MsC1210

Dear Shane I am so very sorry that things are so painful for you all. I had wondered about your Dad as I had not seen a post recently. Please know that I have you and your Mom and Dad in my thoughts and prayers and thank you for the update. Hugs Chris

Jackie This MIGHT be a step in the right direction. Praying it is anyway. Having watched this type of situation with Brad I can relate to the frustrations. Only through having private insurace AND friends in the right places, so to speak, was he able to get in to see a highly regarded specialist in Calgary. Too little, too late sadly in his case. I pray that the monies going to this coalition will open many, many new doors for you all. My best to you Chris Cancer coalition to receive $260M New national body to boost sharing of research, resources Nov. 25, 2006. 01:00 AM SEAN GORDON IN MONTREAL TANYA TALAGA IN TORONTO STAFF REPORTERS Prime Minister Stephen Harper is remaining true to a pre-election campaign promise by investing $260 million to set up a new national body aimed at fighting cancer. The money will be used over five years to set up the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, a group that will provide a "clearing house" on national cancer information, including the creation of a new website. It's estimated 153,100 new cases of cancer will occur in Canada this year, and 70,400 people will die of the disease. For years, people who work in the cancer field, from doctors to policy-makers, have called for a national strategy focusing on cancer prevention, screening and dissemination of best practice guidelines for care providers. Health Minister Tony Clement hailed the new body as a solution to a problem that left Canada "on the verge of a national epidemic because of a lack of working together and a lack of knowledge transfer and information sharing." Clement said the benefits of the new agency, which will co-ordinate researchers and cancer doctors across Canada through shared databases, Internet resources, conferences and reference libraries, would include better clinical practice guidelines, research, knowledge transfer, surveillance, prevention and screening. Prime Minister Stephen Harper noted cancer "strikes without warning, plays no favourites and touches all of us," and added, "we believe (the plan) will save lives." Both Harper and Clement said the agency in no way tramples on provincial jurisdictions, a contention disputed by Quebec's health minister. The provincial government says it already has a cancer strategy in place and that Ottawa should hand over Quebec's share of the money spent on the new project. Jeff Lozon, president and CEO of St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, will head the creation of the group in addition to his duties at St. Mike's. Lozon said the hope is that the partnership will enhance cancer services nationwide.

Ellie I am so very sorry for your loss. Please accept my condolences and sympathies, Chris

Great News! Thank you for sharing it. Chris

Hello Robin Just wanted to add my welcome and warm wishes to the others. You have gotten some great advice from some wonderful people already here. Please keep us posted and let us know how we can help you out. My best to you, Chris

Wow, that will teach me for not previewing things! I am so sorry! There is a link at the very end that works. That will take you to the main site and from there (hopefully) the other links will work. I will check further into this topic tomorrow and post what I come up with.. Sorry for the confusion... Chris

Lynn, I found the following links.. hope they answer some of your questions... Chris Will Vitamins And Herbs Effect How Well Tarceva Works information, articles and links for Monday, November 27, 2006. You have found Will Vitamins And Herbs Effect How Well Tarceva Works! Hopefully you have found the exact details about Will Vitamins And Herbs Effect How Well Tarceva Works. Please don't forget to bookmark this site. You can find more links about Will Vitamins And Herbs Effect How Well Tarceva Works on the left side of this page. Feel free to browse around until you locate the correct information you were searching for here at Will Vitamins And Herbs Effect How Well Tarceva Works. Will Vitamins And Herbs Effect How Well Tarceva Works Information Sixtwitch.com PAROXETINE Prescription Levophenacylmorphan ASACOL Lantuss Furethidine Endodan Thiopental Prayer Has No Major Effect on Recovery' 'Long Awaited Medical Study City of Hope Picnic Tarceva Celebrex in Non Current research on breast cancer. vitamins and mineral than controls Our results indicate a strong protective effect the synthetic compound works like its natural breast cancers" Some Herbs Boost Breast Cancer Cathy's Esophageal Cancer Cafe Providing information on esophageal cancer to patients and caregivers. chemotherapy and smaller and smaller rooms behind them some well lit some murky experimental way out and we will try to keep See if anything works. Vitamins B C D Drugs & Vitamins. Herbs & Supplements. Pill Images. Using Medicine. Drug Comparisons. Information and facts about brain cancer stage activity as well its detection at that NO herbs should be will need three elements imagination concentration and a real motivation to be hypnotized. Every time someone works they are produced from natural Herbs and they are the real nutrients that your body need. Reuters Apr BEIJING US motorcycle maker Harley Davidson Cancer Vitamins and Supplements How Much Should We Cathy's Esophageal Cancer Cafe Providing information on esophageal cancer to patients and caregivers. chemotherapy and smaller and smaller rooms behind them some well lit some murky experimental way out and we will try to keep See if anything works. Vitamins B C D herbs vitamins and extract works by Will Consider All Options Following CHMP Opinion On Tarceva In Pancreatic Cancer. Information and facts about brain cancer stage activity as well its detection at that NO herbs should be will need three elements imagination concentration and a real motivation to be hypnotized. Reuters Apr BEIJING US motorcycle maker Harley Davidson Cancer Vitamins and Supplements How Much Should We they are produced from natural Herbs and they are the real nutrients that your body need. Will Vitamins And Herbs Effect How Well Tarceva Works Links Jonathan Treasure: Cancer & Herbal Medicine ... like presuming that knowledge of needles will ... medicine are not well-known, known, yet at ... between herbs and chemotherapy are sadly predictable.22 For cancer patients, their effect is ... Information about cancer colon drug Information and facts about cancer colon drug ... drug that produced an unanticipated side effect: acute sticker shock ... in cancer treatments as well as links to more cancer ... Treatment will continue. Cancer Herbs Are Disease Cleansers ... Disease, medicine, health care research ... in South Africa he will be publicly tested for AIDS ... first time, the catastrophic effect of a deadly virus ... none with added vitamins or nutrients. And despite dessert and pastry ... Breast Cancer Current research on breast cancer. ... vitamins and mineral than controls ... Our results indicate a strong protective effect ... the synthetic compound works like its natural ... breast cancers" Some Herbs Boost Breast Cancer ... Cancer Forums - Breast Cancer Forum - Alternative treatment or ... in herbs, diet, vitamins and my ND Dr who is great but a good ND will tell you ... be any number of vitamins or herbs that are generally ... Tarceva - Drugs & Vitamins - Drug Library - DrugDigest Active Ingredients: Erlotinib Representative Names: Tarceva ... If you currently take Tarceva, do you know everything that you need to know? sixtwitch.com: PAROXETINE Prescription Levophenacylmorphan ASACOL Lantuss Furethidine Endodan Thiopental ... ... Effexor, I believe), as well as IBS, for which she ... small cell lung ... patients will be excluded from Avastin treatment ... were sited at road works on the Wrexham bypass Hundreds ... http://www.codemp3.com/herbs-and-vitami ... -works.php

