Coenzyme Q10 plasma levels predict melanoma metastasis

Q10 often pops up on this site, and has been reported in trials as possibly benificial in BC. I found this by accident.

Although it is a differnent cancer under discussion this is a particulary intrigueing article.

RB

http://www.oncolink.com/resources/ar...th=02&id=12858

ABSTRACT

Coenzyme Q10 plasma levels predict melanoma metastasis
Reuters Health
Posting Date: February 16, 2006

Last Updated: 2006-02-16 15:45:43 -0400 (Reuters Health)

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Abnormally low plasma concentrations of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) are a strong predictor of metastasis in patients with melanoma, according to a group of Italian researchers.

Breslow thickness at the time of primary diagnosis is considered the best predictor of melanoma progression. However, "it still fails to accurately predict outcome in many patients, leaving a considerable part of the prognostic variations unexplained," the authors write the February issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Previous studies have reported abnormally low plasma levels of CoQ10 in patients with cancer of the breast, lung, or pancreas, and in individuals with melanoma cells.

In this prospective study, the researchers, lead by Dr. Luigi Rusciani, from the University of the Sacred Heart in Rome, investigated the prognostic usefulness of baseline CoQ10 plasma levels in patients with melanoma.

One hundred seventeen patients with primary cutaneous melanoma and 125 matched controls where followed over about 7.5 years. The team measured plasma CoQ10 levels every 3 to 6 months, setting the threshold at 0.6 mg/L to divide plasma CoQ10 levels into high and low groups.

They found that 32.5% of the primary melanoma patients developed metastasis during the follow-up period. CoQ10 levels were significantly higher in the control group than in the melanoma group (1.27 versus 0.497 mg/L).

The subgroup of melanoma patients who developed metastasis had significantly lower baseline values of CoQ10 levels (0.342 mg/L) compared with patients who did not develop metastasis (0.572 mg/L)..........

[jhandley]

Great article. I am a firm believer in Q10. When I was dx. in 2001 I was on 50 mg a day and am sure this is why I only had one lymph node positive. (Of course in hindsight I should have been on 300 mg/day but I didnt know about its anti cance effects then) . Anyway at my health food shop I asked if I should take it; having just been dx with BC and was told "yes it has anticancer effect and that one woman who had been told she had 2 months to live came in bought up lots and came back 12 months later and said she was cured."
I keep trying to get my dose up to 300mg/day but find too much gives me insomnia.
In lieu of the difficulty of obtaining her2 serum testing here in Australia I am going to test Q10 myself against Ca 27/29 or Ca 15 ..I can get Q10 levels blood tested in melb. and see what happens when I up the amount of Q10.

regards
jackie

Curiously a samll trial (Danish or Swedish) did report from memory two cases of total tumour regression on 300 mg a day.

I wonder why there have not been more trials if it is potentially so effective.

Interesting.

RB

[Esther]

I remember reading about an Italian trial that showed that 400 mg first thing in the morning helped with tumor regression in Breast Cancer.

More on CoQ10.


RB


http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2006/...r_coq10_01.htm

ABSTRACT


Two recent review articles addressed CoQ10’s potential as an adjunctive therapy during chemotherapy with anthracyclines. Writing in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, researchers summarized five reviewed studies in which CoQ10 was given along with anthracyclines.12 They report that in three of the studies that measured heart rhythm, patients who received CoQ10 showed favorable changes suggesting that CoQ10 might have a stabilizing effect on the heart. They also note that supplementation did not interfere with anthracycline treatment, and that no adverse effects were reported in any of the trials. The authors concluded that although coenzyme Q10 demonstrates potential for reducing cardiotoxicity, larger and more rigorous investigations are needed.