Topic: Botanics and Food as medicine to cure Cancer

[Ke-ke wan]

The Alternative Cancer Treatments
That Also Shrink Tumors

How Important is Shrinking Tumors?
In many cases, it is critical to the survival of a cancer patient to shrink their tumors. However, in many other cases it is not life-threatening to leave a tumor alone and concentrate on stopping the spreading of the cancer.

"Modern medicine," with its firm grasp of the art of making huge amounts of profits while their patients die, has totally brainwashed the public into thinking that the size of every tumor is important in a cancer treatment. In some cases it is. However, orthodox medicine frequently shrinks tumors which are irrelevant to the survival of the patient. Here is a quote by Dr. Philip Binzel, M.D.:


"When a patient is found to have a tumor, the only thing the doctor discusses with that patient is what he intends to do about the tumor. If a patient with a tumor is receiving radiation or chemotherapy, the only question that is asked is, "How is the tumor doing?" No one ever asks how the patient is doing. In my medical training, I remember well seeing patients who were getting radiation and/or chemotherapy. The tumor would get smaller and smaller, but the patient would be getting sicker and sicker. At autopsy we would hear, "Isn't that marvelous! The tumor is gone!" Yes, it was, but so was the patient. How many millions of times are we going to have to repeat these scenarios before we realize that we are treating the wrong thing?
In primary cancer, with only a few exceptions, the tumor is neither health-endangering nor life-threatening. I am going to repeat that statement. In primary cancer, with few exceptions, the tumor is neither health-endangering nor life-threatening. What is health-endangering and life-threatening is the spread of that disease through the rest of the body.

There is nothing in surgery that will prevent the spread of cancer. There is nothing in radiation that will prevent the spread of the disease. There is nothing in chemotherapy that will prevent the spread of the disease. How do we know? Just look at the statistics! There is a statistic known as "survival time." Survival time is defined as that interval of time between when the diagnosis of cancer is first made in a given patient and when that patient dies from his disease.

In the past fifty years, tremendous progress has been made in the early diagnosis of cancer. In that period of time, tremendous progress had been made in the surgical ability to remove tumors. Tremendous progress has been made in the use of radiation and chemotherapy in their ability to shrink or destroy tumors. But, the survival time of the cancer patient today is no greater than it was fifty years ago. What does this mean? It obviously means that we are treating the wrong thing!"
Philip Binzel, M.D., Alive and Well, Chapter 14

While there are some alternative cancer treatments that do shrink tumors, and this article is about those products, the focus on alternative cancer treatments is generally on targeting and killing cancer cells, or reverting cancer cells into becoming normal cells. Shrinking tumors is generally secondary to alternative cancer treatments. But again, in some cases the tumor is life-threatening.


When the Size of the Tumor is Critical
In some cases the tumor is pressing on a vital organ, is causing pain, is obstructing the flow of fluids, or for some other reason needs to be eliminated from the body. This type of condition is frequently solved with surgery because of the urgency of the situation.

It is important to understand that there is no alternative cancer treatment that is guaranteed to shrink tumors significantly in a short amount of time. Tumors are very complex and there is nothing that will work every time.

Not all alternative cancer treatments that shrink tumors are listed here, but the major treatments that have a history of shrinking tumors are listed here.

When the size of a tumor is critical, it can be assumed you do not want to swell the tumor any more than it has already swollen. Most alternative cancer treatments will cause a tumor to swell temporarily, then it may start to shrink.


Cesium Chloride / DMSO Protocol

Cesium Chloride - For Those Not On Chemotherapy
If the tumor is not life threatening, should it swell temporarily (e.g. for a couple of weeks), the Cesium Chloride / DMSO Protocol is a good choice. This is one of the best and fastest treatments to shrink tumors. Tumor masses can can start to shrink within two weeks. However, before the tumor starts to shrink, as with most alternative cancer treatments that shrink tumors, the tumor will actually get larger for a short time (unless the patient is on chemotherapy). Thus, it must be known whether temporary swelling will put the cancer patient at risk.


Cesium Chloride - For Those On Chemotherapy
If the cancer patient is currently on chemotherapy, the combination of the Cesium Chloride / DMSO Protocol, combined with chemotherapy, is a very good choice. Cesium chloride and chemotherapy seem to be synergistic and do not cause significant swelling, not even temporary swelling.



A Specific Protocol
This protocol is a specific protocol which shrunk a tumor by 80% in 30 days. Here is the treatment:

1) Heavy vegetable juicing, especially carrot juice, beet juice, cabbage juice, brocolli juice and other anti-cancer juices. See:
Anti-Cancer Vegetable Juices

2) Shark Cartilage, three 750 mg. pills a day. See:
One of many vendors

3) The Budwig Diet, which consists of converting oil soluble omega 3 into water soluble omega 3. This treatment is also part of the Bill Henderson Protocol, which will be mentioned in a moment. Here is an article on the Budwig Diet:
The Budwig Diet

4) Laetrile pills (6 x 500 mg per day) or apricot kernels (about 24 per day). Vitamin B17, laetrile, and amygdalin are all names for the same thing. Apricot seeds are very high in laetrile. See:
Vendor of Apricot Kernels and Capsules

There are no guarantees, but I know of one case in which this treatment worked.

Many more items will be discussed after a general discussion on shrinking tumors.


Cellular Liquid Zeolite
Zeolites are specific types of minerals which come from volcanos. They are best known as chelating molecules, especially for mercury and other heavy minerals. But it turns out that they are also very good at shrinking tumors.


For centuries, the powdered forms of specific zeolites have been used as traditional remedies throughout Asia to promote overall health and well being. The story of the "volcanic rocks" has been passed down from generation-to-generation as more and more people have experienced its life-changing benefits.
Zeolites are natural volcanic minerals with an unique, complex crystalline structure. It's honeycomb framework of cavities and channels (like cages) works at the cellular level trapping, heavy metals and toxins. In fact, because it is one of the few negatively charged minerals in nature, zeolites act as magnets drawing toxins to it, capturing them in its cage and removing them from the body."
http://www.rawguru.com/store/raw-food/natural-cellular-zeolite-defense.html

Of interest is that they have been shown in some cases to shrink tumors very quickly. There is not enough evidence to depend on them exclusively to shrink tumors, but they are so simple to take that I would strongly recommend they be added to any of the other treatments that shrink tumors.

The theraputic dose of this liquid product is 5 drops, 3 times a day. Build up by 1 drop a day until you get to 15 drops, 3 times a day. In emergencies, where the tumor size is potentially dangerous, shorten the time of the buildup.



AIS MAX For Life
This is the only alternative cancer treatment I have ever seen with curcumin in it. There is anecdotal evidence this product does shrink tumors.

Curcumin is actually a wonder substance against cancer. Big Pharma has tried to synthesize this natural molecule, which works quite well by itself, thank you.

Because the dosage of curcumin in this product is somewhat lower than I would like, it would be good to use curcumin spice on your foods whenever appropriate while using this product and as long as you have cancer.

As with zeolites, the evidence is not strong enough that it shrinks tumors (i.e. there is no "cure rate") that it should be used by itself.



Bill Henderson Protocol
The Bill Henderson Protocol is by far the alternative cancer treatment that causes the least amount of inflammation and swelling. It is based on the Johanna Budwig Diet of cottage cheese and flaxseed oil. The treatment also includes several other supplements and a special diet.

However, since the Bill Henderson Protocol is not specifically designed to shrink tumors, and since by definition, the patient is already in serious trouble, there are things that should be added to the Bill Henderson Protocol when shrinking tumors is important (adult dosages):
1) 20 grams of MSM a day to reduce swelling,
   How To Take MSM
2) Shark cartilage, see above for link,

3) Heavy vegetable juicing (carrot-based), see above for link

4) (optional) Laetrile, see above for link.

Here is a special article on the Bill Henderson Protocol, along with a link to Bill Henderson's website, Beating Cancer Gently:
Bill Henderson Protocol and Link


Amazon Factor Protocol
Another method of shrinking tumors is a class of treatments that lower the ATP energy of cancer cells to the point that they literally fall apart. This is the class of treatments that includes Protocel, Cantron, Paw Paw and graviola.

Of this class of treatments, the best product is a graviola product called Amazon Factor. It actually includes an entire protocol. This is a fairly new product that has shown very good results. As with cesium chloride, the tumor can be expected to swell before the cancer cells fall apart.



