CancerCompass message board discussion started by photog on 4/2/2008 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,22614,0.htm Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ Fasting May Improve Cancer Chemotherapy Temporary Fast Shields Healthy Cells, While Chemo Drugs Target Cancerous Cells, Study Shows  By Jennifer Warner WebMD Medical News Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD Fasting prior to cancer chemotherapy treatment may significantly enhance the cancer-killing effects of the drugswhile protecting healthy cells from damage. A new study suggests starvation induces a protective shield around healthy cells, allowing them to tolerate a much higher dose of chemotherapy.The results showed starving laboratory mice for two days prior to chemotherapy treatment protected them from potentially toxic high doses of the drug, and they gained back the weight they lost after treatment. Researchers say cancer chemotherapy can kill as many healthy cells as cancerous ones, but inducing temporary starvation increases the cells' resistance to stress, which may allow doctors to use higher doses of current cancer chemotherapy treatments to make them more effective. Chemotherapy Starvation Diet In the study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers studied the effects of starvation on cancerous and normal cells. First, they induced a starvation-related response in yeast cells, which made them 1,000 times more protected than untreated cells. Then, they tested the effects of fasting on human and cancer cells in a test tube and in mice. The results showed starvation produced between a twofold and fivefold difference in stress resistance between the normal, starvation-treated cells and normal cells. In tests with live mice, of 28 mice starved for 48-60 hours before chemotherapy, only 1 died. Of 37 mice that were not starved prior to treatment, 20 mice died from chemotherapy toxicity. "More importantly, we consistently showed that mice were highly protected while cancer cells remained sensitive," researcher Valter Longo, PhD, of the University of Southern California, says in news release. "If we get to just a 10- to 20-fold differential toxicity with human metastatic cancers, all of a sudden it's a completely different game against cancer." Researchers say genetic cues prompt starved healthy cells to go into a hibernation-like mode that produces extreme resistance to stress. But cancerous cells don't obey those cues and remain stuck in growth mode. By using the starvation response to differentiate normal and cancerous cells, researchers say healthy cells may be able to withstand higher doses of existing cancer chemotherapy drugs, but further studies in humans are needed to confirm these effects.  photog Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT Good Afternoon Craig;Very interesting article! I'll tell you this much, if you had found it earlier and I read it prior to my chemo therapy I would have tried a two day fast. What would you have to lose?Keep the research coming!Take care;Kevin K. C. Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT Hello Kevin,I wish that I had seen this earlier too for my wife. I've had hints of this via some alternative treatments for cancer which involves fasting. However, in those protocols they could never explain the "why", but now it appears there may be some scientific foundation. It does sound like a promising method.Take care.Craig  photog Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT Very interesting article Craig! My husband responded very well to his chemo regimens, and was one of those esophageal folks who was very nutritionally deficient going into chemo because he couldn't swallow.  Wonder now if that may have helped outcome, since he had essentially been fasting for awhile when first treatment started. You've shared some really interesting things with all of us, so thanks for taking the time. tongrenhealer Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT Thank you for sharing this valuable experience. It does sound like your husband's decreased nutritional intake may have indeed had a positive effect on his chemo therapy. These anectodal stories really help to support (or in some cases not support) this type of research.Take care.Craig  photog Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT Dear Craig,Very interesting information.  Does the article say if fluids were also restricted or just food?  Thanks,Jan wevebeenthere Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT Good question. My wife had the same question. I'm going to see if I can track down the original published research which should give the protocol that was followed. If I find it I'll post it.Take care.Craig  photog Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT Hi Craig --I wonder if the reason that I responded so well to Revlimid was the fact that I'd been unable to eat for 3 months due to an extreme side effect reaction to Velcade?  