Highlights from the Complementary and Alternative Cancer Therapies Conference

– including links to 4 free books!

I attended the Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Cancer Conference in West Palm Beach in February. Put on by the Annie Appleseed Project, it is in its 10th year. It is the brainchild of Ann Equality Fonfa, an amazing dynamo who is a cancer thriver. May I just say how nice it was to be surrounded by a couple of hundred people who speak the same language and have the same truth as me… that, as the Columbia university study found, 95% of cancer is caused by an immune system which is overloaded by environmental toxins and a necessary way to fight it is to follow a few basic principles. Many presenters had their own steps but, ultimately, they coincide with the 6 basic principles of my naturopathic protocol so I’ll just repeat my breakdown here:

• Stop putting toxins in
• Get accumulated toxins out
• Correct nutritional imbalances
• Boost your immune system
• Kill the little f&*%ing cancer cells
• Focus on emotional wellness

There were many good presenters that I enjoyed during the three full days of presentations, panels, and amazing organic luncheons. As I said, most presenters were preaching to the choir and it was nice to have my experience and beliefs corroborated but there were a couple of presenters that rocked my world in terms of the exciting things that I learned.

My favorite presentation, full of data and references to research was by Dr. Isaac Eliaz, MD, MS, LAc.
Dr. Eliaz has an integrative medical and healing clinic where he offers a host of healing modalities for cancer and other chronic diseases. He also formulates supplements and conducts research into the efficacy of those supplements.

Galectin-3
In his presentation, he focused primarily on the role of elevated levels of Galectin-3 in cancer and of Modified Citrus Pectin (MCP) in binding to and inhibiting Gal-3 thus lowering levels and fighting cancer. Galectin-3 is a protein whose elevated levels are associated with a three-fold increase in mortality, according to a study of 8000 people. It is becoming the most informative new biomarker for cancer and heart disease. It appears to promote angiogenesis, or the formation of a network of blood vessels which supply tumors. There are several labs that will test your Gal-3 levels, including LabCorp, but insurance will probably require pre-authorization. You may be able to get your insurance to pay for MCP if your Gal-3 levels are high.

Modified Citrus Pectin is an antagonist to Galectin-3 that decreases expression and blocks the damage caused by excess Galectin-3. It inhibits cancer growth and metastasis, enhances the effects of chemotherapy, modulates immune function, and chelates heavy metals. He presented slide after slide of extensive research into these effects on cancer and other disease… too many to repeat here, just suffice to say that I was blown away.

I’m fascinated by this and researched a little but I have to say that I am disappointed to not find the cause of elevated levels of Galectin-3. Preventing the rise of those levels would be easier than treating them with MCP but the only research I’ve found shows a correlation, not a cause. It is associated with inflammation, which we all know is associated with cancer, so I suppose it could be that avoiding all those lifestyle and diet choices that cause inflammation could play a role in keeping your Gal-3 levels down but, again, it could be correlational and not causal.

Another method he has pioneered in reducing Galectin-3 levels is Therapeutic Apheresis, where, they remove your blood, extract Galectin-3, and then give you your blood back. At his clinic, they have found this method to boost the effects of chemotherapy as well as reduce inflammation, metastasis, and recurrence. Find out more about Galectin-3 and the research into it here. You can also download a free guide to Gal-3 and MCP here.

Dr. Eliaz also talked about Honokiol, a powerful anti-cancer compound derived from the bark of the Magnolia tree which has been an ancient staple of traditional Asian medicine. It is hundreds of times stronger than curcumin, protects the brain, crosses the blood-brain barrier, and kills cancer. It inhibits angiogenesis, fighting cancer growth and reducing proliferation. Honokiol stimulates apoptosis, or cancer cell death by itself as well as enhancing the apoptic effects of certain chemotherapies. It suppresses certain cancer proteins and it redifferentiates the cell and opens the mitochondria only in cancer cells, bringing about their death. You can find out more and get a free Honokiol guide here.

Another favorite presenter was Justin Kander from Aunt Zelda’s, a quality medical cannabis supplier in California. He was so extremely knowledgable and he has generously provided links for me to share with you for two free books…. Cannabis and Cancer and the Comprehensive Report on the Cannabis Extract Movement and the use of Cannabis Extracts to Treat Diseases. I have made several of these points before and I will be updating my blog post on Cannabis because I have learned so much lately but, here are the basics…

• Our body has an endocannabinoid system of receptors for the various endocannabinoids that we produce as well as the phytocannabinoid compounds of cannabis that are vitally linked to maintaining homeostasis and good health.
• Cannabis fights cancer by inducing cancer cell apoptosis (death), inhibiting cancer cell proliferation, preventing angiogenesis (formation of blood vessels to feed tumors), and stopping metastasis.
• Unlike many western and alternative therapies, it crosses the blood-brain barrier and fights cancer there.
• Research showing effectiveness in killing cancer has been done for brain, breast, bladder, skin, prostate, liver and pancreatic cancers as well as leukemia.
• It is best to use a whole plant extract because the many cannabinoid compounds in cannabis work synergistically together… the “entourage effect” where the whole is more than the sum of the parts.
• Cancer cells have more cannabinoid receptors than normal cells so it is as if we evolved to have cannabinoids kill cancer.

Justin also presented several case histories of serious cancer cases that successfully eliminated cancer with Cannabis Oil. He also presented data from doctors and caregivers who have had tremendous success. It is important to note that not all cancers respond and that there appear to be some cancers and people that are resistant to the therapies. He concluded that cannabis extracts alone are not a cure but can be very effective when combined with the diet and lifestyle changes we should be making when fighting cancer anyway.

All in all, I thoroughly recommend attending this conference next year if you get a chance. I will be attending and covering the International Integrative Oncology Conference in San Diego in April put on by The Best Answer for Cancer… stay tuned.