Researchers of Jefferson’s Kimmel Cancer Center have produced genetic evidence suggesting antioxidant drugs could help prevent and treat cancer. With research already showcasing the powers of various cancer fighting foods, this research further shows how dangerous mainstream medical testing and treatments can be outranked by nature’s gifts.
“Antioxidants have been associated with cancer reducing effects—beta carotene, for example—but the mechanisms, the genetic evidence, has been lacking,” says lead researcher Michael P. Lisanti, M.D., Ph.D. “Now we have genetic proof that mitochondrial oxidative stress is important for driving tumor growth.”
Oxidative Stress and Tumor Growth
Lisanti’s study shows that loss of the tumor suppressor protein Caveolin-1 (Cav-1) stimulates mitochondrial oxidative stress in the stromal micro-environment. If this is Greek to you, let’s put it this way: if a woman has Breast Cancer and has the biomarker Cav-1, she has greater chances of survival than someone who doesn’t have the Cav-1 protein. The loss of the protein, in fact, leads to oxidative stress, thereby quadrupling in tumor mass and volume with no increase in tumor angiogenesis.
That’s where antioxidants step in.
Antioxidants Interfere with Cancer Growth
Lisanti wasn’t the first to see antioxidants reducing oxidative stress. A 2008 study published in the March 14th issue of Science pointed out that antioxidants put up interference in cancer communication. This stops and even reverses cancer growth throughout the body.
“There are already antioxidant drugs out there on the market as dietary supplements, like N-zcetyl cysteine,” says Lisanti. Anti-cancer drugs targeting oxidative stress—like NAC—haven’t entered mainstream medicine because it is commonly believed to reduce the effectiveness of current chemotherapies that increase oxidative stress. (And there’s too much money to be made by pharmaceutical companies to put a stop to that, yet.)
Lisanti insists, “Now that we have genetic proof that oxidative stress and resulting autophagy [production of recycled nutrients] are important for driving tumor growth, we should reconsider using antioxidants and autophagy inhibitors as anti-cancer agents.”
Luckily for us, help in the prevention or treatment of cancer doesn’t have to come in pill form. Read up on the antioxidants found in papaya leaves, ginger, and turmeric right here — maybe while drinking a small glass of red wine.
I keep saying that how something works is never as important as if something works.
Mountains of evidence now exists in millions of pages where classic anti oxidants are used to treat cancer.
Notice I didn't say "cure"
This posting highlights issues that exist in natural medicine research.
This article draws conclusions that can be undone with basic chemistry and draws some assumptions that may or may not be true. Let me show you what I mean.
Oxidative stress can come in dozen different forms. The cysteine connection to mitochondria is significant but how and why. cysteine is precursor to glutathione,... and glutathione is needed to prevent mitochondrial defects. It is needed for healthy cell function. So glutathione deficiency can lead to hypoxic cells. Glutathione production requires several steps and only one of those steps involves cysteine. But it's a very basic precursor and much needed amino acid. Cysteine that is.
So oxidative stress doesn't mean you aren't getting enough anti oxidants.
The role of CAV1 protein is speculative but one thing that should be noted is that the relationship exists between presence of certain proteins and prognosis. Why and how is immportant so we can better understand treatment options.
I have had dozens of clients pounding down gobs of anti oxidants but still their diseases progressed. Many of these are Breast Cancer patients.
Oxidative stress implies that free radicals have caused disease. However, free radicals are highly alkaline. Your body does a wonderful job of keeping blood alkalinity in check. So, the theory that oxidative stress causes cancer does not address other important issues at the cellular level. What came first....the chicken or the egg. Anybody want to produce information which establishes firm cause and effect between certain proteins and mitochondrial deficiencies?
It has been proven that high dose anti oxidants can cause hemolytic anemia. Wait a minute....this condition comes from too much peroxide.
Peroxide comes from reactive and pro oxidant species. If anti oxidants scavenge reactive oxygen then why do they produce peroxide?
So, tell me how something that is suppose to be anti oxidant can cause buildup of peroxide. By definition, peroxides only can be generated by pro oxidants. Yet, we are talking about anti oxidants causing this. So, you see how when discussing mechanisms we can get turned around?
This confusion has hampered dosing of active ingredients. Has hindered proper augmentation of therapies.
In the end we have to assume that anti oxidants become pro oxidant in the blood streem. After donating hydrogen to ROS, the metabolite is stable pro oxidant metabolite. This notion is validated by hemolystic anemia issue and with basic highschool chemistry.
But wait a minute, if anti oxidants become pro oxidant...this means oxidative stress which causes cancer!!!!! Oxidative stress is everywhere?
See how this discussion has become more complicated?
We have a connection to oxidative stress which causes cancer only to see an implication the pro oxidants and ROS kill cancers,...which they are proven to do.
So what is going on here. Our white cells kill cancer using ROS, but then ROS causes cancer. Oxygen therapies rely upon ROS to cause apotopsis
The relationship of CAV1 proteins and cancer is theory. We believe that it is related to cysteine and not ROS, which is then related to glutathione. We do not feel the free radicals are the cause of mitochondrial deficiency.
This leads us back to treatment options. We feel all anti oxidants should be activated using bicarb. or other alkaline salts. This strips the hydrogen off of these anti oxidants and produces stable pro oxidants which can provide electrons for redox, set up mitochondrial transport, inhibbits fermentation, chelates toxic metalsm speeds up wound heling, improves cognition. All of these cannot possilby occurr by simply donating hydrogen. All of these benefits describe an increase in cellular oxygen.
To be safe and sure:
It should never happen that we take both an anti oxidant with known pro oxidant as this will cancel out the effects of the pro oxidant. This will cancel out half of your supplements.
If you have cancer and don't know if you have cav1 protein or not. To be on the safe side....take glutathione.
Activate all anti oxidants with bicarb.
If you are deficient is CAV1, that doesn't mean your oxidative stress is related to free radicals but may mean your are unable to make glutathione.
If these tumors grow more rapidly it may not be oxidative stress but lack of oxygen in the mitochondria that the cancer exploits. But to be on safe side....don't get bogged down in this discussion. Again....activate your anti oxidants, take glutathione.
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Genetic Evidence That Antioxidants Kill Cancer 
