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CAM: M - R

  

CAM & Life Style > M - R 

Last Update: 03/03/2008

Please do not consider the abstracts on supplements within 
to be proof of benefit.  See Evaluating Medical Claims & Data for details.

Macrobiotic diet | Manganese | Melatonin | Mind over Body?MistletoeMGN-3 | NAC | Naltrexone?
Quercetin | Resveratrol | Rosemary 

To avoid potential adverse interactions, be sure to let your health care provider know
if you use any type of complementary therapy.

Macrobiotic diet

 

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TOPIC SEARCH: PubMed 

We have concerns that this diet can cause excessive weight loss in some individuals and contribute to cachexia - loss of muscle mass, or wasting.

"The macrobiotic diet is based loosely on Japanese eating patterns and principles of Traditional Asian Medicine. The traditional macrobiotic diet is vegan, consisting of whole grains, vegetables, seaweeds, fermented foods, nuts, seeds, and seasonal fruits. It excludes meat, eggs, and dairy products, and fluid intake is restricted, although some more liberal forms of the macrobiotic diet include fish and other animal products." [1]
 

  1. Macrobiotic diet and cachexia-  medicine.wustl.edu
  2. Macrobiotic diet

 

Manganese
Natural sources: Blueberries, ginger, rice, egg yolks, green vegetables, legumes, nuts, bananas, olives, avocados, kelp, tea
Review - ithyroid.com
Health Guide Info
 
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Manganese is an essential mineral that's present in a variety of foods.

TOPIC SEARCH: PubMed 

CAUTION: "Excessive intake of manganese can lead to the rare side effects of dementia and psychiatric symptoms. Preliminary research suggests that individuals with cirrhosis may not be able to properly excrete manganese; until more is known, these people should not supplement manganese.2" - Health Guide Info

Questions:
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Might increasing copper levels associated with lymphoma progression deplete manganese levels?

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Might low levels of Manganese contribute to the progression of lymphoma? 

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Can increasing Manganese through supplementation or diet help to manage lymphoma by helping to induce apoptosis?

Related Resources & Research News:
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Manganese induces apoptosis of human B cells: caspase-dependent cell death blocked by bcl-2. Cell Death Differ. 1999 May;6(5):445-53. PMID: 10381635 - PubMed
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Serum copper levels in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Cancer. 1980 Apr 15;45(8):2156-9. 
Mind over Body?

Can positive thinking affect treatment and outcomes.  Does stress cause cancer?
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TOPIC SEARCH: PubMed

From: Preventing Cancer Is There a Link Between Stress and Cancer? By GINA KOLATA

What really caused it, they would say, was stress. It was plausible, Dr. Newcomb reasoned. After all, stress could alter the functioning of the immune system, in turn altering susceptibility to cancer.

So Dr. Newcomb incorporated standard questions about stressful life events into her continuing study of nearly 1,000 women. Had family members or friends died? Had they gotten married or divorced? Had they lost a job or had they retired? Had their financial status changed? Were there stressful events not on the list that they would like to add?

But the results were clear: there was no association between stressful events in the previous five years and a diagnosis of breast cancer. Other studies had the same result. Still, not everyone was convinced. Critics told Dr. Newcomb and her colleague, Dr. Felicia Roberts, that they had measured stressors, not stress. And Dr. Newcomb had to agree that they had a point. She chose stressful life events as a surrogate for experienced stress, but it is not easy to measure the actual physiological stress that people experience and then follow them to see if they got cancer.

Commentary: This is indeed a complicated subject, not black and white. I agree that certain kinds of stress, or reactions to stress, are strongly linked to some illnesses. And there is no question that reactions to excess stress impairs quality of life. And probably stress is a factor sometimes in the origin of some cancers as described in the study below. 

What I find most questionable is the idea that positive thinking can alter the course of cancer or influence if a treatment works or not. It's generally accepted that there is no placebo affect against cancer, and I think this is the main reason we don't have placebo controlled cancer studies. It would be unethical.

Ironically, this notion that mind can influence cancer often causes more stress, and can diminish quality of life. It sets up a an unrealistic expectation, inevitable self-blame. 

Of course, those who happen to believe that positive thinking influences outcomes in cancer will have this belief reinforced if coincidentally they happen to respond well to treatment. 

