NCI CAMNews

Fall 2008

Vol. 3, Issue 2

In this issue:

1

Feature

3

A Conversation with

5

News from the Field

6

Funding Opportunities

7

Research Resources

7

Research Highlights

9

CAM Information

10

Meetings

12

Featured Scientific

Meetings

N

a

tio

n

al C

a

n

c

e

r In

s

tit

u

t

e

U.S. DEPARTMENT

OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes

of Health

The Newsletter of the Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine

United States and China Sign Research Agreement on

Traditional Chinese Medicine

U.S. DHHS Secretary Leavitt and Chinese Vice-Minister of Health Guoquiang sign MOU.

On July 16, 2008, U.S. Health and

Human Services Secretary Mike

Leavitt and Chinese Vice-Minister of

Health Wang Guoquiang signed a

memorandum of understanding

(MOU) agreement to foster

collaboration between researchers

studying integrative and traditional

Chinese medicine (TCM) in both

countries.

[e MOU follows an earlier

agreement, signed in 2006, between

the National Center for

Complementary and Alternative

Medicine (NCCAM) and the

Chinese Ministry of Science and

Technology. [e new agreement

encompasses a much larger number

of interested institutions in the U.S.

and China.

Jeffrey D. White, M.D., director of

the National Cancer Institute’s

(NCI) Office of Cancer

Complementary and Alternative

Medicine (OCCAM) commented on

the MOU: “What’s exciting is that

this new MOU strongly reflects an

interest in TCM at the top levels of

HHS, and it shows a growing,

sustained interest on the part of the

Chinese government to support

evidence-based investigations of

TCM, in collaboration with foreign

investigators. From a practical

standpoint, what this agreement does

is set a framework for encouraging

collaborative activity and will help

shepherd projects along that are

already underway.”

[e 2008 MOU on TCM was signed

at the beginning of a two-day

traditional Chinese medicine

Research Roundtable held at the

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

that highlighted research in areas of

TCM that “displayed examples of

opportunities for future

collaborations between U.S. and

Chinese researchers,” Dr. White

reported. [e presenters discussed

“diagnostic approaches and ways that

might help identify subgroups of

cancer patients who might have

different reactions to different

1

continued on next page
conventional treatments,” he added,

“as well as quality control of herbal

medicines and how to standardize

herbal approaches in a way that

would make research results more

reproducible.”

In addition to signing the MOU, the

meeting also included expert

presentations on five topics:

■ Health Care Impact:

Convergence of TCM and

Western Medicine in China,

Integrative Medicine in the

U.S.- Richard Nahin, Senior

Advisor for Scientific

Coordination and Outreach,

NCCAM and Lu Aiping,

Professor, China Academy of

Chinese Medical Sciences

(CACMS)

■ Criteria and Standards for

Evaluation of Clinical Efficacy

of TCM- Brian Berman,

Director, [e Center for

Integrative Medicine,

University of Maryland and

Wu Darong, Associate Chief

Doctor, Guang Dong

Provincial Hospital

■ Application of Genomics,

Proteomics, and Systems

Biology to Study of TCMYung-chi Tommy Cheng,

Henry Bronson Professor of

Pharmacology, Yale University

and Jia Wei, Principle

Investigator, Shanghai Center

for Systems Biomedicine

■ Acupuncture: Biological Basis

and Promising ApplicationsDavid Yue-Wei Lee, Associate

Professor of Psychiatry

Harvard University and Yu

Xiaochun, Professor, CACMS

■ Product Safety and TCM:

Natural Product ChemistryIkhlas Khan, Professor of

Pharmacognosy, University of

Mississippi and Ye Zuguang,

Professor, CACMS

One example of an ongoing TCM

project is an NCI-funded

collaboration between M.D.

Anderson Cancer Center in

Houston, Texas and Fudan

University Cancer Hospital in

Shanghai, China which currently

includes both laboratory research and

clinical trials of cancer treatments

and symptom management using

TCM preparations. “[ere are a

growing number of investigators in

the United States with an interest in

this area, and the new MOU could

create opportunities for other groups

who want to do similar work,” said

Dr. White.

A few Food and Drug

Administration approved

chemotherapy drugs in the United

States are derived from compounds

used in TCM, including arsenic

trioxide (now used for the treatment

of acute promyelocytic leukemia),

and camptothecin, which was

isolated from the bark of the Chinese

tree Camptotheca acuminate, and

has been slightly modified to

produce the cancer drugs topotecan

and irinotecan.

One of the major focuses of the new

MOU with China addresses a

challenge often faced by investigators

interested in studying natural

products, such as herbal compounds.