Sweet Wormwood Herb
A third product (there is no article for this product on this website) that may also shrink tumors very quickly is the sweet wormwood herb. This is generally not used as a stand-alone treatment, however, it may be very effective at shrinking tumors. The vendor with the best reputation for sweet wormwood is Artemisinin:
Sweet Wormwood Vendor




Other Treatments That Have Had Some Success Shrinking Tumors

Klemens Electronic Magnetic Pulser
The Klemens Electronic Magnetic Pulser, out of Australia, is a superb electromedicine treatment. It does not work in the same way as the Bob Beck Magentic Pulser (which was designed for elimiating microbes), rather it is more likely to supercharge the cells.

Because it has a much higher mgauss rating that the Sota Instruments Magnatic Pulser, it can, in some cases, have a dramatic effect on shrinking tumors. At maximum power it can pulse 15 times a second.


Essaic Tea (Using herbs that have NOT been dehydrated)
Essaic Tea is one of the foremost alternative cancer treatments known to shrink tumors. As with all herb teas, however, its ability to work is heavily dependent on the quality of the growing, processing and storage of the herbs. Herbs that have been dehydrated are rarely of much use.


"After word of Caisse's [the founder of Essiac Tea] impressive results spread to the United States, a leading diagnostician in Chicago introduced her to Dr. John Wolfer, director of the tumor clinic at Northwestern University Medical School. In 1937, Wolfer arranged for Rene to treat thirty terminal cancer patients under the direction of five doctors. Rene commuted across the border to Chicago, carrying her bottles of freshly prepared herbal brew. After supervising one and a half years of Essiac therapy, the Chicago doctors concluded that the herbal mixture prolonged life, shrank tumors, and relieved pain. "
http://www.healthy.net/asp/templates/article.asp?PageType=article&ID=2008


Carrot Juice and Raw Food Diet
Vitamin A has been shown in studies to shrink the size of tumors. The best way to take Vitamin A is with carrot juice:


"Yellow to Deep Orange (carotenoids [Beta-carotene is the most famous] are a huge family of over 600 "colors" that make Vitamin A and help to shrink tumors):"
http://www.learningplaceonline.com/nutrition/food/ca-prevent/fruit-veg.htm

"Cancer growths and sores appear in practically every part of the body and take a long time to heal. Since the body creates these conditions, it is essential to eliminate the food which feeds their development. From his long experience, Dr. Earp-Thomas was fully convinced that when cooked food was eaten it permitted tumors and growths to build within the body. Yet when living food was substituted, these tumors and growths immediately began to shrink for lack of nourishment. The most thrilling experience I can recall was to see cancer cells taken from a human body and thriving on cooked food but unable to survive on that same food when it was uncooked."
http://www.karlloren.com/diet/p66.htm

"There are numerous reports/claims that a diet consisting almost entirely of a diversity of vegetables can cause cancer tumors to shrink or even vanish. If these reports are correct, they make sense in the context of the theory that is presented here. I am postulating anaerobic metabolism and thus cancer can be caused by the blockage of the aerobic process at any point in the Kreb's cycle or the respiratory chain. There are numerous chemical steps that are involved in sequence and if any of them is blocked you have the potential of arresting the entire aerobic process. Each of these steps are catalyzed by specific enzymes and regulated by other enzymes. If any of these are missing, aerobic metabolism could stop."
http://www.krysalis.net/cancer.htm


Ellagic Acid

"Multiple studies have discovered that phytonutrients found in raspberries can protect us from cancer and can even shrink some types of cancer tumors. These substances can also act as an antibacterial and as an antiviral agent. Does this sound too good to be true? One particular substance found in this natural "medicine chest", is a series of compounds called ellagitannins. The highest levels are found in raspberries, but the ellagitannins are also in certain types of grapes, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and some nuts too. Recent work (2001), published by Dr. Gary Stoner at Ohio State University, showed that components in the seeds and berry, but particularly ellagitannins, inhibited the initiation and promotion/progression stages of esophageal cancer. This is an extremely important finding, considering the potential benefits."
http://www.smdi.org/new_page_3.htm

"The studies found in the left column [of this web page] were compiled by Susan Thorpe-Vargas Ph.D. and represent a summation of EA's known medical properties:
EA is an anticancer agent - it protects DNA from mutation.
EA shrinks tumors within 72 hours if the cancer is not caused by a mutation in the p53 or WAF 1/p21 genes.
EA is a natural phenolic antioxidant.
EA exerts actions that are both anti-bacterial and an anti-viral.
EA appears to inhibit liver fibrosis.
EA is cardioprotective and may prove useful in the treatment of myocarditis."
http://health.centreforce.com/health/ellagic.html


Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)

"In one breast cancer study, women were given 390 mgs per day in divided doses along with supplements. The result was that tumours shrank. A maintenance dose of 100 mgs was considered adequate."
http://www.fightingcancer.com/supplements.htm
Actually, the recommended dose of CoQ10 is at least 390 mgs.


"Studies conducted in Europe using high-dose CoQ10 supplements showed significant regression of breast and prostate tumors.
http://www.icon.co.za/~edibo/newp.htm


Aloe Vera

"Michael Arrington was diagnosed with liver cancer. Doctors found 17 tumors on his liver. One was the size of a baseball. Doctors gave the cancer victim 4 to 21 days to live. Six months after Mr. Arrington began taking only Aloe Vera as a supplement, Doctors examining the patient's X-rays could not find [any] trace of the tumors."
http://stopcancer.com/deathbed1.htm
Aloe Vera is another one of those natural plants that is very difficult to process correctly to maintain its cancer-fighting properties. The FDA shut down one of the top aloe vera manufacturers because they had a 94% cure rate on terminal cancers.


High Dose Vitamin C

"Basically, the vitamin C is transported to the lungs in the blood where it is oxidized. It then is transported to the cells where it diffuses to the mitochondria and delivers its oxidation potential, powering the respiratory chain, and cycle repeats. It should be noted that there have been many reports where mega doses of vitamin C have been attributed to causing the shrinking of cancer tumors."
http://www.krysalis.net/cancer.htm (also used above)

The Magnetic Pulser
One of the four treatments of the Bob Beck Protocol is the Magnetic Pulser. It is a hand-held device that can be pointed at a tumor and every few seconds will blast the tumor with a powerful magnetic pulse. While this treatment is known to reduce inflammation, whether it shrinks tumors is purely speculative.

The machine does not kill any cancer cells, rather what it does is disable (attenuate) microbes. Since every cancer cell has, by definition, a microbe inside of it, this treatment will prohibit the microbes inside of cancer cells from reproducing. As a minimum, the Magnetic Pulser should stop the tumor from growing or swelling. Over time, it may cause it to shrink.

Also, before taking this treatment it is important to drink a lot of distilled or ozonated water one hour before using the machine (to get electrolytes into the blood).

R. Webster Kehr

http://www.cancertutor.com/Other/ShrinkTumors.html

[Ke-ke wan]

THE TREATMENT OF GASTRO-INTESTINAL CANCERS
WITH CHINESE MEDICINE

by Subhuti Dharmananda, Ph.D., Director, Institute for Traditional Medicine, Portland, Oregon


BACKGROUND
Cancers affecting the digestive tract, including oral, esophageal, stomach, and intestinal tumors, are among the most common of all the cancers associated with aging. These cancers occur mainly after age 50, and their incidence rates increase with age. About one of every fourteen men and women in America will be diagnosed with a gastro-intestinal cancer at some time in their lives, with over 180,000 receiving that diagnosis each year.

Genetic propensity to experience certain cancers has been noted: familial history of the disease has been deemed a risk factor and at least one gene has been identified as being associated with the development of colon cancer. Direct causative factors have also been identified: mainly the substances that are ingested. High fat and low fiber diets have been implicated in intestinal cancers: byproducts from metabolism of fats that reach the intestines may be the culprit. The slow transit rate of low-fiber fecal material encourages prolonged exposure of the intestinal cells to the fermenting components. Oral and esophageal cancers have been associated with use of tobacco products as well as certain herbal materials taken as teas. Stomach cancer has been associated with ingestion of food that was improperly stored, thus being contaminated with bacteria and fungi and byproducts of their metabolism. Aging involves a longer duration of exposure to cancer inducers and the loss of cancer-inhibiting capabilities, including reduction in immune system responsiveness. Chronic inflammatory diseases, such as ulcerative colitis, increase the risk of cancer, probably by increasing the rate of DNA activation of the affected cells.

