question about theraspheres/ garlic suggestion

colleen B

My husband has some esophageal tumors (2) in his liver. He is responding well to the oxaliplatin and 5FU and when we saw a doctor at Jefferson hospital in Philly we were told that his tumors are not large enough to use theraspheres yet and that he is still responding to the chemo well. One liver tumor looks like it has disappeared.

Asked how large the tumors need to be to justify using theraspheres, we were told 2 centimeters. Does that seem accurate by what you have experienced?

Garlic looks like it has chemicals that interfere with cancer. A pharmacist recomended to cut it up and eat it as raw as possible...because cutting releases the chemical and cooking destroys it. My husband hates garlic...so I put the garlic through a garlic press and put it into some cellulose capsules I bought at a health food store. The capsules are large (size 00) so it might not work for everyone..but still its a suggestion for some that you might be able to use. I give him about 3 cloves of garlic a day that way after meals...and he takes the capsule about 10 minutes after I make it up.

Tina Blondek

Welcome
Hello Colleen and welcome to you and your husband. I was a caregiver for my dad who passed away in March from ec with mets to the liver. I still come on to the discussion boards daily, so I can help others who are where I have been. There is another couple here, Sally and Jim. Jim has mets to his liver from the esophagus as well. He is going for the theraspheres treatment and doing very well. Her screen name is Bailey1459. I am sure she will reply to you, if not you can contact her. Best of luck to you and your husband. I know that garlic does do a world of good for so many things, why not cancer? Go for it!
Tina

stepmj

Theraspheres
Hi Colleen -

My Dad had the same chemo as you state above for EC with liver mets. Eventually the cancer became resistent to it so we tried 2 new drugs for 3 months - although the tumor on his esophagus was responding to all the drugs, the spots on his liver grew significantly during those 3 months even with the new drugs. I cannot tell you how big the tumors were but but looking at the Pet scan they seemed to take up about 30% of his liver or more and they were black instead of grey like his esophagus was. Even though the tumors looked really scary his liver function was nearly perfect at the time.

This turn of events made him a candidate - but he did SIR-spheres. Similar to Theraspheres but a different manufacture if I'm not mistaken - same radio active material.

The point you make is interesting - spheres were never proposed as a solution until the situation was critical and I don't know why. We have a followup appt with the spheres doctor next week so I'll ask and share his response. Sherri (who Tina mentioned) may know the answer - she is way down this path.

Thank you for posting!

colleen B

stepmj said:

Theraspheres
Hi Colleen -

My Dad had the same chemo as you state above for EC with liver mets. Eventually the cancer became resistent to it so we tried 2 new drugs for 3 months - although the tumor on his esophagus was responding to all the drugs, the spots on his liver grew significantly during those 3 months even with the new drugs. I cannot tell you how big the tumors were but but looking at the Pet scan they seemed to take up about 30% of his liver or more and they were black instead of grey like his esophagus was. Even though the tumors looked really scary his liver function was nearly perfect at the time.

This turn of events made him a candidate - but he did SIR-spheres. Similar to Theraspheres but a different manufacture if I'm not mistaken - same radio active material.

The point you make is interesting - spheres were never proposed as a solution until the situation was critical and I don't know why. We have a followup appt with the spheres doctor next week so I'll ask and share his response. Sherri (who Tina mentioned) may know the answer - she is way down this path.

Thank you for posting!

foods and what to eat
My husband, Glenn, was diagnosed in February 2010 and because of the liver involvement he is considered palliative...but in my mind I am still thinking in terms of curative..so I want to go after this more aggressively than the oncologists I think. I feel like i have a window of opportunity now and I should do everything i can now

I have been doing a great deal of reading and think that it is possible to influence this disease with foods and herbs..but there is so much misinformation ( like laetrile) that it makes it difficult to find those things that are reasonable and will not hurt the person or interfere with the chemotherapy. I have been trying to read the original scientific articles but its difficult.

