized study with subcutaneous low-dose interlukin 2 alone vs. interlukin 2 plus the pineal neurohormone melatonin...for advanced lung cancer. Tumori.1994;80:464-467.

8. Mediavilla MD et al. Melatonin increases p53 and p21WAF1 expression in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells in vitro. Life Science. 1999;65:415-420.

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Aredia for Pain Control in Bone Cancer

Aredia, palmadronate, a prescription drug, was initially used as a therapy for osteoporosis since it helped to prevent the loss of bone and frequently to restore bone mass. However, cancer loves bone and Aredia was found to relieve bone pain, prevent loss of bone due to cancer, reduce excess calcium in the blood, improve the quality of life for cancer patients, and (at high doses) possibly lengthen ones life.

As cancer eats bone, two things happen. Pain is obvious. The other is that, as the cancer eats bone, the byproducts cause the cancer to grow much faster. Aredia, a bisphosphonate, is strongly attracted to bone. Aredia appears to coat the bone to slow down the cancer growth. Aredia is usually administered as a 4 hour IV.

The Physicians Desk Reference recommends doses such as 60 or 90 mg once per month for osteoporosis. Some doctors give a small dose initially to test for adverse reaction, then 150 mg/day for 3 days and then 90 to 150 mg monthly. Since Aredia is more effective at slowing cancer growth than in killing cancer, it is frequently used with chemotherapy drugs. Most of Aredia is adsorbed on the bones where some of it remains for about 300 hours. The rest of the Aredia in the body has a half-life of about 26 hours. From this it follows that single large doses may be better than frequent, small doses. In large doses, Aredia may be effective against non-bone solid tumors and may lengthen life.

Aredia is apparently not effective against rapidly growing cancer. Most tests have been done with multiple myeloma (spinal), breast, and prostate cancer. In 20 or 30% of patients, Aredia causes flu-like symptoms for 2 or 3 days. In one quite sick man, symptoms lasted about 2 weeks. Lack of calcium intake caused pain for one person. Irritation at the injection point, nausea, and a 1 deg. C fever are also reported. Aredia was successful at decreasing pain in half of the patients. It is also good at stabilizing or regressing cancer and at preventing bone fractures and spinal compression.

For those men who have prostate cancer and take Lupron or Zoladex, these hormones can cause osteoporosis. If they experience joint pain from the hormones, Aredia and Fosamax might help. This has not been tested. There are many bisphosphonates with Aredia, Fosamax, and Risedronate (Zometa) being the ones approved in the U. S. Zometa can be given in a 1 hour IV. Before starting Zometa, check to see if any dental work needs to be done. Narcosis of the jaw bone happens occasionally with various bisphosphonates.

References and Summaries for Aredia

1. Berenson JR et al. New England Journal of Medicine.1996;334(8):488-93, gave multiple myeloma patients 90 mg every 4 weeks for 9 months. Half of the 392 patients also received chemotherapy. Aredia was helpful towards reducing skeletal events (24 vs. 41%). Aredia also reduced bone pain and improved quality of life.

2. Clarke NW et al. British Journal of Cancer.1991;63:420-423. 25 patients received 30 mg of Aredia weekly for 4 weeks and then every other month. Eleven of 17 patients with initial pain were pain free at the end. Five of 17 patients who had been progressing either stabilized or regressed.

3. Conte PF et al. Journal of Clinical Oncology.1996;14(9): 2552-9, treated 295 patients with chemotherapy only or chemotherapy plus Aredia at 45 mg every 3 weeks. Aredia was advantageous in increasing the time to cancer progression (249 vs 168 days) and pain relief (44 vs 30%).

4. Coleman, Robert. Am. Society of Clinical Oncology Symposium.1998;16019 outlined 17 trials using pamidronate (10) and clodronate (7). Overall, there was a 50% reduction in pain and bone healing in 25%.

5. Gucap R et al. Archives of Internal Medicine. 1994;154(17):1935-44 found that a 4 hour IV was as effective as a 24 hr IV.

6. Hortobagyi GN et al. New England Journal of Medicine.1996;335(24):1785-91, used 90 mg of Aredia or placebo every month for 12 months. With 380 patients, the first occurrence of bone complication was 13.1 months with Aredia vs. 7.0 months for placebo.

