Gleevec’s False Dawn – Cancer 7
The cancer drug known as Gleevec (United Stated) or Glivec (Europe) is the unquestioned superstar of the genetic approach to cancer. It is the LeBron James, Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain all rolled up into one. It is used in the treatment of chromic myelogenous leukemia (CML), a relatively rare cancer. Before Gleevec, CML killed...
The Procrustean Bed of Cancer genetics – Cancer 6
In Greek mythology, Procrustes is a son of Poseidon (god of the sea) who often invited passersby to stay at his house to rest for the night. When he showed them to their bed, if the guest was too tall, he would chop off their limbs until the bed fit just right. If they were too...
Cancer – proximate causes – Cancer 5
If so much evidence exists that cancer is largely environmental, then why do so many researchers consider cancer a predominantly genetic condition of accumulated random mutations (Somatic Mutation Theory)? It comes down, unfortunately to intellectual laziness in identifying proximate and ultimate causes. Let me explain. Proximate means the step immediately preceding. For example, if we...
Cancer and genetics – Cancer 4
The prevailing theory of cancer, accepted by practically all the oncologists and researchers in the world, over the last 5 decades is that cancer is a genetic disease. This is termed the somatic mutation theory (SMT), which theorizes that a cell develops mutations that allow it to become cancerous. This requires multiple 'hits'. That is,...
Cancer as an endocrine disease – Cancer 3
Richard Nixon declared war on cancer in 1971. It’s been close to half a century, and the war is hardly close to being won. If you simply look at how many people have cancer, things look quite bleak. However, this is not quite accurate. Cancer screening has increased significantly in the past decades – with...
Hyperinsulinemia and cancer – Cancer 2
There is a strong relationship between cancer and obesity as discussed in our last post. Since I've spent several years arguing why hyperinsulinemia is the root cause of obesity and type 2 diabetes, it would only make sense that perhaps i think it may play a role in cancer development, too. This link has been...
Obesity and Cancer – Cancer 1
We’ve talked extensively over the last few years about obesity, metabolic syndrome, fasting, and type 2 diabetes. These are extremely important in the development of cardiovascular disease (heart attacks and strokes). This addresses the number 1 killer of Americans, but we have not yet touched upon the very close #2 killer of Americans – the...
Fasting and Polycystic Diseases
Much new and interesting data support the benefits of fasting in diseases other than obesity and type 2 diabetes. This often relates to the role of nutrient sensors in the body. Everybody always believes that increased growth is good. But the simple truth is that excessive growth in adults is almost always bad. Excessive growth...