“For investigators, there is always a

problem getting proper material for

such studies,” noted Dr. Cheng,

chairman of the Consortium for

Globalization of Chinese Medicine.

“For any herbs and natural

compounds of interest, we need to

know the availability of the herbs,

where they came from, where they

can grow, and how well they are

characterized. For Chinese medicine

to be acceptable in this part of the

world, you have to address the quality

of your study material, have the

clinical evidence that it works,

understand how it works, and know

how it interacts with other drugs to

some extent.”

[e MOU highlights several areas

where collaboration could help

improve the methodology for research

and development of TCM-based

therapeutics, including the

application of genomics, proteomics,

and systems biology.

Dr. Cheng and Dr. Francesco

Marincola, chief of the Infectious

Disease and Immunogenetics Section

at the NIH Clinical Center, have been

collaborating on a proof-of-principle

experiment that is an example of the

multi-step validation that will be

essential in future collaborative

studies on TCM products. [ey are

studying the use of irinotecan in

conjunction with a Chinese herbal

combination called PHY906 in a

mouse model of colon cancer.

Dr. Cheng’s laboratory has

characterized the herbs using

techniques including mass

spectrometry and biological

fingerprinting to make sure the herbal

product is the same between batches.

[ey also tested the combination

against tumors in mice to see if the

combination had a stronger antitumor effect than irinotecan alone

and if PHY906 could decrease the

toxicity of irinotecan. Dr. Marincola’s

group has taken samples of treated

tumors and blood cells from the mice

and performed whole-genome

expression scans to determine what

cellular pathways are affected by the

drugs. ❧

from previous page

2
A Conversation with:

Paige McDonald, Ph.D., M.P.H.

Program Director and Chief of Basic Biobehavioral Research Branch

Behavioral Research Branch

Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences

3

Dr. Paige McDonald

Please provide an overview of

the Basic Biobehavioral

Research Branch (BBRB) of

the Behavioral Research

Program and your role as

Branch Chief.

[e Basic and Biobehavioral

Research Branch (BBRB) supports

extramural research on fundamental

behavioral science to develop

theoretical models, identify

underlying mechanisms and

principles of behavior change and

conduct pre-intervention research to

inform the next generation of cancer

control interventions and social

policies. BBRB funds studies that

examine health-related behavior

across age, racial, and ethnic groups;

socioeconomic strata; and cancer

diagnoses.

Examples of BRBB’s research agenda

include: basic research in social,

cognitive, and psychological

processes (e.g., social comparison,

mechanisms underlying

neurocognitive changes associated

with cancer treatment, emotion and

motivation); biological mechanisms

of psychosocial or behavioral

processes related to cancer control

(e.g., stress-mediated regulation of

tumor biology); and methodology

and measurement in behavioral

science research (e.g.,

psychophysiological assessment,

measurement of stress and other

psychological constructs).

As chief for BBRB, I plan, develop,

coordinate, and administer the

extramural program. I lead the

strategic planning, evaluation of

emerging research priorities, and the

evaluation of return on research

investment in basic behavioral and

biobehavioral research. I also

coordinate and manage scientific,

fiscal, and administrative

responsibilities of the program.

In what ways is

complementary and

alternative medicine (CAM) a

part of the BBRB’s work?

BRBB is involved in the funding of

extramural research grants [projects

taking place outside of NIH], some

of which are on the topic of CAM.

Specifically, one area of

programmatic interest that involves

CAM is the initiative on medical

decision-making and biological

mechanisms of psychosocial or

behavioral processes in cancer

control. BBRB Program Director,

Dr. Wendy Nelson has championed

NCI’s support of research to enhance

understanding of human decisionmaking processes so that individuals

can make informed and satisfying

choices regarding their health, health

care, and quality of life. Dr. Nelson is

the NCI program contact on a

funding opportunity announcement

(FOA) (PAR-08-045); this FOA

encourages the submission of high

quality observational studies that

evaluate the effectiveness and costcontinued on next page

benefit of CAM approaches used in

the community and the processes

employed by patients and providers

when deciding to use CAM.

As noted in the FOA, data on the

actual decision processes that patients

and providers use when making

judgments about CAM are sparse.

We hope our support of research in

this area will contribute fundamental

knowledge about the cognitive and

affective processes involved in the

initiation and maintenance of CAM

practices for cancer prevention and

control.

