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Integrative Lung Cancer Treatment

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As a class, Non Small Cell Lung Cancer is relatively insensitive to chemotherapy…Therefore think outside the Therapy Box-

“Non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) is any type of epithelial lung cancer other than small cell lung carcinoma(SCLC). NSCLC accounts for about 85% of all lung cancers.[1][2] As a class, NSCLCs are relatively insensitive to chemotherapy, compared to small cell carcinoma. When possible, they are primarily treated by surgical resection with curative intent, although chemotherapy is increasingly being used both pre-operatively (neoadjuvant chemotherapy) and post-operatively (adjuvant chemotherapy).”

The above  is Wikipedia’s definition of NSCLC. Right off the bat, the reader must wrap his/her head around the fact that conventional chemotherapy probably will do little to stop their cancer. 

The solution? Think beyond the conventional oncology box. I am a long-term survivor of an “incurable cancer” called multiple myeloma. After several years of high-dose, aggressive chemotherapies failed to stop my cancer, I turned to evidence-based, non-conventional therapies. I have been in complete remission since April of 199

If you look beyond conventional lung cancer therapies you will find many evidence-based choices. Combining platinum-based chemotherapies with curcumin, for example, will enhance the efficacy of the chemo while reducing it’s toxicity.

Based on research over the past 10 years, curcumin  and other non-toxic therapies have shown anti-cancer activity by themselves. This anti-cancer action is enhanced when curcumin is combined with therapies such as green tea (EGCG) or with conventional chemo such as cisplatin.

My point is NSCLC, at any stage, is difficult to treat. Especially if you want to think long-term. You owe it to yourself to think beyond conventional therapies.

To learn more about evidence-based therapies for lung cancer, please watch the short video below:

To Learn More about Non-Conventional Lung Cancer Treatments- click now

Have you been diagnosed with lung cancer? What stage?

For more information about integrative or complimentary  lung cancer therapies, scroll down the page, post a question or comment and I will reply ASAP.

Thank you,

David Emerson

  • Cancer Survivor
  • Cancer Coach
  • Director PeopleBeatingCancer

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment Protocols 

  • “Treatment Recommendations, Early or Localized Disease
  • Chemoradiation Therapy, Locally Advanced Disease
  • Concurrent chemotherapy/radiation therapy regimens
  • Sequential chemotherapy/radiation therapy regimens
  • First, Second, Third Line
  • Maintenance Chemotherapy, Metastatic or Recurrent Disease”

Curcumin and cancer-

One of the few challenges to curcumin supplementation is that it is not bioavailable meaning the body doesn’t ingest much of the curcumin capsule that you eat. The study linked below cites the ability of (-)-epicatechin (EC), a component of green tea, to enhance the anti-cancer action of curcumin in lung cancer.

New role of (-)-epicatechin in enhancing the induction of growth inhibition and apoptosis in human lung cancer cells by curcumin.

“Based on our evidence that (-)-epicatechin (EC), an inert catechin, enhances the cancer-preventive activity of green tea catechins, we studied the enhancing effects of EC on inductions of growth inhibition and apoptosis in human lung cancer cell lines PC-9 and A549 with curcumin. The combination of curcumin with EC significantly increased the inhibition of cell growth compared with curcumin or EC alone…”

The Most BioAvailable Curcumin Formulas

“Based on a review of these studies, it is evident that better bioavailability of formulated curcumin (CU) products is mostly attributed to improved solubility, stability, and possibly low first-pass metabolism”

A search of the Pubmed database for the word curcumin yields 601 studies spaning health topics from multiple myeloma and colorectal cancer, to chemotherapies that synergizes with CU, to Alzheimer’s Disease, arthritis and more. Based on years of reading studies and personal accounts, I think it is safe to say that CU supplementation is safe and relatively inexpensive.

I have read about myeloma patients taking daily doses of CU from 400 milligrams to 8 grams (1000 milligrams = 1 gram). By almost any measure, CU is a safe, inexpensive wonder drug.

