A research was done on how people deal with terminal brain cancer – points of view of both patient and their care givers. Interviews were done on seven patients who have terminal brain cancer, and 22 loved ones who are supporting and are serving as the patients’ care givers. The questions prepared aims to get a better understanding on what is important to the patients and their families when it comes to treatment options. The major themes that resulted from the interviews are as follows:

- brain cancer is a unique disease because it affects all aspects of one’s physical and psychological being.

(source)

In addition, patient may require treatment of other problems that arise from the main illness or as side effects of therapy. This is called supportive care.

Craniotomy is the surgical opening of the skull to access the brain. It is done under general anesthesia. The patient’s head is shaved, after which the surgeon makes the first incision. The surgeon then uses a special saw to remove a piece of bone from the skull. After removing part or all of the tumor, the surgeon covers the opening in the skull with that piece of bone or with a piece of metal or fabric. The surgeon then closes the incision in the scalp.

Side effects of surgery include headache, tiredness, edema or swelling in the brain, and infection.

Cancer cells and normal cells are known to respond differently to nutrients and drugs that affect glutathione status.

Numerous studies have shown that tumor cells have elevated levels of glutathione levels, which confers resistance to chemotherapy drugs.

One of the challenges of cancer therapy is how to deplete tumor cells of glutathione, so as to make them more vulnerable to the effects of chemotherapy drugs, while at the same time allowing normal cells to remain relatively unaffected by chemotherapeutic drugs.

A number of new findings have emerged that take into consideration the role of glutathione in pathways that promote programmed cell death (apoptosis) in cancer cells.

A German study has reported that glutathione (GSH) plays a critical role in cellular mechanisms that result in cell death. The study found that cancer cells resistant to apoptosis had higher intracellular GSH levels.

Depletion of glutathione in these tumor cells made them more vulnerable to the effects of anticancer drugs or the gene that promotes apoptosis (CD95 or APO-1/Fas). The researchers concluded that apoptosis resistance in tumor cells depends, at least in part, on intracellular GSH levels. (1)

In another study conducted in Spain, researchers found that lowering GSH concentration may be convenient not only for the efficiency of chemotherapy, but also to induce a rather fast and direct apoptosis mechanism in tumor cells. (2)

Based on that premise that the glutathione-S-transferase enzyme is expressed at high levels in many tumors, researchers at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Pennsylvania, went on to design a novel prodrug (PABA/NO).

The glutathione-s-transferase in tumor cells converts PABA/NO to lethal nitric oxide, resulting in death of the tumor cell. The prodrug was shown to have antitumor effects in an animal model for human ovarian cancer. (3)

In the fourth study, Polish researchers found that ingesting a selenium supplement is beneficial, as a supportive element in chemotherapy. (4)

Selenium is a co-factor of the enzyme glutathione peroxidase [GSH-P(x)] and was found to significantly increase the activity of GSH-P(x) in patients reciving the supplement.

A previous clinical study by the same researchers recommended the administration of selenium in patients with ovarian cancer undergoing multi-drug chemotherapy. (5)

Another interesting study by researchers in Texas showed that your chances of surviving a type of brain cancer, called primary malignant glioma, could depend on the type of glutathione-s-transferase (GST) gene you were born with.

Having a combination of a two specific variants of GST (germ-line GSTP1*A/*A and GSTM1 null genotype) confers a survival advantage in some types of brain cancers, but also comes with an increased risk of adverse events related to chemotherapy. (6)

There is compelling evidence to suggest a crucial role for glutathione and substances that target glutathione metabolism in the prevention and treatment of cancer.

Undenatured whey protein is one of the natural foods known to selectively deplete cancer cells of their glutathione, thus making them more susceptible to such cancer treatments as radiation and chemotherapy.

For a complete report on the research on undenatured whey protein and cancer see the report Glutathione (GSH) and Whey Protein in Cancer.

http://www.1whey2health.com/cancer_glutathione.htm

Disclaimer: The information here is not provided by medical professionals and is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. Please consult your physician before beginning any course of treatment.