7. Lipton A et al. Annals of Oncology. 1994;Suppl 7: S31-5, treated 61 breast cancer and 58 prostate cancer patients with 60 mg every 4 weeks, 60 mg every 2 weeks or 90 mg every 4 weeks for 3 months. 30 mg every 2 weeks was not effective for breast cancer patients although the higher doses caused healing of the bone in 25%. For prostate cancer patients, these 3 doses produced a reduction in bone pain but no healing of bone lesions. The prostate patients may have been sicker at the beginning.

8. Lipton, Alan. New England Journal of Medicine.1996;Dec. 12, 1996, treated breast cancer patients with 150 mg/day for 3 days and then monthly infusions of 90 to 150 mg/month. This large dose was well tolerated.

9. Tyrrel CT et al. European Journal of Cancer.1995 Nov;31A(12):1976-80, treated 69 breast cancer patients with 60 mg of Aredia every 2 weeks for a maximum of 13 weeks. No other cancer therapy was allowed. Pain, mobility and analgesic scores improved in 61, 50 and 30% of patients. At 8 weeks, the improvements were 33, 21 and 16% for 40% improvement.

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Megadoses of Vitamin C for Various Ills

Megadoses of vitamin C have a long and successful history of therapy for many sicknesses, Stone.1,2 The following describes actual tests with humans. Dosages are actual rather than optimum. Unfortunately, success/failure rates are given rarely. Ills other than cancer are also listed to show the broad usefulness of vitamin C.

Some doctors recommend vitamin C at 3,000 to 6,000 mg/day for healthy people. They may increase this up to perhaps 40,000 or even higher during periods of high stress or disease. However the government RDA is around 100 mg/day. Most animals produce vitamin C as needed in amounts depending on their stress or illness. We could get a dose of 5,000 mg/day of vitamin C, for example, by drinking 6 gallons of orange juice. Obviously, supplements are necessary. Supplements should include vitamins B, C, D, and E. Note that A, C and E especially work together, Lieberman.3

Thousands of tests were run on vitamin C at low doses with only modest results toward cancer. Thus most doctors do not recommend it. Vitamin C is cheap at $6.00 per month for 5,000 mg/day. Vitamin C can usually be used in conjunction with other therapies.

TEST RESULTS with dosages in mg/day, spaced, for a 150 lb adult, often by I.V.

COMMON COLD: 1,000 to 3,000 as preventative, up to 1,000 per hour as needed by mouth for therapy.

POLIOMYELITIS: 27,000 to 210,000, divided doses @ 2 or 4 hours, by IV, 60 of 60 cases cured.

HEPATITIS: Children: 5,000 to 10,000, more for adults.

HERPES and SHINGLES: 25,000 for a few days

PNEUMONIA, infant: 4,000, injected, much more for an adult

WHOOPING COUGH (82 % helped): 2,000

CANCER, many types, over 700 patients at 3 locations: 10,000 to 20,000 mg/day, 10% to remission, 20% didn't live longer, 70% helped some, gave dramatic relief of bone pain to 80% of the first patients.4

CANCER, bladder: 4,500.

LEUKEMIA + cirrhosis of liver: 24,000 to 42,000, single case, able to return to work, lived 21 months.

PANCREATIC CANCER, 6 cm diameter: 12,000 increasing to 35,000. All pain and symptoms relieved. Cat scan after 9 months: no residual pancreatic cancer. Patient died after 20 years at age 79.

BRAIN TUMOR, 2.5 cm dia, confirmed by brain scan: 10,000 mg/day. In 2 or 3 months, brain scan showed no tumor and almost all symptoms gone.

BREAST CANCER spread to bones and abdomen, bed ridden: 24,000 mg/day, much pain relief and able to walk again. Died after 3 months.

CANCER in both lungs, a smoker, labeled "hopeless and incurable": 15,000 mg/day. After 2 years, she claims to be in perfect health. X-rays show regression in both lungs.

ARTHRITIS: 10,000 to 25,000

AGING: 3,000 to 5,000 suggested

ASTHMA: 70,000

GLAUCOMA: 2,000 or more

BARBITURATE poisoning: 54,000, one test

TETANUS: 140,000 for 3 days

SNAKE bite: 3,000, divided doses injected every 3 hours.

BURNS, severe: 3 % solution, topically, plus 35 gm every 8 hours for several days, then less. Gave immediate pain relief and faster healing

GANGRENE: 5,000 for a few weeks

SCHIZOPHRENIA: 36,000, 10 of 10 patients improved.

