CYBERMED LIFE - ORGANIC  & NATURAL LIVING

Chemotherapy-Induced Toxicity

Chemotherapy-Induced ToxicityChemotherapy toxicity is a common and unfortunate consequence of therapy that can occur even at usual doses. Chemotherapy acts by damaging cancer cells; however, normal cells are susceptible to damage as well, and when this occurs chemotherapy toxicity ensues. Often these toxicities warrant emergency care. Timely recognition and appropriate management of chemotherapy toxicity is imperative.

  • A randomized, controlled clinical trial of the homeopathic medication TRAUMEEL S in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced stomatitis in children undergoing stem cell transplantation.

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    Abstract Title:

    A randomized, controlled clinical trial of the homeopathic medication TRAUMEEL S in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced stomatitis in children undergoing stem cell transplantation.

    Abstract Source:

    Cancer. 2001 Aug 1;92(3):684-90. PMID: 11505416

    Abstract Author(s):

    M Oberbaum, I Yaniv, Y Ben-Gal, J Stein, N Ben-Zvi, L S Freedman, D Branski

    Article Affiliation:

    The Institute of Research on Complementary Medicine, The Center of Integrated Complementary Medicine, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, P.O. Box 3235, Jerusalem 91031, Israel. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    Abstract:

    BACKGROUND:Stomatitis is a common consequence of chemotherapy and a condition for which there is little effective treatment. Although the management of patients with other chemotherapy-related toxicities has improved in recent years, the incidence of stomatitis is increasing because of more intensive treatment and is often a dose limiting factor in chemotherapy. The authors assessed the efficacy of a homeopathic remedy, TRAUMEEL S(R), in the management of chemotherapy-induced stomatitis in children undergoing bone marrow transplantation.

    METHODS:A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial was conducted in 32 patients ages 3-25 years who had undergone allogeneic (16 patients) or autologous (16 patients) stem cell transplantation. Of the 30 evaluable patients, 15 were assigned placebo, and 15 were assigned TRAUMEEL S both as a mouth rinse, administered five times daily from 2 days after transplantation for a minimum of 14 days, or until at least 2 days after all signs of stomatitis were absent. Stomatitis scores were evaluated according to the World Health Organization grading system for mucositis.

    RESULTS:A total of five patients (33%) in the TRAUMEEL S treatment group did not develop stomatitis compared with only one patient (7%) in the placebo group. Stomatitis worsened in only 7 patients (47%) in the TRAUMEEL S treatment group compared with 14 patients (93%) in the placebo group. The mean area under the curve stomatitis scores were 10.4 in the TRAUMEEL S treatment group and 24.3 in the placebo group. This difference was statistically significant (P<0.01).

    CONCLUSIONS:This study indicates that TRAUMEEL S may reduce significantly the severity and duration of chemotherapy-induced stomatitis in children undergoing bone marrow transplantation.

  • Acute exercise protects against doxorubicin cardiotoxicity📎

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    Abstract Title:

    Acute exercise protects against doxorubicin cardiotoxicity.

    Abstract Source:

    Integr Cancer Ther. 2008 Sep;7(3):147-54. PMID: 18815146

    Abstract Author(s):

    Karen Y Wonders, David S Hydock, Carole M Schneider, Reid Hayward

    Article Affiliation:

    Department of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio, USA.

    Abstract:

    Numerous methods have been used to minimize the cardiotoxic effects of the chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin (DOX), and most have had limited success. Chronic endurance exercise has been shown to protect against DOX cardiotoxicity, but little is known regarding the effects of acute exercise on DOX-induced cardiac dysfunction.

    PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a single bout of acute endurance exercise on the cardiac dysfunction associated with DOX treatment.

    METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats either performed an acute exercise bout on a motorized treadmill for 60 minutes at a maximal speed of 25 m/min with a 5% grade (EX) or remained sedentary (SED) 24 hours before receiving either a 15-mg/kg DOX bolus dose or saline (SAL). Cardiac function was then analyzed 5 days post injection using a Langendorff isolated perfused heart model. In addition, myocardial lipid peroxidation was analyzed as an indicator of oxidative stress.