I'm no expert, but I think a way to free oneself from the overreacting to stress might be to accept the fear and sadness as a natural reaction to very difficult circumstances. Accept it instead of fighting it. Easier said than done, I know. It seems that mindfulness, prayer, and meditations can be helpful in improving quality of life and easing our reactions to stress. The instinct sometimes is to fight against the direction of a current, but swimmers know this is not the best way to escape a rip tide.  ~ Karl Schwartz

 
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Mind-Body Medicine for Cancer - webmd. com
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Cancer incidence in parents who lost a child: a nationwide study in Denmark. Cancer. 2002 Nov 15;95(10):2237-42. PMID: 12412179 | Related Articles 
 
The authors observed a slightly increased overall cancer risk in bereaved mothers at 7-18 years of follow-up. There was an increased risk for smoking-related malignancies among bereaved mothers during the 7-18 years of follow-up. The authors observed no significantly increased relative risk of breast carcinoma, alcohol-related malignancies, virus/immune-related malignancies, or hormone-related malignancies.

also see: THE TYRANNY OF POSITIVE THINKINGPDF

I got really depressed when people said I should think positive. I thought, "If that's what I have to do to survive, I'm never going to make it."

Mistletoe
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TOPIC SEARCH: PubMed

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Comprehensive history with references - cancer.gov/  

Melatonin
Questions and 
related abstracts
Natural sources:  a natural hormone; levels influenced by exposure to light
Review
-Dr Arlene Goldman
Review with Warning- InteliHealth
Health Guide Info
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Melatonin is a natural hormone, normally created by the pineal gland. It is stimulated by darkness and inhibited by light.  It regulates the human biological clock. Melatonin is a highly important antioxidant, it may also modulate immune function.

TOPIC SEARCH: PubMed | Chemotherapy 

Questions:
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Should Melatonin be avoided by patients with immune system cancers? 

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Can Melatonin reduce side effects of chemotherapy without compromising efficacy?

Related Resources & Research News:
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A randomized trial of CHOP chemotherapy with or without melatonin in patients with favorable prognosis large B-cell lymphoma. - ASCO 2004 ~ Abstract No: 8066 "The addition of melatonin to CHOP chemotherapy did *not* decrease the incidence of neutropenia after cycle 1 in this patient population. In addition, this study suggests that there is no improvement in neutrophil nadir, CR rate, infection rate, or change in hemoglobin or platelet counts with the addition of melatonin."
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A phase II study of neuroimmunotherapy with subcutaneous low-dose IL-2 plus the pineal hormone melatonin in untreatable advanced hematologic malignancies.
Anticancer Res. 2000 May-Jun;20(3B):2103-5. PMID: 10928160
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Effects of melatonin on doxorubicin cytotoxicity in sensitive and pleiotropically resistant tumor cells. J Pineal Res. 2001 Oct;31(3):206-13. PMID: 11589754 - PubMed
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Lymphocyte Changes in Lymphoma Patients Receiving Melatonin Plus Chop Chemotherapy. Year: 2000 ASCO Abstract No: 72 
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Melatonin decreases bone marrow and lymphatic toxicity of adriamycin in mice bearing TLX5 lymphoma. Life Sci. 1998;63(19):1701-13. PMID: 9806226 - PubMed
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A phase II study of neuroimmunotherapy with subcutaneous low-dose IL-2 plus the pineal hormone melatonin in untreatable advanced hematologic malignancies.
Anticancer Res. 2000 May-Jun;20(3B):2103-5. PMID: 10928160 - PubMed
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Selective effect of melatonin on the proliferation of lymphoid cells. Int J Biochem. 1993 Mar;25(3):441-4. PMID: 8462731 - PubMed
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Lymphocyte Changes in Lymphoma Patients Receiving Melatonin Plus Chop Chemotherapy.
Click here, then Go to slide 72.
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The validity of melatonin as an oncostatic agent. J Pineal Res. 1997 May;22(4):184-202. Review.
PMID: 9247204 - PubMed 
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Cyclophosphamide plus somatostatin, bromocriptin, retinoids, melatonin and ACTH in the treatment of low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphomas at advanced stage: results of a phase II trial. Cancer Biother Radiopharm. 2001 Apr;16(2):171-7.  PMID: 11385964 - PubMed
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Melatonin restores and enhances the human type B tonsillar lymphocyte subset in recurrent acute tonsillitis. Neurosci Lett. 1998 May 15;247(2-3):131-4. 
MGN3
Questions and 
related abstracts
Natural sources:  
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MGN3 is a polysaccharide composed of the hemicellose-ß extract of rice bran, modified by enzymes from Shiitake mushrooms. 

TOPIC SEARCH: PubMed 

Presently, there is only in vitro (test tube) evidence that MGN3 might increase NK cell levels or activity. No clinical data and few groups are investigating it.