From a biobehavioral research

perspective, BBRB has an interest in

the biological mechanisms associated

with mind-body interventions for

cancer-related symptom and stress

management. We have supported a

wide range of projects that can be

considered CAM-related:

■ Virtual reality analgesia for

procedural cancer pain

■ Cranial stimulation for chemo

symptoms in breast cancer

■ Healing touch, immunity, and

fatigue in breast cancer

■ Acupuncture for hot flashes in

prostate cancer patients

■ Tai chi effects on chronic

insomnia in breast cancer

survivors: Immune

mechanisms

■ Mindfulness-based stress

reduction for psycho-immune

dysregulation in cancer
■ Psychoneuroimmunologybased stress management in

early breast cancer

■ Stress, immunity & cervical

cancer: Biobehavioral

outcomes of a randomized

clinical trial

In 2002, you helped organize a

scientific initiative, the

Biological Mechanisms of

Psychosocial Effects on

Disease. Please explain the

initiative, OCCAM’s role, and

progress made over the past

few years.

In 2001, a group of program officers

representing several NIH institutes

and offices, including OCCAM, met

to discuss their shared interest in

psychoneuroimmunology (PNI).

Discussions from this initial meeting

were the impetus for the first

scientific meeting of the initiative

titled “Biological Mechanisms of

Psychosocial Effects on

Disease"(BiMPED), which was held

in March 2002. [e meeting

brought scientists from diverse

behavioral and biomedical disciplines

who were conducting both human

and animal work in PNI and related

fields to present their research. Goals

for the meeting were to review

current knowledge of biological

mechanisms associated with

psychosocial effects on disease,

discuss the state-of-the-science,

applicability of PNI-related research

to cancer control, as well as identify

critical research needs.

[rough BiMPED, our branch seeks

to encourage mechanistic studies to

identify biological signaling

pathways. BBRB and BiMPED

strives to support transdisciplinary

research that bridges basic cancer

biology and biobehavioral science to

advance our fundamental knowledge

of the extent and specificity by which

central nervous system regulated

factors like stress, chronic depression,

and social support might regulate

tumor biology.

Additionally, we have sought

opportunities to vet the science in

public forums and disseminate the

perspectives of this research and

highlights from BiMPED activities.

We have made these information

resources available on our Web site

(http://cancercontrol.cancer.gov/

bimped/accomplish.html), including a

supplement about the 2002 BiMPED

meeting published in the official

journal of the

Psychoneuroimmunology Research

Society—Brain, Behavior, and

Immunity. OCCAM’s support was

instrumental in the publication of

that supplement.

(Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.

February 2003, Volume 17, Supplement 1)

What CAM approaches look

most promising for further

research?

In accordance with NCI’s strategic

priorities, BRBB remains most

interested in CAM approaches that

can be integrated as effective and

efficient treatments for cancer and

those that serve to improve the

quality of cancer care and quality of

life for cancer patients. As reflected

by our research mission, we are

interested in CAM approaches that

meet psychological, behavioral, and

social health related needs of patients

and their caregivers. We will

continue to support rigorous trials of

mind-body interventions (e.g.,

mindfulness based stress

management, yoga, meditation,

spirituality) that elucidate

mechanisms of action. ❧

from previous page

1. Miller, A.H., et al., Neuroendocrine-immune mechanisms of behavioral comorbidities

in patients with cancer. J Clin Oncol, 2008. 26(6): p. 971-82.

2. Antoni, M.H., et al., De influence of bio-behavioural factors on tumour biology:

pathways and mechanisms. Nat Rev Cancer, 2006. 6(3): p. 240-8.

References

Contact Information

Office of Cancer Complementary and

Alternative Medicine

6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 609

Bethesda, Maryland 20892

E-mail: ncioccam-r@mail.nih.gov

http://cancer.gov/cam

4
News from the Field

In one of the largest, coordinated

enforcement actions against cancer

health care fraud, the U.S. Food and

Drug Administration (FDA) recently

sent regulatory “Warning Letters” to

23 U.S. companies and two foreign

individuals that are marketing a wide

range of products fraudulently

claiming to prevent and cure cancer.

FDA also warned consumers against

using or purchasing the products,

which include tablets, teas, tonics,

black salves, and creams and are sold

under various names on the Internet.

FDA took the action in coordination

with the U.S. Federal Trade

Commission (FTC) and enforcement

agencies from Canada and Mexico.

Although FDA pursues individual

cases of health fraud on a continual

basis, “this campaign targeted the

largest number of individuals at a

single time,” noted FDA Press

Officer Rita Chappelle.

A list of the companies and

individuals warned, as well as the

complete list of fake cancer 'cure'

products and their manufacturers can

be found on the FDA’s Web site at

www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2008/

NEW01852.html.

“[is is the most heinous type of

health fraud aimed at unsuspecting

and very vulnerable consumers and

cancer patients,” Ms. Chappelle

added. “Such individuals are looking

for ways to cure their serious diseases,

and they’re very susceptible to these

false and fraudulent marketers who

basically prey on such people.”