Hello Becky and welcome. CONGRATULATIONS on the cancer free status! You will be such an inspiration to others on this site. Please have a look around the other forums and get to know us and let us get to know you. I am sure you will find this a wonderful source of support and there is always someone here to listen. My best to you, Chris

Pharmacyclics Announces Presentation Of Pooled Analysis Of Xcytrin® For Lung Cancer Brain Metastases 21 Nov 2006 Pharmacyclics, Inc. (Nasdaq: PCYC) today announced the presentation of pooled results from two randomized Phase 3 clinical trials, which indicate that Xcytrin® (motexafin gadolinium) Injection combined with whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) significantly prolonged time to neurologic progression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with brain metastases. The presentation took place at the Society for Neuro-Oncology's 11th Annual Meeting being held this week in Orlando, FL. "These data demonstrate that Xcytrin, used in combination with whole brain radiation therapy, may significantly improve neurologic outcomes in patients with brain metastases from non-small cell lung cancer," said William R. Shapiro, M.D., chief of the Neuro-Oncology Division of Neurology at the Barrow Neurological Institute, and presenter of the pooled Phase 3 results. "These two large studies both used an innovative and clinically meaningful endpoint and reveal consistent benefit in this patient population." The presentation, "Motexafin gadolinium (MGd) combined with whole brain radiation therapy prolongs time to neurologic progression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with brain metastases: pooled analysis of two randomized Phase 3 trials," described pooled results from two Phase 3 trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of WBRT alone to WBRT plus Xcytrin in NSCLC patients with brain metastases. The primary endpoint for both trials was time to neurologic progression (TNP) as determined by a blinded events review committee. In the two trials, 805 NSCLC patients received either WBRT (N = 403) or WBRT plus Xcytrin (N = 402). The treatment arms were well balanced for all known prognostic factors. In the pooled results analysis, the median TNP determined by a blinded events review committee was 15.4 months for patients receiving WBRT plus Xcytrin compared to 9.0 months for patients treated with WBRT alone (P = 0.016, hazard ratio = 0.73). Secondary endpoints also showed significant benefit for Xcytrin plus WBRT compared to WBRT alone: TNP as determined by investigators, P = 0.015, hazard ratio = 0.76; time to neurocognitive progression, P = 0.02, hazard ratio = 0.78. Xcytrin was well tolerated in the study. The most common drug related grade 3 and 4 adverse events were hypertension (5%) and fatigue (3%), all of which were reversible. Xcytrin did not interfere with the ability to deliver WBRT. The data used in this pooled analysis are derived from the Phase 3 SMART (Study of Neurologic Progression with Motexafin Gadolinium And Radiation Therapy) trial, which enrolled 554 patients and was designed to compare the safety and efficacy of WBRT alone to WBRT plus Xcytrin in NSCLC patients with brain metastases, combined with the data from an earlier Phase 3 clinical trial in patients with metastatic cancer to the brain resulting either from lung, breast or other types of solid tumors. In that study, 401 patients were enrolled and a treatment benefit was observed in the pre-defined subset of 251 patients with NSCLC. Both Phase 3 trials enrolled patients with NSCLC meeting similar eligibility criteria and having similar baseline disease characteristics. In addition, both studies used identical treatment regimens, and similar clinical assessments were performed. As presented by Dr. Shapiro and his colleagues, the magnitude of the treatment benefit was comparable in each of the trials and in the pooled analysis of the data. "We are moving forward with preparation of a new drug application (NDA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and anticipate filing by the end of the calendar year," said Richard A. Miller, M.D., president and chief executive officer of Pharmacyclics. "This pooled data from two randomized trials presented at the Society for Neuro-Oncology meeting provides the basis for the integrated efficacy data that will be contained in our NDA." About Brain Metastases Brain metastases occur when cancer cells spread to the brain and grow, causing major neurologic complications. Patients with brain metastases usually suffer serious deterioration of neurologic and neurocognitive function such as loss of short-term memory, compromised verbal skills and fine motor coordination, and reduction in cognitive performance. Most patients with brain metastases are treated with WBRT. In some patients, radiosurgery can be performed on a limited number of lesions in an attempt to improve local tumor control. The primary goal of radiation therapy to the brain is to reverse or prevent neurological deterioration and prevent death due to tumor progression in the brain. NSCLC is the most common form of lung cancer, and brain metastases may occur in up to half of these patients. Patients with NSCLC develop brain metastases early in the course of their disease and studies have shown that brain metastases from lung cancer may be among the most amenable to treatments. About Xcytrin Pharmacyclics is developing Xcytrin as an anti-cancer agent with a novel mechanism of action that is designed to selectively concentrate in tumors and induce apoptosis (programmed cell death). Xcytrin is a redox-active drug that has been shown to disrupt redox-dependent pathways in cells and inhibit oxidative stress related proteins. Its multifunctional mode of action provides the opportunity to be used in a broad range of cancers. About Pharmacyclics Pharmacyclics is a pharmaceutical company developing innovative products to treat cancer and other serious diseases. The company is leveraging its small-molecule drug development expertise to build a pipeline in oncology and other diseases based on a wide range of targets, pathways and mechanisms. Its lead product, Xcytrin®, has completed Phase 3 clinical testing in lung cancer brain metastases and several Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials are ongoing with Xcytrin, either as a single agent or in combination with chemotherapy and/or radiation in multiple cancer types. Pharmacyclics has other product candidates in earlier-stage development for cancer and other diseases. More information about the company, its technology, and products can be found at http://www.pharmacyclics.com. Pharmacyclics®, Xcytrin® and the "pentadentate" logo® are registered trademarks of Pharmacyclics, Inc. Other than statements of historical fact, the statements made in this press release about enrollment and future plans for our clinical trials, progress of and reports of results from preclinical and clinical studies, clinical development plans and product development activities are forward- looking statements, as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words "believe," "will," "may," "continue," "plan," "expect," "intend," "anticipate," variations of such words, and similar expressions also identify forward-looking statements, but their absence does not mean that the statement is not forward-looking. The forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward- looking statements. Factors that could affect actual results include risks associated with the initiation, timing, design, enrollment and cost of clinical trials; unexpected delays in clinical trials and preparation of materials for submission to the FDA as part of our NDA filing; the fact that data from preclinical studies and Phase 1 or Phase 2 clinical trials may not necessarily be indicative of future clinical trial results; our ability to obtain future financing and fund the preparation of our NDA filing and the product development of our pipeline; the outcome of our discussions with the FDA; our ability to prepare and submit an NDA on a timely basis or at all; the possibility that the FDA refuses to accept any NDA we submit; because the SMART trial failed to meet its primary endpoint, the FDA may require additional data, analysis or studies before the NDA is accepted for filing or approved by the FDA; our ability to establish successful partnerships and collaborations with third parties; the regulatory approval process in the United States and other countries; and our future capital requirements. For further information about these risks and other factors that may affect the actual results achieved by Pharmacyclics, please see the company's reports as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, including but not limited to its annual report on Form 10-K for the period ended June 30, 2006. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of this date, and we undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Pharmacyclics, Inc. http://www.pharmacyclics.com/ Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medical ... wsid=57102

