Comments on: Angiogenesis: A cure for cancer?

By: sailor

sailor — Wed, 19 May 2010 10:35:46 +0000

Some commentators seem to miss his point. The results may be disappointing because it is treatment of well developed cancer.
His suggestion is you need to apply dietary changes well before you have cancer. Obviously studies are needed and if successful, diet may may cut back on cancer cases, but it will not prevent them all. A 50% cut in cancer rate would be terrific, but the other 50% still get it.

By: Swampy

Swampy — Wed, 19 May 2010 08:53:10 +0000

Isn’t this how Avastin (Bevacizumab), Erbitux (Cituximab), and Nexavar (Sorafenib) work? They’ve already been approved for treating metastatic cancer, but give only about 4-6 weeks in additional survival.

I think most of the commenters are correct in thinking this area of research has not panned out as being as effective as hoped.

By: grasshopper

grasshopper — Wed, 19 May 2010 08:31:29 +0000

… a new way to think about treating cancer … preventing the growth of blood vessels that feed a tumor.

My own cancer, of the head-and-neck variety, was treated by using radiotherapy to create scar tissue around the tumors. The blood vessels feeding the tumors could not penetrate the scar tissue, so they withered on the vine, as it were, six and half years ago.

What is ‘new’ about starving a tumor? Or is this about the method of doing so?

By: Mary H

Mary H — Tue, 18 May 2010 23:37:04 +0000

I’ve forwarded it over to my SIL who has colorectal cancer, and is on her third go-around of chemo. They won’t give her any more radiation, and the tumor is currently in her right groin, about the size of 2 tennis balls. It’s pressing on the artery in the groin, and has begun to pierce the bone. If there is a doctor in the Las Vegas area, I hope she can find out more on this. It certainly can’t hurt too much–she’s only got a certain diagnosis of more growth and greater pain otherwise.

By: Orac

Orac — Tue, 18 May 2010 22:46:41 +0000

It’s not woo, but it is a huge exaggeration of what can be done with antiangiogenic therapy.

By: Jared

Jared — Tue, 18 May 2010 20:53:13 +0000

Dr. Francis Markland at USC did some work with anti-angiogenics several years ago. It involved a venom protein from Agkistrodon contortrix. It was given the name “contortrostatin” and it’s quite interesting in being 13 kilodaltons. It also stops metastasis. It also prevents clotting…

By: D. C. Sessions

D. C. Sessions — Tue, 18 May 2010 20:38:24 +0000

For lots more on this subject, head over to Respectful Insolence — Orac is, after all, a cancer researcher and Judah Folkman is his personal hero.

It ain’t nearly that simple.

By: travc

travc — Tue, 18 May 2010 20:34:30 +0000

This was a very hot topic years ago… lots of predictions and promises made which didn’t pan out. Still a good idea, but difficult to get it to actually work well.

Anyways, because something turns out to be trickier than expected doesn’t make it worthless, much less woo.

By: Alex Besogonov

Alex Besogonov — Tue, 18 May 2010 20:16:50 +0000

Heh.

http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,1101940425,00.html?internalid=AC
http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,1101980518,00.html?internalid=AC

Both about antiangiogenesis drugs.

By: NewEnglandBob

NewEnglandBob — Tue, 18 May 2010 19:30:33 +0000

whoo-boy, this looks real. It seems to have studies and regulated(?) trials and respected universities behind it.

I liked his answer to the question – if you have cancer, talk to your doctor about approved drugs and clinical trials. This is not the answer of a quack.

There is a website:
http://www.angio.org