Preventive methods, such as dietary changes, stopping use of tobacco products, treating inflammatory diseases effectively, and taking nutritional supplements that aid immune functions, are certainly applicable to these cancers. Still, many people do not pursue these methods and cancer remains a serious health problem. Therefore, treatment of the disease remains an important subject. Modern Western medicine treats gastro-intestinal cancers primarily with the combination of surgery and chemotherapy. If the borders are clearly defined, tumor masses can be excised, and chemotherapy would then be used to treat any remaining cells; if surgery can't be performed, chemotherapy may be the sole remedy. Radiation therapy is utilized when it is believed that the tumor cells are limited to a narrow region without much intervening tissue between the radiation source and the target cells, most often when the tumor is in the head or throat.

Because of the high death rate associated with gastro-intestinal cancers (even with treatment 5-year survival rate with stomach cancer is 17% and with colorectal cancer is 78%) and because of the serious side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, many cancer patients seek out alternative and/or complementary methods of treatment. Several of these methods are widely promoted though poorly evaluated. Reviews of some of the methods have been publicized, as in Michael Lerner's book Choices in Healing. Chinese medicine is favorably mentioned there, as well as in other sources, mainly because of its reputation as a complementary rather than alternative approach. It is often used to reduce the side effects of standard Western methods while enhancing the overall outcomes.


CHINESE METHODS OF TREATMENT
In modern China, there are two basic methods of treatment that have been explored. One is to rely on herbal combinations as the main therapeutic method, as this has been the only available treatment until recently. The other is to rely on modern Western medicine and to integrate it with herbal medicine in an attempt to increase the survival rates and improve quality of life. The latter has become the dominant method utilized during the past decade in China; however, herb-only treatments are still used in cases where Western medical interventions are deemed unlikely to have any significant clinical benefits.

Within the Chinese herbal methodology there are four approaches that will be explored here:

Using "anticancer" herbs. These are materials that have a reputation (usually derived from folk medicine practices) for inhibiting tumors; their effects have been confirmed by laboratory animal experiments and, in a few instances, by clinical trials. Because Chinese medical treatment of cancer usually involves a combination of several approaches, rather than use of a single therapeutic agent, clinical trials of individual herbs or isolated herbal constituents as the primary therapeutic method are limited to a few highly effective materials, usually developed as drug products and not available in the West. The anticancer crude herbs have a role similar to that of modern chemotherapy, and, in a few cases, Chinese anticancer folk remedies have been used as a source of new chemotherapy drugs (examples are indirubin, harringtonine, and camptothecine used for leukemia).
Using immune-boosting therapies. The herbs are used to counteract side effects of Western medical therapies and also help the immune system attack the cancer. The herbs listed as qi tonics are the primary ones involved in this method, though there are other tonic herbs that have similar benefits. This method of therapy is called "Fu Zheng" therapy, meaning "to support normality."
Using blood-vitalizing herbs. These herbal materials are reputed to enhance the effectiveness of Western cancer therapies and also assist the body in responding to the cancer via its normal immunological mechanisms. From the traditional viewpoint, cancers, especially those in the abdomen and any that are physically hard (as opposed to, for example, soft lipomas), involve blood stasis, a condition treated by these herbs.

Using phlegm-resolving herbs. This is a strategy based on ancient Chinese ideas about abnormal masses. There is laboratory and clinical evidence that this approach is effective. The traditional concept involves the idea that the tumor mass starts out as an accumulation of "tan," which is translated as phlegm.
This division into four categories is based on the theoretical framework that has evolved in China over many centuries (with concerns about side effects of drugs entering during the past few decades). In the book An Illustrated Guide to Antineoplastic Chinese Herbal Medicine (1), the herbs are divided into these four categories plus three others: herbs for eliminating dampness, miscellaneous herbs, and herbs for topical applications. However, the herbs for eliminating dampness appear to be coincidental: that is, these are herbs that have some antineoplastic properties and happen to fall into the very large class of herbs for regulating moisture. The herbs listed for external use are actually used internally, but are considered so toxic that they are classified as being limited to topical applications.

In the book Cancer Treatment with Fu Zheng Pei Ben Principle (2), a chapter on "common principles for treatment with traditional Chinese medicine" has these four subdivisions: supporting vital energy and strengthening body resistance (these are mainly the qi tonics); activating blood and relief of blood stasis; antipyresis and antitoxin (these are the traditional functions assigned to most of the "anticancer" herbs"); and softening hard lumps and dispelling nodes (this is mainly the "phlegm-resolving" method).

Many times there is overlap of herbal actions among the herbs that have been separated into the various categories; for example, herbs that directly inhibit cancer cells may also act via the immune system and might also have blood-vitalizing properties. One of the best English language reviews on the individual anticancer herbs is the 1992 publication Anticancer Medicinal Herbs (3). This book does not separate the more than 200 herbs by category of action, but rather combines all into a lengthy presentation. This book was relied upon as the primary resource for the information about cancer-inhibiting actions of herbs in the tables of the current article.


TESTING FOR ANTICANCER ACTIVITY
Human clinical trials are so complex (especially when using combination treatments and herbal prescriptions that may fluctuate according to the patient's needs) that confirmation of effectiveness of the herbs is usually carried out in the testing of animals or in cell culture tests. Certain cancer cell lines have been developed for purposes of the laboratory testing. Among the most commonly investigated in China are sarcoma-180 and sarcoma-37, JTC-26, leukemia-16, Ehrlich's ascites, and cervical cancer-14. Typical animal testing methods are to transplant the cultured cancer cells into the animals (usually mice, rats, or guinea pigs), and to administer the test compound to some of the animals, but not in others (control group). In the control group, the tumor cells will usually continuously grow, and will eventually cause death. In the treated group, the successful compounds will limit the size of the tumors. After a certain period of time, the tumor size (or other measure of cancer activity) will be compared and an inhibition rate will be determined; survival time or percent of animals surviving a prolonged period may also be used as a measurement. Successful compounds usually inhibit the tumor growth by at least 20%; some herbs or herbal constituents are reported to reach over 95% inhibition, and, in such cases, the animal long-term survival rates are often over 90%. The effectiveness (inhibition rate) of an herb will often vary from one cancer line to the next. One can also apply extracts of the herbs to cells in culture and determine rates of inhibition. When this in vitro approach is used, one eliminates the role of the immune system, circulatory system, and other complex biological systems and instead determines the direct inhibitory effect of the herbs on the cancerous cells. For controls, one can not only compare to cancer cells untreated by the herbs, but one can also set up a comparison of non-cancer cells to see if the herbs also inhibit those. A potentially useful anticancer agent will strongly inhibit the cancer cells but not the non-cancer cells; otherwise, the side effects of the substance would likely be severe.


ANTICANCER HERBS
Anticancer herbs are those that usually have use in treating unexplained swellings, infections, and other syndromes that are thought to reflect a localized pathological process. In the early development of traditional Chinese medicine, these swellings were said to be due to the presence of "du," or toxin. The swelling induced by snakebite (or poisonous insect bite), an abscess induced by bacteria, or a tumor could all produce similar symptoms, which we can now differentiate by detailed examination through modern technologies. Many of the herbs used to treat these conditions are classified as having the property of clearing heat and cleansing toxin. This property most closely matches the description of treating an infection or inflammation (especially if it causes localized heat or a fever) rather than a tumor. It has been noted, in laboratory experiments, that many herbs with potent antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties also inhibit cancer cells.

There are several dozen herbs in this category. Table 1 presents some examples of the herbs that are commonly used for intestinal cancers. These are also used for other types of cancer.

TABLE 1: Anticancer Herbs, with Focus on Those Used in Treatment of Intestinal Cancers.