Introgen's Novel Nanoparticle Tumor Suppressor NPRL2 Shows Promise In The Treatment Of Drug Resistant Cancers 21 Nov 2006 Preclinical data with the NPRL2 tumor suppressor gene demonstrated that systemic treatment using NPRL2 nanoparticles in combination with cisplatin resulted in a 90 percent inhibition of tumor growth in human lung cancer cells compared to control treatments, reported Introgen Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: INGN). The NPRL2 gene, believed to be important in the genesis of multiple types of cancer, including lung cancer and renal cell cancer, is licensed to Introgen from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. This study was performed in the laboratory of Dr. Lin Ji, associate professor in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at M. D. Anderson and collaborators in the Department of Imaging Physics at M. D. Anderson and The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Preclinical studies evaluated the NPRL2 gene which demonstrated its ability to exhibit tumor suppressor activity against human lung cancer. A study published in a recent issue of the biomedical journal Cancer Research indicated that low expression of the NPRL2 gene may predict resistance to response to cisplatin chemotherapy in patients with lung cancer. The NPRL2 protein was analyzed in 40 lung cancers and low expression of NPRL2 was correlated with resistance to cisplatin, one of the mainstays of chemotherapy for lung cancer. In lung cancers that were resistant to cisplatin, re- introduction of the normal NPRL2 gene resulted in dramatic re-sensitization to cisplatin. This effect was confirmed in animal studies using human cisplatin- resistant lung tumors. A 90 percent inhibition of tumor growth was observed with systemic treatment using NPRL2 nanoparticles in combination with cisplatin, compared to control treatments. Thus, NPRL2 may serve as an important biomarker to identify and treat patients with tumors resistant to cisplatin chemotherapy. These studies were further highlighted by The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in the November issue of their electronic publication Cancer Wise which may be accessed at http://www.cancerwise.org . Dr. Sunil Chada, Introgen associate vice president for Clinical Research and Development stated, "The ability to use a simple biomarker assay for NPRL2 to identify patients who would not derive benefit from cisplatin represents an important advance and underscores the significance of NPRL2 in lung cancer. Development of NPRL2 gene drugs using systemic nanoparticle delivery may help patients whose tumors are resistant to cisplatin by re-sensitizing tumors to this commonly used therapy." NPRL2 has been identified by the International Lung Cancer Chromosome 3p21.3 Tumor Suppressor Gene Consortium, including researchers from M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, and the National Cancer Institute. The NPRL2 gene was identified within a "genomic hotspot" of cancer causing mutations at the region of the third human chromosome termed 3p21. This region is frequently deleted or mutated in early stage lung cancer. Introgen previously announced that it acquired the exclusive worldwide license for a family of at least 10 anti-cancer genes identified by the consortium including NRPL2 and FUS1. Introgen is developing INGN 401 which utilizes the FUS-1 tumor suppressor gene in a nanoparticle formulation and is now in clinical testing for the systemic treatment of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. Additional genes within this genomic hotspot also appear to be important in control of cancer progression and may function as therapeutic genes as well as prognostic biomarkers. Mutations in the 3p21 region of chromosome 3 are found in approximately 90 percent of small-lung cancer, more than 50 percent of non-small-lung cancer, as well as in renal, breast, pancreatic, oral and uterine cancers. Mutations in the 3p21 region of the genome are the earliest genetic abnormality currently detected in lung cancer, suggesting that one or more of these genes could act as "gatekeeper," preventing cells from becoming cancerous. Introgen Therapeutics, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of targeted molecular therapies for the treatment of cancer and other diseases. Introgen is developing molecular therapeutics, immunotherapies, vaccines and nano-particle therapies to treat a wide range of cancers using tumor suppressors and cytokines. Introgen maintains integrated research, development, manufacturing, clinical and regulatory departments and operates multiple manufacturing facilities including a commercial scale cGMP manufacturing facility. Introgen holds licensing agreements with M. D. Anderson Cancer Center to commercialize products based on licensed technologies, and has the option to license future technologies under sponsored research agreements. The University of Texas Board of Regents owns stock in Introgen. These arrangements are managed in accordance with M. D. Anderson's conflict of interest policies. Statements in this release that are not strictly historical may be "forward-looking" statements, including those relating to Introgen's future success with its clinical development program for treatment of cancer or other diseases with genes located in the 3p21 region of the genome, including NPRL2 and FUS-1. The actual results may differ from those described in this release due to risks and uncertainties that exist in Introgen's operations and business environment, including Introgen's stage of product development and the limited experience in the development of gene-based drugs in general, dependence upon proprietary technology and the current competitive environment, history of operating losses and accumulated deficits, reliance on collaborative relationships, and uncertainties related to clinical trials, the safety and efficacy of Introgen's product candidates, the ability to obtain the appropriate regulatory approvals, Introgen's patent protection and market acceptance, as well as other risks detailed from time to time in Introgen's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including its filings on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. Introgen undertakes no obligation to publicly release the results of any revisions to any forward-looking statements that reflect events or circumstances arising after the date hereof. Introgen Therapeutics, Inc. http://www.introgen.com Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medical ... wsid=57097