Questions:
bulletDoes MGN3 modulate immunity in ways that are beneficial to patients with NHL?
bulletWhat doses are needed to achieve clinically useful effects.
Related Resources & Research News:
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Production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interferon-gamma from human peripheral blood lymphocytes by MGN-3, a modified arabinoxylan from rice bran, and its synergy with interleukin-2 in vitro. Cancer Detect Prev. 2000;24(4):314-24. PMID: 11059563 - PubMed

 

NAC
Questions and 
related abstracts
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N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) is an important natural supplement.  However, for individuals with NHL, it may prudent to avoid this supplement for the following rather technical reasons. 

TOPIC SEARCH: PubMed 

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NAC enhances IkappaB degradation and inhibits apoptosis. PMID: 10661865, UI: 20125507
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NAC stimulates IL-1 beta production PMID: 10609880, UI: 20075993 
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NAC protects cancer cells against cytotoxicity. PMID: 10925209  
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NAC inhibits apoptosis and supports NF-kappaB activation PMID: 10867640

 

See Alerts
Naltrexone
(low dose) ?

Questions and 
related abstracts
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Low dose Naltrexone (LDN) for Cancers?  
Why we are skeptical

TOPIC SEARCH: PubMed 

Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN)  is promoted as a anti-cancer therapy by Dr. Bihari on a website named LDN and Cancer.   A case report1 cites the reported outcomes for LDN on this website as a rationale for LDN and reports on the outcome.  Here we list the many reasons to be skeptical about the reports. 

Regarding the LDN and Cancer website:

First, we call attention to many red flags in the text, which begin with a qualifying statement about the need to do prospective studies (giving the appearance of objectivity), but consistently maintains that  cancer patients benefit from the use of LDN - the estimate being more than 60%.  

From => "Although prospective, controlled clinical trials on LDN in the treatment of cancer are yet to be accomplished, as of March 2004 clinical "off-label" use of this medication by Dr. Bihari in some 450 patients with cancer almost all of whom had failed to respond to standard treatments suggests that more than 60% of patients with cancer *may significantly* benefit from LDN."

To =>
"It will clearly require extensive study of LDN in prospective,
controlled clinical trials to determine which cancers respond best and which
other therapies are complementary to or synergistic with LDN."2

The phrase "which cancers respond best" implies that it's known that some cancers respond to LDN,  which requires faith in Bihari's reporting of the responses, which are not defined, are kept internally, and have not been published in a respected journal.  The fact is that we don't know if ANY cancers respond to LDN.

RED FLAGS:  

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Misleading information: Regarding the text: "Although prospective, controlled clinical trials on LDN in the treatment of cancer are yet to be accomplished as of March 2004 ...
 
We are not aware of any clinical trial using low dose Naltrexone for any Cancer as of 2008! 
 

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Conspiracy of silence? It would be a major story if 60% of patients who did not respond to chemo really benefited from LDN.  That it has not been covered by the media or the research community would require a cover-up or conspiracy of silence - which would require the complicity of thousands of experts who also get cancers, whose loved one's get cancer.
  

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Too many conditions? The website text reports that patients with many types of cancers have benefited from LDN:  From Lung .... Ovarian cancers, along with a host of intractable medical conditions, including HIV.

Consider the number of cancers and conditions for which LDN is promoted:

“helping those with HIV/AIDS, cancer, autoimmune diseases, and central nervous system disorders”  (Nov 1 1997 http://www.lowdosenaltrexone.org)

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Conflict of interest: Dr. Bihari, who consults patients on the use of LDN, has an obvious financial conflict of interest.  We should consider the potential for bias is high when the claims come only from the provider - in this case the consultant.
 

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Practicing outside domain: Dr. Bihari is not an oncologist or even an internist; his degree is in Psychiatry and Neurology. 

Regarding the LDN case study 1 published on the Internet:

"Bihari reported that he has used LDN with promising results for people with various malignancies including but not limited to primary cancers of the bladder, breast, liver, lung, lymph nodes, colon, and rectum  Over the years, he has administered LDN to more than 450 people with cancer, most of whom initially failed standard conventional treatments. 

According to Bihari, 86 of the 354 patients followed regularly demonstrated at least a 75% reduction in overall tumor bulk, and an additional 125 patients demonstrated disease stability."[9]
1  

 
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The case report cites statistics provided by Dr. Bihari in LDN and Cancer2 website,  which is internally kept response data, with no way to substantiate it. The outcomes are not the result of randomized studies; nor are the claims made for specific indications.  The outcomes are not defined.  For example, we don't know what response means or how long the responses lasted.  There is no independent assessment or verification.
 