References for Megadose Vitamin C

1. Stone I. The healing factor, ‘vitamin C’, against disease.1972, New York, NY:Putnam Publishing Group. The book is out of print but located in the Carson Library, Lees-McRae College, Banner Elk, NC 28804.

2. Stone I. Scurvy and the cancer problem. American Laboratory. September 1976:21-30.

3. Lieberman S and Bruning N. The Real Vitamin & Mineral Book.1997, Garden City Park, NY:Avery Publishing Group.

4. Cameron E and Pauling L. Cancer and Vitamin C, 1993, Philadelphia, PA: Camino Books.

Prostate Cancer Therapies

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So you just found out that you have prostate cancer.

You can expect to live a long time.

This cancer grows slowly.

You have time to learn before you decide on a therapy.

On the day you were diagnosed, you didn't hear everything your doctor said.

There are many good therapies. Some are gentle.

For most patients, there are several reasonable therapies.

You need knowledge to make decisions.

For every therapy, ask what is the success rate at 5 and 10 years.

For every suggested therapy, ask what are ALL the side effects. What are the percentages for each?

What side effects do you hate? Are the side effects worse than the benefits from a longer expected life?

Is a cure better than long term remission, considering the side effects?

Vitamins and supplements have helped many cancer patients.

YOU decide which therapy, not your doctors.

But work with your doctors.

Be an active survivor, not a passive patient.

As you learn more, you will have more hope.

Join a support group. Pray.

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Diagnosis and Staging.

When to run prostate cancer tests is still highly debated even after 14 years. I believe that PSA tests should be started around age 35 or so and continued as long as a man is active. The problem is not the test as much as what it means and what to do next. The presence of cancer does not require immediate surgery or radiation. Hormone therapy is a good, gentle therapy for many men. Hoffer’s multivitamin therapy is always gentle of often sufficient. If the diagnosis was for a false positive or for slow-growing cancer, vitamin therapy has minimum side effects and cost. If I had waited a year or two for a PSA test, I could well have had widespread cancer often called incurable. Obviously, I would not be writing this article now!

Prostate cancer probability increases as men age. A few men will get cancer at age 35, especially African-Americans or those with blood relatives who have or had cancer. One little boy got prostate cancer at age two! I suggest a PSA, prostate specific antigen, test beginning at age 35. Infection, ejaculation, and certain exercises can raise the PSA reading. Repeat the test a year later to establish a base line. An annual PSA rise of 0.75 or less is good. I recommend earlier testing than most people because there are now gentle therapies in addition to surgery or radiation. If either the DRE or the PSA is unfavorable, there is a 70% chance that cancer is present. A biopsy (tissue sample) is then necessary to determine if cancer is present and how aggressive it is. During a biopsy the doctor uses a hollow needle machine to jump through the skin and grab a small sample of the prostate gland. Six or more samples are taken to sample various parts of the gland. If this is painful, ask for a painkiller before the next needle insertion. There is a small, perhaps 10 or 20% chance of missing a cancer.

A pathologist then examines each needle sample to determine if cancer is present and how aggressive it is. The Gleason number is a grade of 1 to 5 where 1 is benign and 5 is very aggressive. The Gleason score is the sum of the two numbers. The score should be reported as two individual numbers such as 3+3 or 4+5. The first of the two numbers is the more important. A score of 3+4 or less indicates moderately active cancer. A score of 4+3 or higher is aggressive. The Gleason score tells the doctor and the patient how hard to fight. The patient should demand a copy of the pathology report and the doctor’s reports. Ask the doctor to explain words as necessary. A wise patient takes his spouse or a friend and a tape recorder to the meeting where these test results are discussed with the doctor.

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Therapies

There are many therapies, not just surgery or radiation. Let me list them in the order that they might be used and then describe them.

A. Watchful waiting for early stage cancer. This might better be called active watching.

B. Hormones. The side effects are objectionable but usually temporary.

C. Surgery if under age 70 or 75. The side effects can be bad and permanent.

D. Radiation, including seeds or brachytherapy, also has bad side effects that can get worse over the years.

E. Cryotherapy or freezing can also have bad and permanent side effects.

F. Vitamins as a therapy are new. They have negligible side effects, can be used alone or with all of the above therapies and often gives excellent results. Vitamins may completely control cancer, especially if started at the early, watchful-waiting stage. Vitamins for widespread cancer may be far better than either a double blind regimen, or too much chemotherapy.