Tree Spirit I have heard of Xango and the mangosteen as well. I had done some research into this last year and it seemed that all of the resources I came across had nothing bad linked to them and were either positive or neutral at least. Please keep in mind the importance of discussing with the doctor(s) anything added to the diet as a supplement as there are so many risks of adverse reactions. In the meantime, this is the article I had in my files. I hope it will be of some help. My best to you Chris Mangosteen: A Friendly Skeptic Looks at Mangosteen By Dr. Ralph Moss from CancerDecisions.com Newsletter When I wrote Cancer Therapy in the early 1990s, I had the bright idea of putting my mailing address in the book in the hope that some readers would send me information on new treatments. Little did I imagine that such communication would become a torrent of proposals. Today, hardly a day goes by without my being made aware of some new "cure." Would that a fraction of these panned out as well as proponents claimed! One of the latest in this long line is an exotic fruit drink called mangosteen, or XanGo™. Mangosteen should not be confused with mango, an entirely different plant. It is part of a group known as the Guttiferae, a family of mainly tropical trees and shrubs that secrete an acrid yellow resinous juice. Mangosteen's scientific designation is Garcinia mangostana (Campin 2004). It is reputedly named after a French explorer, Jacques Garcin (1673-1751). In Europe and North America, the most recognizable member of this family is the popular herb, St. John's wort. No one knows exactly where and when the mangosteen was first cultivated. One botanist, Julia F. Morton, believes it originated in the Moluccas and the Sunda Islands. Yet there are also wild mangosteen trees in the forests of Malaya. Some experts say the trees were first domesticated in Thailand or Burma. But in the 19th century, botanists brought seeds to Europe and America. Valiant attempts were made to cultivate the 18-foot high trees in Africa, the Caribbean and central America. But the plant is considered "ultra-tropical" and sensitive: nursery seedlings die at 45º F. In fact, there are few if any mangosteens growing in the continental US. A lone American tree in Florida was said to have yielded a single fruit...and then died. That was the beginning and end of the American mangosteen "industry." But attempts continued to bring mangosteen to Europe and America as a food. "Despite the oft-repeated Old World enthusiasm for this fruit," says Morton, "it is not always viewed as worth the trouble to produce. In Jamaica, it is regarded as nice but overrated; not comparable to a good field-ripe pineapple or a choice mango." The mangosteen fruit is the size of a small apple, purple colored, with a hard rind. Inside there are typically five to seven seeds surrounded by a sweet, juicy cover (or aril). The pulp, which is said to resemble a pineapple or peach in taste, is reputed to be a very delicious food - in Asia it is sometimes called the queen of fruits in honor both of its flavor and its economic importance. Uses in Traditional Medicine For many years dried mangosteen fruits have been shipped from Singapore to Calcutta and then on to China for medicinal use. As to its many uses in folk medicine, here is what botanist Julia Morton has written: "The sliced and dried rind is powdered and administered to overcome dysentery. Made into an ointment, it is applied on eczema and other skin disorders. The rind decoction is taken to relieve diarrhea and cystitis, gonorrhea and gleet [a watery discharge, ed.] and is applied externally as an astringent lotion. A portion of the rind is steeped in water overnight and the infusion given as a remedy for chronic diarrhea in adults and children. "Filipinos employ a decoction of the leaves and bark as a febrifuge and to treat thrush, diarrhea, dysentery and urinary disorders. In Malaya, an infusion of the leaves, combined with unripe banana and a little benzoin is applied to the wound of circumcision. A root decoction is taken to regulate menstruation. A bark extract called 'amibiasine', has been marketed for the treatment of amoebic dysentery." Morton also writes that "[t]he rind of partially ripe fruits yields a polyhydroxy-xanthone derivative termed mangostin, also beta-mangostin. That of fully ripe fruits contains the xanthones, gartanin, 8-desoxygartanin, and normangostin. A derivative of mangostin, mangostin-e, 6-di-O-glucoside, is a central nervous system depressant and causes a rise in blood pressure." A more complete listing of constituents is given at ethnobotanist Dr. James Duke's informative and useful Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases (Duke 2004). We can conclude then that mangosteen has many uses in folk medicine, and as such, it can join a fairly long list of plants that can be considered as promising sources of new medicines. XanGo™ on the Go In this age of frenzied commercialism, entrepreneurs are always on the lookout for ways to make it big in the natural medicines market. Under such conditions, however, new medicines of botanical origin cannot be developed or tested in an orderly way. A common feature of the way in which natural medicines such as mangosteen are promoted is the use of network marketing. This involves the retailing of products through the use of independent distributors. These distributors are then encouraged to build and manage their own sales force by recruiting, motivating, supplying, and training others to sell products. Compensation in such arrangements includes the distributor's own sales as well as a percentage of the sales of his or her entire "downline" (i.e., all those people signed up by