FDA and its counterparts in the

MUCH (Mexico-USA-Canada

Health) Fraud working group

identified most of the unapproved

claims by “scouring the Internet,” Ms.

Chappelle said. In response, many of

the targeted companies have already

5

FDA Warns Against Selling and Using Fake Cancer 'Cures'

taken corrective measures and

responded to the issues addressed by

FDA’s warning letters. “[ey’ve

removed the fraudulent claims from

their Web sites, shut down the Web

sites, and taken other actions,” she

reported. Companies which fail to

comply with FDA’s warnings face

additional legal action including

possible injunctions and court-ordered

seizures.

[e FDA urges consumers to consult

their health care providers about the

use of these products and to seek

appropriate medical attention if they

have experienced any adverse effects. In

addition, consumers and patients can

contact the NCI’s Cancer Information

Service at 1-800-4-CANCER

(1-800-422-6237) to ask questions and

share their concerns about cancer and

various treatments, including CAM,

and receive numerous sources of up-todate, credible information. ❧

Congratulations !!

Dr. Jie Li, a visiting

postdoctoral fellow in the

Center for Cancer Research

(CCR), was honored with the

Outstanding Poster

Presentation Award for his

presentation “Inhibitory Effect

of Sheng Qi Formula (SQF) on

Gr-1+CD11b+ Myeloid

Immunosuppressor Cells (MIC)

in the 4T1 Murine Mammary

Cancer Model” at the 8th

Annual NCI/CCR Fellows and

Young Investigators

Colloquium on March 3, 2008

in Ocean City, MD.

Signs of Health Fraud

All consumers seeking information about any health product or medical

treatment should be familiar with the following signs of health fraud:

■ Statements that the product is a quick and effective cure-all or a

diagnostic tool for a wide variety of ailments.

■ Suggestions that a product can treat or cure serious or incurable

diseases.

■ Claims such as "scientific breakthrough," "miraculous cure," "secret

ingredient," and "ancient remedy."

■ Impressive-sounding terms, such as "hunger stimulation point" and

"thermogenesis" about weight loss product, for instance.

■ Claims that the product is safe because it is "natural."

■ Undocumented case histories or personal testimonials by consumers or

doctors claiming amazing results.

■ Claims of limited availability and advance payment requirements.

■ Promises of no-risk, money-back guarantees.

■ Promises of an "easy" fix for problems like excess weight, hair loss, or

impotency.

For more information, visit

www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/cancerfraud061708.html. ❧
Quick-Trials for Novel Cancer 3erapies and Prevention: Exploratory Grants

In 2008, NCI and the NIH’s Office

of Dietary Supplements reissued the

program announcement (PA) PAR08-025 “Quick-Trials for Novel

Cancer [erapies and Prevention:

Exploratory Grants.” [e intention

of this PA is to promote translational

research in new agent/modality

development with timely

exploitation of new cancer-relevant

therapeutic and/or preventive

strategies that involve defined

molecular targets. [e major end

goal is to lead to the development of

novel anti-cancer drugs, diagnostic

tools, treatments, and prevention

strategies.

Applications that explore CAM

approaches for cancer prevention

and/or treatment are encouraged,

including clinical studies evaluating

the effect(s) of novel nutritional

interventions such as herbal therapies,

dietary supplements, and bioactive

food components aimed at reducing

cancer treatment-related side effects

and toxicities. Clinical studies that

propose improvements and

evaluations of single agent or

combinatorial treatments, treatmentassociated morbidities, and patients’

prognoses are also encouraged to

apply. Finally, investigators who

propose to conduct clinical studies of

unconventional pharmacological and

biological interventions (e.g.,

antineoplastons, Coley's toxin,

enzyme therapies, etc.) are invited to

apply.

For more information on this PA,

please visit

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/

pa-files/PAR-08-025.html. ❧

Exploratory/Developmental Grant for CAM Studies of

Humans Program Announcement Reissued

In April 2008, NCCAM re-released

the program announcement (PA)

“Exploratory/Developmental Grant

for CAM Studies of Humans” or

PAR-08-135. [e purpose of this

announcement is to encourage

investigators to submit high quality,

preliminary research of humans that

will advance the science of CAM and

provide a solid foundation and

justification for larger, subsequent

clinical studies to definitively

determine the efficacy of CAM

approaches.

NCI is participating in this PA again

because of its interest in CAM

approaches as they apply to cancer

prevention, diagnosis, treatment,

symptom and side effect

management, and survivorship.

Projects of strong interest to NCI

include the following interventions

reviewed by the NCI Best Case Series

Program: homeopathic approaches of

the P. Banerji Homeopathic Research

Foundation, insulin potentiation

therapy, and macrobiotic lifestyle as

instructed by the Kushi Institute.

