IN THIS ISSUE, AUGUST 24 2001:
LIFE EXTENSION UPDATE EXCLUSIVE: Pancreatic cancer preventable?
PROTOCOL: Pancreatic cancer
FEATURED PRODUCTS OF THE WEEK: Folic acid and vitamin B12 capsules, Super
Curcumin with Bioperine
LIFE EXTENSION MAGAZINE, AUGUST 2001: An innovative approach to cancer
therapy
LIFE EXTENSION RADIO ARCHIVES NOW ONLINE
LIFE EXTENSION UPDATE EXCLUSIVE
Pancreatic cancer preventable?
Cancer of the pancreas is one of the deadliest forms of cancer, with less
than five percent of those diagnosed surviving beyond five years. The
disease is aggressive and difficult to treat because of its inaccessible
location and its closeness to other organs. The August 18 2001 issue of
Journal of the American Medical Association published an article with an
accompanying editorial on the growing evidence that pancreatic cancer may be
a preventable disease for many individuals. The researchers examined data
from 46,648 men who participated in the Health Professionals Follow Up Study
begun in 1986, and 117,041 women who were participants in the Nurses' Health
Study, initiated in 1976. Subjects completed a questionnaire concerning
their health habits at the onset of the study and every two years for the
remainder of the ten to twenty year follow up. Deaths were reported by
family members.
During follow up there were 350 diagnoses of pancreatic cancer. The data
showed a positive correlation between body mass index and the risk of cancer
of the pancreas. Individuals body mass index of greater than 30 kilograms
per square meter had greater pancreatic cancer risk than those with a body
mass index of 25 kilograms per square meter. A positive association was
also observed between height and pancreatic cancer diagnosis. Moderate
exercise, consisting of approximately one and one half hours of walking per
week, was associated with a 50% reduction in pancreatic cancer risk in both
men and women. The inverse association between exercise and pancreatic risk
was more pronounced in those who were overweight.
The researchers explained these results by noting that a high body mass
index indicative of being overweight or obese is associated with an
increased risk of hyperinsulinemia and diabetes. Elevated insulin levels
have been shown to increase local blood flow and cell divison within the
pancreas. Excessive insulin may also cause increased exposure to free
insulin-like growth factor 1, shown to promote growth in human pancreatic
cancer cell lines. Exercise, by improving glucose tolerance and insulin
clearance rates, can reverse some of this risk. An alternative explanation
for the link between obesity and pancreatic cancer rests on the fact that
the increased formation of DNA mutations found in pancreatic cancer patients
are also found in individuals who have a higher body mass index, due to
increased lipid peroxidation.
As cigarette smoking has heretofore been the only well established risk
factor for this deadly disease, these findings are important . Although
height is an uncontrollable risk factor, improving exercise levels and
maintaining a healthy weight are measures we can all take to help prevent
this and other lethal diseases.
PROTOCOL
Pancreatic cancer
A review of epidemiological evidence on the relationship between nutrition
and pancreatic cancer found that, overall, fairly consistent patterns of
positive associations with the intake of meat, carbohydrates, and dietary
cholesterol have been observed. Consistent inverse relationships with fruit
and vegetable intakes and, in particular, with fiber and vitamin C, have
also been noted. (Ghadirian, Thouez et al. 1991; Ji, Chow et al. 1995; Howe
and Burch 1996)
An article translated from the Japanese journal Gan No Rinsho compared 71
patients with pancreatic cancer to 142 community-based controls. They found
significantly decreased risks were associated with consumption of raw
vegetables and green tea. The risk increased significantly with consumption
of the fat of meat, boiled fish, coffee, black tea and alcoholic beverages.
(Goto, Masuoka et al. 1990)
An article published in the American journal Epidemiology described a cohort
study of 27,101 healthy male smokers aged 50 to 69 years. 157 of them
developed pancreatic cancer during the 13 years of follow-up from 1985 to
1997. The adjusted hazards ratio comparing the highest with the lowest
quintile of dietary folate intake was 0.52 (95% confidence interval: 0.31,
0.87; p-trend = 0.05). Dietary methionine, alcohol intake, and smoking
history did not modify this relation. Consistent with prior studies, this
study shows that cigarette smoking was associated with an increased risk.
The authors conclude that these results support the hypothesis that dietary
folate intake is inversely associated with the risk of pancreatic cancer and
confirm the risk associated with greater cigarette smoking.