I was even peg fed for a couple of weeks during that time, but eventually I was able to keep some fluids down so the docs let me go home - to die,or so everyone thought, but instead I had this fantastic response to Revlimid going from a paraprotein of 90 down to 8 and gradually getting better over the following months.  Who knows?  But the concept certainly has merit!  I, too, would be interested if you find the original article!!  Many thanks, Cath poppy/cath Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT Another great anecdotal experience possibly supporting this research. I've tracked down the original research abstract, but now I have to see if I can find the full article electronically through my sources.Take care.CraigP.S. My wife is still on her Velcade treatment protocol. It has worked very well for her (90 to 20 reduction), but it seems to be leveling off and the side effects are mounting. She is starting to think of Revlimid. I can't remember if you also had a transplant before or after your switch to Rev. Can't you let us/me know? Thanks! photog Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT Sorry Craig, but I did not have a transplant.  I was told early on in the treatment that because of my side effect reactions to so many drugs that they would not be able to do a transplant on me!  So when I went off the Velcade I was off of all medication for several months.  During that time I read about Revlimid on this site and found a man here in Melbourne who had been on a clinical trial and had responded very favorably.  I approached my oncologist, who had never heard of Revlimid, and he followed it up by going to Celegene who eventually agreed to give it to me as a refractory patient on compassionate grounds!  I have now been on it for about 21 months and am still going strong.  I pray that it continues to work at this level for many more months (dare I hope years) to come!!  Is your wife considering a transplant?  Kevins messages are the best ones out there, but I'm sure that you know this.  I don't know whether I am glad or sad that I can't have a transplant.  There are so many angles to consider, but if you can be like Kevin and go for it in the most positive manner possible then its bound to work!!  Best wishes to you both, Cath poppy/cath Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT I remember your process now. 21 months on Rev is amazing. My wife is considering a transplant once the Velcade plateaus, but is still not 100% sure yet. It will be something that she will have to discuss in depth with her doctor. But ... whether she has it or not I think Rev will be her next step. How much Dex do you take with it?Thanks and take care.Craig  photog Tue, 08 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT Hi Craig -- I do not take any Dex with my Revlimid!  I ended up having two perforated bowels - both requiring surgery - after taking high doses of Dex early on in my chemo treatments.  As a result I have not had any steriods in four years.  I know that the research seems to say that Rev in conjunction with Dex works best, but for me, the Revlimid on its own has done wonders!  My paraprotein has stayed at 8 (down from 90) for most of the 21 months.  It took about three months to get my Revlimid level sorted out.  We started at 50mg, then dropped to 25mg, then went down to 10mg in the third month and have remained on 10mg ever since.  The only other medications I take are 5mg Norvasc, 300mg gabapentin (for neuropathy from thalidomide), cartia, and ordourless garlic tablets!  So far so good!!Good luck to your wife -- I hope that she has the same success with Revlimid that I have had, because for me it truly has been a wonder drug and is whats kept me alive!  She is lucky that she has the two options left - transplant and Revlimid - because I really don't know what I will turn to when the Revlimid no longer works for me.  Not to worry, I'll keep on researching and hopefully something will turn up!!  Best wishes to you both, Cath poppy/cath Wed, 09 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT Thank you very, very much for this wonderful information. The Revlimid really has worked like a miracle for you .. especially without the Dex. My wife is very frightened of having the auto-transplant and would rather go to another medication like Revlimid, but I'm not sure if that is the best option because not everyone will have the great response you had. It might be better if she does the transplant and keeps the Revlimid in her back pocket as the next medication if the MM comes back. Very tough decision for her. Any suggestions you might have in that regard would be much appreciated. :-)Take care.Craig photog Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT Good Evening Craig;"My wife is very frightened of having the auto-transplant and would rather go to another medication like Revlimid, but I'm not sure if that is the best option because not everyone will have the great response you had. It might be better if she does the transplant and keeps the Revlimid in her back pocket as the next medication if the MM comes back. Very tough decision for her. Any suggestions you might have in that regard would