G. State Medical Boards (every state has one) forbid doctors from prescribing vitamin C for cancer therapy. The boards can take away the doctor’s license or fine him.

No therapy promises life everlasting. Surgery, radiation, and cryotherapy can often give a cure. The doctor’s definition of cure is for the patient to die from something other than cancer and have no obvious cancer symptoms. The patients’ usual definition is to have no cancer cells anywhere in the body. Since cancer cells develop frequently (daily?) in everybody, the doctor’s definition is preferred. The body, the immune system, kills most cancers before they cause symptoms or become detectable.

As a strong recommendation, don't wait for symptoms to develop or get worse. Fight cancer immediately. Don’t wait until the flames come out the windows before calling the fire department. Also, follow the cancer by watching the PSA and usually at least one other marker. PAP, prostatic acid phosphatase, and CEA, carcinoembryonic antigen, are often suitable. PSA is not foolproof. Prostate cancer cells with a Gleason of 9 or 10 may generate little or no PSA even though the cancer is growing. Also consider Quality of Life. Is the therapy worse than the disease? What is the success rate for a given therapy?

Which Therapy to Choose?

The patient should choose his therapy but with the doctor’s advice and guidance. This requires knowledge and study by the patient for the best long-term results. Aggressive therapies like surgery, radiation, and cryotherapy can have bad and permanent side effects. They can preclude other therapies. There is no single, best therapy for a given patient. Knowledge has not advanced to that point and may never get there. Much depends on the patient’s willingness to learn, to work toward controlling the cancer, to get the best possible doctor for his chosen therapy. The patient must think positively. If you don’t like your garage mechanic, you get another. If you don’t like your doctor, his suggested therapy, or his ability, hopefully you can get a new doctor or HMO.

The author knows more about vitamins as therapy than about the aggressive therapies. He emphasizes vitamins and hormones. He is using intermittent hormone therapy plus vitamins with excellent success. He is in remission. Excellent information on therapies other than vitamins is available in Dr. Stephen Strum’s1 “A Primer on Prostate Cancer.”

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Description of Therapies

A patient diagnosed with cancer, especially prostate cancer, has many options. The body has been fighting cancers for thousands of years and the body usually wins. Most people don’t get cancer. I think the patient has the obligation to help strengthen his body to live the longest and most comfortable life. With the PSA test, the patient can better select the best therapy for himself.

Watchful Waiting

Active watching should be a time to learn more, to get second opinions from urologists regarding surgery, from oncologists regarding radiation and from a medical oncologist with a broad point of view of many therapies including hormone therapy. Aggressive treatments and hormone therapies weaken the body and should be balanced by strengthening the body. A good life style is obvious but important: NO smoking, good diet with very low sugar, good exercise, faith, and hope. Many would recommend a diet with low fat, minimum red meat, low alcohol and sugar but high in fruits, vegetables and chicken. Fortunately, prostate cancer is one of the better cancers to have since the doctor can follow the progress or control of the disease by the DRE and PSA tests. These may be repeated about every 6 months. If a stronger therapy is required, it can be chosen and started.

Surgery or radical prostatectomy, RP, is the surgical removal of the prostate gland and the cancer it contains. It is rarely done on men over 70. Most doctors do not operate if the cancer has spread beyond the prostate gland. The ability and experience of the doctor are frequently more important than the choice between surgery and radiation.

Radiation, either externally or by seeds implanted within the prostate gland, aims to kill the cancer while killing as few normal calls as possible. I refused radiation but because of probability of side effects and return of cancer in a few years. Both surgery and radiation have improved only slightly in the last few years.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is not very good with prostate cancer because this type of cancer grows relatively slowly. If your doctor recommends chemotherapy, ask to speak to some of his long-term chemotherapy patients. After the standard treatments of surgery, seeds, cryotherapy and hormones have failed, a doctor might use Nizoral, Ketoconozole, Prednisone, Hydrocortisone, Estramustine and Etoposide as chemotherapy agents. They add perhaps 10 months to a man’s life. Chemotherapy greatly weakens the immune system. New chemotherapy drugs such as Tomaxofen for breast cancer may be helpful for prostate cancer. The side effects of chemotherapy, nausea, weakness, hair loss and pain, may make the extra life undesirable.

