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Cancer
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the
United States
In 2014, 585,720 people died from cancer (1)
The body's immune system is responsible for
recognizing and killing abnormal cells before they
become cancerous. As we get older, our immune
systems are less able to fight infection and control cell
growth.
There are over 120 different types of cancer that a
person is susceptible to
How do you get cancer?
o Cancer can be hereditary, environmental , behavioral, poor diet and physical
activity like colon cancer or liver cancer
http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@research/documents/document/acspc-041775.pdf.
Types of Treatment
Chemotherapy
o Strong chemicals given through an IV or pill form
Radiation
o High-energy particles or waves, such as x-rays, gamma rays, electron
beams, or protons
Surgery
o Removes cancerous tissues
o Can be simple or complex
o Outpatient or inpatient
Target Therapy
o Blocks cancer growth
o Interferes with specific target molecules needed for carcinogenesis
Side Effects
Chemotherapy
o Nausea, vomiting, fatigue, throat or mouth sores, diarrhea, blood
disorders, weight loss, hair loss, or permanent nervous system damage
Radiation
o Fatigue, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
Surgery
o Infection, complications, blood clots, and rarely death
Research Question
Does the phenolic compound curcumin have
cancer healing properties?
Phenols
Phenols are chemicals that make up the active
substances in many plants and are responsible
for controlling the activity of enzymes and cell
receptors, protecting the plant from bacterial and
fungal infections and UV radiation damage
Since phenols have such good protective
properties and are high in antioxidants, they have
caught the attention of scientists and those in
search of good health.
Curcumin
Curcumin is found in one of the most traditional and versatile
of spices used in Indian cooking which is turmeric, and this
curcumin-containing spice is the heart and soul of any curry,
and it enhances and balances the flavors of all other
ingredients. It's included in a range of dishes, including those
featuring lentils, meats and vegetables.
Curcumin has been effective against many different types of
cancer so it is considered to be a broad spectrum medicine.
Research has also showed the curcumin can enhance the
body's immune system to recognize and destroy only cancer
cells, unlike chemotherapy which kills both, healthy and
unhealthy cells. Since curcumin only kills the unhealthy cells
and keeps the healthy cells that are needed to maintain health
in the body, harmful side effects do not occur.
Curcumin
Dosage
In a study performed in India, daily dosages of 1,200
2,100 mg of oral curcumin were given to patients for
two to six weeks and did not cause any toxicity
problems.(2) In another study of high-dose oral
curcumin gave a dosage of 500, 1,000, 2,000, 4,000,
and 8,000 mg of curcumin daily for three months to
patients and no noticeable adverse effects were
detected.(3) With that said, curcumin is a relatively safe
phenolic compound that has no side effects if taken
under 12,000 mg because the maximum tolerated
dose more than 12,000 mg of curcumin is regarded as
too bulky.
Research study #1
(4)
Conclusion/Results
The data showed that tumors of mice treated with
curcumin were smaller than those observed in the
controls, indicating that curcumin has an antitumor
effect on breast cancer cells.
Curcumin had an effect on the breast cancer cells in
as little as 48 hours.
At the end of the five week period, the control was
twice as big in volume compared to the mice
treated with curcumin
The tumor of the control was approximately
1600mm and tumor treated with curcumin was
approximately 800mm at the end of the five weeks.
Research study #2
(5)
Conclusion/Results
The results showed that curcuminsignificantly
sensitized cells to MMC-induced cell death. Qian-Mei,
the author of the study, says that, MMC
andcurcumintogether synergistically enhanced
apoptosis in breast cells. Most importantly, the
inclusion ofcurcuminin MMC treatment decreased
MMC-caused severe side-effects evidenced by
significant improvement in the kidney function. (9)
When adding curcumin to the MMC chemotherapy,
results showed that it greatly reduces chemotherapy
associated side-effects. Therefore, the combination
treatment of MMC andcurcuminmay be a significant
therapeutic benefit in treating breast cancer.
Further Research
The results of another study done very similar to
the one just discussed states that when the mice
receiving the BCSCs (Breast cancer stem cells)
developed sizable tumors, treatment of curcumin
or MMC alone reduced 5060% of the tumor
volume in 30 days. By contrast, the combined
treatment of curcumin and MMC caused a more
than 90% tumor volume reduction in 30 days.(6)
This shows strong evidence the curcumin is an
effective treatment against breast cancer.
Research study #3
(7)
Conclusion
Curcumin is a means that is safe, affordable, and effective. Both
chemotherapy and radiation treatment, on the other hand, are so
toxic and damaging to the bodys immune system that they dont
allow for continual use. Actually, using chemotherapy or radiation
every day for months would kill the patient. Breaks in the
treatment are necessary to allow the patient to recover from the
treatment, and these breaks allow the cancer to recover and grow
back. Often the cancer grows back even more violently because
the immune system is so weak from the chemotherapy killing all of
the healthy white blood cells. This explains the vicious cycle in
conventional medicine of remission and recurrence until the
patient dies. A natural treatment is much more proficient than a
chemical treatment, radiation treatment, or surgery. Using an
alternative cancer treatment can become more important to
people with advanced cancer if their conventional treatment is no
longer controlling the cancer.
Significance
Since more and more research has been conducted
recently, it may catch the attention of more people
so someday curcumin as a cancer treatment may
be well-known
Also there will be more evidence supporting the
cancer healing properties in curcumin so it will be a
more likely means of treatment in the future
Since curcumin does not cause any side effects like
the conventional treatments, it can be given to
patients who are too weak to handle chemotherapy
or radiation therapy, or to any patient who doesnt
want any harmful side effects.
References