After 35 years in practice, I have had thousands of patients who were told that there was nothing else that could stop their back pain except pain medication and/or surgery.
Unfortunately, many of these same patients were NOT offered ALL of their options.
The typical option that was not offered, of course, was acupuncture and functional medicine treatment. I can tell you with great satisfaction that many many of these patients finally were relieved of their pain after seeing me for carea.
In fact, you will likely hear the same story from many of my colleagues. The results are absolutely stunning.
The question you may be asking is, “why aren’t more people told about the great benefits of acupuncture treatment for millions of people suffering with back pain?”
Well, I believe the main reason is many traditionally trained medical physicians are simply not aware of the extensive training of doctors like me and the biomechanical science behind acupuncture treatment.
The medical doctors who have referred patients to my office have taken the time to learn what I do and why what I do works. Of course, it is hard to argue with returning patients telling their primary doctor that they are finally out of pain.
Now what in the world does this have to do with cancer or for that matter any disease?
Well, you see, there is another side to healthcare that simply is not being mentioned to the millions of suffering folks in the US and abroad.
If the health condition, may it be arthritis, heart disease, cancer, etc…, can not be improved with drugs or surgery, then one is told that EVERYTHING has been done and the patient has to simply accept the fact that they have to live (or die) with their condition.
How sad but NOT true..
You will see, like many of my articles, the overflowing list of medical references showing that their are respected scientists and researchers proving that the patient has NOT been given ALL of their options.
Today’s article addresses the most feared disease on earth and that is cancer.
What is one to do when chemotherapy no longer works, the cancer is spreading, and the doctor says.. I am sorry but their is NOTHING else we can do for you.
Do you accept it hook, line and sinker?
I hope not..
As Dr. Ron Grisanti, DC has stated, and which also aligns with the scientific literature, most cancer patients do not die from the cancer itself instead from the spreading of the cancer (metastases) to other parts of the body. Basically the body simply gets overwhelmed and begins to shut down.
Don’t misunderstand this. The initial site of tumor growth is significant. Once a cancerous tumor grows too big in an organ it damages and has damaged surrounding tissues. It has been robbing the normal cells of their nutrition and blood supply. It pushes against other surrounding organs. This uncontrolled growth and proliferation of cells is similar to the growth that we each started with. Our growth in utero, and then natural growth after birth until our body started telling itself to stop growing more. Just repair and maintain what we do have.
But, the cancer reaches a point, if uncontrolled in one location, has to spread to the rest of the body and try to “attach itself” to a new spot that does not have as much competition.
In other words, when the existing (primary) mass can no longer support any further growth, the cancerous cells have a new mission to seek out a new location and blood supply. For example, the cancer may start out growing in the prostate, the breast, the colon. Later it may spread to the liver, bones, brain, lymphatic system.
So when the primary cancer cells begin to spread, they have to have some way to attach themselves to the new location. Basically, it needs a specific anchor to secure it onto the brain, bone, liver or wherever it has metastasized too. This anchor becomes the “fuel line” for nutrients allowing it to grow and spread even further.
As you are probably wondering this anchor goes by a number of different names. But to keep things simple and to avoid confusing you, I will refer to it by one of its names here, galectin-3.
It is common for oncologists to check a cancer patient’s galectin levels. It is well known that the higher the galectin-3 level goes up, the more aggressive the metastasis will be and unfortunately, the more likely the tumor will become resistant to chemotherapy. For most cancer patients, without a chemotherapy that works, or if surgery is an option or just an adjunct, this is commonly a “death sentence” and the worst news they can hear.
Now what if their was something that could actually block this anchor from attaching to any organ in the body. And what if it was non-toxic?
Well, there is something that has been found to block the cancer cells’s anchor, galectin-3 and it is called Modified Citrus Pectin (MCP). It’s the white stuff, pulp and fiber of citrus fruits.
In one study of only 29 patients using MCP, at four months 20% of the patients had benefit. You might be saying, “Well, that is only 20%.” But, bear in mind that these folks were told that there was nothing more that could be done for them.
In another study using 15 gms a day of MCP in seven patients with recurrent prostate cancer, four of them showed a 30% increase in the time that it took for the PSA to double, which can be interpreted as slowing down the cancer growth rate.
Please understand that no single nutrient, medication,or surgery is sufficient to address the total package of cancer. In most of the positive case reviews no nutrient/toxicity assays were done! This is significant. Why?
Because imbalances in our nutrient status and uncontrolled toxicity significantly contribute to the growth of cancer cells.
Cancer cells grow in a garden — the terrain either assists or dampens the cancer cells from growing. When we are growing in childhood, many cells in our body are mulitplying rapid to grow parts of the body — bones, muscles, arteries, veins, nervous tissue, other organ tissues. Again, we liken this rapid multiplication of cells in the body to “controlled” cancer. Namely, anabolic growth. But it is growth that we want to happen to get bigger and mature.
There are many factors that go into accelerating this growth and controlling it. Even as adults In other words,
But back to galectin-C and factors which block it’s effects as a cancer cell anchor.
The bottom line is that the real benefit of MCP, the thing that research shows, is that it may be able to buy people more time to get a more thorough nutritional and toxicity work-up to help identify where and how the body’s chemistry is failing.
Just like I mentioned at the beginning of this article, don’t settle for the saying, “that everything has been done.”
That can simply be translated to say that there are no drugs or surgery to help you.
