March 1st, 2010

Acupuncture reduces hot flashes, improves sex drive for breast cancer patients

» Posted in Acupuncture at 8:48 am

Study results show that acupuncture, when compared to drug therapy, has a longer-lasting effect on the reduction of and night sweats for women receiving for treatment. Women also report that acupuncture improves their energy and clarity of thought.

The study, published online this week in the Journal of Oncology, is the first randomly controlled trial to compare acupuncture and drug therapy in this way.

“Acupuncture offers patients a safe, effective and durable treatment option for hot flashes, something that affects the majority of breast cancer survivors. Compared to drug therapy, acupuncture actually has benefits, as opposed to more side effects,” says study lead author Eleanor Walker, M.D., division director of breast services in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Henry Ford Hospital.

According to the National Cancer Institute, one in eight women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. For these women, conventional medical treatment involves chemotherapy and five years of hormone therapy. With such a long course of treatment, side effects of hormone therapy such as vasomotor symptoms – hot flashes and night sweats – can become a major cause of decreased quality of life, and even discontinuation of treatment.

Venlafaxine (Effexor) has been the drug therapy of choice to manage these common and debilitating side effects associated with breast cancer treatment. Venlafixine, however, comes with its own set of side-effects: dry mouth, decreased appetite, nausea and constipation.

Since acupuncture has been shown to effectively reduce hot flashes in , Dr. Walker and her research team decided to test the use of acupuncture to combat vasomotor symptoms in breast cancer patients as an alternative to drug therapy.

To compare the two options, 50 patients were recruited from oncology clinics at Henry Ford. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either acupuncture or venlafaxine treatment for 12 weeks. The drug therapy group took venlafaxine orally each night, 37.5mg the first week and then 75mg for the remaining 11 weeks. The other group received acupuncture treatments twice per week for the first four weeks, and then once a week for the remaining eight weeks.

At the end of 12 weeks, all patients stopped their therapy and were followed for one year. Patients kept a diary to record the number and severity of hot flashes, and took surveys to measure their overall health and mental health.

The study found that both groups initially experienced a 50 percent decline in hot flashes and depressive symptoms, indicating that acupuncture is as effective as drug therapy.

Differences, however, between the two groups began to emerge two weeks post-treatment: The acupuncture group continued to experience minimal hot flashes, while the group had a significant increase in hot flashes. The group did not experience an increase in the frequency of their hot flashes until three months post-treatment.

More information: “Acupuncture versus Venlafaxine for the Management of Vasomotor Symptoms in Hormone Receptor Positive Breast Cancer Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” Journal of Clinical Oncology.

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March 1st, 2010

Bitter Melon Extract Decreased Breast Cancer Cell Growth

» Posted in Chinese Herbs at 7:41 am

ScienceDaily (Feb. 23, 2010) — Bitter melon extract, a common dietary supplement, exerts a significant effect against breast cancer cell growth and may eventually become a chemopreventive agent against this form of cancer, according to results of a recent study.

“Our findings suggest that bitter melon extract modulates several signal transduction pathways, which induces breast cancer cell death,” said lead researcher Ratna B. Ray, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Pathology at Saint Louis University. “This extract can be utilized as a dietary supplement for the prevention of breast cancer.”

Results of this study are published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Previous research has shown Momordica charantia, also known as bitter melon, to have hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects, according to Ray. Because of these effects, the extract is commonly used in folk medicines as a remedy for diabetes in locales such as India, China and Central America, according to the researchers.

Using human breast cancer cells and primary human mammary epithelial cells in vitro, Ray and colleagues found the mechanism of bitter melon extract significantly decreased proliferation, that is, cell growth and division, and induced death in breast cancer cells. These early results offer an encouraging path for research into breast cancer.

“Breast cancer is a major killer among women around the world, and in that perspective, results from this study are quite significant,” said Rajesh Agarwal, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Colorado, Denver School of Pharmacy. “This study may provide us with one more agent as an extract that could be used against breast cancer if additional studies hold true.”