For many or most of the above therapies, when the PSA starts to rise after treatment failure, one can expect several years before clinical evidence such as pain and then a few more years before death. Hormones are usually started after failure of the above therapies and sometimes before or during.

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Hormones

When I was diagnosed in 1997, hormone therapy was highly experimental if used as the initial therapy before surgery or radiation. Fortunately, my urologist prescribed hormones when I requested them. Now (2011) patients are frequently getting hormone therapy as initial treatment. In 1997, almost all doctors though that hormones, once started, had to be continued forever. Now, intermittent therapy is popular and provides longer life than continuous Lupron therapy.

Types and Functions of Various Hormones

1. Lupron, Zoladex and similar compounds stop the testes from producing testosterone. Prostate cancer uses testosterone to grow.

2. Casodex or Eulexin shield the prostate cancer from the testosterone that comes from the adrenal gland, a second step.

3. Proscar minimizes the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone, a compound that is 5 times as bad in making cancer grow, a third step.

The first 2 steps are called ADT-2 for androgen deprivation therapy. Adding Proscar makes ADT-3. The different hormones in ADT-3 or ADT-3 do different things and can be much more effective if used simultaneously. Another therapy is Casodex at 3 pills/day plus Proscar.

Intermittent Hormone Therapy

Intermittent hormone therapy, ADT-2, is done by taking Lupron and Casodex (or Eulexin) for a period such as twelve months, the “on time.” Then the Lupron and Casodex are stopped during the “off time.” Proscar is added to ADT-2 to make ADT-3 and the Proscar is continued indefinitely after the Lupron and Casodex are stopped. The on-off cycle can be repeated a few times. For me, the first cycle is lasting 14 years and continuing. One more cycle and I’ll be over 100 years old.

Selecting a Therapy

With so many therapies, how do we choose? Realize that each patient, each cancer, and each doctor is different. And things change as we get sicker or heal. Let me make a few comments.

1. If we are relatively old based on our health and lives of our blood relatives - not on our calendar years - just watching and checking may the best. Active watching means improving our general health with vitamins, diet, exercise and getting a PSA and DRE test every 6 months or so.

2. Vitamins to strengthen the body can be called part of active watching. Vitamins at therapeutic dosages can be the first step if active watching becomes inadvisable. Likewise, vitamins can be part of surgery or radiation or most types of chemotherapy.

3. Surgery is probably warranted for young men (under 60 or so). It is rarely used if the cancer has escaped outside of the prostate gland.

4. Radiation, external or seeds, is commonly used as the initial treatment or if cancer returns after surgery.

5. Hormone therapy, especially intermittent triple hormone therapy, is gaining wider use even as the initial therapy

6. Most doctors use chemotherapy if hormones, surgery, and radiation have failed. The quality of life is poor with chemotherapy and actual life extension is minimal. Doctors have no other approved therapy.

7. Chemotherapy using several agents and combined with hormones have been successful for a few doctors: Leibowitz,3 Bagley,4 and Servadio,5 as noted later.

Getting a second opinion from a doctor with a different specialty is recommended.

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If Prostate Cancer Returns

Surgery, radiation, hormone therapies, and vitamins usually control prostate cancer. If cancer returns (PSA rises) after these, there are several good options with more being developed. Increasing the vitamin C dosage almost to the point of diarrhea may improve the vitamin therapy. Other vitamins can also be increased. When regular hormone therapies fail with prostate cancer, the cancer is called hormone refractory. The first option is to stop the use of Lupron and Casodex or Eulexin. The cancer, which may have learned to use these hormones as food suddenly, becomes starved. In about half of patients, the PSA will drop significantly for a period of 3 months to 6 years or longer. This is called antiandrogen withdrawal syndrome. Surprisingly, this is a cancer therapy that is easy and economical.

You can strengthen the immune system whether you have early or late stage cancer. You have stopped smoking, haven't you? Control your stress, get enough exercise if possible, and eat 6 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day and you are well started. A low fat diet is highly recommended along with a generous intake of vitamins and minerals. If you are too thin, some people don’t recommend red meat because that puts an extra burden on the stomach.

