Curious...
 

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/chemotherap...164516832.html

Chemotherapy can backfire and boost cancer growth: study

Cancer-busting chemotherapy can cause damage to healthy cells which triggers them to secrete a protein that sustains tumour growth and resistance to further treatment, a study said Sunday.
Researchers in the United States made the "completely unexpected" finding while seeking to explain why cancer cells are so resilient inside the human body when they are easy to kill in the lab.
They tested the effects of a type of chemotherapy on tissue collected from men with prostate cancer, and found "evidence of DNA damage" in healthy cells after treatment, the scientists wrote in Nature Medicine.
Chemotherapy works by inhibiting reproduction of fast-dividing cells such as those found in tumours.
The scientists found that healthy cells damaged by chemotherapy secreted more of a protein called WNT16B which boosts cancer cell survival.
"The increase in WNT16B was completely unexpected," study co-author Peter Nelson of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle told AFP.
The protein was taken up by tumour cells neighbouring the damaged cells.
"WNT16B, when secreted, would interact with nearby tumour cells and cause them to grow, invade, and importantly, resist subsequent therapy," said Nelson.
In cancer treatment, tumours often respond well initially, followed by rapid regrowth and then resistance to further chemotherapy.
Rates of tumour cell reproduction have been shown to accelerate between treatments.
"Our results indicate that damage responses in benign cells... may directly contribute to enhanced tumour growth kinetics," wrote the team.
The researchers said they confirmed their findings with breast and ovarian cancer tumours.
The result paves the way for research into new, improved treatment, said Nelson.
"For example, an antibody to WNT16B, given with chemotherapy, may improve responses (kill more tumour cells)," he said in an email exchange.
"Alternatively, it may be possible to use smaller, less toxic doses of therapy."

Re: Curious...
 

Hi Brenda
My first thought at a logical level is that having very toxic chemicals pumped into our bodies must surely hurt the good guys as well as the bad! My other reaction was targeted,targeted, targeted! This has got to be the way to go. Most oncs I guess agree with this but are then stuck when there's progression on targeted treatments alone.
It feels like we are waiting for a quantum shift in treating cancer, probably one that restores the virulence of our own immune system to keep the cancer a bay as it did all those years before our diagnosis!
Ellie

Curious... and yet full of hope
 

This is incredibly fascinating, Brenda! And I agree, as I often do, with Ellie.

I still believe that taking the daring step to take all those supplements my NY onc/nutritionist urged me to (with my metastasis in '98) was the way to go.

All other oncs, and I had about 5 (between NY, Westchester, Long Island and Boca) said to hold off on taking the supplements because they don't know if they will compromise the chemo.

I was betting my life that I should listen to my onc/nutritional specialist who practices integrative medicine. I also listened to my Inner Voice which prompted me to be bold.

I added meditation, guided imagery and a lot of mantras to my daily regimen. Andrea Bocelli's Romanza CD helped me hear, feel and be the music. It carried me away, to peaceful places even in the midst of pain, nausea, diarrhea and anxiety...

Andi

Re: Curious...
 

So far, I agree with both of y'all. It boils down to targeted and complimentary/integrative. In my humble opinion.

Re: Curious...
 

The issue of supplements is really interesting. When first diagnosed I listened to a podcast featuring Eric Winer (hope I spelt his name correctly). His argument was that he believed some supplements were good for for cancer patients as they had anti proliferative properties BUT others were bad as they 'fed' the cancer cells with good nutrients that promoted growth. The problem as he saw it was that so far we were unclear in most cases which was which!
Ellie

Re: Curious...
 

Yes, I took immune boosters, supplements that boosted heart function, liver detoxifiers, energy boosters and so on. I also took fish oil.