(Stolzenberg-Solomon, Pietinen et al. 2001)
A basic protocol for pancreatic cancer might include the following:
Spes
Pancreatic enzymes
Green tea
Borage and/or fish oil
Genistein
Curcumin (turmeric) and Milk thistle
Quercetin
A high-quality multiple that includes antioxidants, selenium, beta-carotene,
and vitamins E and D
Perillyl alcohol should be carefully considered
http://www.lef.org/cgi-local/welcome.cgi/id=151066226/sgroup_id=699/welcome.
html
FEATURED PRODUCTS OF THE WEEK
Folic acid and vitamin B12 capsules
Folic acid has the following health benefits:
Helps protect the chromosomes against genetic damage
Can prevent atherosclerosis caused by excess homocysteine
Has been shown in high doses to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease
Is needed for the utilization of sugar and amino acids
May prevent some forms of cancer
Promotes healthier skin
Helps protect against intestinal parasites and food poisoning
The United States RDA of 400 mcg is needed for minimal health, but recently
it has been established that folic acid can prevent spina bifida, and women
of child bearing age should have more than RDA amounts in their diet.
http://www.lef.org/cgi-local/welcome.cgi/id=151066227/sgroup_id=699/welcome.
html
Super Curcumin with Bioperine
Curcumin is a potent antioxidant extract from the spice turmeric that has a
wide range of health benefits with specific antiviral, anti-inflammatory,
anticancer and cholesterol-lowering effects. Cancer researchers are
developing agents that induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) as potent
anticancer drugs. In common with many of the nutrients in the Cancer
Treatment Protocol such as selenium, vitamin A, green tea and vitamin D3,
curcumin induces cancer cell apoptosis.
In a wide range of cancer cells, curcumin has been shown to induce cell
shrinkage, chromatin condensation, and DNA fragmentation, and to block
cellular signal transduction. All of these are characteristic of
apoptosis-inducing agents according to an article published in the journal
Nutrition and Cancer (USA) (26/1/1996).
Curcumin provides broad-spectrum effects throughout the body. In addition to
being a potent antioxidant, curcumin suppresses the enzyme COX-2.
Overexpression of COX-2 is related to the development of certain cancers and
chronic inflammatory diseases. By suppressing COX-2 curcumin is thought to
help prevent the development of colon cancer and alleviate arthritic
conditions. Curcumin also inhibits abnormal platelet aggregation that can
lead to a heart attack or stroke.
http://www.lef.org/cgi-local/welcome.cgi/id=151066228/sgroup_id=699/welcome.
html
LIFE EXTENSION MAGAZINE AUGUST 2001
An innovative approach to cancer therapy: One doctor's perspective
In this era of fast approaching changes in cancer treatment, an alternative
approach is gaining serious mainstream recognition. Developed by New York
City immunologist, Nicholas Gonzalez, MD, it focuses on the use of
biochemical individuality and the incorporation of pancreatic enzymes,
nutrition, detoxification and autonomic nervous system balance.
As a result of successful findings in a 1993 National Cancer Institute pilot
program of his work, Gonzalez gained approval of a major $1.4 million dollar
grant from the National Institutes of Health. This large-scale five year
National Cancer Institute/National Institutes of Health program is being
conducted under the Department of Oncology and the Department of Surgical
Oncology at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York. It chief
investigator is John Cabot, M.D., Chief of Surgical Oncology at Columbia.
This study will compare the effectiveness of the Gonzalez nutritional
approach in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer (adenocarcinoma).
Currently they are enrolling 72 to 90 patients, half of who will receive
chemotherapy with the drug gemcitabine, and half of whom will be treated
with the nutritional treatment program. Readers who are interested in
obtaining further information regarding this study should contact Dr. John
Chabot or Michele Gabay, RN at (212) 305-9467 or go to www.dr-gonzalez.com
to learn more about Dr. Gonzalez and his practice.
http://www.lef.org/cgi-local/welcome.cgi/id=151066229/sgroup_id=699/welcome.
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LIFE EXTENSION RADIO ARCHIVES NOW ONLINE
Tune in to Life Extension Radio on WJNA 1040 AM Saturday from 11:30 am to
12:30 pm. This Saturday's topic will be hypertension. If you're outside of
south Florida, the show will be webcasted on Life Extension's website. Go
to
http://www.lef.org/cgi-local/welcome.cgi/id=151066069/sgroup_id=699/welcome.
html to listen and call in your questions. We now have audio archives
online of past shows on cardiovascular disease and arthritis, so if you miss
the live broadcasts, you can listen to each week's show at your convenience.
Chat live with preventive medical doctor Andrew Baer, Wednesday August 29 at
7:00 eastern time and 7:00 pacific time. Learn more at
http://www.lef.org/chat/
Visit our website at www.lef.org to take part in our weekly poll. This
week's poll question: What area of the Life Extension Foundation website is
the most useful to you? Let us know!
If you have questions concerning this issue or past issues of Life Extension
Update, send them to ddye@lifeextension.com
For longer life,
Dayna Dye
Editor, Life Extension Update
ddye@lifeextension.com
Life Extension Foundation
www.lef.org
1 800 841 5433
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