The only challenge is that CU is famously difficult to absorb in the body. In other words, a person has to mix curcumin with some sort of fat (coconut oil, chocolate, etc.) or take a brand of curcumin capsule that is already formulated to be more “bioavailable” in order to derive the full benefit of CU.

The study linked and exerpted below reviews different formulations of CU. The study itself lists the three most bioavailable formulation/brand of CU and I’ve added an excerpt from a further review from Consumerlab.com that lists four additional bioavailable brands of CU.


Recommended Reading:


Curcumin

CU is a bright yellow chemical produced by some plants. It is the principal curcuminoid of turmeric (Curcuma longa), a member of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is sold as an herbal supplement, cosmetics ingredient, food flavoring, and food coloring.[1]

Bioavailable curcumin formulations: A review of pharmacokinetic studies in healthy volunteers.

“Curcumin is a widely studied natural compound which has shown tremendous in vitro therapeutic potential. Despite that, the clinical efficacy of the native CU is weak due to its low bioavailability and high metabolism in the gastrointestinal tract. During the last decade, researchers have come up with different formulations with a focus on improving the bioavailability of curcumin. As a result, a significant number of bioavailable curcumin-based formulations were introduced with the varying range of enhanced bioavailability.

The purpose of this review is to collate the published clinical studies of CU products with improved bioavailability over conventional (unformulated) CU. Based on the literature search, 11 curcumin formulations with available human bioavailability and pharmacokinetics data were included in this review. Further, the data on clinical study design, analytical method, pharmacokinetic parameters and other relevant details of each formulation were extracted.

Based on a review of these studies, it is evident that better bioavailability of formulated curcumin products is mostly attributed to improved solubility, stability, and possibly low first-pass metabolism. The review hopes to provide a quick reference guide for anyone looking information on these bioavailable curcumin formulations.

Based on the published reports,

exhibited over 100-fold higher bioavailability relative to reference unformulated CU. Suggested mechanisms accounting for improved bioavailability of the formulations and details on the bioanalysis methods are also discussed.”

According to Consumerlab.com:

“Novasol has the highest bioavailability (185 x compared to unforumulated CU), followed by Curcuwin (136 x), Longvida (100 x), Meriva (48 x), BCM-95 (27 x), Curcumin C3 Complex + Bioperene (20 x), and then Theracumin (16 x).”

 

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Leslie says 9 years ago

Thanks for the information. I also have decided not to take the maintenance chemo drug Revlimid. My oncologist wasn’t real happy about my decision but agreed that it was my decision to make. I recently found out I am in remission after my stem cell transplant. I have been taking curcumin daily and was drinking green tea. But I ordered the green tea supplement you suggested.
Currently I am trying to rebuild my immune system. Are you taking an immune booster?

Reply
judy grant says 10 years ago

Sorry found the post with purchasing info

Reply
    David Emerson says 10 years ago

    Sorry, I just read this after I replied- no problem.

    Reply
judy grant says 10 years ago

Where can you purchase curcumin and green tea extract?

Reply
    David Emerson says 10 years ago

    Hi Judy-

    I purchase both products through Amazon. I purchase “Doctor’s Best Curcumin” as each capsule contains 5mg of bioprene (black pepper) which has been shown to increase the bio-availability, how much curcumin gets into the blood. I buy the green tea extract based on the daily amount. I will include the links to the Amazon pages. If you go to Amazon through the links and make a purchase, the Galen Foundation dba PeopleBeatingCancer receives 5% of the purchase price. There is no increase in price to you, PBC gets a small percent based on our “associates program.”

    http://www.peoplebeatingcancer.org/doctors-best-curcumin-c3/
    http://www.peoplebeatingcancer.org/now-foods-green-tea-extract/

    It’s up to you. Good luck and let me know if PBC can do anything for you.
    thanks
    David Emerson

    Reply
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