be much appreciated."While the final decision lies with you and your wife I will offer my advice as only further information to help you both make a more informed decision. Believe me when I tell you that I am in awe of your knowledge and the information you have provided to this board!The cocktail I was on included Vel/Rev/Dex and it lowered my M spike to 1.031. Not what I wanted, but I was starting to plateau and also developed some slight vision problems. So for me the time was right. Always keep in mind, that initial harvest is the best you're going to get. Any subsequent harvests will be tainted with cancer cells that have built up an immunity to the meds. You must get your numbers down prior to the virgin harvest! I don't know your wife's age, but the normal harvest is enough for 2 transplants, have them take more if her body can handle it and she plans on being around for awhile. (My Dr. wanted 2 million stem cells for each transplant. We took 7.6 million! I have enough for 1 additional transplant.)The harvest itself is just plain boring. They place a large needle in each arm and remove blood from one arm and return through the other. Very similiar to dialysis. You just lay there and watch T.V. but you can't bend your arms for obvious reasons. Depending on the individual it takes about 3 hours. If you don't produce enough stems, you come back the next day. The days of taking the stems directly from the bones are history. Thank God!The transplant was neat to watch, but in retrospect, what a let down! 20 minutes and it's over. No pain. I would respectfully suggest that your wife try the above cocktail to lower her numbers and when she plateaus then have the harvest. But take an exra unit out cause I firmly believe that we are very close to managing this disease! However, I recall you and her have had wonderful progress with your alternative treatments. Have you tried this FUCOIDAN? And have you done any research on the Measles virus being used to fight MM?Should either of you need any further information don't hesitate to ask!Take care;Kevin K. C. Fri, 11 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT After all that I've read regarding the transplant I must admit that I think the same way as your wife Craig.  I would use the Revlimid first -- after all, she could become even better than she has been and therefore she'd be even stronger if she decided to go ahead with the transplant.  I wouldn't want to subject myself to the trauma of the transplant unless I was sure that there was no other way.  Who knows -- she's had such a good response to the last drug, there is no reason to think that it won't be the same with the Revlimid.  I believe the trick is to go in on a low dose -- no more that 10mg x 21 days.  That way she should avoid any side effects.  I noticed on my last prescription that they are now putting Revlimid out in 5mg doses, but I haven't heard of anyone taking them at this strength.  I went the other way, starting high and dropping lower every month -- but its not really logical when you think about it.  Much better to start lower and increase as you need it.  It certainly would be worth talking to your doctor about it.  My best wishes are with you both -- Cath poppy/cath Fri, 11 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT Wow. Thanks a lot Kevin. We are Americans living in Canada so I'm not sure anymore what the imperial v. metric equivalence is, but her Mono Peak has gone from 90 to 20 on the Velcade. The reduction has slowed over the past 2 months, so her doctor is beginning to plan for the stem cell harvest and transplant. Not sure if a Rev/Dex or triple combo is available in Canada prior to a transplant or not, but we'll ask. Also, your information about harvesting 2 transplants worth of cells is very important. My wife is keeping alternative supplements to a minimum during the Velcade treatment to see how it does on its own, but maybe its time to kick in some of the other arsenal again. I'll keep you posted on her decisions and will also forward any questions we might have along the way because you're the go-to guy!Thanks again. :-)Craig  photog Sat, 12 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT Thanks Cath! Your input combined with Kevin's really helps looking at the options easier! We'll bring up the Revlimid option at her next appointment.Take care.Craig  photog Sat, 12 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT Good Evening Craig;"The reduction has slowed over the past 2 months, so her doctor is beginning to plan for the stem cell harvest and transplant."Also, keep in mind that approx. 2-3 weeks prior to the harvest she will be off ALL chemo and steroids. To me, this gives the cancer a chance to catch its breath and recover somewhat. But the Drs. want the cells and body strong for the harvest. Unfortunately, this also includes the bad cells too.Additionally, the info Cath has provided you gives you both another option. Possibly starting out slow and increasing the dosage.Take care;Kevin K. C. Sat, 12 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT