Stop Breast Cancer in Its Tracks

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Stop Breast Cancer in Its Tracks
by Sherry A. Rogers, MD

Breast cancer accounts for 300,000 new cases per year, with 150,000 deaths per year. There is a plethora of evidence showing many environmental chemicals, especially pesticides, high-fat diets, processed-food diets and fast foods with trans-fatty acids and low nutritional value all play a role in potentiating breast cancer.

In the early part of this decade, thousands of women in over 133 medical centers across the world participated in a five-year study to see if the chemotherapeutic agent tamoxifen (an anti-estrogen) could be used to prevent breast cancer. Many scientists quickly found that tamoxifen itself causes cancer, and innocent women on the program developed blindness and cancers. (British Medical Journal, March 28, 1992 and Science News, April 25, 1992, 144:266-7)

Failed by pharmaceutical treatments such as tamoxifen, which was discovered to cause cancer, many women are seeking smarter solutions. Fortunately, there are many ways that people have beaten breast cancer other than taking carcinogenic chemotherapies. The most successful have been with diets high in phytochemicals.

In addition to nutrients such as vitamins A and D and CoQ10, which have caused reversal and redifferentiation of cancer cells (making cancer cells become normal cells again) in some cases, an exciting new nutrient on the horizon is calcium D-glucarate (CDG). It has not only prevented breast cancer, but also reversed some cases.

In one study, researchers used a group of rats in which 100% would normally develop breast cancer. But in those treated with CDG, only 56% developed cancers. Of the 56% that did develop cancer, there were 87.5% fewer tumors per animal than normal. In those that did get cancer, per every 10 tumors the animals would have gotten, they had less than one. (Isr J Med Sci, 1995;31:101-5)

Scientists have studied CDG which is naturally made in the human body in cells, organ cultures, animals and humans. It appears to be non-toxic, and without side effects. CDG has also been used to treat other forms of cancer. There is also a synergism of benefit when CDG is coupled with another agent, like vitamin A, that is also known to inhibit cancer growth. (Eur J Cancer, 1992;28A(4/5):784-8 and Life Sciences, 1994;(54)18:1299-1303)

CDG works by metabolizing an excess of estrogen in the body. Normally, estrogen is metabolized by the liver. Even though estrogen has many benefits, as with every hormone, there is an optimal level above which it can create problems. Estrogen is known to potentiate estrogen-sensitive tumors like breast tumors. The body gets rid of excess estrogen by passing it through the liver, where it hooks onto a conjugate called glucuronic acid and passes out with the stool. This is one way the body cleans house, and the process is called glucoronidation.

Normally, the glucuronide conjugate passes from the liver into the bile, then into the gut where the body gets rid of it. Sometimes, there are high levels of a bad enzyme, called beta-glucuronidase, that rip the glucuronide conjugate off the estrogen. Then the estrogen is free to be reabsorbed back into the bloodstream where it originated. So the body actually wastes many nutrients in the process of detoxifying the estrogen, only for it to be reabsorbed. The net effect is that of losing detoxifying nutrients and having the excess cancer-promoting estrogen still floating freely. This is not desirable, especially if breast cancer is a risk. CDG inhibits or stops the glucuronidase from freeing the estrogen for reabsorption. (J National Cancer Inst, 1989;81:1820-3 and Bio Chem Pharmac, 1991;41 (10):1471-7)

It is now possible to measure the amount of harmful beta-glucuronidase activity in an individuals body through a simple stool test that you can do at home once your doctor orders it.

There are several things you can do to decrease your beta-glucuronidase activity. For example, diets low in meats promote intestinal flora that are low in this enzyme. Conversely, diets high in meat foster more of this bad enzyme.

CDG supplementation can also reduce beta-glucuronidase activity. In addition to promoting the metabolism of estrogen, CDG promotes the metabolism of environmental cancer-potentiating chemicals. (Carcinogenesis, 1986;7(9):1463-6 and Res Comm Chem Pathol Pharmacol, Sept. 1986;33:25-32)

Because CDG speeds the detoxification of hormones and chemicals, a potential side effect is that blood levels of drugs being taken could be lowered, and their reabsorption impaired. Therefore, if you depend on medications, ask your doctor what the function of beta-glucuronidase is in the bowel. If he gives you the correct answer, then he knows enough chemistry to guide you in factoring CDG in with your medications.

The dosage would be three to four 500 mg capsules twice a day as a preventive, or if you have already had breast cancer, four to six 500-mg capsules twice a day. It appears that women with high risk of breast cancer would be wise not only to take antioxidants like vitamins A, C, and E, and CoQ10, but also to eat a diet rich in phytochemicals. Anyone who has already rallied against breast cancer may want to consider taking it for the rest of her life.

Sherry A. Rogers, MD
The Health Letter
Sand Key Publishing Company
Box 40101
Sarasota, Florida
34242 USA
800-846-6687
813-346-2494
Fax 813-346-2548

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