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Helping the Body Heal Cancer

The immune system is our greatest cure for cancer.

In today's fight against cancer we may be losing sight of the fact that the disease is not an alien being that has inhabited the body, but a growth of the body. It needs to be handled in a way that heals, rather than drastically trying to eradicate the invader at great expense to the rest of the body.

For over a decade researchers have known about the disappointing results and side effects of chemotherapy - only 2 to 4 percent of cancers respond to chemotherapy, according to Dr. Ralph Moss, author of Questioning Chemotherapy. And the results of radiation, which kills both healthy and diseased cells, are also being questioned due to its widespread use - over half of all people with cancer are given radiation, no matter what type of cancer they have. It seems clear that even our most successful advancements in cancer treatment are not helping to eliminate them. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, despite billions spent on research and treatments since 1970, the death rate is not lower but 6 percent higher now than then (stated by John C. Bailar III, MD, PhD of the Department of Health Studies at the University of Chicago).

Our best hope to eliminate cancer, therefore, may lie not in treating the cancer itself, but in immuno-augmentive therapies - those that enhance the body's own immune defense and its response to cancer cells. Dr. Mamdooh Ghoneum, PhD, Chief of Research, Department of Otolaryngology, Charles Drew University of Medicine in Los Angeles, has spent almost 20 years studying substances that effect immune response. He has discovered that compounds found in nature may be just as effective as drugs for cancer treatment.

He began experimenting with extracts from mushrooms, herbs, fungi and bacteria. Seven years ago, he stumbled across a natural substance so promising that he abandoned all other projects, including government - funded research, in order to focus on it. The substance, MGN-3 (an arabinoxylane compound), is an extract of rice bran modified by enzymes from Shiitake mushrooms. Mushrooms have been recognized for their medicinal properties for thousands of years, but it was not until recently that scientists figured out a way to extract their most active components. Extracts of Shiitake mushroom are known for their ability to support the immune system and show promise as therapy for cancer. In seven published studies involving 72 patients, the efficacy of MGN-3 equaled or surpassed all commonly used immune-modulating drugs (those that effect the body's immune response) but, in stark contrast, showed absolutely no toxicity or negative side effects. The data regarding MGN-3 was published in technical journals and presented at international research conferences, but the information remains largely unknown to oncologists and other health professionals dealing with cancer patients.

What is its role in the treatment of cancer?
Natural killer (NK) cells are one of the most common types of white blood cells, which fight infection and disease. They work independently to recognize and attack a foreign cell and are therefore considered to be the body's first line of defense against cancer. Circulating through the body, the majority of NK cells are resting. NK cells become active in response to proteins in the body called cytokines. Once activated, the NK cells begin aggressive search-and-destroy activities. Upon encountering a tumour cell, the NK cell attaches to it and injects a substance that quickly dissolves it. In less than five minutes, the cancer cell is dead and the NK moves on to its next victim. A single NK cell can destroy up to 27 cancer cells before it dies. However, the number of NK cells present doesn't indicate the efficiency of the body's immune system. Instead, it is the activity — how well NK cells are recognizing and binding to tumour cells — that is important.

Most immuno-modulators, substances that affect the immune system including MGN-3, do not increase the number of NK cells, but increase their level of function. In a healthy person, NK cell activity ranges from 60 to 75 percent activity, and in cancer patients, NK cell activity typically ranges from near 0 to 30 percent. Dr. Ghoneum's research suggests that MGN-3 works by simulating the body's natural production of chemicals called interferon-y and tumor-necrosis factor-a. These chemicals not only have direct anti-tumour effects, but also activate the body's NK cells, B-cells and T-cells. In 32 cancer patients with different types of advanced malignancies who had completed conventional therapy (surgery, chemotherapy, radiation or hormonal therapy), taking MGN-3 led to a significant increase in NK cell activity after only one to two weeks. The increase in NK cell activity ranged from 145 percent to 332 percent in breast cancer patients and 100 percent to 537 percent in multiple myeloma patients. Increasing the immune system does not help unless it improves the patient's chances, of course. The documented increase in NK cell activity in cancerpatients taking MGN-3 correlated with increased survival rates. In long-term follow-up of patients (up to five years), Dr. Ghoneum's team observed that the enhancing effect of MGN-3 on NK cell activity is maintained indefinitely with continued use.

Toxicity
Synthetic immune boosters such as IL-2 and interferon, while effective in boosting the response against tumors, are exceedingly toxic and have side effects including kidney failure. By contrast, naturally formulated MGN-3 appears to be well tolerated. In four years of use with hundreds of patients, Dr. Mamdooh Ghoneum has had no reports of any side effects. He feels that MGN-3 can be safely used in conjunction with conventional treatment, including chemotherapy, to decrease adverse side effects.

Clinical applications
Conventional medicine can reduce the number of cancer cells. Unfortunately, as Dr. Ghoneum explains, it is difficult to achieve 100 percent kill rate without killing the patient in the process. At best, doctors can hope to kill 95 to 98 percent of the cancer cells with these therapies. At this point, a patient may be considered in remission. Therapy is discontinued and the patient is closely monitored. However, as most oncologists are aware, these remissions are frequently short- lived. Conventional chemotherapy and radiation suppress the immune system, and therefore lower the fighting power of anti-cancer cells. Following treatment, the few hardy cancer cells that survive are left to replicate largely unchallenged by a damaged immune system. When the cancer eventually resurfaces, it does so with increased ferocity and often with increased drug resistance. Dr. Mamdooh Ghoneum feels that the practice of watchful waiting wastes an opportunity to provide increased support to the immune system. At very early stages of detection, or in more advanced stages when the tumour has been reduced as far as possible by surgery and/or chemotherapy, boosting the immune system allows the body to eradicate the remaining cells that have escaped the chemicals, radiation or surgery. However, substances including MGN-3 cannot replace these therapies, especially in the case of advanced malignancies. In these cases, even an extremely active immune response is easily overwhelmed by the huge numbers of cancer cells present. Instead, Dr. Ghoneum recommends that cancer patients begin MGN-3 at the same time or immediately following other therapies.

When should a patient take it?
Time is of the essence when dealing with cancer. At the early stages, the number of cancer cells is relatively low and more susceptible to eradication by an aggressive immune system. Therefore, it is important to increase NK cell activity quickly. Dr. Ghoneum found that cancers of the blood, such as leukemia and multiple myeloma, have been particularly responsive to MGN-3 therapy.