References:

1. Friesen C et al. [Cell Death and Differentiation advance online publication, 23 April 2004]

2. Tormos C et al. [Cancer Lett. 2004 May 10;208(1):103-13.]

3. Findlay VJ et al. [Mol Pharmacol. 2004 May;65(5):1070-9.]

4. Sieja K et al. [Gynecol Oncol. 2004 May;93(2):320-327.]

5. Sieja K. [Pharmazie. 1998 Jul;53(7):473-6.]

6. Okcu MF et. al. [Clin Cancer Res. 2004 Apr 15;10(8):2618-25.]

Copyright ? 2004 Priya Shah

Description

Brain cancer is a tumor or tumors that form on the brain itself. Most brain tumors have spread to the brain from other affected parts of the body (such as the breast or the lung) via the blood-stream. Only a small percentage of brain cancer cases originate in the brain.

In its early stages, brain cancer often produces no symptoms, or it displays symptoms that are mistaken for everyday headaches. As a result, the condition is often quite advanced before it is detected. Brain cancer is a very serious condition that can cause extensive neurological damage or death.

The exact cause of brain cancer is unknown, but heredity is suspected to play a role in its development.

Signs and Symptoms

Brain cancer is usually asymptomatic until the tumor reaches a certain size. At that point, symptoms include:

Persistent headaches

Vomiting

General weakness, or localized weakness in the arms or legs

Loss of coordination

Dizziness

Change in personality

Loss of mental abilities, including memory

Double vision, or loss of vision

Seizures

Conventional Medical Treatment

If you suspect you have a brain tumor, see a physician immediately. A CAT scan or MRI of the head can usually confirm the presence of a tumor and pinpoint its location. If a tumor is found, the physician may take a CAT scan of the chest and abdomen to make sure the cancer has not affected other areas of the body. If the tumor is localized and is situated in an area where removal is possible (on the outer surface of the brain, for example), surgery may be performed. However, some tumors-particularly those located deep within the brain tissue-cannot be operated on. In these cases, radiation and chemotherapy will be used to destroy cancerous cells. (See “Conventional Medical Treatment” in the “Bladder Cancer” entry for more information on radiation and chemotherapy.)

Complementary and Alternative Treatments

Traditional Chinese Medicine

Acupressure By pressing on certain acupressure points along the body’s meridians, a practitioner may be able to reduce cancer-related pain and headaches.

Chinese Herbal Therapy Traditional Chinese Medicine considers any type of tumor formation the result of stagnant blood, so a practitioner may recommend formulas that energize blood flow and strengthen the immune system, such as Ginseng and Astragals Formula. In cases of brain cancer, an herbalist may prescribe the Chinese formula called Three Yellows.

Instead of CT scan, the MRI scan is used for suspected brain tumors because MRI has a higher sensitivity for detecting the presence of, or changes within, a tumor. Most institutions, though still use the CT scan as the first diagnostic test.

Skull x-rays are not any more widely used to diagnose brain cancer.

You will be referred to a specialist in brain surgery if your scans indicate the presence of a brain tumor. You should also be referred to a specialist in brain tumors (neuro-oncologist).

Next step is to confirm that you have a cancer. A biopsy (a small sample of the tumor) is taken to identify the type of tumor. The most widely used technique for obtaining a biopsy is surgery, in which the skull is opened. The intention is to remove the whole tumor if possible. A biopsy is then taken from the tumor.

If the surgeon is not able to remove the whole tumor, the surgeon takes a small piece of the tumor.

There are some cases when it is possible to collect a biopsy without the need to open the skull. Using CT or MRI scans while the head is held still in a frame, the exact location of the tumor is determined stereotactically. A small hole is then made in the skull and a needle guided through the hole to the tumor. The needle collects the biopsy and is removed. This is called stereotaxis, or stereotactic biopsy.

The biopsy is examined under a microscope by a pathologist–a physician who specializes in diagnosing diseases by looking at tissues and cells.

The most famous brain cancer treatment is chemotherapy. It involves the use of drugs, which may be given through injection or taken orally, to kill the cancer cells. Sometimes, the surgeon implants medicated wafer with chemotherapy drugs during surgery. After removing the tumor and closing the surgery wound, the wafer will melt and release poison to the surrounding tissues to kill more cancer cells that may be left during the operation.

Some side effects may include nausea and vomiting, fever and chills, weakness and loss of appetite. The treatment is spaced and scheduled at regular intervals to allow the patient time to recover.

Primary brain cancer has the growth contained within the brain and has not resulted from sickness in another part of the body. Metastatic brain cancer on the other hand, has cancer cells from other organs/parts of the body traveling through any one body’s transport system. Once in the brain, it anchors itself and grows leading to cancer.