an individual, who in turn go on to become salespeople). The term network marketing is virtually synonymous with the older but now somewhat disreputable term 'multi-level marketing' (MLM). Network marketing turns mere consumers into determined marketers who aggressively sell their product, often to their own friends, relatives and neighbors. The more people they can recruit into the growing network the more money they themselves make. A sophisticated marketing blitz, including books and pamphlets, seemingly objective newsletters, press releases and chattering websites, inflate the importance of a product, creating a buzz that only dies away when the huge supply of potential customers and salespeople is finally exhausted. Or when, as it has on occasion, the government finally steps in. But the essential requirement for a successful MLM operation of this sort is a kernel of promising-sounding scientific evidence, coupled with a credible and compelling story, a compliant doctor willing to underwrite the concept, and finally some patients (who may themselves be distributors) willing to testify that the product led to astounding cures. Aloe vera, colloidal minerals, gingko biloba and ginseng were all popularized in this way. But perhaps the most memorable example of a network marketing stampede is noni juice, a once totally obscure Polynesian fruit that became the basis of a huge industry. Tahitian Noni International, formerly called Morinda, last year claimed to have passed the two billion dollar sales mark! This is the sort of performance that makes get-rich-quick artists drool. The techniques of network marketing, honed through decades of trial and error, are now being used by a Utah-based company to position mangosteen as the latest "miracle cure" craze. The price of their XanGo mangosteen juice is currently $37 per bottle (or four for $100). You have to ask yourself: who on earth would pay that much for a bottle of fruit juice, no matter how delicious it might be? The reason the marketers can succeed in selling juice at this price is obvious: when people are suffering from medical conditions for which there does not appear to be much hope, or for which the orthodox medical recommendations are too toxic or expensive, they will actively seek alternatives. And then someone, oftentimes someone they trust, such as a friend or neighbor, convinces them to give some new product a try. Products such as mangosteen exploit humanity's understandable desire to discover simple and painless solutions to intractable problems. Now that the commercial ball is rolling an increasing number of mangosteen brands are reaching the market. But for the time being the market leader is XanGo™ (www.myxango.com). A visit to their website triggers an audio webcast from a very pleasant sounding young lady, who assures us that "by integrating the Internet, teamwork, and personal mentoring, MyXanGo.com provides you a vehicle to improve the areas of your life that are most important to you, and we do it for FREE." I listened in amazement to her polished spiel and the brazen intrusiveness of this message. I was particularly amused when she said, "You should know that this message is not about selling." Right. "It's not about false claims and outlandish statements." Sure. "It's about sharing facts to help you decide if now is the right time in your life to consider XanGo™." Really. The rhetoric gets even more effusive. A March 2004 press release from one seller proclaims: "Mangosteen is now on an unstoppable march to conquer the world" (Goss 2004). Put this way it sounds rather ominous…almost like a cross between Osama bin Laden and the Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. Xanthones As stated, one requirement for a successful network promotion is that there be at least a kernel of scientific truth around which exaggerated claims can be assembled. As with noni juice, mangosteen is not entirely without scientific documentation. The problem, as usual, is that the claims for mangosteen are inflated till they far outpace what has been established through careful experimentation. Some mangosteen promoters have mined James Duke's famous ethnobotanical database for confirmation of their product's value. And, indeed, Dr. Duke confirms that the plant contains several interesting components. But so do thousands of other plants in his voluminous database. For most of the chemicals contained in this fruit (such as beta-mangostin, catechins, cis-hex-3-enyl-acetate, gamma-mangostin, gartanin, garcinones) the database lists NO particular biochemical activities. Only the compound called "mangostin" seems to have some scientific backing for its antibacterial, antiseptic and fungicidal properties (Recio 1989). Yet scores of mangosteen websites now cite Duke's database as scientific justification for this product. In reality, Dr. Duke has absolutely nothing to do with any mangosteen distributor and is not particularly enthusiastic about the product. Much is made of the xanthone connection. According to the MyXanGo.com website: "There are over 200 xanthones in nature. Each xanthone can have specific effects on the body. What's remarkable about the mangosteen is that there are over 40 xanthones identified in the pericarp, or rind, making it the single most xanthone-rich source in the world….Only six of the xanthones have been studied in depth. While we don't know fully why the mangosteen works on such a wide variety of physical conditions, we know it has to do with being the world's most potent source of xanthones. Each xanthone has its own effect, and when combined, they take on a synergistic quality that supports the health of the entire body." But all of this is speculative. It is