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in the case report 1:
no definitions of "reduction in bulk"; 
no definition of time to response or response durations; 
no description of methods and how outcomes were measured  … 

no scientific method.  Nothing "regularly demonstrated."

Dr. Bihari hasn't published his findings for peer review ... the reference [9] in the case report is to a website that promotes LDN, not a medical journal. 

Be aware, that the professional-looking case report does not provide verifiable or reliable measures of outcome in the follow up:

At the 6-month follow-up on May 2, 2006, T.M. stated that his nodes had almost completely resolved, and on examination, neither the large cervical nodes nor the large inguinal nodes were palpable. 

... At the time of this report, and per telephone communication from the patient’s wife, T.M. remains asymptomatic from his disease, now 1 year after his last CT/PET imaging.

... Follow-up by telephone, reported by the patient's wife, is the very opposite of objective independently assessed evidence. 

Furthermore, as noted in the report, the condition could  easily "represent a period of spontaneous remission"
, which is very common for follicular lymphoma.

The case study (any case report) cannot tell us how many people have tried LDN and had no regressions, or if the intervention caused the observed response, or were coincidental. 

The report ends with a conclusion that ethical scientists would never make on the basis of a case report:

We believe that by the mechanisms presented herein, LDN demonstrates significant potential to increase disease-free as well as overall survival in people with FL.

Clearly, nothing has been demonstrated regarding the proposed mechanisms.    

That the authors suggest that LDN can improve overall survival is especially baffling, when even large randomized studies with very long follow up often fail to demonstrate this for treatments of indolent lymphomas. 

Recommendation: Dr. Bihari should publish his findings in a respected journal, or make a public statement contradicting the promotions of others who quote him to promote the off-label use of LDN. If the data is judged compelling by his peers, he will be able to attract capital to do a controlled study to prove his claims. It really is that simple.  The information on the LDN website for cancers 2 should be removed until clinical studies are done that demonstrate benefit for specific cancers.   

We remind the reader that it's very easy to make claims (we could all dash them off in seconds), but it's vital that we prove them before promoting interventions for disease. In fact, it’s the law.

... It’s vital because without an evidence-based system we would have no idea which therapy has true value and would be subjected to endless sales promotions from all points on the compass. 

  1. Reversal of Signs and Symptoms of a B-Cell Lymphoma in a Patient Using Only Low-Dose Naltrexone  http://www.ldn4cancer.com/files/berkson-b-cell-lymphoma-paper.pdf 
     
  2.  LDN and Cancer,  website Feb 2008: 
     http://www.lowdosenaltrexone.org/ldn_and_cancer.htm   
Quercetin
Questions and related abstracts
Natural sources:  onions,  apple skin, black tea
CAUTION: Tea might also contain high levels of fluoride - bruha.com 

 

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Flavonoids, such as quercetin, are plant pigments which color flowers, fruits and vegetables. Thousands of flavonoids have been identified; notable ones include proanthocyanidins, quercetin, citrus bioflavonoids, black and green tea polyphenols.

TOPIC SEARCH: PubMed 

CAUTION: High dietary intake of Bioflavonoids may contribute to infant leukemia - Reuters

There is some evidence that the flavonoid Quercetin might have anticancer properties specific to lymphoma under certain conditions. 

Questions:
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Can flavonoids like quercetin reduce inflammation and slow progression of lymphomas in clinically significant ways?

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What are the risks associated with high dietary intake of bioflavonoids?

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What doses, if any, of flavonoids are required to achieve clinically useful effects?

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Can herbs with anticancer properties be used in combination to achieve synergies and clinically significant effects?

Related Resources & Research News:
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Antiproliferative activity of flavonoids on several cancer cell lines. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 1999 May;63(5):896-9. PMID: 10380632; UI: 99309751.
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Synergistic cytotoxic effect of quercetin and heat treatment in a lymphoid cell line (OZ) with low HSP70 expression. Leuk Res. 1997 Feb;21(2):139-45. PMID: 9112431 - PubMed
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Effect of black tea on (iso-)prostaglandins and platelet aggregation in healthy volunteers. 
Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2002 May;66(5-6):529-33. PMID: 12144875 - PubMed
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The effects of flavonoids on human lymphocyte proliferative responses. Prog Clin Biol Res. 1986;213:511-20. PMID: 3714747; UI: 86233563. - PubMed
Resveratrol
Questions and related abstracts
Natural sources:  
dark red grapes

It is produced by Vitis vinifera and labrusca grapes and is found in grape products including red and white wines. The consumption of muscadines and muscadine products, especially those made from pomace purees, could help incorporate a significant quantity of resveratrol into the average diet.