So I rely partially on the Sloan Kettering web site for herbs to try to make sure that what I am giving is not harmful and this is some of what they write about garlic:

http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/69230.cfm

"Mechanism of Action

The intact cells of garlic contain an odorless, sulfur-containing amino acid derivative known as alliin.

When the cells are crushed, alliin comes into contact with the enzyme alliinase located in neighboring cells and is converted to allicin. Allicin is a potent antibiotic, but it is highly odoriferous and unstable. The ajoenes are apparently responsible for the antithrombotic properties of garlic. Allicin is described as possessing antiplatelet, antibiotic, and antihyperlipidemic activity. Most authorities agree that the best measure of the total activity of garlic is its ability to produce allicin, which, in turn, results in the formation of other active constituents (1). In patients with hyperlipidemia, garlic might lower cholesterol levels by acting as an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (21). For atherosclerosis, garlic is believed to reduce oxidative stress and low-density lipoprotein oxidation and have antithrombotic effects (22). For hypertension, it is thought to reduce blood pressure by causing smooth muscle relaxation and vasodilation by activating the production of endothelium-derived relaxation factor (23). Garlic might stimulate both humoral and cellular immunity, causing T-cell proliferation, restoring suppressed antibody responses (24), and stimulating macrophage cytotoxicity on tumor cells. Garlic might increase selenium absorption with possible protection against tumororigenesis (25).

In addition, garlic may protect against certain cancers by halting cell cycle progression and inducing apoptosis of cancer cells as well as by decreasing angiogenesis and influencing carcinogen metabolism (26) (27)."

I also give Glenn broccoli juice every morning and berries...and i try to use only organic foods now. Also I give him 3 kinds of curcumin capsules.

I've learned that the oxaliplatin is active for its alpha half life for only a half hour ...then the beta half life is 16 to 18 hours and some oxaliplatin could remain in the system for 16 days or more...so if someone wanted to take anti oxidents in the form of foods..taking it 18 hours after chemotherapy is wiser than taking it immediately after chemotherapy...

How long did it take before the cancer became resistant? Glenn has had 9 rounds of chemo...

Its the changing nature of cancer that makes me feel like i have to do all I can now. I have been very upset by oncologists who suggest that Glenn should eat whatever he wants without giving guidance about food quality.

70% of cancer patients are taking these supplements and not telling their oncologists because they fear being told not to take them...I am being very open about taking them and I think that...well...I am not one of the favorites with oncologists...

stepmj

colleen B said:

foods and what to eat
My husband, Glenn, was diagnosed in February 2010 and because of the liver involvement he is considered palliative...but in my mind I am still thinking in terms of curative..so I want to go after this more aggressively than the oncologists I think. I feel like i have a window of opportunity now and I should do everything i can now

I have been doing a great deal of reading and think that it is possible to influence this disease with foods and herbs..but there is so much misinformation ( like laetrile) that it makes it difficult to find those things that are reasonable and will not hurt the person or interfere with the chemotherapy. I have been trying to read the original scientific articles but its difficult.

So I rely partially on the Sloan Kettering web site for herbs to try to make sure that what I am giving is not harmful and this is some of what they write about garlic:

http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/69230.cfm

"Mechanism of Action

The intact cells of garlic contain an odorless, sulfur-containing amino acid derivative known as alliin.

When the cells are crushed, alliin comes into contact with the enzyme alliinase located in neighboring cells and is converted to allicin. Allicin is a potent antibiotic, but it is highly odoriferous and unstable. The ajoenes are apparently responsible for the antithrombotic properties of garlic. Allicin is described as possessing antiplatelet, antibiotic, and antihyperlipidemic activity. Most authorities agree that the best measure of the total activity of garlic is its ability to produce allicin, which, in turn, results in the formation of other active constituents (1). In patients with hyperlipidemia, garlic might lower cholesterol levels by acting as an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (21). For atherosclerosis, garlic is believed to reduce oxidative stress and low-density lipoprotein oxidation and have antithrombotic effects (22). For hypertension, it is thought to reduce blood pressure by causing smooth muscle relaxation and vasodilation by activating the production of endothelium-derived relaxation factor (23). Garlic might stimulate both humoral and cellular immunity, causing T-cell proliferation, restoring suppressed antibody responses (24), and stimulating macrophage cytotoxicity on tumor cells. Garlic might increase selenium absorption with possible protection against tumororigenesis (25).