If pain occurs where the cancer eats the bone, local radiation is a good palliative. Vitamin C is also excelent. As cancer eats bone, the byproducts cause the cancer to grow even faster. Aredia6 is very good at stopping pain, especially when used at a dosage of 90 mg infused over 60 minutes at weekly intervals.7 Aredia8 sticks tightly to the bone as a shield. It has a 26-hour half-life in the tissues but some of it sticks to the bone surface even after 300 hours.

Several therapies are documented in small studies but not widely known. These therapies work by strengthening the immune system and several can often be used at the same time. Coenzyme Q10, CoQ10,9 at 90 mg/day plus 2,700 mg/day of vitamin C was used with 32 advanced breast cancer patients. In the 18-month test, none died although 4 were expected to die. Two of the 32 patients were then given 300 or 390 mg/day of CoQ10 and reportedly obtained complete remission. Fifteen advanced stage prostate cancer patients were fed 600 mg/day of CoQ10 for 8 weeks,10 a very short test. In 67 %, the cancer shrank or became stable.

Green tea is extensively consumed in the orient where cancer is less frequently diagnosed. Tests on human prostate cancer11,12 implanted in mice showed that green tea extract slowed the growth and decreased the size of cancer. Implanted cancers grew only about 20 % in 14 days in mice given a green tea extract (EGCG). In the controls, the cancer grew to three times its original size. Therapy was reversed and EGCG was then given to the former controls. In 14 days more, their cancer decreased almost to its original size. For the mice started on EGCG, when the EGCG was stopped, the cancer grew to five times its original size in the next 14 days. Hopefully, green tea or its extract will work well in humans with prostate cancer.

Thalidomide prevents the growth of new blood vessels. In a fetus, this is disastrous. In a cancer patient, this is helpful, even life saving. Without new blood vessels, solid cancers cannot grow bigger than about 1/8 inch. Simultaneous other therapies (including strengthening the immune system) can then kill the cancer. Thalidomide is not the best antiangeogenesis drug because of side effects (sleepiness and diarrhea) but it is available now.

The combination of chemotherapy and hormones has worked extremely well for two long-term tests. Bagley4 used Velban, Adriamycin, Mitomycin, and orchiectomy with 27 patients and obtained outstanding results. After 5 years, there were 22 with an undetectable PSA level. Of the remaining 5 patients, three had a PSA less than 2.0 and two had PSA's of 13 and 33. Nausea and vomiting were minimal. No deaths were reported in the 5-year study. Strum13 would modify this regimen using newer medicines and knowledge but he gives no results.

Servadio5 gave cytoxan, 5FU, orchiectomy, and DES to over 36 patients with advanced, stage D2 metastastic prostate cancer. Seventy five percent had pain relief, 50 % had both subjective and objective improvement, 82 % had regression, or stabilization of the primary tumor and 55 % had disappearance or stabilization of bone lesions as shown by bone scans. Most importantly, 58 % were alive after 5 years and 55 % alive after 15 years. This is wonderful. Dosages were fairly strong the first 2 years when compared to regular chemotherapy doses. On the third and fourth years, dosages were decreased and for the fifth year decreased further. Mild radiation was initially given to prevent breast enlargement. Strum thinks that the Servadio regimen may be over treatment but the excellent results (considering the available knowledge in the 1970’s) are more important.

Leibowitz3 often prescribes Proscar, Taxotere, Emcyt, Decadron, Aredia, and sometimes Carboplatinum. Aredia is primarily for osteoporosis but it is also known for pain relief from cancer in the bone and for preventing cancer from getting into the bone. In a group of about 16 men, 9 had a PSA drop of at least 89% and 14 had a PSA drop of at least 50%. I phoned Dr. Leibowitz's office, 310-229-3555, to get the names of 7 of his patients taking Taxotere and willing to talk. I called three of them and I am very favorably impressed with their successes. I was able to find a South Carolina doctor who can use the therapy.

PC-SPES is no longer available. As a substitute, consider compounds called PC-Hope (on the internet), PEENUTS, or PC PLUS at 1-800-860-9583.

Hope

My main message is hope. Compared to a few years ago, life expectancy and Quality of Life are vastly improved. Even without the wonder drugs promised “in a few years”, we can live longer and happier than expected. Remember, there is much hope even with advanced cancer. Your doctor may not be accustomed to strengthening the immune system to control cancer, so work with him, educate him if necessary. Find an additional doctor if necessary. Your life is more important than being polite to your doctor. But you need him. He needs you.

