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I have often said that preventing metastasis is our first priority. Many of us walked around for some time with prostate cancer cells in our gland and had no idea. In other words, if it stays in the gland, and we can manage to keep it there for 20 or 30 more years what does having it matter? I certainly don't mean to sound flipant but everything seems to indicate that this disease becomes a threat to our lives when, and ONLY when, it moves or starts to grow somewhere else in our body. So, along with all of the strategies I've collected, I've looked specifically for tools or skills I could apply right away simply to buy myself more time while I made bigger changes and learned new skills. Hence this page:

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My investigation into these nutritional items includes these quotations:

Modified Citrus Pectin

"Pectin is a complex carbohydrate (polysaccharide) found in virtually all plants. Pectin helps to bind cells together and provides a structural framework for maintaining the shape and integrity of cell membranes. Recently, a modified form of citrus pectin derived from the pulp and peel of citrus fruits has been shown to attach to cancer cells to prevent them from spreading throughout the body, pointing the way to a potentially safe approach for preventing or reducing cancer metastases."

"Researchers in the US and Sweden have slowed the spread of human breast cancer cells in mice treated with a modified form of protein, galectin-3, that aids cancerous cells in lodging in other parts of the body. It’s when tumors spread to essential organs, such as the liver or lung, that they become fatal.

Galectin-3 plays a vital role in cancer formation by promoting cell-to-cell adhesion. “The idea was to break that contact and inhibit secondary cancer formation,” stated Gary Jarvis of the University of California in San Francisco. “If we can stop metastasis in humans, we will have gone a long way towards successfully treating cancer.” His team removed the key part of galectin-3 that normally allows cells to stick to each other. The modified protein also occupies the site on a cell’s surface blocking normal galectin-3 from binding. This stops cells from adhering to each other.

“We were able to significantly reduce the spread of the disease and decrease tumor growth without any evidence of toxicity,” according to Jarvis. The modified protein more than halved the number of mice that developed metastatic tumors. The growth of the implanted tumors was also significantly less in mice treated with the modified protein compared to the control mice. “It’s not only affecting metastasis, it’s reducing the primary tumor a lot.”

“We’re not trying to develop a cure for cancer,” says Jarvis. “What we’re trying to do is make cancer a disease that one can live with.

Clin Cancer Res. 2003 Jun;9(6):2374-83

Larch Arabinogalactan

"Larch arabinogalactan refers to a polysaccharide derived from wood of the Western larch or Larix occidentalis. While larch AG is important for digestive health it has received even more attention for its ability to promote the health of the immune system. Larch AG seems to enhance immune response and may be termed a biological response modifier.

Larch AG may be important in cancer treatment protocols due to its ability to block the metastasis of tumor cells to the liver, and to stimulate NK cell cytotoxicity. Tumor metastasis to the liver is more common than to other organ sites. AG has been shown to reduce tumor cell colonization and increase survival time of subjects with various cancers. Incidentally, modified citrus pectin has the same anti-metastatic mechanism of action as larch AG, but does not provide the immune-modulating effects.

LEARN MORE about Larch AG

Coriolus Mushrooms

The cell wall extract from Coriolus versicolor has been clinically proven to stimulate and enhance the effectiveness of the bodies own natural defenses, a critically important step in maintaining good health.

In one particular study Coriolus polysaccharides were given to both healthy volunteers and to patients with gastric cancer, and the polysaccharides stimulated a significant immune response within 24 hours.(15) In another study workers in a chemical plant were given the polysaccharides for a period of eight weeks. Significant enhancement of NK cell activity was noted along with other significant improvements in immune parameters, with the study concluding that Coriolus polysaccharides "potentiate the immunity of non-tumor bearing individuals with depressed immunity."

"Coriolus is the top selling medicinal mushroom in Japan and, worldwide, one of the supplements used most often by those people facing serious immune challenges."

Researching my own needs I've discovered these products from one source. If you will click on the graphic below, you'll find the product AND more research behind it.

LEARN MORE about Larch AG

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Dear Reader, This IS the supplement that I use in my daily nutritional program.