IMMUNITION Report©

Frank M. Jordan, Editor

Volume III, No. 5

Cancer and the Immune System

What is Cancer and How Does It Attack the Body? 

hile our country is under attack by terrorist and nature, you and I similarly are in a body war every minute, with our deadliest enemy being cancer.  The most common cause of death in the U.S. is cancer, accounting currently for 1 in 2 mortalities, with Americans dying of cancer at a rate approximately equivalent to ten times those who died in the 9/11 terrorist attack or deadly hurricanes - every month!  Billions spent in research have not dented death statistics.

 Cancer is any of a group of more than 200 diseases with symptoms of unrestrained growth of cells in one of the body organs or tissues.  The most common form of cancer is carcinoma which originates in the skin or in the glandular tissue such as the breast or prostate gland.  Another form of cancer, sarcoma, affects connective and supportive tissue such as bone, muscle, cartilage and fat.  Melanomas are more serious, often, but not always, manifested as skin cancers. Lymphomas affect the lymphatic system throughout the body, while leukemias are cancers of the blood-forming organs.

 Did you know you probably get cancer up to six times per year, but your immune system when at peak recognizes, attacks and destroys the cancerous cells before potentially deadly growth and multiplication! 

 Prevention is promoted with proper lifestyle including nutrition, standard and so-called alternative treatments including nutritional supplements.  Permissible treatments logically should be expanded to include these same factors proven safe and effective, in addition to the standards of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation to place the patient's welfare as the number one priority instead of profits and exclusivity.

 When not destroyed immediately by your immune system, the new cancer cells avoid the usual controls on growth and multiplication in normal cells. The growth begins when the genes controlling cell growth and multiplication called oncogenes are transformed by cancer-causing agents named carcinogens into cancer cells.

 Normal cells can have a malignant change to become a cancer infested cell. These small groups of abnormal cancer cells divide more rapidly than the normal surrounding cells.  The fast multiplication results in invasion and destruction of normal body cells. The abnormal cells usually show a lack of “differentiation,” meaning they no longer perform their unique roll as normal cells in maintaining good health.  Cancerous cells act as uncontrollable parasites, consuming needed nutrients while contributing nothing except malnutrition.

 If not killed and removed, these cancerous cells can then spread (metastasize) via the bloodstream and lymphatic system to other parts of the body from their original site and potentially be fatal if causing organs to fail.

 Your immune response is critical to beating or controlling cancer because cancerous tumors develop and multiply when the white immune cells fail to recognize, respond and kill the cancerous cell invaders. If not at peak, the immune response often fails to respond timely when overwhelmed due to the massive number of corrupted cancer cells that have multiplied rapidly when undetected and unchecked. 

What Do Cancer and Fetal Development Cells Have in Common?

Cancer cells are similar to fetal development cells called trophoblast that are responsible for the enormous growth from inception to day 55-60.  The pancreas then starts working, secreting an enzyme called chymotrypsin. Trophoblast cells are negatively charged with a protein coating that repels white immune cells to prevent your immune system from destroying the developing child. 

 At the proper time, chymotrypsin destroys the protein coating, the abnormally fast growth ceases and normal baby development continues.  Almost all cancer cells unfortunately exhibit this same protein coating with the negative charge that repels immune cells.  If pancreatic enzyme production is impaired, as in diabetes or from fungal infections, cancer cells hide from the immune cells thus avoiding attack and removal. Supplemental proteolytic enzymes are believed to be beneficial nutritional supplements in cases of pancreatic enzyme production.

 A Healthy Versus Suppressed Immune Response

When your immune response is in peak condition, it is better able to recognize the cancerous cells quickly and respond to kill the health invaders rapidly in most instances.  A suppressed or impaired immune response exposes a body to both development and spread (metastasis) of too-often deadly cancer cells in the body.

 We are often our own worst enemies instead of helping in our body war against cancer.  Diets are poor, we exercise little, rest inadequately and stress too much.  Our immune systems are suppressed with excessive free radicals (rogue molecules that damage cells similar to sparking wires) and nutrient delivery is impaired due to high toxicity and high acidity in the body.

