ritasharma's Contributions on Melanoma

No one is going to tell you that fighting and beating late stage melanoma is easy. But the fact is this: many people before you have beaten it, and you can too! You have the power and the tools to do it and you have every right to believe in yourself and your own strength to win the fight.

This is not just a pep rally, it’s the truth. And beyond that, there’s real scientific evidence that suggests that people who believe in themselves accomplish more, even beating cancer more often.

Read my blog entry where I talk about the power of mind over matter: http://www. foundhealth.com/blog/2011/04/the-power-of-will-and-mind-over-matter-in-life-and-health/

Also check out the page on the power of a positive attitude and believing in yourself.

Back to the main article of Mike Rosenthal's Strategy to Beat melanoma

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No one is going to tell you that fighting and beating late stage melanoma is easy. But the fact is this: many people before you have beaten it, and you can too! You have the power and the tools to do it and you have every right to believe in yourself and your own strength to win the fight.

This is not just a pep rally, it’s the truth. And beyond that, there’s real scientific evidence that suggests that people who believe in themselves accomplish more, even beating cancer more often.

Read my blog entry where I talk about the power of mind over matter.

Also check out the page on the power of a positive attitude and believing in yourself.

Back to the main article of Mike Rosenthal's Strategy to Beat melanoma

... (more)

No one is going to tell you that fighting and beating late stage melanoma is easy. But the fact is this: many people before you have beaten it, and you can too! You have the power and the tools to do it and you have every right to believe in yourself and your own strength to win the fight.

This is not just a pep rally, it’s the truth. And beyond that, there’s real scientific evidence that suggests that people who believe in themselves accomplish more, even beating cancer more often.

Read my blog entry where I talk about the power of mind over matter.

Also check out the page on the power of a positive attitude and believing in yourself.

Back to the main article of Mike Rosenthal's Strategy to Beat melanoma

... (more)

Clear Click here to see a list doctors that our community members recommend based on personal, positive experience. Click on the doctor to learn more about them.

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Testing the publishing of a new section.

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This resources page is a place for people to post information about helpful resources (people, doctors, clinics, books, videos, blogs, forums, etc.) in the battle to fight melanoma.

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Herbs have been used in melanoma treatment, and the management of its side effects for over 50 years. In fact, herbs have been used in many forms of medicine like Chinese, Indian, African, and more for centuries to treat cancer, or symptoms of cancer.

Herbs Used In Melanoma Treatment

In some cases, scientific studies have shown a positive effect of using herbs for treatment, or as part of an overall melanoma treatment protocol. In other cases, while there have been no scientific studies demonstrating a positive effect, many cancer patients have used these herbs and believed them to be helpful. Typically, these herbs are considered helpful in the treatment of melanoma because they can sometimes stop the growth of melanoma tumors, or stop the spreading of melanoma throughout the body (i.e. they have an “antiproliferative effect”). Here are some of the most popular herbs used in the treatment of melanoma.

Maitake mushroom extract boosts the immune system and can help to either limit or reverse tumor growth. It is also said to enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy and lower some side effects of anti-cancer drugs, such as hair loss, pain, and nausea. Read more about Maitake and melanoma.
AHCC (brand name ImmPower) is believed to stimulate the immune system to help fight melanoma (and other cancers). It has also been shown to mitigate some chemotherapy side effects and enhance the effectiveness of at least one chemical. Read more about AHCC (ImmPower).
EGCG
Cordycepts
Chinese Dandelion Root
Genistein
Curcumin

Herbs Used In Managing Side-effects from Melanoma Treatments

There are many side effects and complications that come from melanoma, and more importantly, from some of the drug and medical treatments commonly used in fighting melanoma. Some side effects and herbs that could be helpful in managing them:

Low Blood Cell Counts: Many treatments can affect the body's ability to produce enough blood cells such as red cells, white cells and platelets. Chemotherapies, in particular, will kill both cancer cells and "good" cells. It does not differentiate between the two types of rapidly dividing cells--it attacks all of them. During chemotherapy, your body's ability to naturally produce the "good" cells is hampered. There exist herbs that may be helpful in stimulating the production of these blood cells.
Nausea: Some melanoma treatments can cause nausea. Some nausea is the result of your body's immediate reaction to the treaments. Other nausea is a result of your body's detoxifying organs (liver, kidneys, bladder) becoming overwhelmed with the large burden of toxin and waste that can be produced during treatment. Different herbs can help with each type of nausea associated with melanoma treatments.
Pain: Pain and discomfort are a common side effect of melanoma treatments. While there are a variety of pain medication that your doctor may give you, several herbs have been shown to be helpful in pain management while undergoing treatment for melanoma.

Herbs Used In Prevention of Melanoma

A variety of herbs have been used for the purpose of melanoma prevention. In some cases they are used in prevention only because they may help prevent a primary melanoma tumor from forming, however, they may not have any positive effect once that tumor has already formed. Some herbs, however, can be helpful with prevention and treatment.

