Bringing evidence to complementary and alternative medicine in children with cancer: Focus on nutrition-related therapies.
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Children with cancer frequently use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), especially in conjunction with conventional therapy. Dietary supplements are a commonly used CAM modality, with the prevalence of supplement use ranging from 35% to 50% of children with cancer in surveys completed in the United States. Less is known about   more...the use of dietary supplements in developing countries. The evidence for some dietary supplements providing some benefit to children with cancer is reviewed. Preliminary studies have shown that antioxidant status may affect chemotherapy tolerance in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Other supplements, including TRAUMEEL S, glutamine, vitamin E, Immunocal, colostrum, and probiotics, may help to reduce gastrointestinal toxicities of chemotherapy and radiation. However, more definitive evidence is needed. Most dietary supplements have not been tested adequately to determine their safety and efficacy, with even less understood about their potential interactions with conventional chemotherapy and radiation. With the greater use of dietary supplements by patients with cancer, increasing scientific attention is being paid to the investigation of these therapies. But research on dietary supplements is complex and usually more difficult than that on conventional medications. Strong research designs are critical in obtaining information that will ultimately influence clinical practice and public awareness. (c) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

PMID: 18064645 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18064645
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In Medical News

Immunotec Inc. (TSX-V: IMM) announced the successful completion of a multi-center randomized, double blind clinical trial on cancer-related weight loss (cachexia) in lung cancer patients which was performed in collaboration with various Canadian clinical centers(x). The research concluded that patients treated with IMN 1207 showed significant increases in body weight (Tozer et al. Antioxidants & Redox Signaling (2008) 10:395-402). Immunotec also announced the initiation of a follow-up   more...study to confirm the positive results.

The massive loss of body weight and muscle mass in advanced cancer patients is typically associated with psychological stress, financial burden and a decreased quality of life. Until now there have been no dietary interventions known to satisfactorily prevent this process.

Immunotec's new study included 66 patients with advanced lung cancer receiving state of the art chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The patients had already suffered significant involuntary weight-loss prior to treatment. During a six month treatment period the patients were given either casein, a protein supplement low in cysteine which is widely used in clinical nutrition ("placebo") or IMN 1207, a specially-prepared glutathione enhancing cysteine-rich whey protein isolate supplied by Immunotec Inc. The results showed that patients in the placebo group continued to lose weight whereas patients treated with IMN 1207 showed a significant increase in body weight. Incidentally, these patients also showed an increase in strength and quality of life parameters. This study showed for the first time that cancer-related weight loss (cachexia) can be prevented by a single source of protein. Dr. Gerald Batist, Chair, Department of Oncology, McGill University stated "Having been involved in the early mechanistic studies of the therapeutic use of whey proteins, I'm pleased to see this particular formulation being tested in the clinic. The data to date encourage additional and expanded clinical trials". Dr. Wulf Droge, Senior Vice-President Research & Development at Immunotec Inc. emphasized that the results of this first trial should be viewed with cautious optimism. A second trial has been initiated to confirm the results.
Among other questions, this clinical trial also addressed the controversy about antioxidant use in chemotherapy. Since radiotherapy and many types of chemotherapy work by raising levels of oxidative stress and free radical formation to destroy cancer cells, oncologists have voiced concern that treatment of the patient with antioxidants may "protect" the cancer from the toxic effects of the therapy. If this were the case, antioxidants could even be expected to shorten the life span of the patients. Immunotec's study now showed that this was clearly not the case with IMN 1207. Based on his earlier work at his laboratory at the National Cancer Research Center of Germany (DKFZ) in Heidelberg, Dr. Droge was reasonably confident that supplementation with a critical precursor of the major cellular antioxidant glutathione, would actually improve the condition of the patients, most probably by ameliorating adverse effects of these therapies on the patients' healthy tissues. The results of this new study suggest that this is true. The antioxidant glutathione is distinct from other antioxidants including the popular antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E which are widely used as nutritional supplements. Glutathione is involved in the removal of reactive oxygen species and other potential toxic compounds through special biochemical processes and can reach relatively high and beneficial concentrations in cells and tissues depending on the availability of its biosynthetic precursor cysteine.

About IMN 1207

IMN 1207 is a cysteine-rich protein. It is the research formulation of the undenatured whey protein Immunocal(R)/HMS 90(R), a dietary natural health supplement, developed and marketed worldwide by Immunotec during the past  less

Health Canada Approves Health Claim For Hms 90 / Immunocal
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Immunotec Inc. announces that it has received regulatory approval from Health Canada to market HMS 90 / IMMUNOCAL with the following health claim: “a natural source of the glutathione precursor cysteine for the maintenance of a strong immune system.”

The Natural Health Products Directorate (NHPD) is Health Canada’s division responsible for the evaluation of the safety, efficacy and quality of   more...natural health products. It has issued a Natural Product Number (NPN) for HMS 90 / IMMUNOCAL based on the credibility, strength and quality of evidence provided to support the claim.
Immunotec strongly supports the implementation of the Natural Health Products Regulation.
President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Northrop notes: “The imposition of high standards to ensure the quality, safety and efficacy of natural products supports Immunotec’s commitment to excellence in product development and manufacturing.
The issuance of this NPN reinforces to consumers and Distributors alike that superb scientific evidence is the foundation for HMS 90 / IMMUNOCAL. This fact, along with the important associated health claim could have a significant impact on Immunotec’s business growth.”

Senior Vice-President, Research & Development, Dr. Wulf Dröge, is extremely pleased about this regulatory approval. “What consumers have known for quite some time has now been formally recognized by the NHPD: the health benefits of Immunotec’s lead product HMS 90 / IMMUNOCAL for the immune system are based on solid science.”

Natural Health Products must be manufactured, packaged, and labelled in Health Canada-approved facilities according to current Good Manufacturing Practices to ensure optimal quality of the finished goods.
The evaluation of the efficacy of a specific product allows consumers to make an informed choice when including natural health products in their wellness regimes.

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/November2007/13/c7305.html

Randy Grover
Atlantic Consultant



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