 Free radicals arrive in toxins entering our systems, including 4,000 legal food additives.  Sugar is the food of cancer with a cancer cell having 92 sugar receptors compared to a normal cell with 4!  Cancer could be increasing because we now eat an average of 150 lbs a year of sugar compared to only 5 lbs in 1904!  Cancer also thrives in an acidic rather than balanced body. Keeping the pH balanced is essential to fighting cancer.

 Add polluted air, most tap water; in addition to pathogens such as parasites, fungi, bacteria and viruses. Mix in heavy metals, particularly with dental work and toxic chemicals. Genetic factors damaging cellular DNA (together with caffeine) join immunological weaknesses in certain cancer types and cases.

Present Cancer Treatments - The Facts

 The most common treatment in 50% of cancer cases is chemotherapy, but success unfortunately occurs in too few cases (2 to 25%), such as ovarian cancer in women, testicular cancer in men and Duke’s C, a form of colon cancer. Chemo too often shrinks tumor size but does not kill all the cancer cells while damaging other cells. How many cancer patients have heard the words, "We got it all but we want to do preventive chemotherapy to be sure!" Because chemotherapy ingredients often attempt to curtail rapidly multiplying cancer cells, other rapidly multiplying cells such as hair, nails and skin can also be negatively effected (hair loss, pallor, etc.) by multiple treatments.

 Dr. Ralph Moss, author of Questioning Chemotherapy, explains  most people confuse decreased tumor size with disappearance of disease. The association appears logical, but no known significant proof exists to support the connection. Statistics too often are skewed due to study drop-outs, age limitations on participants and even statistical definitions such as "cure" means an absence of cancer for a five year period from diagnosis.

 Even more disturbing, chemotherapy and radiation are recognized carcinogens that can cause rather than cure cancer while increasing dangerous excess acidity which promotes cancer growth.   Because of toxicity, chemotherapy and radiation are always spaced out time-wise between treatments, allowing the cancer cells often to multiply rapidly in the interim. Non-toxic alternative treatments do not require time spacing.

The Biopsy Dilemma in Metastasis

An irony can occur during a biopsy of an encapsulated tumor believed to be cancerous because of potential tumor perforation. If the biopsy procedure perforates a malignant tumor, cancer cells are released into the blood stream to metastasize that are otherwise contained.  Sadly, a biopsy that can cause metastasis is often performed for legal reasons just before a surgery scheduled to prevent metastasis!  If scheduled for cancer tumor surgery, ask for straight answers about the biopsy status and risk before the surgery. 

Alternative therapies are often criticized for not being tested according to scientific standards, but many “accepted” treatments, including chemotherapy and radiation, have very limited success, but are both patentable and profitable.  In fact, a “cure” is now defined as being alive 5 years after diagnosis – not cured, with present “cure rates” deceptively including non-life-threatening forms of cancer such as simple skin cancers.  

This makes cure rates of 50% or more knowingly deceptive by the cancer and pharmaceutical industry due to deceptive statistic practices.  This is a moral crime against the victims of cancer in giving knowingly unrealistic “cure” rates.  Shouldn’t natural alternatives that have minimal toxic effects on other important functions of the body also be given research funds?

Why Don't Pharmaceuticals Research and Promote Natural Cancer Treatments?

Alternative treatments are almost universally non-toxic, causing no harm to normal healthy cells in the body while the body is trying to recover from cancer.  How can nutrition be an "alternative" treatment while injecting synthetic chemicals is mainstream?  Hopefully the answer isn't money, but the facts too often indicate otherwise. While surgery, chemotherapy and radiation target specific areas of the body, alternative treatments usually approach cancer as a holistic, or whole-body disease; while enhancing the immune response to better attack cancer cells throughout the body.  The holistic approach makes sense as research indicates 60-75% of patients diagnosed with cancer have cancer already metastasized.

 Why won’t giant pharmaceuticals market natural and alternative cancer treatments?  The current system for a cancer drug to be approved by the FDA requires $700+ million dollars and years in research and approval time. Additionally, a natural cancer treatment is not patentable; a protection needed to assure exclusivity and substantial profits for a long-time period.

