These adjuvant treatments present approaches to boost immune system function, inhibit cancer cell division, induce cancer cells to differentiate back into mature cells, inhibit cancer cell metastases, prevent angiogenesis, and modulate the effect of hormones on cancer cell growth. These studies also reveal complementary methods for reducing the toxicity and the suppression of the immune system for both chemotherapy and radiation therapy. It is impossible to completely describe all the mechanisms of action for the nutrients and hormones recommended in this Cancer Treatment protocol. What follows are discussion and studies that substantiate key recommendations of the protocol. The inclusion of certain nutrients in the following descriptions does not mean that they are more important than nutrients such as vitamin C and selenium, which are not discussed because of lack of space.
Many cancers require aggressive conventional therapies.
The Life Extension Foundation has not found an effective alternative therapy that is sufficiently potent to shrink large primary or widely disseminated cancer. Treatment of such advanced tumors may yet require conventional therapies such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery. Cancer patients should insist that their oncologists accept their desire to support their immune systems with nutritional therapies and the benefits of using such protocols to assist the conventional medicine. The Foundation emphasizes the importance of regular tumor marker testing to measure and monitor cancer status and therapy. Patients should establish with their doctors a planned schedule for cancer testing to monitor their progress during treatment.