Sherry;
I am wondering about this drug as you have likely gone through all the chemo's and have resistance?....it apparently does not affect normal cells ...
Regulatory News Article
Phenoxodiol Increases Effectiveness of Docetaxel
Recent laboratory findings have revealed that when used with docetaxel, the anti-cancer drug phenoxodiol elevates docetaxel's ability to kill human ovarian cancer cells.
In November 2004, phenoxodiol received fast-track status from the FDA in relation to a continual multi-center phase Ib/IIa study. This study used tumor measurements from radiographic examinations of women with recurrent ovarian cancer. It shows the development of phenoxodiol as a chemo-sensitizer for standard chemotherapy agents for ovarian cancer, including the taxanes and platinum compounds.
Researchers from the Yale University School of Medicine used cancer cell lines from patients who had failed to responsd to standard anti-cancer drugs. Laboratory results showed these cells as being highly resistant to anti-cancer drugs, such as docetaxel. Not only did phenoxodiol restore docetaxel's activity, but when added to the treatment mix, the synergistic effect was so great that it allotted 1/100 th of the amount of docetaxel to be more powerful toward cells previously unaffected by docetaxel alone.
The FDA has approved the use of docetaxel for:
- Treatment of women with early stage, locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer after failure of prior platinum-based chemotherapy
- Treatment of locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer after anthracyline-based therapy
- First-line therapy for non-small cell lung cancer
- Second-line therapy for non-small cell lung cancer following prior treatment with cisplatin
- Hormone-refractory prostate cancer in combination with prednisone
Phenoxodiol works to regulate signal transduction pathways in cancer cells resulting in the breakdown of the intra-cellular proteins XIAP (X-linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein) and FLIP (Fas Ligand Inhibitory Protein), which block the capability of the cancer cell to undergo apoptosis via the death receptor mechanism.(1) These proteins are preventing unintentional cell death in healthy cells, but they are also over-expressed in many forms of cancer and are associated with the development of resistance to anti-cancer drugs. (2) Phenoxodiol is working selectively on tumor cells because of its interaction with the tumor-specific NADH oxidase, which is restricted to cancer cells.
When used with docetaxel, phenoxodiol enhances the capability and sensitivity of docetaxel in killing human ovarian cancer cells. Previously, these cells had not responded to docetaxel when used alone, but the addition of phenoxodiol has effectively increased the response.
(1) Kamsteeg M et al. Ibid.
(2) Cheng JQ et al., 2002. Drug Resist Update 5, 131.
Here is a website that explains this drug in understandable english.
Cathy