Being unpatentable makes the extensive time and huge expenditure uneconomic.  Unless the system is changed, a natural form of treating cancer will almost certainly never be marketed by a major pharmaceutical.  Medical schools also participate in patent profits. Profits – not people – all too often come first!  Interrelationships between those regulating and those manufacturing have become more prevalent and disturbing in assessing the possible abuse of objectivity, although most in the regulatory agencies are well-intended and working within a system determined too often by politicians and contributors.

Doctors - Forced Denial by the Present Medical System

Patients many times are not aware that even if their health care provider wants to try a treatment forced to be classified as alternative, in most states the doctor is not legally allowed to prescribe or even recommend anything but surgery, chemotherapy and radiation due to the rigidity of antiquated Standards of Practice or Care.

Doctors often tell patients using alternative therapies to “keep on doing what you’re doing” to avoid personal licensing problems.  Are physicians being taught nutrition and other alternative applications in Medical School in a positive and sufficient manner?  The answer unfortunately is no, with little change anticipated.  Why can't we use the best of all health sciences with the patient - not the dollar - as our objective in application?  The reality is until sick people vote and natural ingredients can produce billions of dollars for profits and contributions, the system priorities will remain with the wrong focus - to the detriment of the cancer victim.

Beta 1,3/1,6 Glucan Nutritionally Enables Immune Cells to Recognize and Respond to Cancer  

he failure of the immune response to first recognize and then attack and kill cancer tumors is a major contributing factor to the ability of the disease to multiply and spread quickly within the body. 

 Current Medical School research demonstrates the immune response can be potentiated nutritionally to better recognize cancer attempting to hide in normal cells by a naturally occurring biomolecule named Beta 1,3/1,6 glucan, with a potent form being MG Beta glucan (MG is microparticulate glucan, not a product name). 

This potent immune potentiator and modulator, insoluble particulate Beta 1,3/1,6 glucan, is extracted and processed from Baker’s yeast (no harmful yeast proteins remain that could cause an allergic or candida reaction).  Beta glucan is a non-toxic nutritional biomolecule presently classified G.R.A.S. by the FDA, or a safe food substance.  Properly processed micronized and uniform Beta glucan, taken orally that will not reaggregate after digestion, nutritionally potentiates the white immune cells. This enhances their ability to recognize and kill cancerous cells. Recognition is critical to early elimination by immune cells of any pathogen, particularly as we age.

Beta 1/3,1/6 Glucan Research

 Extensive research at Harvard, Baylor, Tulane, the Armed Services Radiobiology Research Institute, U. of Nevada School of Medicine and a multitude of other research centers demonstrates Beta glucan properly extracted and processed from yeast cell wall potently enhances immune system awareness and attack of the cancerous cells.  Beta glucan nutritionally aids by promoting control through cancer cell elimination by the entire immune cascade, including macrophages, neutrophils, T cells, NK cells and B cells with appropriate antibodies (including enhancing the cancer cell killing ability of processed monoclonal antibodies - mAB).

 “MG Glucan has been shown to enhance the envelopment and digestion (phagocytosis) of pathogenic microorganisms that cause infectious disease…The Beta-1,3/1,6 glucans additionally enhance the ability of macrophages, one of the most important cells in the immune system, to kill tumor cells.” (1)

 When nutritionally activated by Beta 1,3/1,6 glucan, the macrophages and other immune cells are better enabled to attack the cancerous cells with enhanced cytotoxic granules (toxic chemicals) constructed to kill the cancer cell, with the goal of hindering or stopping further multiplication and spread. 

The Importance of being Uniform, Micronized, Disaggregated Particles of MG Beta Glucan for Potent Immune Cell Potentiation

 The research demonstrates Beta 1,3/1,6 glucan, particularly in uniform small particle sizes (micronized) taken orally that will not reaggregate, when ingested by immune cells is better absorbed with a faster and more extensive response.  The Beta glucan nutritionally increases protection of the immune cells from the damage of radiation and toxins. After radiation, recovery of red blood cells, platelets and white immune cells is nutritionally and naturally enhanced. 

 (2) “…coincubation of particulate glucan with diverse populations of normal or tumor cells in vitro indicated that glucan exerted a direct cytostatic [chemical killing] effect on sarcoma and melanoma cells and, in contrast, had a proliferative effect [promotes production] on normal spleen and bone marrow cells.”

