In a previous post I talked about whether an alcohol/water extract of raw ginger root could positively impact the kill rate of cancers – particularly ovarian cancer.
In that post I pasted a couple of charts that showed a change in slope of lines that model an actual patient’s CA125 levels as her therapy progressed. This change in slope suggests that something increased the kill rate for this patient’s tumors, and a review of changes in this patient’s treatment regimen indicated that the change in slope occured around the time that the patient started taking the ginger supplement.
HOWEVER, in that post I also mentioned the fact that another event that might correlate with the change was the starting of Neulasta injections 24 hours after each chemo session.
I can make what I believe to be a convincing case for either the ginger supplement or Neulasta. Or, perhaps both interact with each other. I simply don’t know because no further studies have been performed.
Neulasta’s product insert clearly cautions that there is a possibility of stimulation of gCSF receptors and increased tumor growth. However, the consensus in the literature in the USA is that Neulasta does NOT cause ovarian tumors to grow. And I can accept that finding. However, studies that have been published elsewhere in the world have shown that about 50% of ovarian tumors have gCSF receptors.
IF Neulasta was involved in the change observed for the patient I referenced earlier I would hypothesize that the gCSF receptors are activated, and in some way this forced the tumors to try to reproduce and/or blocked cell cycle pauses that allow tumor cells to repair the damage done by chemo agents like carboplatin.
If I was being treated for ovarian cancer – and maybe other solid tumor cancers – I would seriously consider taking the ginger supplement that I posted the recipe for previously and Neulasta injections 24 hours after chemo administration.
Of course, I’m a pharmacist – not a physician. You must talk to your physician before starting any new supplements or medications. And, if your doctor and you decide to try the ginger supplement you must follow the rules laid out in the posts associated with it. Do NOT assume ginger is not a powerful substance.
I think you are handling this the right way, by having it figured out and not taking “no answer” for an answer. I just survived Stage 2B Cervical Cancer which had spread into my lymph nodes and soft tissues/tendons and muscles, at age 27. I just wanted to say that while I don’t know much about Ovarian cancer, I have many new friends who are Ovarian/Cervical/Uterine/other gyn cancer SURVIVORS…if this is what you have, please don’t panic. My Medicaid social worker has been so sweet and helpful to me, she told me this…. . “When you worry and get upset, you are only releasing the bad hormones into your body that help the cancer to grow.” . . When I get myself worked up, I remind myself of what she said and it helps me to calm down a lot. I hope that you do not have cancer but just know that if you do, there are very advanced treatments and you will survive it with a positive attitude and by taking the best of care of your body before during and after treatments.. . Also they often use Cisplatin for gynecologic cancers, thats what I had and I did not lose my hair. It did get a little thinner but it was completely unnoticeable, it was evenly thinned. I’ve been told that Cisplatin does not cause complete hair loss.. . Radiation is uncomfortable, causes your skin to be sore, pelvic radiation causes stomach pains, I now have acid reflux that I never had before.. . But if this means no cancer I would do it all over again.. . Best wishes, I will pray that you won’t have to go thru this.
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