[donocco]

Elizabeth

Interesting to see your post because I was just thinking about this. Its very unlikely your doctor will approve intense zinc therapy to drastically lower copper levels. Remember copper reduction, although exciting and possibly effective to some degree is a new idea. Medicine tends to be conservative, as Im sure you know.

I thought of something else that is not as drastic and your doctor might be more agreeable to. I think you know about the copper to zinc ratio and how it gets high in cancers of various kinds Lymphomas, which are characterized by remission and recurrence show a relatively normal copper-zinc ratio (about 0.9) during periods of remission after chemo and when the patient goes out of remission the copper-zinc ratio rises to about 1.5.

I remember reading an article where women without suspicious breast lumps were compared to those who presented with breast lumps. Those without lumps had copper/zinc ratios of about 0.9.

What about those with breat lumps? Well, you have to divide these women into benign and malignant lumps. I think youve already guessed it, those with benign lumps had an average copper/zinc ratio of about 1.1, while those with malignant lumps had a copper/zinc ratio of about 1.5.

What the article didnt say, but Im guessing is those women with benign lumps could be divided into two main catagories. Those with benign but atypical cells in terms of size and shape, and those whose benign lumps were made up o f more normal looking cells. My guess (its a guess) is that the women with the benign atypical cells had higher copper/zinc ratios than those with more normal cells.

Its unlikely but possible that artifically raising the copper zinc ratio through zinc supplementation to a "normal" number (0.9 istead of 1.6) might make you more responsive to your regular treatment. I can see the holes in this kind of thinking, but it possibly could do some good. You would have to work closely with your oncologist to measure these ratios and see what dosage of zinc is needed to get the copper-zinc ratio to normal. Just a thought. If it rings an inner intuitive bell, speak with your oncologist.

Paul

PS I sort of apologize for my research oriented mind.
I was going to get a PHD in Pharmacology after Pharmacy School but I got married and went to work in retail