Remember there are tons of the medical peer-reviewed papers stating that there are possible and probable causes of XYZ disease(s) including different types of cancer.
The sad news is you are unlikely to hear about in the traditional medicine world.
So getting rid of the underlying causes is not only important but essential.
If you or a loved one has cancer and if the cancer has spread or become resistant to chemotherapy you have nothing to lose by discussing MCP with your oncologist. Simply show your doctor all of the references that follow this article.
Now I have to admit, I would NOT hang your hat on assuming that taking MCP is the ticket to solving the cancer challenge but like I said above it may afford you more time to look deeper into the possible underlying biochemical glitches which has caused your body to malfunction leading to the cancer diagnosis.
I would find someone who is trained in functional medicine like Dr.. Jay Sordean. You might also have a comprehensive nutritional test done, such as the Cardiolon Test ordered. and have a CardioIon Test ordered. This is one of the most comprehensive nutritional test on planet earth. It provides at least 14-20 pages of critical information that could very well save your life.
Returning back to the MCP, I recommend EcoNugenics Modified Citrus Pectin
because it has been used in human studies. The dose used is usually 5 gm (5000 mg) three times a day, but as you see, some tripled it. But remember, that dose may be so high because they had never addressed the underlying biochemical and toxic load.
So remember the benefit of MCP is the fact that it was found to block the anchoring galectin-3 attachment of cancer cells so they can’t metastasize. In other words, if the floating cancer cells are unable to adhere to the organs they will not be able to set up house and gain a hold on the blood supply thereby not able to survive and grow.
References:
Zhao Q, et al, Circulating galectin-3 promotes metastasis by modifying MUC1 localization on cancer cell surface, Cancer Res 69; 17:6799-6806, 2009
Wang Y, et al, Calpain activation through galectin-3 inhibition sensitizes prostate cancer cells to cisplatin treatment, Cell Death and Disease, an open access journal (2010) 1, e101;doi: 10. 1038/cddis. 2010. 79
Wang Y, et al, Regulation of prostate cancer progression by galectin-3, Am J Pathol 174:1515-23, 2009
Nomura T, et al, Expression of the inhibitors of apoptosis proteins in cisplatin-resistant prostate cancer cells, Oncol Rep 14:993-7, 2005
Pienta KJ, et al, Inhibition of spontaneous metastasis in the rat prostate cancer model by oral administration of modified citrus pectin, J Nat’l Cancer Inst 87:348-53, 1995
Nangier-Makker P, et al, Inhibition of human cancer cell growth and metastases in nude mice by oral intake of modified citrus pectin, Journal National Cancer Institute, 94:1854-62, 2002
Jackson CL, et al, Pectin induces apoptosis in human prostate cancer cells: correlation of apoptotic function with pectin structure, Glycobiology 17:805-19, 2007
Monograph. Modified citrus pectin, Altern Med Rev 5:573-5, 2000
Glinsky VV, et al, Modified citrus pectin anti-metastatic properties: one bullet, multiple targets, Carbohydrate Res 2008
Liu HY, et al, Inhibitory effect of modified citrus pectin on liver metastases in a mouse colon cancer model, World J Gastroent 14; 48:7386-91, 2008
Fukumori T, et al, The role of galectin-3 in cancer drug resistance, Drug Resistance Update 10:101-108, 2007
Azemar M, et al, Clinical benefit in patients with advanced solid tumors treated with modified citrus pectin: a prospective pilot study, Clin Med: Oncol 1:73-80, 2007
Peters U, et al, Dietary fiber and colorectal adenoma in a colorectal cancer early detection program, Lancet 361:1491-5, 2003
Shallom-Fuerstein R., et al., Galectin-3 regulates a molecular switch from N-Ras to K-Ras usage in human breast carcinoma cells, Cancer Res 65: 7292-7300, 2005
Strom S, et al, Modified citrus pectin slows PSA doubling time: a pilot clinical trial, International Conference on Diet and Prevention of Cancer, May 28-June 2, Tempere Finland
Guess BW, et al, Modified citrus pectin (MCP) increases the prostate-specific antigen doubling time in men with prostate cancer: a phase II pilot study, Prost Cancer Prost Dis 6:301-4, 2003
Silalahi J, Anticancer and health protective properties of citrus fruitcomponents, Asian Pacif J Clin Nutr, 11:79-84, 2002
Yan J, et al, PectaSol-C Modified Citrus Pectin induces apoptosis and inhibition of proliferation in human and mouse androgen-dependent and-independent prostate cancer cells, Integr Cancer Ther 9; 2:197-203, 2010
Eliaz I, et al, The effect of modified citrus pectin on urinary excretion of toxic elements, Phytother Res 20:859-64, 2006
Rogers Sherry, Total Wellness, Prestige Publishing, November 2011
Zou J, et al, Peptides specific to the galectin-3 carbohydrate recognition domain inhibit metastases-associated cancer cell adhesion, Carcinogenesis 26:309-18, 2005
Johnson KD, et al, Galectin-3 as a potential therapeutic target in tumors arising from malignant endothelium, Neoplasia 9:662-70, 2007
Gunning AP, et al, Recognition of galactan components of pectin by galectin-3, FASEB J, 23:415-24, 2009
The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Grisanti and his community. Dr. Grisanti encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. Visit www.FunctionalMedicineUniversity.com to find practitioners thoroughly trained in functional medicine. Look for practitioners who have successfully completed the Functional Medicine University’s Certification Program (CFMP).
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