According to Agarwal, the Cancer Research associate editor for this study, the simple study design, clear-cut results and the overall importance of these findings in breast cancer prevention makes this research different from previous research.

However, he stressed that “this study is only a step towards establishing the cancer preventive efficacy of bitter melon against breast cancer.” Additional studies are needed to further understand the molecular targets of bitter melon extract in cancer cells, as well as for establishing its in vivo efficacy. Agarwal gave a note of caution, stating that while these results do provide hope as an anti-cancer agent, it is important to establish the validity of these results in animal models before adding them to one’s diet to inhibit breast cancer cell growth.

Ray and colleagues are currently conducting follow-up studies using a number of cancer cell lines to examine the anti-proliferative effect of the extract. They are also planning a preclinical trial to evaluate its chemopreventive efficacy by oral administration.

Bitter melon extract is cultivated in Asia, Africa and South America. Extract of this vegetable is being popularized as a dietary supplement in Western Countries, since it is known to contain additional glycosides such as mormordin, vitamin C, carotenoids, flavanoids and polyphenols.

American Association for Cancer Research (2010, February 23). Bitter melon extract decreased breast cancer cell growth. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 1, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2010/02/100223131956.htm

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March 1st, 2010

Non-Toxic Vitamin C Inhibits Formation Of New Blood Vessel Growth To Tumors

» Posted in Supplements at 7:37 am

Bio-Communications Research Institute’s (BCRI’s) recent research study has found that high levels of vitamin C (ascorbate) inhibit the formation of new blood vessel growth to tumors.

To grow, tumors rely on a high level of nutrients to flow to the tumor site. This nutrient flow is critical to tumor growth and is facilitated in the host body by the growth of new blood vessels. The new blood vessel growth process is known as angiogenesis. In tumor angiogenesis, the blood vessels grow to support the growth of the tumor. This groundbreaking BCRI study has shown that angiogenesis or the proliferation of new blood vessels, in support of tumor growth, is retarded when high levels of vitamin C are present in the blood. High levels of vitamin C saturation necessary for angiogenesis to occur are obtainable with the intravenous infusion of vitamin C (ascorbate).

In the study published in the February 2010 issue of Journal of Angiogenesis Research, two assays were used to evaluate the effect of high-doses of vitamin C on the inhibition of new blood vessel growth. One was ex vivo and one in vivo and both illustrated the inhibition characteristics vitamin C has on new tumor blood vessel growth. The in vivo assay treated with vitamin C indicated 30% less blood vessel growth than untreated tissue.

This current study meshes well with other pioneering research that has been the hallmark of BCRI’s history. In a previous study (Sept, 2005) BCRI researchers found that intravenous infusions of vitamin C were selectively toxic to tumor cells.

For years, researchers at BCRI have been recognized nationally and internationally for great strides in natural treatments, vitamin C research, and stem cell research.

BCRI’s long history in research is presently headed by Dr. Neil H. Riordan. The research team includes Dr. Xiaolong Meng, Dr. Joseph Casciari, Dr. Nina Mikirova, Dr. Jie Zhong, Andrea Rogers B.S., Dr. James A. Jackson, Dr. Don Davis, Dr. Jorge Miranda, Dr. Michael Gonzalez, and Paul Taylor B.S./B.A.

BCRI is a division of The Center for the Improvement of Human Functioning International (CIHFI) — CIHFI, a 501 (c) 3 foundation, was founded 35 years ago by Hugh D. Riordan, M.D. The foundation is comprised of four major divisions: the Olive W. Garvey Center for Healing Arts, the Bio-Center Laboratory, the Bio-Communications Research Institute, and the Bio-Medical Synergistics Education Institute. The medical doctors at CIHFI have seen patients from all 50 states and from 48 foreign countries.

Source: Bio-Communications Research Institute

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