undoubtedly true that there are many xanthones (a kind of antioxidant) in mangosteen. In fact, according to the Merck Index (11th Ed., p. 5613) the first scientifically defined substance to be derived from mangosteen was the xanthone mangostin. This was isolated by a German scientist named Schmid in 1855. In 1979, mangostin was found to have significant anti-inflammatory and anti-ulcer effects in rats (Shankaranarayan 1979). Yet although mangosteen's xanthones have been known for almost 150 years, there are still only 19 PubMed articles on these xanthones and none of these articles concerns the use of xanthones in the actual clinical treatment of human disease. So I would say the jury is still out on their effectiveness in treating anything. The main XanGo website also claims that the antioxidant ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) value of mangosteen is the highest of all edible plants. "It is so potent that literally I know of nothing else in the supplement market that can possibly come even close to it," says J. Frederic Templeman, MD, a Georgia family practitioner who is interviewed at the MyXanGo website. Many other XanGo-promoting websites repeat the claim that while the previous champion, prunes, have an ORAC value of 7,000 per ounce, mangosteen has an ORAC value of 17,000 to 24,000. Yet XanGo sites claim that "a new champion" has been born in the worldwide contest for ORAC supremacy. But where in the scientific literature is the ORAC value of XanGo published? The source of these numbers is hard to track down. For instance, the Sunsweet prune website states that 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of prunes have an ORAC value of 5,770. While the ORAC values for most fruits and vegetables have been determined by standard laboratories and published in scientific journals, this is not so for mangosteen. I have not seen independent confirmation of these confidently promulgated claims. However, even if we assume for the sake of argument that the figures cited are indeed accurate, it must be pointed out that merely having an astronomically high ORAC value does not in and of itself confer any particular advantage. Not all antioxidants that are confirmed as present in the laboratory can be absorbed by human beings. And there is a limit to how much we can benefit from an increased intake of antioxidants. According to Dr. Ronald Prior of the US Department of Agriculture Research Service at Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts, "a significant increase in antioxidants of 15 to 20 percent is possible by increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables, particularly those high in ORAC value." However, in order to have a significant impact on plasma and tissue antioxidant capacity one can only meaningfully increase one's daily intake by 3,000 to 5,000 ORAC units. Any greater amount is probably redundant. That is because the antioxidant capacity of the blood is tightly regulated, says Dr. Prior. Thus there is an upper limit to the benefit that can be derived from antioxidants. Taking in 25,000 ORAC units at one time (as reputedly occurs with mangosteen) would be no more beneficial than taking in a fifth of that amount: the excess is simply excreted by the kidneys. Marketers of the drink have widely claimed that XanGo has exceptional health-giving properties based on its very high ORAC score. (ORAC stands for oxygen radical absorbance capacity - a measure of the antioxidant value of a substance.) But having a high ORAC value does not necessarily confer any health advantage. According to Dr. J. Frederic Templeman, a Georgia family practitioner who has written a small book on mangosteen, and who is widely quoted by XanGo marketers, if you take these antioxidants "you aren't going to probably have a heart attack as fast as someone who doesn't take them" and consuming them could therefore constitute "literally the difference between life and death." Although I myself have written a book on the subject of the benefit of antioxidants (Antioxidants Against Cancer), I would say it is a tremendous stretch to claim that antioxidants are predictably going to save anyone's life. Good health is achieved through a combination of many factors, hereditary as well as environmental. Effects on Cancer At the XanGo website, a company spokesperson interviews Dr Templeman on the subject of mangosteen's beneficial effect on cancer. They both agree that a single test tube experiment is proof of the anticancer value of the juice: Dr. Templeman: "That's striking." XanGo spokesperson: "It's incredible." At various other websites devoted to XanGo (and there are now over 21,000 of them!) we read in glowing terms about both the supposed quantity and quality of scientific research on this previously obscure fruit. Reality Check So it is high time for a reality check. Has mangosteen really been thoroughly studied in terms of its effect on cancer and a host of other diseases? Or is this simply a wild extrapolation driven by strong commercial motives? Dr. Templeman refers to 44 scientific publications on this topic but there are just 29 articles on the topic of Garcinia mangostana in PubMed, the US National Library of Medicine database of 14+ million citations. A total of four of these studies relate to cancer. In one test tube experiment it was shown that a xanthone found in mangosteen kills cancer cells as effectively as many chemotherapeutic drugs. It also appears (on the basis of limited data) that compounds found abundantly in mangosteen can inhibit the harmful Cox 1 and Cox 2 enzymes, and can also induce programmed cell death (apoptosis) in aberrant cells (Ho 2002). Mangosteen thus joins a fairly long list of naturally