Other examples of research that NCI

would consider to be responsive to the

PA include:

■ Clinical studies identifying a

single or a combination of

bioactive food component(s)

on molecular targets associated

with cancer prevention.

■ Translational studies linking

bioactive food component(s)

intake with biomarkers or

surrogate outcome measures

which may predict cancer risk

and/or tumor behavior.

■ Innovative dietary prevention

strategies targeting risk

reduction of populations

caused by genetics or

environmental conditions.

For more information on this PA,

please visit

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/

pa-files/PAR-08-135.html. ❧

Funding Opportunities

C o n t a c t

Now cancer CAM researchers can easily

connect with others in the field. Sign-up

for OCCAM’s free online research

directory and:

• Search for experts in specific

areas of CAM research

• Receive access to research news and

updates

• Discover collaboration

opportunities

• Learn about meetings and events

• Post job openings

• Connect with the National Cancer

Institute

To join or find out more, please visit:

http://occamdirectory.cancer.gov/

Index.aspx.

Cancer CAM Researcher

Directory

C o n n e c t

C

olla

b

o

r

a

t

e

6
7

Get help with grant

application writing

[e National Center for

Complementary and Alternative

Medicine (NCCAM) held a 3-day

Grantsmanship Workshop from June

3-5, 2008 in Rockville, Maryland.

Researchers, fellows, and graduate

students learned about the NIH

grant application and review

processes, received direction about

how to plan a research endeavor that

follows NIH policies, and gathered

insight on the common

characteristics of successful grants,

particularly when pertaining to

CAM research.

Josephine P. Briggs, M.D., director of

NCCAM, opened the workshop by

offering two pieces of advice to the

attendees. She stressed the

importance of working with experts

in the particular disease you are

interested in studying or the research

methodology you are interested in

using, even if they are not experts in

CAM research. In addition, she

stressed how important it is to get

acquainted with the program officers

who can provide input about

developing proposals at the various

NIH Institutes related to your topic

area.

NCCAM has made each day of the

conference available to those who

were unable to attend. To view the

sessions, please visit

http://nccam.nih.gov/news/

pastmeetings/grants08/. ❧

Research Resources

Keep up with policies and

procedures

[e NIH Office of Extramural

Research (OER)—which is the hub

for grants policy and operations,

grants administration, and the

coordination of NIH's extramural

programs and activities—publishes a

monthly newsletter called NIH

Extramural Nexus (Nexus). [is

electronic newsletter provides the

scientific community with updates

on NIH policies and activities as well

as an opportunity to gain a better

understanding of the operation of

extramural programs.

To learn more about the Nexus or to

subscribe, please visit

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/

nexus.htm.

NIH Shares Tips about Grants

In 2003, the landmark Prostate

Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT)

identified finasteride as the first

effective agent to prevent prostate

cancer. However, Clement Ip,

Ph.D., director, Cancer

Chemoprevention at Roswell Park

Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New

York, found the results somewhat

puzzling.

“It was puzzling, because finasteride

is known to powerfully depress the

blood levels of the most potent

androgen in the body,

dihydrotestosterone (DHT), while

reducing the incidence of prostate

cancer by only about 25%,” Dr. Ip

said. DHT acts by binding to the

androgen receptor, a critical step that

allows DHT to turn on certain genes

involved in the function and survival

of prostate cancer cells. [is

mechanism is called androgen

signaling, which is “vitally important

to the development and progression

of prostate cancer” he explained.

At about the time finasteride was in

the headlines–which included debate

over the drug’s side effects–Dr. Ip’s

lab was discovering that the natural

compound selenium is able to

dramatically reduce the abundance of

androgen receptors in prostate cancer

cells. “We wondered if a one-two

punch, using finasteride and

selenium, might dampen androgen

signaling more effectively and thus

offer a better response in prostate

cancer prevention,” he noted.

NCI* is providing 5 years of support

for Ip’s lab to explore the finasteride

plus selenium combination to

prevent the progression of prostate

cancer. “If we are going to find a

synergy by combining them,”

explained Dr. Ip, “we really need to

understand how each of the drugs

works at the molecular level.” He and

his colleagues will study the

significance of certain genetic

pathways to get a clearer picture of

exactly how this promising treatment

might suppress the growth of tumor

cells in the prostate. [e goal is to

prevent the small-volume, low-grade

tumors from becoming a more

aggressive form of the disease.