Know that the various state medical boards can penalize doctors who prescribe vitamin C for cancer therapy, but that patients can take therapeutic doses of vitamin C while working with their doctors.

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Author’s Regimen, Revised 2/2/2011

AIM: As of 1997, to keep my cancer in remission for 25 years. Now in 2011, I am over half way there.

DIAGNOSIS: In March 1997 at age 74, a biopsy showed prostate cancer with a Gleason of 3+3 in 1 of 6 needles, stage T1c. PSA was 8.1 but had doubled in the prior 6 months. Thus I had aggressive, early stage cancer, probably confined.

THERAPY: External radiation was recommended but refused because of the side effects of possible incontinence, impotence and probable return of cancer in 5 or 10 years. Started Lupron and Eulexin on 3/97. On 5/1/97 started Proscar at 5 mg/day to give triple androgen deprivation therapy, ADT-3. Lupron and Eulexin were continued for 13 months followed by Proscar only and Hoffer-type vitamins during the “off” period. With study I realized that I should greatly improve my immune system in addition to ADT-3. I increased my vitamins, did somewhat more exercise, and decreased wine and red meat consumption.

SUPPLEMENTS are now (February 2011) about as follows: B complex 100 and 2 pills; vitamin B12, 2,000 mcg; vitamin C 10,000 mg as ascorbic acid pills divide to breakfast, dinner and evening, vitamin D-3, 2,000 IU, vitamin E succinate 800 I.U. and a strong multivitamin which includes some of the these supplements. Selenium 225 mcg, calcium carbonate 2000 mg, Coenzyme Q10, 200 mg, mostly fish and chicken for protein, magnesium 400 mg.

RESULTS: Latest PSA is 0.3. Initially, PSA of 8.1 before Lupron dropped to 0.1 at 3 months and then to less than 0.1 until start of “off period” on 5/98. PSA rose slowly to 1.1 on 9/99. As of 6/10/2009, my PSA has drifted down and leveled off at an average of 0.6 for 124years. This is wonderful and probably due to the vitamins and Proscar. Bone density was good on 4/98 and better on 11/04. Good energy level and no pains since diagnosis. Mild hot flashes continue and low libido, probably from the Proscar.

PROGNOSIS: Based on the above good results and Dr. Strum’s report, I expect to stay on the off period (Proscar and vitamins) for several more years. If PSA trends up, then I can increase the vitamin C or restart Lupron and Eulexin (or Casodex). Please check back in 15 years to see how I’m doing. Other things I might try if need be include a low glucose & carbohydrate diet, flaxseed oil and cottage cheese, Essiac tea, more CoQ10, green tea extract and a high-vegetable diet. I plan to never take chemotherapy.

References for Prostate Cancer Therapies

1. Strum SB & Pogliano D. A Primer on Prostate Cancer. 2002, Hollywood:Florida, The Life Extension Foundation.

2. Homberg L et al. A randomized trial comparing radical prostatectomy with watchful waiting in early stage prostate cancer. New England Journal of Medicine.2002;347 (11):781-789.

3. Leibowitz R, Hormone refractory cancer, www.prostatepointers.org/prostate

/Leibowitz/leib20.html.

4. Bagley C et al. Adjuvant Chemotherapy and Hormonal Therapy of High-risk Prostate Cancer. Proc. Amer. Soc. Clinical Oncology.1995;14:230.

5. Servadio C et al, Combined Hormone chemotherapy for Metastastic Prostate Carcinoma. Urology.1987;30:352-355.

6. Hortobagyi GN et al. Efficacy of Pamidronate in Reducing Skeletal Complications in Patients with Breast Cancer and Lytic Bone Metastases. Protocol 19 Aredia. New England Journal of Medicine.1996;335(24):1785-91.

7. Tyrrell CJ et al. Intravenous Pamidronate: Infusion Rate and Safety. Annals of Oncology.1994;Suppl 7:S27-29.

8. Physicians Desk Reference,2002.

9. Lockwood-K et al. Progress on Therapy of Breast Cancer with Vitamin Q10 and the Regression of metastases. Biochemical Biophysical Research Communication.1995;212(1):172-7.

