Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Can we eat to starve cancer?

In a comment on a recent post, Pieter pointed to this video:



Very thought provoking.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I listened to the whole lecture... and two things ruined it for me.
1. Nearly all the foods on that list are things I have bad reactions to (salicylates).
2. Ornish is involved in the project. That can't be good.

gibby1979 said...

So my PhD research is in cancer drug discovery. Angiogenesis in cancer is well known, this isn't a revolution. Judah Folkman, who recently passed away, previously at harvard medical school started the field in 1971. The drugs that have come to the market have not had a great success rate, it's very cancer dependent and in some cases can have negative impacts. In fact several trials have demonstrated that angiogenesis inhibitors have induced malignancy, the oxygen starved tumors breaking up and moving to find resources.
I also have no idea where the number of 90-95% of cancer being environmental. The number, according the national academy of sciences is closer to 70-75% but still debated.
Truthfully, I don't buy it (from the angiogenesis point of view) can diet help to prevent cancer, yes, but there is no revolution here. I'm going with him ignoring the inflammation issues, inflammation will eventually bring about angiogenesis as well. Most of the antiangiogenesis compounds and drugs he lists (with the exception of many of the anti-cancer drugs on the market) are anti-inflammatory.

Anonymous said...

One of the antiangiogenic foods on the list is soya. Paleo/Primal critique identifies soya as an antinutrient.

My dad has terminal environmental caused mesothelioma cancer after working with asbestos some fifty years ago. He eats most of the foods on the antiangiogenic list. However in the light of evidence that some cancers appear to be heavily dependent on sugar for energy, I've advised him to go low carb paleo by cutting out fruit except berries and sticking with lower carb veggies. Ultimately I'm fairly certain that this isnt going to do much more than prolong his life by a few months at best. Having been a regular competitive sports player right up until the symptoms started, I'm certain that in comparison with others with the same cancer who had low exercise levels prior to diagnosis, he has had remained alive for double the expected average.

Chris said...

TO be clear, I am not endorsing the video, just saying that there is some interesting ideas there.

Dr. B G said...

Chris,

I learn so much from your finds... Thank you for the incredible posting -- RIVETING.

It's too bad that Dr.Li did not discuss the value of an evo/paleo approach e.g. grain-free, meat, cholesterol, fat, herbs/leaves (which are not allergenic), resistance training to control angiogenesis.

Ketones, BCAAs/leucine, omega-6 veggie oil avoidance and reduction of excess blood insulin have been shown to control angiogenesis.

Both ULTRA high dose fish oil and Metformin are being used with positive outcomes (even for TNBC, triple-negative breast CA) -- both reduce serum insulin, improve insulin sensitivity and reduce body fat.

Implementing a ketogenic diet based on medium-chain triglyceride oil in pediatric patients with cancer.Nebeling LC, Lerner E.J Am Diet Assoc. 1995 Jun;95(6):693-7.
Effects of a ketogenic diet on tumor metabolism and nutritional status in pediatric oncology patients: two case reports.Nebeling LC, Miraldi F, Shurin SB, Lerner E.J Am Coll Nutr. 1995 Apr;14(2):202-8.
Branched-chain amino acids suppress insulin-resistance-based hepatocarcinogenesis in obese diabetic rats. Yoshiji H, Noguchi R, Kitade M, Kaji K, Ikenaka Y, Namisaki T, Yoshii J, Yanase K, Yamazaki M, Tsujimoto T, Akahane T, Kawaratani H, Uemura M, Fukui H. J Gastroenterol. 2009;44(5):483-91.
Metformin decreases angiogenesis via NF-kappaB and Erk1/2/Erk5 pathways by increasing the antiangiogenic thrombospondin-1. Tan BK, Adya R, Chen J, Farhatullah S, Heutling D, Mitchell D, Lehnert H, Randeva HS. Cardiovasc Res. 2009 Aug 1;83(3):566-74.
Obesity, hyperinsulinemia and breast cancer: novel targets and a novel role for metformin. Wysocki PJ, Wierusz-Wysocka B. Expert Rev Mol Diagn. 2010 May;10(4):509-19.
Omega-3 fatty acids, inflammation and angiogenesis: nutrigenomic effects as an explanation for anti-atherogenic and anti-inflammatory effects of fish and fish oils. Massaro M, Scoditti E, Carluccio MA, Montinari MR, De Caterina R. J Nutrigenet Nutrigenomics. 2008;1(1-2):4-23.
Modulation of angiogenesis by omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids is mediated by cyclooxygenases. Szymczak M, Murray M, Petrovic N. Blood. 2008 Apr 1;111(7):3514-21.

-grace

Dr. B G said...

(oh don't forget... Selenium, Zinc and Iodine -- they inhibit proliferation and angiogenesis as well

The role of iodine and delta-iodolactone in growth and apoptosis of malignant thyroid epithelial cells and breast cancer cells.
A complex between 6-iodolactone and the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor type gamma may mediate the antineoplastic effect of iodine in mammary cancer.
Seaweed prevents breast cancer?
Selenium as an anticancer nutrient: roles in cell proliferation and tumor cell invasion.
Antiangiogenic activity of selenium in cancer chemoprevention: metabolite-specific effects.
Monomethyl selenium--specific inhibition of MMP-2 and VEGF expression: implications for angiogenic switch regulation.
Rationale for the treatment of cancer with sodium selenite.
A wholly nutritional 'multifocal angiostatic therapy' [zinc, selenium, glycine, green tea, omega-3] for control of disseminated cancer.
Inorganic selenium retards progression of experimental hormone refractory prostate cancer.)