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The Maitake mushroom, and in particular the Maitake D-fraction extract is believed by some to boost the immune system in ways that and can help to limit or reverse melanoma tumor growth (1). It is also said to enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy (7) and other melanoma treatments to lower some side effects of anti-cancer drugs, such as hair loss, pain, and nausea. Maitake may be particularly effective in the treatment of melanoma because melanoma is one of the few cancers that has shown a response (i.e. shrinking tumors, or the stoppage of spreading) when certain elements of the immune system are boosted or better supported.

Maitake D-Fraction#Fraction

Maitake-D fraction is a part of the Maitake mushroom that was first isolated by Hiroaki Nanba, PhD, of Kobe Pharmaceutical University in Japan, and is believed to be the chemical in Maitake that is responsible for the anti-cancer and anti-melanoma effects.

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The Maitake mushroom, and in particular the Maitake D-fraction extract is believed by some to boost the immune system in ways that and can help to limit or reverse melanoma tumor growth (1). It is also said to enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy (7) and other melanoma treatments to lower some side effects of anti-cancer drugs, such as hair loss, pain, and nausea. Maitake may be particularly effective in the treatment of melanoma because melanoma is one of the few cancers that has shown a response (i.e. shrinking tumors, or the stoppage of spreading) when certain elements of the immune system are boosted or better supported.

Maitake D-Fraction

Maitake-D fraction is a part of the Maitake mushroom that was first isolated by Hiroaki Nanba, PhD, of Kobe Pharmaceutical University in Japan, and is believed to be the chemical in Maitake that is responsible for the anti-cancer and anti-melanoma effects.

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There are several factors that are believed to be the effects of Maitake on melanoma:

* Stimulation of the immune system*: Maitake has been show to stimulate Natural Killer (NK) cell activity (1). NK cells are an important type of immune system cell that can attack and kill cancer. This effect is particularly important for melanoma patients because melanoma is one of the few cancers that has been shown to respond to (i.e. be reduced or eliminated) by stimulation of difference immune cells.

Anti-Angiogenesis Effect: In order for a tumor to grow, it needs to set up its own set of blood vessels, a process called angiogenesis (4). Hence, if you can stop this process with substances that have anti- angiogenesis, it makes it much harder for cancers like melanoma to spread. Beta-Glucans have been shown to have an anti- angiogenesis effect (5,6), and Maitake D-Fraction contains these Beta-Glucans.

Use with Chemotherapy: Maitake mushrooms have been studied in Japan used in conjunction with chemotherapy (7). The effect was very positive in some cancers (ex. liver and lung). This effect is generally believed to come from the fact that chemotheraphy tends to repress the immune system. However, Maitake stimulates the immune system. Since melanoma is one of the few cancers that can be fought with immune stimulation, it is possible that taking Maitake while going through chemotherapy can be helpful.

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(1) Effect of Maitake {Grifola frondosa} D-Fraction on the activation of NK cells in cancer patients. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14977447.

This study essentially demonstrates that Maitake mushroom extract (Maitake-D Fraction) can help stimulate and activate NK cells – cells which can play a significant effect in your body’s ability to fight cancer and melanoma.

(2): Administration of a polysaccharide from Grifola frondosa stimulates immune function of normal mice. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15298759

This is probably one of the most important studies that Dr. Nanba and his team performed on Maitake and cancer. The evidence shows that Maitake can help boost the immune system in mice. While this isn’t a guarantee that it works in humans, it is often the case, which is why mice are used for studies.

(3): Inhibitory effect of MD-Fraction on tumor metastasis: involvement of NK cell activation and suppression of intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 expression in lung vascular endothelial cells. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18520039

This is a more recent study where mice were given Maitake D extract before having melanoma introduced to them. The Maitake D prevented the melanoma cells from spreading to the lungs.

(4) Preuss HG, Konno S. Maitake Magic, 2002; Freedom Press, Topanga CA.

(5.) Mansell PW, Ichinose H, Reed RJ, Krementz ET, McNamee R, and DiLuzio NR. "Macrophage-mediated destruction of human malignant cell in vivo." J Nation Cancer Inst, 1975; 54:571-580.

(6.) Mansell PW, DiLuzio NR, McNamee R, Cowden G, and Proctor JW. "Recognition factors and non specific macrophage activation in the treatment of neoplastic diseases." Ann NY Acad Sci, 1976; 277:20-44.

(7) Nanba, Hiroaki. "Results of Non-Controlled Clinical Study for Various Cancer Patients Using Maitake D-Fraction," Explore! (6)5, 1995.

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There are several factors that are believed to be the effects of Maitake on melanoma:

Stimulation of the immune system: Maitake has been show to stimulate Natural Killer (NK) cell activity (1). NK cells are an important type of immune system cell that can attack and kill cancer. This effect is particularly important for melanoma patients because melanoma is one of the few cancers that has been shown to respond to (i.e. be reduced or eliminated) by stimulation of difference immune cells.