Research Highlights

Selenium May Augment Finasteride in Preventing Prostate Cancer

continued on next page
Research Resources

Once they have a better idea of the

molecular pathways affected by the

two agents, the next step for Dr. Ip’s

lab will be an intervention trial in

humans. Men diagnosed with

prostate cancer sometimes elect to

have the prostate removed. [e

researchers plan to conduct a shortterm trial by giving treatment to such

men for several weeks prior to

surgery. When the prostate tissue

from these patients becomes

available, Dr. Ip and colleagues hope

to get confirmatory evidence about

whether the androgen signal strength

is depressed, which genes are turned

on or off, and how well the

combination treatment stops cancer

cells from multiplying.

“Even though a quarter million men

in the United States are diagnosed

each year with prostate cancer, we

know that many more than that

number are in the earliest stages of

developing the disease,” Dr. Ip

commented. “Currently, we’re not sure

what causes some of these to become

clinical cancers that will require

treatment.” He hopes combining

finasteride and selenium could

potentially provide a breakthrough in

managing the disease at an early stage

and help to alleviate the huge costs for

medical care and in human suffering

caused by prostate cancer.

Grant number: 1P01CA126804-01 ❧

Prostate cancer kills more American

men annually than any other type of

cancer except for lung cancer. [ese

high rates of mortality and morbidity

do not occur in Japan and other

Asian countries, although men in

those cultures are found to have just

as many small or latent prostate

cancers when autopsied. Much more

often, men in Western Europe and

America see their prostate cancers

progress and spread (metastasize),

especially to the bone marrow. Many

scientists believe that behavioral and

dietary risk factors may hold the key

to understanding these variations in

the disease.

Noting the much higher intake of

fish and seafood in Asian diets, Yong

Q. Chen, Ph.D. director of Basic

Science at Wake Forest University’s

Prostate Center of Excellence,

believes that polyunsaturated fatty

acids (PUFAs) found in fish oils

could play an important role in

cancer progression. [is relationship

is being investigated further.

Just as there are “good” and “bad”

forms of cholesterol, some evidence

suggest this may also be true of the

omega PUFAs, omega-3 and omega6. Omega-6 PUFAs found in many

vegetable

oils–and dairy,

meats, and some

plants–may have

a role in prostate

and colon cancer

progression;

however, omega3 PUFAs found

in some fish and

plant oils have

shown evidence

of suppressing

prostate tumor

metastasis, most

recently in a 2006

study from the British Journal of

Cancer. Nutritionists often focus on

these two dietary components

together and recommend they be

consumed in equal amounts.

However, current Western diets have

omega-6/omega-3 ratios of 30 to 1,

explained Dr. Chen, “and they can

be as high as 50 to 1.”

Supported by NCI*, Dr. Chen and

his colleagues began by feeding

various amounts of the two types of

PUFA to mice bred with a

propensity for prostate cancer. “[e

omega-3s slowed the growth of

tumors, and many of the cancer cells

we examined were progressing at a

much slower pace,” Dr. Chen

reported. “[e omega-6 fatty acids

had the opposite effect.”

[e effect seen with omega-3 appears

to work, in part, through a gene

called Bad, which produces a protein

that goes by the same name. Dr.

Chen noted, “When we knocked

down (inactivated) the Bad gene in

the mice, the cancer cell death

stopped, and then the cell death

resumed when we added the Bad

protein.” [is finding highlights the

importance of gene-diet interactions

in prostate cancer. “Our work

reinforces the idea that the amount

and content of dietary fat can have a

Fish Oils May Help Fight Prostate Cancer Progression

from previous page

Cancer research examines benefits of fish oils

8
9

drastic impact on the health of

animals with identical genetic

profiles,” he added.

Dr. Chen said their research also

suggests the idea that omega-6 and

omega-3 PUFAs “fight” each others’

effects in the body, often producing

opposite effects at the molecular level

in the cells. “[us, it is crucial that

the Western diet move toward the

one-to-one ratio for intake of both

types of fats,” he noted. “We realize

that dietary change for an entire

population is a major challenge, but

for prostate cancer patients, this

takeaway message is much more

critical–omega-3 fatty acids in the

diet may inhibit metastasis.” As a

next step, Dr. Chen is planning a

phase I trial of PUFA diets in

patients with locally advanced

prostate cancer.

Grant number: 5R21CA124511-02

“I can’t find what I am looking for? I

give up.”

“I know the information must be on

this site somewhere!”

“Dis Web site is confusing.”

Have you ever experienced

frustration while trying to find

information on the OCCAM Web

site? If so, you are not alone.

However, starting in September,

visitors to the OCCAM Web site can

expect to see significant changes

made, one section at a time, to the

way information is arranged. [ese

changes will hopefully help people

find the information they are looking

for more quickly and easily than in

the past.

Recognizing the weaknesses of their

online communication, OCCAM’s

Communications and Outreach

Program (COP) conducted some

usability testing of their Web site and

then incorporated the feedback they

received to first improve the Health

Information section of the site. COP

intends to revise the entire site over

the next year and has begun its work

on other sections.