derived compounds that might potentially have some anticancer activity. These 29 articles do not constitute a wealth of data. For example, by contrast, PubMed lists over 2,300 articles on the topic of vitamin C and cancer, 125 of which refer to clinical trials. There are a similar number of studies on vitamin E and cancer. There are 835 studies of melatonin and cancer, and a truly impressive 16,000 on polysaccharides and cancer, including 536 clinical trials and 277 randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Yet, we're to believe that four test-tube experiments constitute - to quote the aforementioned Dr. Templeman - "mountains of evidence" on the benefits of XanGo. According to the promotional website of one of XanGo's many "independent distributors" at http://bjsbytes.com/Xango/Questions.htm: "...much of the science behind xanthones is predominantly available to those in the medical community until recently. Many of the clinical studies on xanthones have been done in universities and testing facilities throughout Asia and have recently started to catch the attention of Western researchers." But is this true? Reputable researchers the world over, including those in Asia, publish in PubMed-listed journals. For example there are over 63,000 articles on cancer in PubMed in the Japanese language. Yet despite the website's misleading talk about "clinical studies," PubMed does not contain a single clinical trial of mangosteen in the treatment of cancer, or any other disease. Perhaps these promoters don't realize that a clinical study is not something done in a laboratory, but a study that by definition is carried out on living patients. Laboratory studies on cell lines or even animals do not qualify for the title 'clinical study'. Thus, despite what you may read at any one of those 21,000 promotional websites, very little scientific evidence exists concerning mangosteen's anticancer activity in humans. In my opinion, what we have here is simply an overpriced fruit drink. Fruit drinks are often healthful beverages. But the only reason I can see that the promoters of mangosteen can get away with charging $37 for this product is that they are playing on patients' hopes and fears in a cynical way. Without the health claims, open or implied, the product could only be sold for at most $5 or $6 (which, for example, is the cost of antioxidant-rich pomegranate juice). The mangosteen phenomenon is a reprise of the aloe vera, gingko biloba, and especially the noni juice story, complete with exaggerated claims for the health benefits of an exotic fruit. It should come as no surprise that both the President and the Chief Financial Officer of Xango once worked for Morinda (now called Tahitian Noni International). Compounds found in plants have long been of great interest to cancer researchers. We must never forget that about one-fifth of all chemotherapeutic agents (including Vincristine, Vinblastine, Etoposide, Teniposide, and Taxol) are ultimately derived from plant sources. Many of these took a long time to pass through the regulatory process, since serious research into botanical medicine often goes begging for financial and intellectual support. Starved of funds in this way, the riches of the natural world are often neglected by mainstream science, only to be plundered by less scrupulous organizations. The patient loses twice - by not having the fruits of serious research and by being deceived by slick operators posing as friends and benefactors. Some may even opt for unproven miracle juices in lieu of more certain therapies that might save their lives. When it comes to cancer, we truly live in a topsy-turvy world. References: Campin, Jac. Guide to Plant Relationships (for food allergy and intolerance identification),Version 12 (14 April 2004. Retrieved April 27, 2004 from: http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/Food/RelatedPlantList.html Duke, James, ed. Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases. United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Accessed April 27, 2004 from: http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/duke/farmacy2.pl?1228 Hedrick, U.P. (ed.) 1972. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. NY, NY: Dover Publications, Inc., 1972. Downloaded from: www.swsbm.com/ Ho CK, Huang YL, Chen CC. Garcinone E, a xanthone derivative, has potent cytotoxic effect against hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines. Planta Med. 2002 Nov;68(11):975-9. Matsumoto K, Akao Y, Kobayashi E, Ohguchi K, Ito T, Tanaka T, Iinuma M, Nozawa Y. Induction of apoptosis by xanthones from mangosteen in human leukemia cell lines. J Nat Prod. 2003 Aug;66(:1124-7. Moongkarndi P, Kosem N, Kaslungka S, Luanratana O, Pongpan N, Neungton N. Antiproliferation, antioxidation and induction of apoptosis by Garcinia mangostana (mangosteen) on SKBR3 human breast cancer cell line. J Ethnopharmacol. 2004 Jan;90(1):161-6. Morton, Julia F. Mangosteen. In: Fruits of Warm Climates. Self-published. Miami, FL, 1987, pp. 301-304. ISBN: 0-9610184-1-0 Nakatani K, Nakahata N, Arakawa T, Yasuda H, Ohizumi Y. Inhibition of cyclooxygenase and prostaglandin E2 synthesis by gamma-mangostin, a xanthone derivative in mangosteen, in C6 rat glioma cells. Biochem Pharmacol. 2002 Jan 1;63(1):73-9. ORAC value of Sunsweet prunes: http://www.sunsweetdryers.com/Sunsweet.htm Recio, M. C., Rios, J. L., and Villar, A., A review of some antimicrobial compounds isolated from medicinal plants reported in the literature 1978-1988, Phytotherapy Research. 1989:3(4)117-125. Shankaranarayan D, Gopalakrishnan C, Kameswaran L. Pharmacological profile of mangostin and its derivatives. Arch Int Pharmacodyn Ther. 1979 Jun;239(2):257-69.

