Chinese Herbs For Brain Cancer

Posted by Cathy on

Natural alternative for brain cancer Could it really be possible the compound known as indirubin, one of the active ingredients in traditional Chinese herbs could block the growth of glioblastoma brain tumors? 

U.S. researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center — Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, says YES, the Chinese herbs have proven this in mice, and now research will proceed with humans.

The Chinese herb formula known as Dang Gui Long Hui Wan consists of 10 herbs which was originally published in a Chinese text named the Dan Xi Xin Fa (Dan Xi's Heart Approach) in 1347 CE.  The same Chinese herbal medicine formula has been used for treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML).1

The findings on indirubin and this novel therapeutic strategy for brain tumors was recently published in the Journal Cancer Research.  Although research on indirubins has been ongoing for years this is the  first time indirubin drugs  have improved survival in glioblastoma and these agents were found to inhibit two of the most important hallmarks of this malignancy, tumor cell invasion and angiogenesis.

This is incredible news for the approximately 13,000 Americans who die each year due to glioblastoma. "Overall, our findings suggest that indirubins reduce tumor invasion and tumor vasculature because of their antimigratory  effects on both tumor and endothelial cells," said  Antonio Chiocca  MD. 

(In memory of David Servan-Schreiber, Author of  Anticancer.  "Death is part of life. It happens to everyone. Profit from now, do the important things."

References:

1. Memorial Sloane Kettering Cancer Center clinical summary of Indirubin extract:   http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/69262.cfm

2.  American Assoc. of Cancer Research:     http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/early/2011/06/21/0008-5472.CAN-10-3026

"Indirubins decrease glioma invasion by blocking migratory phenotypes in both the tumor and stromal endothelial cell compartments" Shante Williams, Michal Nowicki, Fang Liu, Rachael Press, Jakub Godlewki, Mahmoud Abdel-Rasoul, Balveen Kaur, Soledad Bernandez, Antonio Chiocca and Sean Lawle

The Best Foods and Herbs For Fighting Breast Cancer

Posted by Cathy on

Best Food and Herbs to Help Your Breast Cancer FightSince October is Breast Cancer Awareness month I wanted to post a few tips on the best foods and herbs for breast cancer patients.  Really everyone should eat the foods on this list.  But if you or a friend are in the midst of this horrible disease the Chinese herbs mentioned may be especially beneficial.  Celeb’s like Sheryl Crow used diet, herbs and acupuncture during her bout with breast cancer, and much was written about simply because of her celebrity status.  Why it takes a celeb to bring this info front and center I’m not sure.

Preventing cancer in the first place should be our goal, so incorporating these foods and herbs into your daily diet is always a good idea.

The Best Herbs for Breast Cancer

Herbs for breast cancer often includes herbs that help relieve symptoms associated with radiation and chemotherapy treatments. These symptoms include nausea, vomiting, mucositis (inflammation of the mucous membranes of the digestive tract), and fatigue.

An important review by the internationally known Cochran Library included 542 breast cancer patients undergoing or having recently undergone chemotherapy.  The seven studies they reviewed  found that Chinese herbs offer relief of symptoms and enhance the immune system. “The results suggest that using Chinese herbs in conjunction with chemotherapy or Chinese medicinal herbs alone may be beneficial in terms of improvement in marrow suppression and immune system, and may improve overall state of quality of life”

Ginger is the main Chinese herb recommended to relieve nausea. Some herbs are used because they are known to have some anti-cancer properties. These include red clover, ashwagandha and curcumin.  

The Best Foods for Breast Cancer

Broccoli sprouts and other members of the Brassica family such as kale, chard, turnips and bok choy have been found to be beneficial foods for breast cancer patients.  Flax seed is an absolute must.   Flax is a great source of alphalinolenic acid, which is an essential omega-3 fatty acid found in plants and has essentially the best anti-cancer properties.  Chia seeds are a great source of fiber and omega-3s.

Don’t forget tomatoes.  They are high in lycopene, a proven cancer prevention compound according to the Univ. of Michigan. Lycopene is an antioxidant that is structurally similar to beta-carotene.

Dark leafy vegetables (dandelion greens, spinach, swiss chard, mustard greens, argula)  and yellow orange fruits (papaya, mango) are good natural sources of beta carotene.  Beta-carotene is also called pro-vitamin A is a proven cancer fighter.

Eat well and be well! 

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/o/cochrane/clsysrev/articles/CD004921/frame.html