CAM Information

“We understand that patients and their

loved ones are looking to us as an

authority on CAM information for

cancer. Making changes to the Health

Information section of our Web site

was a priority for us,” said Shea

Buckman, M.A., coordinator of COP.

Some of the changes to the Health

Information section include:

■ Reorganizing existing content

into special pages for patients

and health care providers

A More User-friendly OCCAM Web Site

British Journal of Cancer (2006) 94,

842−853.

doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6603030

Published online 7 March 2006 ❧

■ Pulling all of the information on

various CAM therapies into one

location and organizing it

alphabetically

■ Adding new resources from

other government agencies and

NCI’s grantee organizations

■ Replacing large blocks of text

with easy-to-scan links

Overall, the OCCAM Web site will

have the same basic look but be more

user-friendly. In the coming months,

look for additional enhancements to

other sections of the Web site.

To see the new and improved Health

Information section, please visit

www.cancer.gov/cam/health_

index.html. ❧
Meetings

CAM Medical Associations Collaborate in Joint Conference

A group of over 800 physicians,

nurses, homeopaths, naturopaths,

nutritionists, herbalists, and

advocates mingled as a result of Dr.

Hal Blatman, president of the

American Holistic Medical

Association (AHMA), and Dr. Lise

Alschuler, president of the American

Association of Naturopathic

Physicians (AANP), who brought the

two medical associations together for

their first joint conference. “Embody

Nature, Redefine Health” was the

theme of this inaugural event, which

took place in August 13-16, 2008 in

Phoenix, Arizona, and served in the

place of both groups’ annual

conventions.

A common philosophy exists

between the two associations, which

contributed to the success of the

meeting. [e missions of both

AHMA and AANP support an

integrative and holistic approach to

medicine. [e conference was “an

opportunity for like-minded

healthcare professionals to interact,

learn from one another and build our

collective momentum for

transforming health care,” said Dr.

Alschuler.

Sessions and workshops offered at

the conference were divided into

research, clinical practice, oncology,

and poster presentations. Over the

course of four days, presentations on

oncology covered topics such as: the

controversy of soybeans; nonmelanoma skin cancer prevention,

diagnosis, and treatment; a

systematic review and meta-analysis

of melatonin combined with

chemotherapy; and intravenous and

oral therapies in the treatment of

cancer.

A unique feature of AANP that is

different from other CAM

professional societies is a network of

oncology providers called the

OncANP, whose development in

2004 stemmed from growing interest

in the practice of integrative and

non-conventional cancer care.

OncANP seeks to prolong survival

and enhance the quality of life for

cancer patients through clinical

research, standardized instruction on

the subject of oncology at

naturopathic medical schools,

continuing education for

naturopathic physicians, and

accessible knowledge and resources

about naturopathic treatment for

cancer. A panel of OncANP

members was available during a

forum to answer questions about the

needs and concerns of naturopathic

oncologists. Topics included

promoting integration between

naturopaths and oncologists, practice

limitations and opportunities, and

developing new integrative programs.

Another session at the conference

dealt with clinical issues such as

detoxification while undergoing

chemotherapy, drug/herb

interactions, and ethical/legal

concerns when patients choose

naturopathy versus conventional

therapy.

“[roughout the conference sessions

and while talking with other

conference attendees, I experienced a

fruitful sharing of both clinical and

research approaches,” said CDR

Colleen Lee, OCCAM’s Practice

Assessment Program coordinator. ❧

NIH Focuses on Meditation Research

While meditation—focused

breathing or the repetition of words

or phrases to quiet the mind—has

been used for thousands of years,

NIH has only, in recent years, given

concentrated attention to the topic.

On July 8-9, 2008, NCCAM and

counterparts at NIH including NCI,

the National Institute on Aging, the

Office of Behavioral and Social

Sciences (OBSSR), along with the

Canadian Institutes of Health

Research, convened a group of

experts, to discuss the future

direction of meditation research at

the workshop “Meditation for

Health Purposes.”

[is was the second time NIH has

held a meeting on the topic of

meditation. In May of 2004, OBSSR

hosted the “Symposium on

Mindfulness Meditation,” which

provided an opportunity for NIH’s

scientific community to gain a basic

understanding of one type of

meditation, mindfulness meditation.

Four years later, the “Meditation for

Health Purposes” workshop was

convened as a result of the Agency

for Health Research and Quality

report Meditation Practices for Health:

State of Research. [e report, which

was requested and funded by

NCCAM, stated that “the

10
11

therapeutic effects of meditation

practices cannot be established based

on the current literature” because of

the poor quality of the research

methods used. [e goals of the

workshop were, over the course of

two days, to address these findings,

present meditation research on

various health conditions, including

cancer, and collectively propose ways

to improve research on meditation

for health.