Details from usda.gov
 - a government source

Muscadine Grape Nutrition - ncwine.org 

ON STABILITY and CONCENTRATIONS: Resveratrol was stable for up to 5 days at 4 degrees C in the dark but was not stable at room temperature without protection from light. Resveratrol was detected in grape, cranberry, and wine samples. Concentrations ranged from 1.56 to 1042 nmol/g in Concord grape products, and from 8.63 to 24.84 micromol/L in Italian red wine. The concentrations of resveratrol were similar in cranberry and grape juice at 1.07 and 1.56 nmol/g, respectively. [7]

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Resveratrol, (RES-VEAR-A-TROL) a phytoalexin found in red grapes, appears to have anti-inflammatory (inhibited cox-2-cyclooxygenase),  anti-promotion, and anti-progression activity.  

Bioavailability?  "Although trans-resveratrol appears to be well-absorbed by humans when taken orally, its bioavailability is relatively low due to its rapid metabolism and elimination ...  Information about the bioavailability of resveratrol in humans is important because much of the basic research on resveratrol has been conducted in cultured cells exposed to unmetabolized resveratrol at concentrations that are often 10-100 times greater than peak concentrations observed in human plasma after oral consumption. Although cells that line the digestive tract are exposed to unmetabolized resveratrol, research in humans suggests that other tissues are exposed primarily to resveratrol metabolites.  Little is known about the biological activity of resveratrol metabolites, and it is not known whether some tissues are capable of converting resveratrol metabolites back to resveratrol (7).

Source: http://lpi.oregonstate.edu 

TOPIC SEARCH : PubMed | Sources and stability  

Questions:
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Can Resveratrol reduce inflammation and slow progression of lymphomas in clinically significant ways?

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What doses, if any, of Resveratrol are required to achieve clinically useful effects?

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Can natural compounds with anticancer properties be used in combination to achieve synergies and clinically significant effects?

Related Resources & Research News:
  1. About - diet-and-health.net 
  2. Resveratrol modifies the expression of apoptotic regulatory proteins and sensitizes non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and multiple myeloma cell lines to paclitaxel-induced apoptosis.
    Mol Cancer Ther. 2004 Jan;3(1):71-84. PMID: 14749477 | Related articles
  3. Scientists to Study Red Wine for Anti-Cancer Drug - Reuters 11_05_02 
    "... possible new cancer prevention drug based on resveratrol, a natural compound found in red wine. "
  4. Involvement of c-jun NH(2)-terminal kinases in resveratrol-induced activation of p53 and apoptosis. Mol Carcinog. 2002 Apr;33(4):244-50. PMID: 11933078 - PubMed
  5. Chemopreventive agent resveratrol, a natural product derived from grapes, triggers CD95 signaling-dependent apoptosis in human tumor cells. Blood. 1998 Aug 1;92(3):996-1002. PMID: 9680369 - PubMed
  6. HOW A PLANT'S ANTI-FUNGAL DEFENSE MAY PROTECT AGAINST CANCER - CancerResearchUK.org
  7. ON STABILITY AND CONCENTRATIONS: An LC-MS method for analyzing total resveratrol in grape juice, cranberry juice, and in wine. J Agric Food Chem. 2002 Jan 30;50(3):431-5. PMID: 11804508 
  8. Piceatannol, a hydroxylated analog of the chemopreventive agent resveratrol, is a potent inducer of apoptosis in the lymphoma cell line BJAB and in primary, leukemic lymphoblasts. Leukemia. 2001 Nov;15(11):1735-42. - PubMed
  9.  

Rosemary
Questions and related abstracts
Natural sources: 
 rosemary plant
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Rosemary, a common herb, has anti-inflammatory properties, inhibits prostaglandin 2/cox-2. 

TOPIC SEARCH: PubMed 

Questions:
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Can rosemary reduce inflammation and slow progression of lymphomas in clinically significant ways? If so, at what doses?

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Can herbs with anticancer properties be used in combination to achieve clinically significant effects?

Related Resources & Research News:
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Antioxidant and cyclooxygenase inhibitory phenolic compounds from Ocimum sanctum Linn. Phytomedicine. 2000 Mar;7(1):7-13. PMID: 10782484 - PubMed
 
Disclaimer:  The information presented on Lymphomation.org is not intended to be a substitute for 
professional medical advice or to replace your relationship with a physician.
For all medical concerns,  you should always consult your doctor. 
Patients Against Lymphoma, Copyright © 2004,  All Rights Reserved.