Category: Integrative Cancer Support

By Kelly Parcell, ND One of the greatest areas of confusion and natural medicine today, especially in Boulder, is the subject of bioidentical hormones.  Consumers, practitioners, manufacturers and the media all contribute to some of this misunderstanding.  How are bioidentical hormones different from synthetic hormones?  A bioidentical hormone is a hormone that is biochemically identical to the human hormone. You have wanted to try estrogen but are wary of side effects and possible dangers.  You heard that premarin is made from pregnant horse’s urine (pre-mar-in ....pregnant mare's urine...get it?). This type of estrogen is nothing like human estrogen.  You may have heard that synthetic estrogens can increase risk of blood clots, breast and uterine cancer. Most people don't know that there are three dominant estrogens in the human body: estradiol, estrone, and estriol.  All three of these types of estrogen can be synthesized from plants in the laboratory.  Typical plants used in this process are the Mexican yam and the soybean.  With soybeans a compound called beta-sitosterol is extracted and through a number of enzymatic reactions the lab can make either estradiol, estrone, as trial, progesterone, DHEA, and even testosterone.  The end product is called natural because it is biochemically identical...

The importance of dietary intake cannot be underestimated when it comes to preventing and managing cancer. Research continues to elucidate the link between low sugar/high protein/healthy fat diets and cancer prevention/chemoprevention. Understanding just how to stabalize blood sugar and retrict dietary intake of sugar is of high importance in our society. Below is one of several abstracts linking the type of dietary intake (limited sugar consumption) to cancer prevention. Our food is our medicine. With it we can make changes in our lives, our health, our future wellbeing and the lives of others. How and what to eat remain large tenents in my practice. Their benefit is highly evident. Cancer Res. 2011 Jul 1;71(13):4484-93. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-10-3973. Epub 2011 Jun 14. A low carbohydrate, high protein diet slows tumor growth and prevents cancer initiation. Ho VW, Leung K, Hsu A, Luk B, Lai J, Shen SY, Minchinton AI, Waterhouse D, Bally MB, Lin W, Nelson BH, Sly LM, Krystal G. Source The Terry Fox Laboratory, BC Cancer Research Centre, BC Cancer Agency, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology, BC Children's Hospital & University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Abstract Since cancer cells depend on glucose more than normal cells, we compared the effects of low...

Another case for assuring correct supplement/herbal use with your Naturopathic Doctor. from Science Now (8.9.2013): Common Herbal Supplement Linked to Cancer Carsten Niehaus/Creative Commons Vicious vine. Leafy, flowery vines called Aristolochia are used in an herbal supplement that may cause cancer. SHANGHAI, CHINA—Many people turn to herbal supplements to improve their health. In China, belief in traditional medicine is so strong that pharmacies peddle unprocessed herbs alongside modern pharmaceuticals. But an ingredient found in certain supplements may be as cancerous as smoking, two new studies have found. The ingredient in question is aristolochic acid, a compound found in leafy, flowery vines called Aristolochia, or birthwort. For centuries, birthwort has been used in traditional medicine in China (and ancient Greece before that) to treat arthritis and ease childbirth, among other conditions. (The flower is shaped like a uterus.) Today aristolochic acid—pronounced "a-ris-to-LOW-kick”—is found in supplements for weight loss, menstrual symptoms, and rheumatism. It’s widely used in Asia, where it’s added to medicinal wine, ointments, and diet pills. One study found that between 1997 and 2003, fully one-third of Taiwanese were prescribed birthwort supplements by a Chinese medicine practitioner. Warnings about the herb first emerged in the early 1990s, when a scandal...

This is a question asked by several patients on a daily basis. The questions are in various forms: "Is soy okay to eat if I have a family history of breast cancer?" "Should I avoid soy if I previously had breast cancer?" "Does soy cause breast cancer?" This has been a topic of much debate for the past several years. Luckily, new research is providing clarity. Recent studies actually indicate that soy foods actually decrease the risk of breast cancer recurrence. Naturopathic oncologist Dr Tina Kaczor states: “As the following studies show, evidence suggests there is no increased risk of recurrence for any subpopulations of breast cancer survivors (eg, pre- or postmenopausal, estrogen receptor positive or negative, those on or off hormonal treatments). Further, soy consumption lessened risk of all-cause mortality with increasing levels of consumption.” In addition, it is important to note that soy increases the actvity of tamoxifen (i.e., its effectiveness) in post menopausal women. 1-2 servings of soy is the recommended daily dose. Traditional soy foods, employed for thousands of years in Asian diets are a good source. These are:  tempeh or edamame. Avoid processed and/or hydrolyzed soy proteins as found in protein bars or meal replacements. Organic soy milk is also...