10. Lewis, James. Co Enzyme Q10. Prostate Cancer Exchange.1998;July/August.

11. Liao U et al. Growth Inhibition and Regression of Human Prostate and Breast Tumors in Athymic Mice by Tea Epigallocatechin Gallate. Cancer Letters.1995;96:239-243.

12. Strum S, Prostate. Cancer Research Insights.1999;2(3):15-16.

13. Strum S, Prostate. Cancer Research Insights.1998; 1(1):9, 11.

Appendix

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Details of Dr Hoffer’s 134 Patients after 15-years of follow up.

Pt. Patient No.; Age, Patient age; Cancer, Type of cancer; Treat, S surgery,

R radiation, C chemotherapy; Gm. Grams per day of Vitamin C;

A.H.Months under Hoffer’s care; Life, life after diagnosis, months;

Alive. Y if alive at end of test.

Pt.	Age	Cancer	Treat	Gm	A.H.	Life	Alive
13	68	ABDOMINAL	NONE	0	1.1	3.1	N
128	79	ABDOMINAL	S R	5.4	11	35	N
46	63	ABDOMINAL	S C	12	15	17	N
49	39	ABDOMINAL	S	15	101	104	Y
24	62	BLADDER	S R	12	64	70	N
101	56	BOWEL	R	12	16	21	N
114	68	BOWEL	S	0	4	6	N
69	8	BRAIN	S R C	6	6	28	N
72	48	BRAIN	S R C	12	28	88	N
7	57	BREAST	S C	0	3.7	6.7	N
59	30	BREAST	S R C	0	6	27	N
79	65	BREAST	S	0	1.8	37.8	N
81	53	BREAST	S C	0	2.2	50.2	N
115	57	BREAST	S R C	0	4.2	16.2	N
10	46	BREAST	S R	1.2	53	54	Y
25	38	BREAST	S C	1.2	23	28	Y
38	65	BREAST	S R C	1.2	96	97	Y
44	69	BREAST	S R	1.2	64	66	Y
Pt.	Age	Cancer	Treat	Gm	A.H.	Life	Alive
48	39	BREAST	S	1.2	70	88	Y
53	41	BREAST	S C	1.2	9	10	N
61	65	BREAST	S R	1.2	40	52	N
55	56	BREAST	S	4	80	122	Y
117	46	BREAST	S R C	4	32	68	Y
36	70	BREAST	S C	6	58	82	N
124	60	BREAST	S C	6	45	66	Y
62	47	BREAST	S	8	89	104	Y
5	48	BREAST	R	10	78	79	Y
27	46	BREAST	S R	10	73	77	Y
20	49	BREAST	S R	12	14	32	N
21	47	BREAST	S C	12	22	40	N
35	56	BREAST	S C	12	120	132	Y
40	58	BREAST	S R	12	85	86	Y
63	45	BREAST	S	12	74	75	Y
82	50	BREAST	R C	12	51	63	N
88	56	BREAST	S C	12	73	73	Y
93	71	BREAST	S R	12	74	75	Y
108	43	BREAST	S C	12	6	12	N
Pt.	Age	Cancer	Treat	Gm	A.H.	Life	Alive
118	49	BREAST	R	12	62	62	Y
129	45	BREAST	S R	12	25	37	Y
133	41	BREAST	S C	12	16	76	N
83	52	BREAST	S R C	18	43	66	N
100	62	BRONCUS	R	12	10	14	N
8	63	CARCINOID	S R	0	1.5	25.5	N
60	37	CERVIX	NONE	9	116	118	Y
67	46	CERVIX	S R C	12	3	75	N
120	73	CERVIX	R	12	3	39	N
12	60	COLON	S R	0	0.4	11.4	N
30	35	COLON	S	0	19	55	N
78	53	COLON	S	0	2	9	N
15	59	COLON	S	2	79	84	Y
45	73	COLON	S R	5	10	39	N
87	30	COLON	S	12	127	145	Y
92	61	COLON	S R	12	17	137	N
95	59	COLON	S	12	74	74	Y
122	64	COLON	S R	12	29	77	Y
80	54	COLON	S	24	13	73	N
Pt.	Age	Cancer	Treat	Gm	A.H.	Life	Alive
22	16	EWING'S SARCOM	R C	12	111	133	Y
31	50	FALLOPIAN TUBE	S	0	49	51	Y
17	60	GLIOBLASTOMA	S	6	15	23