So sorry about this latest turn of events. I hope you are able to get some rest and that things will improve. Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers Chris

Hello Bill and welcome I am a little late in doing so but wanted to add my support and best wishes to the others. Chris

Dear Kim My heartfelt condolences on your losses. Your post is beautiful and I believe that you are right. Jason and your Mom are together. What a wonderful love they share and thank you so much for sharing this here. Prayers and hugs Chris

Randy Thinking of you and hoping your birthday was peaceful. Hugs Chris

Thank you all so very much for your thoughts and prayers at this difficult time. Losing someone is never easy, especially at this time of year, but with the love and support of so many wonderful people it is just a bit easier. I hope you all had a lovely holiday, I had all of the LCSC family in my prayers, Chris

Rob Hope you enjoy your time away. Will keep you in my thoughts and prayers for good news on the upcoming scans.. Chris

Hello I am not sure how to even post this. My grandmother suffered a massive coronary early Monday morning and passed away in the hospital just before 4:30am. This was not cancer related and as a matter of fact, it was very much unexpected and such a shock. She had been with us last month at the going away party we had for my son, who left last week for Basic Training in Missouri. I feel like things are just completely spiraling out of control. My grandmother was a very tough lady and so strong. She had been in a wheelchair for the past year and a half after having fallen and broken her thigh bone. After repeated attempts to replace the bone with a metal rod, it was determined that her body would never stop rejecting the foreign object. She lived the remainder of her life with virtually no bone in her left thigh but it never even began to slow her down. Tomorrow we will have her funeral and say our good byes. And it hurts so much. Thank you for letting me share this. Chris

Dear Paulette, I am so glad that Peter is at least more comfortable. I hope you will be able to get some rest now, too. My prayers for you continue Chris

From the Toronto Star, Nov 21, 2006 I read this in this mornings online edition. I do not know Anne, but wanted to acknowledge her and thank her for making some noise! THANK YOU ANNE! Chris Nov. 21, 2006. 01:00 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Women at risk shun the scalpel -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nov. 19. I have long applauded the efforts of the Toronto Star to raise awareness and educate the public about breast cancer, particularly since two of my aunts died from this terrible disease and several friends and colleagues have been directly impacted by it as well. However, it continues to disturb me that while November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, virtually no media coverage has been provided. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in North America, killing more Canadians than breast, colorectal and prostate cancer combined. There is a pervasive social stigma associated with lung cancer; people assume it's the patient's "fault" because he or she has smoked. Overweight individuals can suffer from diabetes or heart attacks, yet they are not ostracized for poor eating choices. Since so many individuals are diagnosed in the late stages of lung cancer, there are few survivors to raise awareness and funds for research. Alarmingly, lung cancer is on the rise in women. Two years ago, at age 39, I was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer, never having tried a cigarette in my life and never having been exposed to second-hand smoke or unsafe working conditions. My doctor told me I had a year to live. Miraculously, I received a double-lung transplant at Toronto General Hospital, which saved my life. Dana Reeve, Christopher Reeve's wife, was not as fortunate. When she passed away last February from lung cancer, everyone mourned the loss of a wonderful wife, mother, and activist, but no one in the media bothered to ask, "Why did this woman, a non-smoker, have lung cancer?" I owe my life to many people and now that I have longer than a year to live, I am committed to raising awareness about lung cancer and the incredible power that people possess to save lives when they sign their organ donation cards. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anne Barbetta, Newmarket

Jefferson Scientists Find Blood Vessel-building Protein Halts Blood Vessels From Forming In Cancer 19 Nov 2006 A piece of the protein cellular scaffolding involved in building blood vessels during development might have the opposite effect in tumors. Cell biologists at Jefferson Medical College and the Kimmel Cancer Center of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia have found that the protein fragment endorepellin blocks both skin and lung cancer tumors from progressing in animal models by preventing their ability to recruit new blood vessels, a process called angiogenesis. They showed that endorepellin has surprisingly powerful effects on halting a cancer tumor's ability to move about and spread. The researchers believe that these latest findings, appearing November 15, 2006 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, could lead to a new type of tumor inhibitor that might be used to prevent cancer from spreading to other areas in the body. The researchers, led by Renato Iozzo, M.D., professor of pathology, anatomy and cell biology at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, used two animal models of cancer to study squamous cell carcinoma and lung carcinoma. When they injected animals with artificially created "recombinant" endorepellin, they discovered that it blocked tumor growth, metabolism and angiogenesis. They also found for the first time that endorepellin targets the tumor endothelial cells, blocking the creation of new blood vessels. "These findings have major implications for cancer treatments for a range of solid tumors such as lung, prostate and breast," Dr. Iozzo says. "All of these tumors depend on angiogenesis, so we think this could be an effective adjuvant therapy for cancer." Endorepellin is part of the protein perlecan, which plays fundamental roles in vascular biology as scaffolding for blood vessel formation in development. In cancer, perlecan not only regulates growth factor activity, but also is a barrier to invading cancer cells. Anti-angiogenesis drugs were all the rage in the late 1990s, when animal studies showed two drugs seemingly "melting" tumors in mice. But disappointing human clinical trials since then have scaled back expectations, and most now see such drugs as part of a treatment milieu that includes surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. More recent study results, however, Dr. Iozzo says, have renewed interest in the drugs' potential. Dr. Iozzo says that these results suggest that endorepellin might be used to help prevent metastatic cancer spread in patients who have had a primary tumor removed. "It could be used preventatively and for maintenance, and in combination with other drugs," he notes. "While endorepellin prevents the formation of the original blood vessels in tumor development, I think it would be more effectively used after the tumor has formed and cells try to migrate and spread," Dr. Iozzo says. The researchers are hoping to begin clinical testing of endorepellin in the near future. ### Contact: Steve Benowitz Thomas Jefferson University Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medical ... wsid=56738

Linda I am so sorry about this latest heartache. Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers, Chris

Dear Laurey I am so very, very sorry for your loss. Please know that you are not telling your daughters false words. It WILL be okay, it will take time and it will not be easy, but we are all here to help you, for you to lean on and we offer our shoulders to you to cry on. You and your daughters are in my thoughts and prayers. Please let me know if there is anything I can do. My sincerest sympathies and condolences and warm hugs Chris

Hello Michele and welcome I am sorry you had reason to find a site like this, but glad you have joined us. Please keep posting and let us know how we can help you along the way. We are all here for you and we care. Chris

Hello Debra and welcome I am sorry about your diagnosis, but glad you found this site. You will find so many wonderful people here who are more than willing to offer you advice, answers, support and hope. I agree with Becky Snowflake about a second (and 3rd or more if necessary) opinion. It is a very wise idea as this is a huge diagnosis. Sometimes that other set of eyes sees things differently and that can make all the difference. Please keep us posted and let us know how we can help you. My best to you Chris