 The macrophage is also enhanced to more ably and rapidly remove the toxic debris (phagocytosis) created by radiation and chemotherapy in the body, thus in many cases potentially reducing negative side effects such as nausea, hair loss, pallor, fatigue, inability to sleep and skin radiation injury. 

 U.S. Patented MG Beta glucan is uniformly micronized and processed in a proprietary procedure to eliminate damaging re-aggregation that reduces significantly immune cell absorption, while providing enhanced macrophage potentiation in more potent and beneficial small milligram amounts. Better absorption significantly reduces the milligrams required of MG Glucan to nutritionally provide and enhanced immune response.

Additional Natural and Nutritional Aids to Promote Wellness

Add proteolytic enzymes, such as Bromelain and Papain, normally produced by the pancreas to eliminate a protein coating on cancer cells that inhibits an immune response. Balance pH, use CoQ10 for better cell metabolism, plus a potent multiple vitamin. Also suggested are fish oil, beta carotene, chlorella and aged garlic.  In diet, eliminate sugar and white refined products while controlling weight as a factor linked to cancer, especially in women.  Limit dental and medical x-rays and dental procedures such as enamel and porcelain caps, root canals and crowns with toxic silver/nickel.

 The world of science continues in its quest for a cure for cancer.  In the interim the scientific, medical and integrative supplement segments should join together with the objective to provide physical, mental and spiritual aids to those fighting the cancer battle. As one small example, nature has provided the natural substance Beta glucan and science has demonstrated the benefits. Use MG Beta Glucan as an oral dietary supplement to nutritionally modulate and potentiate the immune response cells to potentially help your body help itself against all pathogens attempting to constantly rob us of good health.

Cancer and Related Research with MG Glucan

Cancer : Carrow, D.J.; “Beta-1,3-glucan as a Primary Immune Activator,” Townsend Letter; June 1996. Quote: “Over the past 11 months I have been able to convince five out of eight breast cancer patients who were undergoing radiation therapy, to consume one capsule of beta 1,3/1,6 glucan (NSC-24 3 mg) three times per day.  To date, I have observed that none of the patients using NSC-24 have suffered from any type of radiation injury to the skin, while the three patients who chose not to use NSC-24 all show signs of extensive radiation damage to the skin.”

 (1) Cancer: Hunter K, Gault R, Jordan F, “Mode of Action of B-Glucan Immunopotentiators-Research Summary Release,” Department of Microbiology, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Jan 2001. Quote: “MG Glucan has been shown to enhance the envelopment and digestion (phagocytosis) of pathogenic microorganisms that cause infectious disease…The Beta-1,3/1,6 glucans additionally enhance the ability of macrophages, one of the most important cells in the immune system, to kill tumor cells. Laboratory studies have revealed the new MG Glucan is significantly effective at activating Macrophages, and via the Macrophages, the entire immune cascade including T-Cells and B-Cells.”

Free Radical Scavenger: Carrow, D.J.; “Beta-1,3-glucan as a Primary Immune Activator,” Townsend  Letter; June 1996. Quote: “Free radical scavenging assays were repeated in different models, which then confirmed the antioxidant effect of beta 1,3-glucan.  In light of what is presently known about the potential of free radicals to accelerate aging, cause cancer and other degenerative diseases, this particular effect of beta 1,3-glucan is especially important.”

IL 1 and TNF Alpha Production: Hunter KW, Jr. Berner MD, Sura ME Alvea BN, “IFN-gamma primes macrophages for enhanced TNF-alpha expression in response to stimulatory and non-stimulatory amounts of microparticulate beta-glucan.,” Immunol Lett ; 15:98(1): 115-22. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Applied Research Facility, MS-199, Reno, NV 89557, USA.
April 2005,  Quote:  …” we have tested a new microparticulate form of beta-(1--> 3)-D-glucan (MG) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae for its ability to induce proinflammatory cytokine secretion in mouse peritoneal macrophages in vitro…, These data suggest that a synergy between IFN-gamma and beta-glucan may have evolved to lower the threshold of sensitivity of the innate immune response to fungal pathogens.” [respond faster in killing fungal pathogens]

Safety – FDA Classification: Carrow, D.J. MD; “Beta-1,3-glucan as a Primary Immune Activator,” Townsend  Letter; June 1996. Quote: “Beta 1,3-glucan is a safe and potent nutritional supplement with a profound systemic effect that can be described as nonspecific immune stimulation combined with its free radical scavenging activity. Remember, beta 1,3-glucan is generally recognized as safe (category GRAS, according to FDA) and has no known toxicity or side effects.”