    RESULTS: Doxorubicin treatment alone (SED+DOX) promoted a significant decline in end-systolic pressure (-35%), left ventricular developed pressure (-59%), and the maximal rate of left ventricular pressure development (-43%) as well as a 45% increase in lipid peroxidation products when compared with SED+SAL (P<.05). Acute exercise 24 hours before DOX treatment, however, had a cardioprotective effect, as end-systolic pressure, left ventricular developed pressure, and the maximal rate of left ventricular pressure development were significantly higher in EX+DOX compared with SED+DOX (P<.05) and EX+DOX had similar levels of lipid peroxidation products as SED+SAL

    CONCLUSIONS: An acute exercise bout performed 24 hours before DOX treatment protected against cardiac dysfunction, and this exercise-induced cardioprotection may partly be explained by a reduction in the generation of reactive oxygen species.

  • Guided imagery interventions for symptom management.

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    Abstract Title:

    Guided imagery interventions for symptom management.

    Abstract Source:

    Annu Rev Nurs Res. 1999 ;17:57-84. PMID: 10418653

    Abstract Author(s):

    L S Eller

    Abstract:

    For the past several decades, papers in the nursing literature have advocated the use of cognitive interventions in clinical practice. Increasing consumer use of complementary therapies, a cost-driven health care system, and the need for evidence-based practice all lend urgency to the validation of the efficacy of these interventions. This review focuses specifically on guided imagery intervention studies identified in the nursing, medical and psychological literature published between 1966 and 1998. Included were 46 studies of the use of guided imagery for management of psychological and physiological symptoms. There is preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of guided imagery in the management of stress, anxiety and depression, and for the reduction of blood pressure, pain and the side effects of chemotherapy. Overall, results of this review demonstrated a need for systematic, well-designed studies, which explore several unanswered questions regarding the use of guided imagery. These include the effects of different imagery language, symptoms for which guided imagery is effective, appropriate and sensitive outcome measures, method of delivery of the intervention and optimum dose and duration of the intervention, and individual factors that influence its effectiveness.

  • Maitake beta-glucan enhances granulopoiesis and mobilization of granulocytes by increasing G-CSF production and modulating CXCR4/SDF-1 expression.

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    Abstract Title:

    Maitake beta-glucan enhances granulopoiesis and mobilization of granulocytes by increasing G-CSF production and modulating CXCR4/SDF-1 expression.

    Abstract Source:

    Int Immunopharmacol. 2009 Jun 30. PMID: 19573626

    Abstract Author(s):

    Koichi Ito, Yuki Masuda, Yoshihiko Yamasaki, Yoshinobu Yokota, Hiroaki Nanba

    Abstract:

    Previous studies have presented that Maitake beta-glucan (MD-Fraction) extracted from the fruit body of Grifola frondosa has an anti-tumor effect by activating the immune system. Recently, the stimulating effects of beta-glucans on hematopoiesis were identified as new characteristics of polysaccharides, possibly helping to relieve the immunosuppression which results from chemotherapies. We demonstrated that the production of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) was significantly enhanced by MD-Fraction (8mg/kg, i.p.) in granulocytopenic model induced in mice using cyclophosphamide (200mg/kg, i.p.). In addition, MD-Fraction induced a biphasic increase in the number of granulocytes in the spleen. The mechanism for the increase in granulocytes on the early phase on day 1 might involve the increased mRNA expression of macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2), in the splenic cells, thereby recruiting granulocytes into the spleen. Interestingly, a decline of myeloid progenitors in the bone marrow and an increase in granulocytes in the peripheral blood were observed on day 5, suggesting a mobilization of granulocytes and their progenitors from the bone marrow to the peripheral blood. We confirmed that a possible mechanism in which MD-Fraction promoted the mobilization of granulocytes and their progenitors from the bone marrow is down-regulating the expression of the chemokine receptor, CXCR4, and its ligand, stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1) in the bone marrow microenvironment. These results reveal a novel function of Maitake beta-glucan that enhances the granulopoiesis and mobilization of granulocytes and their progenitors by stimulating G-CSF production. This finding presents opportunities to develop new therapeutic strategies against the immunosuppression caused by chemotherapies in cancer patients.

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