I developed shingles 1 mnth into Taxotere, but caught it fast (as I had an appt w/a stem cell expert which was a direction I was considering at the time). I asked, What is this and lifted my shirt to reveal what looked like a big, itchy bug bite. Herpes Zostrix, he responded immediately. So I had the advantage of starting the Valtrex (I think that's the name) to fight the disease that takes advantage of immune compromised people. I felt sicker than I ever remember but thought it was from the chemo. I layed my head on my husband's lap, a thing I would never consider before, while in the waiting room.

So, I found when I went for my chemo tx that the onc wouldn't give me chemo while I had shingles. This could take mnths. I KNEW I had to get back on the chemo. I went home and read my PRESCRIPTIONS FOR NUTRITIONAL HEALING book, looking up shingles. I added a few suggested weird supplements.

10 days later I returned to the onc. How are you, he asked. Good, I said (after 10 days of fierce agony). He smiled and said, Let me see. I lifted my shirt and he circled me on the exam table. You're right!, he said w/amazement. You can have the chemo. I was crusty all over. Healing.

Did the extra supplements and the immune boosters, etc. the nutritional onc gave me, and of course the quick dx and immediate Valtrex all save me?

I think the Universe had my back...

Fish oils block chemotherapy drug
By James Gallagher Health reporter, BBC News http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/image...supplement.gif Fish oils may block cancer drugs
Fats found in fish oil supplements can stop chemotherapy drugs working, according to researchers.
Writing in the journal Cancer Cell, they advise cancer patients not to take the supplements.
The two fatty acids involved, which are also produced by stem cells in the blood, lead to tumours becoming immune to treatment.
Cancer Research UK advised patients to ask their doctor whether they would be affected.
Scientists in the Netherlands were investigating how tumours develop resistance to treatments.
Fat shield Experiments on mice showed that stem cells in the blood responded to the widely-used cancer drug cisplatin. The cells started producing two fatty acids, known as KHT and 16:4(n-3).
These fatty acids begin a series of chemical reactions, which mean cancerous cells become resistant to chemotherapy.
“Start Quote

We currently recommend that these products should not be used whilst people are undergoing chemotherapy”

End Quote Prof Emile Voest University Medical Centre Utrecht
Using drugs to block the production of the fatty acids prevented this form of resistance which "significantly enhances the chemotherapy," the study says.
However, researchers warned that these fatty acids were "abundantly present in commercially available fish oil products". They showed that off-the-shelf fish oil supplements, given to mice, could stop chemotherapy working against some tumours.
Prof Emile Voest, lead researcher at University Medical Centre Utrecht, said: "We show that the body itself secretes protective substances into the blood that are powerful enough to block the effect of chemotherapy.
"These substances can be found in some types of fish oil.
"Whilst waiting for the results of further research, we currently recommend that these products should not be used whilst people are undergoing chemotherapy."
Jessica Harris, health information manager for Cancer Research UK, said: "This interesting study suggests one possible option for stopping cancers becoming resistant to treatment, but it is at an early stage and much more research would be needed to develop ways to halt resistance.
"The results also suggest that fish oil preparations may reduce the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs.
"Cancer patients who are taking or thinking of taking these supplements should talk to their doctors to find out whether they could affect their treatments






Andi

Re: Curious...
 

As a National Cancer Institute site, Fred Hutch is among the most reputable.

Even though there are patients who feel they have given full consideration to the information commonly made available to patients at time of diagnosis and decision-making, discussion in materials provided implies only that those who have a return of breast cancer are just experiencing the "failure" of their chosen chemotherapy.

In the statistical presentations of such analyses as lifemath or Adjuvant Online! that often are used at time of diagnosis for help in understanding one's risks and benefits, I didn't see any consideration specifically stated to be provided for the possibility that in some instances the chosen chemo might actually be encouraging the growth of breast cancer, but maybe someone else has seen something in those sources that I have not seen?

If none of the statisticians gave clear consideration and allocation for that possibility, how useful would those decision tools be, and what else might be missing from them?

A.A.

Re: Curious...
 

Well stated Angel. I wonder?