Immune Response – Reaggregation and Small Particle Effectiveness: Jordan F, Hunter K, Gault R; “Method for preparing small particle size glucan in a dry material;” U.S. Patent 6,476,003; Nov 5, 2002. Quote: "As the glucan re-aggregates to a size of greater than one micron in diameter, some of the beneficial effect of the glucan is not achieved because the macrophage receptors are not activated as readily by glucan greater than one micron in diameter because the receptor size on corresponding cells and molecules that accept the glucan is generally about one micron in size.

The re-aggregation and resistance to de-aggregation is accentuated in environments with low pH such as a human digestive tract. As the glucan re-aggregates into particles of greater than one micron in diameter, it appears to pass through an animal or human digestive system without substantially complete absorption. [marginally effective]

…The data demonstrates a factor of two increase in the production of NO [nitric oxide] from comparison of the untreated glucan to the treated [MG] glucan;… The measurement of NO production is indicative of an oxidative burst that kills and/or destroys the ingested microbes and/or particles by macrophages.”

[U.S. Patented MG Glucan is uniquely uniform and micronized in small particle size to avoid reaggregation (clumping) that inhibits activation of immune cells]

Tumors and Infectious Agents: Hunter Jr. KW, duPre S, Redelman D: “Microparticulate B-glucan upregulates the expression of B7.1, B7.2, B7-H1, but not B7-DC on cultured murine peritoneal macrophages;”  Immunology Letters 93: 71-78; May 2004. Quote: "Beta-1,3-(d)-glucan …has been shown to enhance both humoral and cellular immune responses to a variety of antigens, infectious agents, and tumors..."

Dosage: Hunter KW, Gault RA, Berner MD, "Preparation of microparticulate B-glucan from Saccharomyces cerevisiae for use in immune potentiation." Letters in Applied Microbiology," Vol 35 Issue 4, 267-271, October 2004. Quote: "...we compared the ability of orally administered microparticulate [MG] and aggregated B-glucan preparations given at 0·1 mg kg ¹ daily for 14 d to enhance peritoneal macrophage phagocytosis.

Note that this dosage is equivalent to a 10-mg capsule of B-glucan given orally to a 75-kg [165 lb] human. ... the same dose of microparticulate [MG] B-glucan is better able to enhance macrophage phagocytosis than aggregated B-glucan."

 Beta 1/3,1/6 Glucan Cancer Related Research

 Cancer: Gelderman Kyra, Ross Gordon, et al; “Complement function in mAB-mediated cancer immunotherapy;” Trends in Immunology, Vol 25, No. 3:pp158-164, March 2004. Quote: “monoclonal antibodies having virtually no tumor regression activity when used alone are able to mediate [convey] complete regression [of cancer] when given in combination with Beta glucan…and in many cases replace non-specific chemotherapy.”

Cancer – Carcinoma of the Breast: Mansell P.W.A., Ichinose H., Reed R.J., Krements E.T., McNamee R.B., Di Luzio N.R.; “Macrophage-mediated Destruction of Human Malignant Cells in Vitro”.  Journal of National Cancer Institute; 54: 571-580. 1975. Quote: “The initial 9 patients studied had malignant carcinoma of the breast. Control and experimental lesions were injected; subsequently biopsies were performed at varying intervals for histologic evaluation. Always when glucan or glucan and RF fraction were administered intra-lesionally, the size of the lesion was strikingly reduced in as short a period as 5 days. …In small lesions, resolution was complete, whereas in large lesions, resolutions was partial.”

(2) Cancer – Sarcoma and Melanoma: Williams DL, et al, “Therapeutic efficacy of glucan in a murine model of hepatic metastatic disease,” Hepatology 5(2):198-206. Mar 1985.* Quote: “…coincubation of particulate glucan with diverse populations of normal or tumor cells in vitro indicated that glucan exerted a direct cytostatic effect on sarcoma and melanoma cells and, in contrast, had a proliferative effect on normal spleen and bone marrow cells.”