In addition, garlic may protect against certain cancers by halting cell cycle progression and inducing apoptosis of cancer cells as well as by decreasing angiogenesis and influencing carcinogen metabolism (26) (27)."

I also give Glenn broccoli juice every morning and berries...and i try to use only organic foods now. Also I give him 3 kinds of curcumin capsules.

I've learned that the oxaliplatin is active for its alpha half life for only a half hour ...then the beta half life is 16 to 18 hours and some oxaliplatin could remain in the system for 16 days or more...so if someone wanted to take anti oxidents in the form of foods..taking it 18 hours after chemotherapy is wiser than taking it immediately after chemotherapy...

How long did it take before the cancer became resistant? Glenn has had 9 rounds of chemo...

Its the changing nature of cancer that makes me feel like i have to do all I can now. I have been very upset by oncologists who suggest that Glenn should eat whatever he wants without giving guidance about food quality.

70% of cancer patients are taking these supplements and not telling their oncologists because they fear being told not to take them...I am being very open about taking them and I think that...well...I am not one of the favorites with oncologists...

The fight
Hi Colleen -
My Dad was considered pallative as well - at the age of 85 with ED and liver mets at diagnosis. However, my Dad wanted to fight and his oncologist has been very supportive of the fight. It was after 10 straight months of chemo that the cancer became resistent. Note that my Dad had reduced doses because the side effects were so tough on him. At one point the doctor commented that my Dad was doing better in the fight than most of his patients half his age! I credit my Dad's great attitude and determination with the progress he made during the 1st year.

I understand where the docs are coming from on food quantity over quality. My Dad's appetite all but disappeared - getting him to eat has been a constant struggle. He has gone from 215 lbs to 150. The times he does eat I'm trying to push nutritious calories as much as possible but haved often deffered to any calories - so much of it is taste - the chemo ruined his taste buds. That said, keep going with what you believe in - it could absolutely make the difference for your husband. I wish I could have gone that direction with my Dad but eating has just been too much of a struggle.

In addition to great medicine and food, the good, fighting attitude (I think) plays an equally, if not more important role. You clearly have the fight in you and I'm assuming your husband does as well - throw everything at it that you have - nothing better than proving doctors wrong!

Keep us posted,
MaryJo

colleen B

stepmj said:

The fight
Hi Colleen -
My Dad was considered pallative as well - at the age of 85 with ED and liver mets at diagnosis. However, my Dad wanted to fight and his oncologist has been very supportive of the fight. It was after 10 straight months of chemo that the cancer became resistent. Note that my Dad had reduced doses because the side effects were so tough on him. At one point the doctor commented that my Dad was doing better in the fight than most of his patients half his age! I credit my Dad's great attitude and determination with the progress he made during the 1st year.

I understand where the docs are coming from on food quantity over quality. My Dad's appetite all but disappeared - getting him to eat has been a constant struggle. He has gone from 215 lbs to 150. The times he does eat I'm trying to push nutritious calories as much as possible but haved often deffered to any calories - so much of it is taste - the chemo ruined his taste buds. That said, keep going with what you believe in - it could absolutely make the difference for your husband. I wish I could have gone that direction with my Dad but eating has just been too much of a struggle.

In addition to great medicine and food, the good, fighting attitude (I think) plays an equally, if not more important role. You clearly have the fight in you and I'm assuming your husband does as well - throw everything at it that you have - nothing better than proving doctors wrong!

Keep us posted,
MaryJo

Thank you
All of your comments were very helpful...Thank you for posting

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