“Many patients are interested in

taking more responsibility for their

own health and in developing

healthier lifestyles. Mind-body

interventions, such as meditation,

can be one of the components of

individual health promotion, and

many health care practitioners are

supportive of the use of these

approaches. What we need is a better

understanding of how and when to

use them and also how they work,”

commented OCCAM Director Dr.

Jeffrey D. White.

[e following are examples of NCIsponsored studies that include a

meditative component:

■ Pilot, Randomized Study of

Mindfulness Relaxation Versus

Relaxing Music Versus

Standard Symptom

Management Education in

Patients With Newly

Diagnosed Solid Tumors

Undergoing Chemotherapy

■ Menopause and Meditation

for Breast Cancer Survivors

■ Randomized Study of

Mindfulness-Based Stress

Reduction Versus General

Health Education in

Improving Immune Response

to Human Papilloma Virus in

Patients With Cervical

Dysplasia

■ Yoga-Based Cancer

Rehabilitation Program

■ Cognitive and Behavioral

[erapy or Standard Care in

Patients With Advanced

Gastrointestinal Cancer or

Lung Cancer

■ Phase II Randomized Study of

Hatha Yoga for Persistent

Sleep Disturbance in Cancer

Survivors

■ Effects of Tibetan Yoga on

Fatigue and Sleep in Cancer

■ Randomized Study of Hatha

Yoga in Improving Physical

Activity, Inflammation,

Fatigue, and Distress in

Postmenopausal Female Breast

Cancer Survivors

■ Effects of Yoga in Breast

Cancer Patients

As a result of the “Meditation for

Health Purposes” workshop,

recommendations were made for

research that explores possible

mechanisms of action, efficacy for

both physical and mental health

outcomes, development of

appropriate and sophisticated

research methodologies, and

collaboration amongst various

scientific disciplines. A meeting

summary is available at

http://nccam.nih.gov/news/2008/

070808.htm. ❧

Bioactive Food and Chemoprevention Symposium Supported by NCI

[e first-ever, international

symposium on “Bioactive Food

Components, Alternative Medicine,

and Cancer Chemoprevention,” held

in Greece in October 2007, was

supported, in part, by an R13

conference grant* from OCCAM

and NCCAM. [e 2-day meeting

drew almost 150 attendees and

included presentations and

discussions on recent advances in the

field including studies on prostate

cancer chemoprevention with

genistein and resveratrol, antiinflammatory and antioxidant agents

present in dietary and medicinal

plants, and recent advances in

mechanisms of cancer

chemoprevention by grape seed

extract.

John Milner, Ph.D., chief of NCI’s

Nutritional Sciences Research

Group, delivered a presentation on

“Frontiers in Cancer Prevention by

Bioactive Food Components.” He

also co-chaired the symposium’s

opening session with conference

organizer Shivendra Singh, Ph.D.,

professor at the University of

Pittsburgh School of Medicine and

co-leader of the cancer

biochemoprevention program at the

University of Pittsburgh Cancer

Institute. [e grant from OCCAM

and NCCAM helped partially cover

travel costs of the organizers, invited

speakers, and young investigators, as

well as pay for publicity for the

meeting. Papers from the conference

will be published in Nutrition and

Cancer, Dr. Singh said.

Grant number: 1R13CA132241-01 ❧
To obtain a copy of this newsletter or for inquiries on

cancer and CAM, please contact

1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237).

NIH Publication No. 09-6407

October 2008

Date Meeting Location OCCAM Staff

Attending

*Indicates that an OCCAM staff member will be at the NCI or OCCAM exhibit booth.

Featured Scientific Meetings

September 5, 2008

September 24-26,

2008

September 26-28,

2008

October 15-19, 2008

November 1-2, 2008

November 20-21,

2008

May 29 – June 2,

2009

Heidelberg, Germany

Lexington, KY

San Diego, CA

Las Vegas, NV

New York City, NY

Atlanta, GA

Orlando, FL

Dr. Oluwadamilola

Olaku

Shea Buckman

Dr. Farah Zia

Shea Buckman

Dr. Libin Jia

Shea Buckman

Dr. Farah Zia

Research Working Group on

Case Reports

4th International conference on

Holistic Health and Medicine*

Insulin Potentiation Therapy

Conference

Frontiers in Integrative

Oncology,

American College for

Advancement in Medicine*

2008 New York International

TCM Summit

5th International Conference of

the Society for Integrative

Oncology*

American Society for Clinical

Oncology

12