Category: Integrative Cancer Support

NatureMed Clinic's Dr. Kirsten West contributed a study regarding topical milk thistle for Capecitabine-Induced Hand-Foot Syndrome to the Natural Medicine Journal. Forty patients diagnosed with gastrointestinal malignancy, including colorectal and esophageal cancers, who had no previous exposure to capecitabine but were scheduled to receive this medication; average age was 60 years and 60% were male. Gastric cancer was the most common malignancy in both the treatment and placebo groups (75% and 60%, respectively). Topical Milk Thistle for Capecitabine-Induced Hand-Foot Syndrome Reference Elyasi S, Shojaee FSR, Allahyari A, Karimi G. Topical silymarin administration for prevention of capecitabine-induced hand-foot syndrome: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Phytother Res. 2017;31(9):1323-1329. Objective To assess if topical silymarin is active in the prevention of capecitabine-induced hand-foot syndrome (HFS) Design Pilot, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial Participants Forty patients diagnosed with gastrointestinal malignancy, including colorectal and esophageal cancers, who had no previous exposure to capecitabine but were scheduled to receive this medication; average age was 60 years and 60% were male. Gastric cancer was the most common malignancy in both the treatment and placebo groups (75% and 60%, respectively). Study Medication and Dosage Patients were randomly allocated to either the topical silymarin (treatment) or placebo group. Those...

By Kirsten West ND, Lac, FABNO Like many of you, my thoughts regarding farms (at least in the past) typically transitioned into images of red barns, green pastures, the solitary cow (or two), perhaps some chickens, rows of corn, birds chirping- basically, an overall picture of serenity. In fact, living next to a scene such as this appears quite nice. Most recently, this “farm life” image has been turned on its head with the development of what is now called a CAFO. Quite frankly, not only would I not want one next door but I would prefer to be several miles (at least 60) away from one. First, let us start with what CAFO means. A CAFO stands for a Concentrated Animal Farming Operation. You may ask what this has to do with health and most importantly why, I am writing about it… hold on to your seats. CAFOs are multiplying across the country. They are considered a specific type of large-scale industrial agricultural facility that raises animals in high density for the consumption of animal products (meat, eggs, or milk). Notably, there is typically little to no horticulture. It has been argued that this is the future of farming...

Denise Clark ND, RND As the days get longer and we experience more sunny days its time to protect our skin from the damaging effects of intense sun exposure in Colorado. A recently published study found that our eating habits could affect aging and the prevention of skin cancer. A study in mice from the O'Donnell Brain Institute and UC Irvine shows that eating at abnormal times disrupts the biological clock of the skin, including the daytime potency of an enzyme that protects against the sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation. The finding indicates that people who eat late at night may be more vulnerable to sunburn and longer-term effects such as skin aging and skin cancer. The study showed that mice given food only during the day -- an abnormal eating time for the otherwise nocturnal animals -- sustained more skin damage when exposed to ultraviolet B (UVB) light during the day than during the night. This outcome occurred, at least in part, because an enzyme that repairs UV-damaged skin -- xeroderma pigmentosum group A (XPA) -- shifted its daily cycle to be less active in the day. Mice that fed only during their usual evening times did not show altered...

Dr. Kirsten West, RND, ND, LAc, FABNO has recently co-authored an article about Treating Cancer with Curcumin. Below you can read the abstract and view the complete article in PDF format. Abstract Oncologists tend to avoid the use of supplements during chemotherapy. To understand the safety issue, a literature review was conducted to evaluate the safety and possible benefits of taking curcumin during chemotherapy. Curcumin was chosen because of its wide use in the public and because of the availability of clinical trials utilizing curcumin during chemotherapy. Curcumin is considered a “pan-assay interference compound,” creating false leads in drug discovery assays. The pharmacodynamics of curcumin presents many challenges for a therapeutic agent, including poor bioavailability and rapid q metabolism and excretion. The proposed molecular targets for curcumin include inhibition of nuclear factor kappa B and inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2.  Clinical trials investigating the efficacy of curcumin treatment for cancer have been conducted in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, multiple myeloma, lung cancer, and head and neck cancer.  Outcomes revealed that while curcumin was not effective,  it was well tolerated and safe. Recently, there have been several Phase I and Phase II trials combining curcumin with chemotherapeutic agents. Two trials investigated the...

Below an abstract from medical liturature on the benefits of mistletoe on chemotherapy resistant lung cancer cells. Phytomedicine. 2017 Dec 1;36:183-193. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2017.09.017. Epub 2017 Sep 29. Mistletoe (Viscum album) extract targets Axl to suppress cell proliferation and overcome cisplatin- and erlotinib-resistance in non-small cell lung cancer cells. Kim S1, Kim KC2, Lee C3. Author information Abstract BACKGROUND: Mistletoe extract of Visucm album extract (VAE) contains many biologically active components and has been reported to be not only a complementary and alternative medicine, but also a potent therapeutic agent for many types of cancer. PURPOSE: In this study, we examined the effect of VAE on expression and activation of Axl and scrutinized the involvement of Axl in the anti-cancer activity of VAE in parental and chemo-resistant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. METHODS: The levels of Axl protein and mRNA were determined by Western blot analysis and RT-PCR, respectively. Phosphorylation of Axl upon Gas6 stimulation was observed by Western blot analysis. For ectopic expression or gene silencing of Axl, the recombinant plasmid, pcDNA3-Axl, or specific siRNA targeting Axl were transfected into A549 and H460 cells using Lipofectamine 2000, respectively. The anti-cancer activity of mistletoe extract was examined against the parental cells and each of their cisplatin- or...