Common Name  Latin Binomials  Pinyin  Actions 
Agrimony  Agrimonia pilosa  xianhecao  Inhibits sarcoma-180 of mice and guinea pig, and strong JTC-26 inhibition in vitro. Used for treating a variety of cancers by combining with solanum or with curcuma and pteropus. 
Ailanthus  Ailanthus altissima  fengyencao  Inhibits sarcoma-180, sarcoma-37, and leukemia-16 in mice. 
Akebia fruit  Akebia quinata  bayuezha  Inhibits sarcoma-180 and sarcoma-37 in rats; inhibits JTC-26 by more than 50%. Used for stomach cancer in combination with oldenlandia, scutellaria, and wasp nest. 
Coix  Coix lachryma-jobi  yiyiren  Inhibits ascites cancer, Yoshida's sarcoma. 
Dryopteris  Dryopteris crassirhizoma  tongbeiguan-chong  not available 
Hu-chang  Polygonum cuspidatum  Huzhang  Inhibits sarcoma-180 in rats; inhibits JTC-26. 
Lonicera (flower) and Lonicera stem  Lonicera japonica  jinyinhua and jentongteng  Inhibits ascites carcinoma and sarcoma-180. 
Oldenlandia  Oldenlandia diffusa; also called Hedyotis diffusa  baihuasheshecao  Inhibits leukemia cells, Yoshida's sarcoma, and Ehrlich's ascites sarcoma in vitro; also inhibits sarcoma-180, ascitic lymphosarcoma, and uterine cancer-14 in mice. Used to treat stomach and rectal cancer by combining with coix and solanum. 
Patrinia  Patrinia scabiosaefolia and Patrinia heterophylla  baijiancao  Inhibits JTC-26 and ascites cancer in mice; is used in treatment of esophageal cancer with paris. 
Pteris  Pteris multifida  fengweicao  Inhibits sarcoma-180, sarcoma-37, and Walker's cancer-256; inhibition rate on Yoshida's sarcoma is nearly 50%. Used in combination with smilax to treat colon cancer. 
Sargentodoxa  Sargentodoxa cuneata  hongteng  not available 
Scutellaria  Scutellaria barbata  banzhilian  Strongly inhibits JTC-26; inhibits sarcoma-180, Ehrlich's ascites carcinoma and cerbroma-B22 in rats. Frequently combined with oldenlandia for cancer treatment. 
Smilax  Smilax glabra and Smilax chinensis  tufuling  Inhibits mice sarcoma-180 and encephaloma-beta-22; inhibits JTC-26 in vitro; prolongs survival in patients with ascites sarcoma. 
Solanum  Solanum nigrum and Solanum lyrati  loingkue and shuyangquan  Inhibits Ehrlich's ascites carcinoma, lymphatic leukemia-615, sarcoma-180, sarcoma-37, and stomach cancer cells. Its anticancer properties are said to be enhanced by combining with agrimony. Often, the two species of solanum are combined together. 
Sophora and Sophora subprostrata  Sophora flavescens and Sophora subprostrata  kushen and shandougen  The alkaloids of these herbs prolong the life of mice with sarcoma-180; they inhibit leukemic cells, and cervical cancer-14 cells. The alkaloid oxymatrine is 7-8 times more effective clinically than mitomycin. 
Taraxacum  Taraxacum mongolicum  pugongying  Inhibits sarcoma-180 and ascites cancer in mice; inhibits transplanted human lung cancer cells. Often combined with lonicera. 
Wasp nest  Nidus vespae  lufengfang  Inhibits gastric and liver cancer cells in vitro. 

USING QI TONICS
Modern studies reveal that qi tonic herbs enhance immune functions (as well as having other benefits). This immunological activation can inhibit tumor growth and restore those immune functions impaired by chemotherapy, radiation, or stress reactions (including stress from surgery). Virtually all the qi tonics have the ability to enhance production of white blood cells and enhance immune attack against cancer cells. Further, most have a direct inhibitory effect on certain cancers.

The use of qi tonics in cancer therapy arises both from traditional approach and from modern experimentation. From the traditional view, both the systemic and local abnormalities that develop with cancer are thought to be due to weakness and pathology of the qi. Thus, treatment is based on tonifying the qi and clearing the pathological qi (known as xie qi; the "anticancer herbs" help to get rid of xie qi, and the strong normal qi also rids the body of it). During the 1960's, as modern Western cancer therapies were introduced to China, it became clear that side effects of the drugs (and radiation) were impeding the ability of doctors to optimally treat patients. Therefore, a group of physicians and researchers was organized to find ways to counter the side effects. This group developed the method of "Fu Zheng" therapy, which has been relied upon ever since (4). The complete name for the therapy is usually Fu Zheng Qu Xie (support the normal, dispel the evil) or Fu Zheng Pei Ben (or Fu Zheng Gu Ben; support the normal and strengthen the root).

Two of the herbs initially found to be very helpful for this type of therapy were astragalus and ligustrum; this information was made available to the Western world in 1983 at an international symposium in Beijing, sponsored by American and Chinese organizations. Astragalus is one of the main qi tonics relied upon by traditional and modern Chinese doctors. Ligustrum is also a tonic herb, but is in the category of yin tonics. It has been found that many of the drug side effects correspond to damage to the "yin essence." However, qi tonics appear to be the most important in the tonic group for the treatment of cancer. According to traditional doctors, tonifying the qi can benefit the yin essence, especially if one pursues a nutritious diet. A book devoted to this method of therapy was recently published in English: Treatment of Cancer with Fu Zheng Pei Ben Principle by Pan Mingji (2).

TABLE 2. Qi Tonic Herbs Commonly Used in the Treatment of Cancer.

Common Name  Latin Binomials  Pinyin  Actions 
Astragalus  Astragalus membranaceous  haungqi  Inhibits sarcoma-180 in mice, probably via immune stimulation. 
Atractylodes  Atractylodes macrocephala  baizhu  Inhibits sarcoma-180 in mice. 
Codonopsis  Codonopsis pilosula  dangshen  Inhibits transplanted sarcoma-180 in mice. 
Coriolus  Coriolus versicolor  yunzhi  The polysaccharide fraction inhibits many tumor types in animals and has been used with success in human clinical trials, improving survival rates at 3-6 grams/day. 
Eleuthero Ginseng  Eleutherococcus senticosus and Acanthopanax spp.  ciwujia and wujiapi  Inhibits Ehrlich's ascites carcinoma and sarcoma-180 in rats; 90% inhibition on JTC-26. 
Ganoderma  Ganoderma lucidum or Ganoderma japonica  lingzhi  Strongly inhibits sarcoma-180 in mice. 
Ginseng  Panax ginseng  renshen  Inhibits Ehrlich's ascites carcinoma in rats; inhibits sarcoma-180 and adenocarcinoma-755 in mice; inhibits leukemia in guinea pigs; complete inhibition in vitro of human uterine cervix cancer cell-26; action is enhanced by combining with ganoderma and astragalus. 
Gynostemma  Gynostemma pentaphyllum  jaiogulan  It is used extensively as a substitute for ginseng in treatment of cancer patients. 
Jujube  Zizyphus jujuba  dazao  90% inhibition rate of JTC-26; inhibition of cancer shown to be dose dependent. 
Licorice  Glycyrrhiza uralensis  gancao  Inhibits myeloma implanted in rats; inhibits Ehrlich's ascites carcinoma and sarcoma-180 in rats; inhibits JTC-26 and Yoshida's sarcoma. 

BLOOD-VITALIZING HERBS
Cancer may be induced by many factors, but stagnation of circulation is considered by many Chinese physicians to be a dominant immediate cause. As described by Pan Mingji (2), "Disharmony of qi and blood occurs when either one of them is defective. Stagnation of qi can lead to stasis of blood. Prolonged stagnation of qi and blood will inevitably lead to occurrence of a tumor." Along similar lines, cancer specialist Jia Kun says (5):

The extremity of the seven modes of emotion may disturb the normal circulation of blood and qi and the function of the viscera...Stagnation damages [the] spleen and in turn makes the muscles weak. When weak muscles meet and combat the exogenous pathogenic factors [e.g., toxins: du, or pathological qi: xie qi], a tumor is formed...Persistent stasis of qi finally leads to blood stasis, which accumulates and forms a lump or lumps.

Researchers in China have noted that individuals with cancer have abnormal blood conditions which manifest as higher blood viscosity and poorer circulation of blood through small vessels. There are about 140 Chinese herbs that are considered to have the property of activating blood circulation and removing stasis. About three dozen of these herbs are used extensively. One of the most intensively investigated herbs for activating blood circulation is salvia. It is said to be both a blood tonic and mild activator that has essentially the same properties as the famous traditional prescription Tang-kuei Four Combination (Si Wu Tang).