Chemotherapy: Tohamy AA et al. "Beta-glucan inhibits the genotoxicity of cyclophosphamide, adriamycin and cisplatin." Mutat. Research. 541(1-2):45-53. Nov 2003. Quote: "This protective effect of beta-glucan could be attributed to its scavenging ability to trap free-radicals produced during the biotransformation of these anti-neoplastic [abnormal tissue growth] drugs. Beta-glucan also markedly restored the mitotic [cell division] activity of bone marrow cells that had been suppressed by the anti-neoplastic drugs. These results indicate that in addition to known immunopotentiating activity of beta-glucan, it plays a role in reducing genotoxicity [capability to cause cancer] induced by anti-neoplastic [abnormal tissue growth] drugs during cancer chemotherapy."

Platelet and White Blood Cell Recovery: Pachen ML, MacVittie TJ, “Comparative effects of soluble and particulate glucans on survival in irradiated mice,” J Biol Response Mod 5(1):45-60.  Experimental Hematology Dept, Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Inst, Bethesda, MD. Feb 1986.  Quote: “…glucan-P… enhanced the recovery of peripheral blood white cell numbers, platelet numbers, and hematocrit values.  In addition, both agents increased endogenous pluripotent hemopoietic stem cell numbers in sublethally irradiated mice.”

Radiation - Allendorf D.J., Knudsen G., Elliott T., et al, "Oral Whole Glucan Particles Beta Glucan Treatment Accelerates Myeloid Recovery and Survival after Radiation Exposure." Center for Mind-Body Medicine Comprehensive Care Symposium, April 2003. Quote: "Oral treatment with whole glucan particles may be a useful therapeutic intervention following radiation exposure to accelerate myeloid [bone marrow] recovery and increase survival after radiation exposure."

Tumors: Ross G, Hong F, Allendorf D, Hansen R, Ostroff G; "Mechanism of Tumor Regression Stimulated by Yeast Beta Glucan Dietary Supplement." Abstract. April 9, 2003. Quote: " Oral yeast B-glucan is orally absorbed and transported by macrophages into immune tissues and tumors resulting in the secretion of inflammatory cytokines and soluble B-glucan leading to an enhanced innate immune cell attack against tumor cells."

Tumors: Pola P, "Composition for the prevention and/or treatment of lipid metabolism disorders and allergic forms," U.S. Patent Application 20030017999, January 23, 2003. Quote: "…beta-1,3-D-glucan has proved effective not only in preventing lipid metabolism disorders, but also in stimulating immune defenses, in preventing onset of tumors and in controlling serum glucose."

Tumors: Brown G D, Gordon S; "Immune recognition. A new receptor for beta-glucans." Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Nature 6;413(6851):36-7. Sep 2001. Quote: "The carbohydrate polymers known as beta-1,3-d-glucans exert potent effects on the immune system - stimulating antitumour and antimicrobial activity..." 

Tumors: DiLuzio N.R.,”Immunopharmacology of glucan: a broad spectrum enhancer of host defense mechanisms,” Trends in Pharmacol. SCI., 4:344-347. Dept of Physiology, Tulane U, New Orleans, LA.* 1983. Quote: (p347) “The broad spectrum of immunopharmacological activities of glucan includes not only the modification of certain bacterial, fungal, viral and parasitic infections, but also inhibition of tumor growth.” 

An Arsenal of Immune Defense: Czop, Joyce K., “The Role of Beta.-Glucan Receptors on Blood and Tissue Leukocytes in Phagocytosis and Metabolic Activation”.  Pathology and Immunopathology Research; 5:286-296. Harvard Medical School. 1986. Quote: "…Animals pretreated with purified glucan particles are subsequently more resistant to bacterial, viral, fungal, and protozoan challenge, reject antigenically incompatible grafts more rapidly and produce higher titers of serum antibodies to specific antigens.

Administration of glucan particles …stimulates… proliferation of macrophages and increases in phagocytic and secretory activities of macrophages. …A cascade of interactions and reactions initiated by macrophage regulatory factors can be envisioned to occur and to eventuate in conversion of the glucan-treated host to an arsenal of defense.”