Quercetin Vs. Prostate Cancer There was an exciting presentation by Nianzeng Xing, MD, PhD, a research fellow in the Urology Department of the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. He has been studying quercetin, a safe and abundant natural bioflavonoid. Since prostate cancer growth is fueled by androgens, researchers are interested in finding substances that can disarm these male sex hormones. Dr. Xing's work is the first to demonstrate that quercetin has significant activity against androgen receptors. It caused dramatic reduction in the levels of two androgen-regulated tumor markers, including prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Dr. Xing suggested that quercetin could become a "chemopreventive and/or chemotherapeutic agent for prostate cancer." I thought his use of the term "chemotherapeutic agent" was daring, for it is rare for cancer researchers to suggest that nutritional agents could actually be used to treat existing disease. A reporter immediately called out in alarm, "What's going to stop people from running out, buying quercetin and preventing all kinds of cancer?" What, indeed! In fact, prostate cancer patients needn't wait for official approval. It would be a good idea to step up one's consumption of foods that contain this nutrient, including apples, onions, green and black tea, leafy vegetables, beans, and red wine (presuming that alcohol does not aggravate one's prostate). Quercetin supplements are also available. It is uncertain what dose would be optimal for cancer patients. Some practitioners already recommend a preventative dose of 400 milligrams three times per day. Novel Antitumor Agents The poster sessions are to me the most fascinating part of AACR. They are a huge and changing bazaar of findings, where you also get to see the faces behind the research. The most interesting ones this year were devoted to novel antitumor agents, including: MGN-3, an anticancer agent made from rice bran and mushrooms SPES and PC SPES, two Chinese herbal mixtures used for pancreatic cancer EGCG, from green tea, used to treat pancreatic cancer cells Curcumin, derived from the spice turmeric, and resveratrol, derived from red wine Japanese butterfly alkaloids as a cytotoxic agent Butyric acid, derived from butter, used against leukemia cells Squalene, from shark liver oil, to protect bone marrow during chemotherapy Ascorbic acid and copper as a treatment for advanced breast cancer Anvirzel, extract of the oleander bush (Nerium oleander), as anticancer agent Morinda citrifolia (noni) against breast and colon cancer cells Researchers also gathered four and five deep around posters devoted to dendritic cell vaccines…43 posters on a topic that is creating excitement in all parts of the cancer world. Yet none of the researchers I spoke to was familiar with the way that dendritic cell vaccines are currently being used at various unconventional clinics. The fields of conventional research and CAM practice are groping towards each other but only connect at rare moments. Some conventional researchers scour the health food stores for new treatment ideas, but seem in the dark about how their research relates to the current practice of non-conventional medicine. As one example, the AACR researcher working on SPES and PC SPES had no idea what was in those two Chinese herbal mixtures! Conversely, alternative practitioners may consult the orthodox literature, but few of them thought it important to attend this meeting. The challenge of the years ahead will be to knit together the best of conventional and alternative approaches into a new field, which has been called integrative oncology. Excerpted from Ralph Moss' take on AACR 2001 www.cancerdecisions.com LINK Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.