There have been many developments in this field during the past few decades. Dr. Pan Mingji (2) mentions the following findings:

About 90% of cancer patients have abnormal microcirculation patterns.
Most cancer patients have high fibrinogen levels in the blood and higher than normal coagulability of blood.
Tumors are often surrounded by a fibrin coating that prevents immune cells from entering.
Tumors often have poorly developed circulation and thus the cells survive with low oxygen; such cells are less susceptible to the effects of radiation than those cells which have adequate levels of oxygen.
For metastatic cancer cells to attach to tissues, so as to develop a new tumor mass, they require the assistance of "sticky" materials from the blood.
Some blood-activating herbs have direct cancer inhibiting actions and others promote immune system attack against cancer cells.
Blood-activating herbs reduce the tendency to form adhesions and excessive scar tissue following surgery.
Blood-activating herbs reduce some of the side effects of chemotherapy, such as hepatitis and pulmonary fibrosis.
It has also been pointed out by Han Dewu and Xu Ruiling (6), that the combination of viscous blood and fibrin coating hinder the penetration of tumors by antineoplastic drugs and by active immune cells. Therefore, blood-activating herbs are usually prescribed to cancer patients in order to promote the positive effects of cancer therapies while limiting their negative impacts, to inhibit the cancer directly, as well as indirectly through immune system attack, and to prevent metastasis.

TABLE 3. Herbs for Activating Blood Circulation and Removing Stasis, Used in Treating Tumors.

Common Name  Latin Binomials  Pinyin  Actions 
Curcuma  Curcuma longa  yujin  not available 
Eupolyphaga  Eupolyphaga sinensis  zhechong  Inhibits cellular respiration in liver and stomach cancer. 
Leech  Whitmania pigra  shuizhi  General inhibition of cancer cells; inhibits liver cancer in mice. 
Millettia  Millettia dielsiana and Spatholobus suerectus  jixueteng  Inhibits JTC-26. 
Notoginseng  Panax notoginseng  sanqi  Strongly inhibits JTC-26 in vitro; inhibits mouse sarcoma-180; reported to enhance effects of radiation therapy for nasopharyngeal cancer. 
Pangolin scale  Manis petnadactyla  chuanshanjia  Anti-leukemic action. 
Rhubarb  Rheum officinale  dahuang  Inhibits sarcoma-27 in mice; emodin inhibits melanoma, rhein inhibits ascites cancer and sarcoma-180 in mice. 
Salvia  Salvia miltiorrhiza  danshen  Inhibits Ehrlich's ascites carcinoma and sarcoma-180 in mice; may reduce respiration and glucolysis of cancer cells. 
Sparganium  Sparganium stolniferum or Scirpus yagara  sanleng  Inhibits wide range of tumors in laboratory animals. 
Zedoaria  Curcuma zedoaria  ezhu  Inhibits sarcoma-180 in mice; the volatile oil injected into tumors causes necrosis; used clinically by injection into cervical cancers.

PHLEGM-RESOLVING HERBS
The term "phlegm" is a translation of the Chinese tan, which refers to sticky fluids (other than blood or semen) derived from moisture and fat. From the modern perspective, we might include mucus, synovial fluid, and lymph among the normal manifestations of tan, and fatty tumors, cysts, plaques comprised of fatty substances, and goiters as descriptions of things traditional doctors would lump under the heading of pathological tan. The reason so many different items can be put into one simple category is that Chinese physiological principles are primarily arrived at by projection: a few basic essential components are suggested to make-up the whole body. In contrast, through the methods of modern investigation, each component of the body can be visualized and described in great detail, without a need felt to link the different observations (rather, it is thought that each component can be dealt with individually from the point of view of diagnosis and treatment).

Masses of cells are generally thought to represent phlegm masses. These masses are not inherently painful (though they can become so when they press on nerves or organs); when they are large they are somewhat movable during palpation, and the palpable large masses seem to be somewhat soft. These are all characteristics associated with accumulated phlegm. Fluid filled masses, such as cysts and abscesses, are also described as phlegm masses. If the mass or swelling produces sharp pains, it is thought that blood stasis is also present.

To treat soft accumulations and poorly defined masses, one applies herbs that are said to resolve phlegm. Most of the herbs will also treat cough or sinus congestion, thus making the link to what we, in modern times, think of as phlegm disorders. These herbs are not as often used in treating intestinal cancers, but they are sometimes applied for that purpose. Following is a table of a dozen phlegm-resolving agents commonly mentioned for cancer therapy.


TABLE 4. Phlegm-Resolving Herbs Commonly Used in Treating Cancer.

Common Name  Latin Binomials  Pinyin  Actions 
Citrus, Blue citrus, Chih-shih, Chih-ko  Citrus, Blue citrus, Chih-shih, Chih-koCitrus aurantium  chenpi, qingpi, zhishi, and zhike  not available 
Fritillaria  Fritillaria thunbergii and Fritillaria cirrhosa  zhibeimu and chuanbeimu  Inhibits JTC-26. 
Gleditsia spine  Gleditsia sinensis  zaojiaoci  Inhibits JTC-26 and sarcoma in rats. 
Laminaria  Laminaria spp.  kunbu  Inhibit sarcoma-180 and B-16 melanoma, and prolongs survival with lymphocytic leukemia-1210 in rats. Often combined with sargassum. 
Oyster shell  Ostrea gigas  muli  Inhibits sarcoma-180 and Kreb's tumor-2. 
Pinellia  Pinellia ternata  banxia  Inhibits ascitic sarcoma in rats; inhibits cervical cancer-14, sarcoma-180, and solid liver cancer. 
Sargassum  Sargassum kiellanianum  haizao  Inhibits cervical cancer-14, sarcoma-180, and lymphoma-I in animals. 
Trichosanthes fruit, root, and seed  Trichosanthes kirilowii  guolou, tianhuafen, and gaulouren  Inhibits chorioephithelioma, malignant hydatidiform mole, cervical cancer-14, sarcoma-180, ascites cancer, and JTC-26. 

FORMULAS
There are so many cancer treatment prescriptions listed in the Chinese literature for each type of cancer, that an extensive listing of the formulas may not be very instructive, except to show that many of them include herbs from the four tables listed here. Generally, an anti-tumor prescription should be formulated to meet the needs of the patient involved, taking into account not only the type of cancer but also the utilization of Western therapies.

Some formulas for colon cancer are given in the book An Illustrated Guide to Antineoplastic Chinese Herbal Medicine (1). These formulations are from Chinese medical journals published from 1981 to 1986. Ingredients of a formula indicated for carcinoma of large intestine include the following that were mentioned in the tables above: the anticancer herbs akebia fruit, sophora, pteris, oldenlandia, smilax, solanum, sargentodoxa, dryopteris, coix, and scutellaria; the blood-vitalizing herbs salvia and eupolyphaga; and the phlegm-resolving herb trichosanthes seed. A formula indicated for multiple adenoma of the large intestine included the anticancer herbs sophora, sargentodoxa, and scutellaria, the phlegm-resolving herb gleditsia spine, and the blood-vitalizers salvia and pangolin scale. A prescription for carcinoma of the large intestine, ileocecal region (lymphosarcoma), and anal carcinoma included the anticancer herbs sophora, paris, scutellaria, sargentodoxa, coix, and oldenlandia. These three sample formulas indicate primary reliance on anticancer herbs with a few blood-vitalizers. In some cases, herb decoctions are also given by enema (either the same formula as the oral prescription or a slightly different one).

In the book Experience in Treating Carcinomas with Traditional Chinese Medicine (7), fourteen prescriptions for intestinal cancers are mentioned. Three examples are cited here. One formula for rectal carcinoma includes the anticancer herbs sargentodoxa, oldenlandia, prunella, and dryopteris; the phlegm-resolving herbs sargassum and trichosanthes seed; and the qi tonic ginseng. Another formula for rectal cancer is virtually the same, except for the addition of the anticancer herb solanum, and trichosanthes root replaces trichosanthes seed. A formula for indurated intestinal carcinoma includes the phlegm-resolving herbs blue citrus, citrus, and chih-shih; the blood-vitalizing herbs sparganium, zedoaria, salvia and curcuma; and the qi tonic astragalus. The last formula is aimed at treating stagnation of qi and blood, rather than relying on anticancer herbs.

In the book Treatment of Cancer with Fu Zheng Pei Ben Principle (2), eight prescriptions for internal use are mentioned in the treatment of intestinal cancer. One is labeled "the approved prescription often used by the author," and includes the anticancer herbs patrinia, agrimony, oldenlandia, solanum, lonicera, and coix, and the qi tonic herbs codonopsis, atractylodes, licorice, and gynostemma. This is indicated for recto-colonic carcinoma. A formula for "stagnancy and damp-heat type" carcinoma, corresponding with rectal carcinoma, includes the anticancer herbs patrinia, solanum, agrimony, and coix, and the qi tonic atractylodes. For the "stagnancy and toxin type," corresponding to middle or advanced stage colon carcinoma with chronic intestinal obstruction, the recommended formula includes the anticancer herbs patrinia, scutellaria, oldenlandia, lonicera and solanum; the blood-vitalizing herbs curcuma, red peony, and rhubarb; and the qi tonic gynostemma. These formulas have a relatively large component of the anticancer herbs, with some tonics and blood-vitalizers.

In the book Treating Cancer with Chinese Herbs (, there are five prescriptions mentioned as being used by physicians in China for treatment of cancer of the large intestine. One includes the anticancer herbs oldenlandia, lonicera stem, scutellaria, solanum (both S. lyratum and S. nigrum), patrinia, and sargentodoxa; in cases of intestinal obstruction, the phlegm-resolving herbs trichosanthes root and gleditsia spine, and the laxative blood-vitalizer rhubarb, are added. A second formula, indicated specifically for cancer of the rectum, includes the anticancer herbs oldenlandia, sargentodoxa, solanum, and akebia fruit; the phlegm-resolving herbs trichosanthes root, oyster shell, and chih-shih; the blood-vitalizers salvia and pangolin scale; and the tonic codonopsis. A third formula includes the anticancer herbs scutellaria, coix, and lonicera stem, and the phlegm-resolving herbs chih-shih and laminaria.

Among the dozen sample formulas listed here, the herbs that are mentioned repeatedly include the anticancer herbs sophora, oldenlandia, scutellaria, solanum, agrimony, coix, sargentodoxa, and patrinia; the blood-vitalizers salvia and pangolin scales; the phlegm-resolving herbs trichosanthes, gleditsia, and chih-shih; and the tonics atractylodes and gynostemma.

GENERALIZED CANCER FORMULAS
Several cancer doctors have sought general formulations for treatment of tumors. One of the best known herbal combinations that has been given for gastro-intestinal cancers is called Ping Xiao Dan, developed by Dr. Jia Kun in 1958. It was originally made as a powder of eight ingredients and was later manufactured as a convenient pill and tablet. The ingredients are chih-ko, curcuma, agrimony, niter, lacca, alum, strychnos, and pteropus. Three of the ingredients, chih-ko, curcuma, and agrimony, are commonly used in the practice of Chinese medicine in the West. The other ingredients, which include minerals (niter and alum) and potentially toxic herbs (lacca and strychnos) are usually not deemed acceptable here. In 1989, ITM developed an alternative preparation (called Chih-ko/Curcuma Tablets), that included chih-ko, curcuma, and agrimony, with other herbs that substitute for those deemed unacceptable. The formula has the anticancer herbs lonicera, prunella, sophora subprostrata, and wasp nest; the blood-vitalizers myrrh, frankincense, and arca shell; and the phlegm-resolving agents gleditsia spine, fritillaria, oyster shell, sargassum, and inula.

According to studies in laboratory animals, Ping Xiao Dan enhances immune functions, despite the fact that its design is based on traditional methods of resolving masses by dispersing stagnation of phlegm and rectifying blood circulation. Trials in eight Chinese clinical institutes from 1958 through 1986 showed that its use increased survival rates and promoted tumor regression in cancer patients suffering from several different types of cancer. It has mainly been used in treating cancers of the esophagus, large intestine, lung, liver, breast, and kidney. Clinical evaluations are still being conducted to elucidate its range of action and degree of effectiveness.

A book about the use of Ping Xiao Dan was produced by Jia Kun in 1983, and published in English in 1985 (5). In it, he recommends that 4.5-9.0 grams of the formula be taken each day. Further, he recommends that a prophylactic course of Ping Xiao Dan be taken every six months; 4.5-6.0 grams per day for one week. This is especially important for those who previously suffered from cancer, but it is also suggested to be a useful cancer preventive for otherwise healthy individuals.

Jia Kun and his colleagues at the Shanxi Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine published a report in 1984 (9) summarizing the results of treating patients with malignant tumors for three months or more using Ping Xiao Dan. Response to treatment was rated markedly effective if the main symptoms were eliminated or greatly reduced and if the tumor mass was shrunk by at least half (and did not progress again during the next three to six months); it was rated as effective if there were some symptom improvements and there was a little shrinkage of the tumor or at least no further growth of the tumor mass. For five tumor types-lung, liver, esophagus, stomach, and bone-the results were essentially the same. The treatment was markedly effective in 11.3%-16.7% of the patients treated and effective for 44.4%-58.3% of the cases. In other words, Ping Xiao Dan was able to halt tumor growth in about 2/3 of the cases and was able to substantially shrink the tumor in about 1/7 of the cases.

In general clinical practice, Ping Xiao Dan is rarely given as a sole remedy for cancer. In China, it may be used along with high dosage herb decoctions; in America, dried decoctions-in the form of convenient extract granules-or tableted herb combinations are often used instead.

Duration of treatment is highly individualistic. In his book, Jia Kun presents several case studies. In one representative example, he tracks a patient's progress through 61 visits to the clinic, over a period of about 8 months (he went to the clinic twice per week). At each visit, slight modifications were made to the formula that he was taking in the form of a tea along with the consistent use of Ping Xiao Dan. At the end of eight months, his cancer tests came out negative and he was basically healthy. He was then told to continue taking an herb tea (similar to the one he had been using at his last visit). On follow-up, he was found to still be healthy and strong more than 12 years later.

DOSAGE OF HERBS
It is important to make sure that the herbal ingredients are provided in adequate dosage. Some formulations are suitable for use in small amounts, such as the few grams of Ping Xiao Dan mentioned above. However, many ingredients require substantial dosages to have the desired effect. As an example, Chang Minyi (3) relays information about "a universal anticancer prescription of the Quli Herbal Store in Shanghai." The basic prescription relies primarily on three herbs, Solanum nigrum, Solanum lyratum, and Duchesnea indica (a somewhat poisonous anticancer herb). Each of these herbs is used in a dosage of 45-60 grams in decoction as a one day dose. To treat each specific cancer type, two to four herbs are added to the base prescription, most of them in doses of 15-30 grams each. As an example, for stomach cancer, one adds 30 grams of Scutellaria barbata and 30 grams of Salvia chinensis (this is salvia leaves, which contain different active constituents than found in the roots). Thus, the formulas typically contain about 200 grams of herbs in decoction. Dr. Pan Mingji (2) lists four prescriptions for intestinal cancers that are "by Chinese scholars and folk prescriptions." Two of them are indicated for oral ingestion only: one contains 172 grams and the other 245 grams of herbs to make a decoction. The latter includes 60 grams of smilax, 30 grams each of oldenlandia and agrimony, and 20 grams of solanum. Dr. Hong-yen Hsu ( relates a formula for treatment of oral cancer (for the gums), which uses 30 grams each of prunella, solanum, taraxacum, and oldenlandia, plus 15 grams of viola, for making a decoction.

DIET AND NUTRITION
Jia Kun (5) emphasizes the importance of proper nutrition. Among the recommended foods that he mentions are peanut residue (after extracting the oil), barley, wheat bran, and soy bean. He also recommends a tea made from the mineral stalactite and regular drinking of green tea. These substances provide protein, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and other components. They might be replaced, in part, by use of nutritional supplements. For example, stalactite mainly contains calcium; wheat bran is high in vitamin E and some B vitamins. Other constituents, such as saponins and isoflavones in soybeans and flavones (polyphenols) in green tea, are accessible either through these foods or from some nutritional products. Flavones and other flavonoids found in fruits and vegetables (and available in nutritional supplements) are poorly absorbed when ingested, and a substantial portion remains in the gastro-intestinal tract where they can inhibit development of cancer. One of the dietary flavonoids, quercetin, inhibits cancer cell lines that exhibit estrogen binding sites by 50-80%; the isoflavonoid genistein, found in sophora, pueraria, and soy beans, appears to inhibit estrogen and testosterone dependent cancers (10).

Pan Mingji (2) recommends taking foods that provide a high level of nutrients, recognizing that many cancer patients have a poor appetite and do not eat enough food to assist the body's fight against cancer. He provides a long list of potentially useful foods, many of them not readily available in the West. Among the more common Western foods suggested are eggs, milk, peanuts, beans and bean products, lean meat, sea food (shellfish and fish), mushrooms, walnuts, fruits, water chestnut, rice, wheat products, cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, celery, bean sprouts, eggplant, green pepper, asparagus, and other fresh vegetables.

REFERENCES
Ou Ming, et al., An Illustrated Guide to Antineoplastic Chinese Herbal Medicine, 1990 The Commercial Press, Hong Kong.
Pan Mingji, Cancer Treatment with Fu Zheng Pei Ben Principle, 1992 Fujian Science and Technology Publishing House, Fuzhou.
Chang Minyi, Anticancer Medicinal Herbs, 1992 Hunan Science and Technology Publishing House, Changsha.
Dharmananda S, Chinese Herbal Therapies for Immune Disorders, 1992 Institute for Traditional Medicine, Portland, OR.
Jia Kun, Prevention and Treatment of Carcinoma in Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1985 The Commercial Press, Hong Kong.
Han Dewu and Xu Ruiling, Progress in the research on blood activation and hemostasis removal, Abstracts of Chinese Medicine 1988; 2(4): 466-483.
Shi Lanling and Shi Peiquan, Experience in Treating Carcinomas with Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1992 Shandong Science and Technology Press, Shandong.
Hsu Hong-yen, Treating Cancer with Chinese Herbs, 1990 Oriental Healing Arts Institute, Long Beach, CA.
Jia Kun, Wang Huichuan, and Liu Bianlin, Observation of curative effects of Ping Xiao Dan in treating 180 cases of malignant tumor, Shaanxi Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 1984; 5(6): 10-11.
Boik J, Cancer and Natural Medicine, 1995 Oregon Medical Press, Princeton, MN.

[Ke-ke wan]

A few more well known and extensively tested anti-cancer herbs and or supplements:


Nerium Oleander Extract

First and foremost in a suggested regimen to beat and avoid cancer and disease would be the common oleander plant, nerium oleander. Called the desert rose in the Bible, the oleander plant has been used as a folk remedy for over 2000 years in the Middle East. In 1960 a Turkish doctor named Huseyin Zima Ozel re-discovered the power of this potent plant when he found rural villagers in Turkey who were remarkable free of cancer and other diseases. For the past 40 years, Doctor Ozel has been treating patients in Turkey with great success and in 1998 he was granted a patent for an oleander extract that has since passed FDA phase I trials. Oleander extract has been proven in lab studies at such prestigious institutions as MD Anderson and the Cleveland Clinic to kill cancer cells, stop cancer tumors, build immune systems, and increase the body's natural cancer killing T-cells.

Another amazing quality of oleander extract is ability to stimulate the human immune system – our body’s natural first line of defense in beating and warding off disease and illness. The most active commercially available immune-stimulants are Schizophylan, Krestin and Lentinan, which were patented by the Japanese in the early 1980s. In tests performed in Europe in 1985-86, Nerium Oleander Extract had an incredible SIX TIMES the activity of those other stimulants!

Over 500 trace compounds have been identified in an aqueous oleander extract, and it appears that many of these compounds act synergistically in ways that no single isolate can. For this reason, an aqueous (water) extract may well be far more effective than an ethanol extract because many of the water soluble compounds such as long-chain polysaccharides are lost during the ethanol extraction method. Home-made and commercially prepared water extractions of oleander have been used successfully in numerous kinds of cancers as well as hepatitis-c in patients throughout the world.

Another benefit of oleander extract is that it can be used very effectively as a complimentary treatment alongside traditional chemo or radiation. Besides helping fight cancer and boosting the immune system along, it helps protect the rest of the body and either eliminates or ameliorates every single side-effect of traditional chemo – including hair loss (with one exception, and that being that it does not eliminate hair loss when the chemo treatment includes Cisplatin).

The recipe for making the oleander extract called “Oleander Soup” at home can be found in the Yahoo forum  "oleandersoup", at the International Wellness site (http://www.mnwelldir.org) and in the book  “Cancer’s Natural Enemy”


Please note: Raw oleander plant is extremely toxic. Do not handle or ingest raw oleander or any form of oleander that has not been prepared according to the recipe for “oleander soup” in the book. While raw oleander is toxic, there have been no reports of serious adverse reactions or side-effects due to properly prepared oleander extract taken according to directions. The most common side-effects are loose bowels, slight temperature and perhaps mild nausea, all of which should dissipate quickly as the body becomes acclimated to the extract.



Agaricus Blazei Murrill Mushroom Extract - “The Mushroom of the Gods”

A few decades ago, researchers noticed that in the mountain region of Ideate near Sao Paulo, Brazil, a regular part of the local inhabitants’ diet was a mushroom known as "Cogmelo de Deus" or "Mushroom of God". The researches also noted that the local inhabitants were extraordinarily healthy and had a very low incidence of disease, which they attributed to this magical mushroom.

The scientific name of the mushroom is Agaricus Blazei Murrill, more commonly called the ABM mushroom and sometimes referred to as Agaricus Brasiliennis. So potent is this mushroom that one well-known rainforest herbal manufacturer, uses it as the main ingredients in herbal supplements that have been credited with success against cancer and other diseases around the world. A link to the manufacturer is provided on the last page of this book.

In a study conducted by Dr. Shoji Shibata, a professor at Tokyo University, several other well known cancer-fighting and immune-boosting mushrooms were compared to the ABM, including Reishi and Shitake. Dr. Shibata's results found that the other mushrooms were not as effective as the ABM mushroom, and so the ABM was ranked at the top of the list of potent mushrooms - a spot befitting the "Mushroom of God"! Other Japanese and British studies have also shown the ABM mushroom to have the highest concentration of beta-glucan of any mushroom.

The ABM mushroom contains Beta-(1-3)-D-glucan, Beta-(1-4)-a -D-glucan & Beta - (1-6)-D-glucan. Known collectively as Beta-glucans, these long-chain polysaccharides are the most potent immuno-potentiating (immune enhancing) substances yet found. They also have very powerful anti-tumor properties. When human subjects are given AMB in their diet, a 3000% increase of NK cells, a type of anti-tumor white blood cell known as Natural Killer cells, is seen in the blood within 2-4 days.

In addition to beta glucans, agaricus also contains derivatives of ergosterol, a potent anti-tumor agent; double stranded RNA, an anti-viral agent; proteoglucans and protein bound polysaccharides of low molecular weight, which are immune enhancers; and, protein bound polysaccharides of high molecular weight, vitamins B1 and B2, proteins in the form of amino acids, niacin, iron, and calcium. There are many verified reports from around the world of this mushroom being used successfully in late stage cancers that had been determined hopeless and some clinics in Europe base their entire treatment protocols on agaricus blazei murrill mushroom extracts and other complimentary botanicals. In fact, in many published studies, the rate of cure for all types of cancer has been in the high ninety percentile range, even for stage 4 lung cancer, where many complete remissions are often seen in just a few weeks.


Cat's Claw Extract

Cat's claw, or Uncaria surinamensis, has been used for centuries in folk medicine in South America for cancer, AIDS, cirrhosis, disease prevention, gonorrhea, herpes, immune disorders, tumors, and many other aliments. Cat's claw has several groups of plant chemicals that account for its effectiveness: One such group is oxidole alkaloids that have been documented with immune-stimulant and anti-leukemic properties.

Another is a group of chemicals called quinovic acid glycosides, which have documented anti-inflammatory and antiviral actions. Antioxidant chemicals (tannins, catechins and procyanidins) as well as plant sterols (beta-sitosterol, stigmasterol, and campesterol) account for the plant's anti-inflammatory properties. A class of compounds known as carboxyl alkyl esters found in cat's claw has been documented with immuno-stimulant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancerous, and cell-repairing properties. Dr. Donna Schwontkowski, D.C., has stated that Uña de gato (Cat’s Claw) is the most powerful immune enhancing herb of all the herbs native to the Peruvian Amazon.


Pau D’Arco Extract

Pau D’Arco, or Tabebuia avellanedae, is a huge canopy tree native to the rain forest with a long and well-documented history of use by the indigenous peoples of the rainforest. Its use may even predate the Incas. Among it's many historical uses are for cancer, leukemia, lupus, diabetes, liver disease, Hodgkin's disease, osteomyelitis, Parkinson's disease, and psoriasis. It also used as a natural anti-microbial and anti-fungal agent and is a popular natural remedy for candida and yeast infections. In the 1960s, plant extracts of the heartwood and bark demonstrated marked anti-tumorous effects in animals. In 1975, one study reported that compounds in Pau D’Arco increased the life span of mice inoculated with leukemic cells by over 80%. In a small, uncontrolled, 1980 study of nine human patients with various cancers (liver, kidney, breast, prostate, and cervix), pure lapachol was reported to shrink tumors and reduce pain caused by them - and three of the patients realized complete remissions.

Coco Plum Extract

The Coco Plum, or Chrysobalanus icaco, is known as "Abajeru" in Brazil and has a history of use there as a folk remedy for diabetes and rheumatism. A relative newcomer to the modern world of herbal remedies, it has been shown in studies to inhibit the cancer cell growth mechanism of angiogenesis (new blood vessels formation) by 44%, thus demonstrating potentially important use in cancer and diabetic treatments. During laboratory tests at the University of Rio de Janeiro, it was found that the substance destroyed cancer cells that had been resistant to other treatments, including cells from breast- brain- lung- bowel- larynx- and pancreas tumors. The scientists also reported leukemia cells that are normally resistant to many medicines and methods of treatment, were also killed.


Bitter Melon Extract

Bitter Melon, or Momordica charantia, is found in tropical areas of the Amazon, east Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean, and is cultivated throughout South America as a food and medicine. It contains an array of biologically active plant chemicals including triterpenes, proteins, and steroids. One chemical has clinically demonstrated the ability to inhibit the enzyme that is linked to the cause of psoriasis and necessary for the growth of leukemia and cancer cells. In addition, a protein found in bitter melon, momordin, has clinically demonstrated anti-cancerous activity against Hodgkin's lymphoma in animals.

Other proteins in the plant, alpha- and beta-momorcharin and cucurbitacin B, have been tested for possible anti-cancerous effects. Among the reported properties of bitter melon are: kills bacteria, kills viruses, kills cancer cells, kills leukemia cells, prevents tumors, reduces inflammation, fights free radicals, enhances libido, cleanses blood, detoxifies, treats diabetes, expels worms, reduces blood sugar, balances hormones, reduces blood pressure, enhances immunity, lowers body temperature, mildly laxative and promotes milk flow. Several studies have demonstrated the anti-tumorous activity of bitter melon. In one study, a water extract blocked the growth of rat prostate carcinoma; another study reported that a hot water extract of the entire plant inhibited the development of mammary tumors in mice. Numerous in vitro studies have also demonstrated the anti-cancerous and anti-leukemic activity of bitter melon against numerous cell lines, including liver cancer, human leukemia, melanoma, and solid sarcomas.

Like several of its isolated plant chemicals, bitter melon also has been documented with in vitro antiviral activity against numerous viruses, including Epstein-Barr, herpes, and HIV viruses. In one in vivo study, a leaf extract increased resistance to viral infections and had an immuno-stimulant effect in humans and animals, increasing interferon production and natural killer cell activity.


Mutamba

Mutamba, or Guazuma ulmifolia, is a favorite natural remedy among Central and South American health practitioners and the indigenous peoples of the Amazon. Among the properties documented by research are: lowers blood pressure, antibacterial, anti-cancerous, antifungal, antioxidant, antispasmodic, anti-tumorous, antiviral, cardiac depressant, cardiotonic (tones, balances, strengthens the heart), hypoglycemic, muscle relaxant, uterine stimulant. Furthermore, it has been observed in traditional use to also be affective as an anti-inflammatory, anti-hemorrhagic (reduces bleeding), cough suppressant, anti-ulcerous, astringent, blood cleanser, cough suppressant, decongestant, diaphoretic (promotes sweating), digestive stimulant, emollient, fever reducer, liver protector, and wound healer.


Colloidal Silver

Colloidal Silver is a clinically proven, powerful natural antibiotic. It is believed to kill over 650 different disease-causing pathogens (bacteria, viruses, fungus and yeast). Colloidal silver was used widely from the time of Hippocrates until around 1938 when the use of synthetic antibiotics became popular. Silver in both liquid and airborne-aerosol has been known since 1887 to be extremely toxic to Anthrax spores.

Note: Each of the above botanicals has been used effectively against cancer and other diseases, particularly oleander and the agaricus blazei mushroom. When combined together, it is the author’s belief that the result will be the most potent natural immune boosting and disease fighting combination you can find. All of the above supplements, with the exception of the hard to find coco plum extract, are widely available at many health food and herbal outlets and on the web (make sure you choose a reputable supplier).

Other essential supplements and foods:

• Omega 3 Oils: including fish oil, flaxseed oil and borage oil
• Graviola
• MSM
• Alpha Lipoic Acid
• Lycopene
• Co-Enzyme Q-10
• Milk Thistle
• Selenium
• Turmeric
• Apple cider vinegar (organic non-distilled is by far the best)
• Astralagus
• Chlorella & Spirulina
• Garlic – include both fresh minced or sliced garlic AND garlic in capsule or tablets
• Good bacteria - such as L. acidophilus and B. bifidium, found in low fat grade A yogurt
• Almonds and walnuts – eat half a dozen or more each day
• Cayenne Pepper
• Grape seed extract
• Blueberries
• Pomegranate juice
• Spinach and other dark green leafy vegetables



Just remember that the bad things you avoid can be as important, if not more so, than the good things you include. Nothing can be more important for avoiding and beating cancer than eliminating sugar, as sugar feeds cancer. However, do not use artificial sweeteners as subsitutes - they are all dangerous. The best sugar substitutes are the widely available Stevia and the harder to find, more expensive and better tasting Lo Han.

[Ke-ke wan]

A major study of medicinal mushrooms by Cancer Research UK is the most comprehensive ever undertaken and was very positive.

The popular and wide spread use of medicinal mushrooms in Asia left the researchers wondering why we are not making better use of them in the West. They note, "The huge world wide sales of such products, can testify to the beliefs of many, of their efficacy."

The Cancer Research UK team were impressed by "the remarkable ability of many of these non toxic compatible compounds to reduce the debilitating effects of traditional chemo-therapeutic drugs.'

Mushrooms have been treasured as remedies for disease and as natural health supports for thousands of years and are an incredibly popular food in most countries. Actually, world trade in mushrooms is as big as the trade in coffee.

The Cancer Research UK report continues, "These compounds have been shown to be safe when taken over long periods of treatment and significantly, these compounds appear to reduce the adverse effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. These results are in marked contrast to the well documented adverse side effects associated with most chemo therapeutic compounds and also to a lesser extent, certain immuno therapeutics."

More remarkable still they found, "There are also many examples where the use of these compounds allows the reduction in dose level of the toxic chemo therapeutic compound without reduced efficacy."

Recent studies in New Zealand show that a combination of Reishi and Cordyceps extracts had beneficial effects on the quality of life for some advanced cancer patients. Researchers believe that a mixture of the active ingredients from different mushrooms maximizes the immune response by providing multiple stimuli to the body's natural defenses.

A fully functional immune response is critical to the recognition and elimination of tumor cells. The increased incidence of spontaneous tumors in immunosuppressed individuals indicates that the immune system provides a significant mechanism for resistance against cancer. Several major immune stimulating substances have been isolated from Reishi that have extraordinary effects on the maturation, differentiation and proliferation of many kinds of immune cells. Reishi is a proven potent activator of interferon, interleukins, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), natural killer cells (NK), T lymphocytes, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL's) and lymphokine activated killer cells (LAK). The spontaneous regression of some tumors is usually explained as a phenomenon of the individual's own immune system attacking the tumor burden.

Radiotherapy and chemotherapy invariably damage or weaken the patient's immunological defenses which may also have been damaged by the cancer itself. Although responding favorably, cancer patients are in danger of opportunistic infections that can invade their systems because unfortunately the therapy designed to kill the pathogenic cells also kills their protective immune cells. Cancer Research UK confirm that the active compounds in Reishi cause a marked increase in the action of macrophages, thus there is a heightened response to foreign cells, whether bacteria, viruses or tumor cells. The study points out, 'It was evident from clinical trials that Reishi extract significantly enhanced the immune systems of the elderly people taking it'.