CANCER- BASIC SCIENTIFIC BREAKDOWN

As a clinical immunologist, I help people with four major areas of immune dysfunction: (1) immune deficiency, (2) allergy immunology, (3) autoimmune diseases and (4) cancer immunology. It has clearly been shown that the strength of our immune system directly correlates to our risk of getting cancer and the probability that when the cancer is put into remission, it will STAY IN REMISSION. This is a critical point because many cancers have a propensity to recur, and a cancer recurrence is no fun at all. So it behooves us to take a close look at the structure and functioning of the immune system.

There are two major pathways in our immune system: The TH1 pathway and the TH2 pathway. The TH1 pathway is designed to stimulate the cells that protect us from recurrence of cancer. The cells that actually destroy these cancer cells are things called natural killer cells and cytotoxic lymphocytes. These cells work together to identify and destroy abnormal cells in our system, cancer cells. Each of us develop a certain number of cancer cells every single day. There are specialized blood tests called tumor markers. When you look at a tumor marker test, and it doesn't matter which one you look at, whether it be a CEA, a CA 19-9, CA 27-29, so on and so forth, we all have a normal range. The normal range is zero to some number, not zero to zero. Because through our normal lives, we produce some abnormal cells that contain these abnormal proteins and when the immune system identifies these cells and destroys them, it releases these substances into the blood stream and we can measure it.

When somebody has an active cancer, the cancer cells die almost as fast as they grow. But unfortunately, they grow somewhat faster, which is what gets people in trouble. But the dying cancer cells release these abnormal proteins into the blood stream, these tumor markers, and enables us to roughly approximate the growth of the tumor that the person is suffering from. So, it's not an exact science, but it's pretty accurate, and we correlate that to structural measurements that we get through scans, CAT scans, MRIs, ultrasounds, and the like, and between the two, we're able to correlate the patient's progress and see how things are going.

Once the tumor is put into remission, whether it be through the activities of chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, low-dose fractionated chemotherapy or immunotherapy, then the cancer over a period of time often has a tendency to try to recur because the thing that allowed the cancer to begin with at the very start of things has not been addressed, and that issue was an area of damage to our immune system to begin with. Unfortunately, the treatment step we use nowadays for patients with cancer, chemotherapy and radiation all increase the level of damage and dysfunction to our immune system, which is kind of a Catch-22 if you will, but nonetheless, there we go.

So it behooves us, that once the cancer's put into remission, to take a close look at the structure and function of the immune system to identify and repair the damage that initially allowed the person to get cancer to begin with, and to repair its functioning so that it can actively look for, seek, and destroy any abnormal cells that are starting to come back. This could be done through specialized blood tests to identify the holes in the immune system, and then the use of nutraceuticals and certain pharmaceuticals, as the case may be, along with diet and lifestyle changes to restore immune competency, so the person can have a long and healthy life. Look to the immune system. 

..........................................................................................................................................................

DR. JESSE A. STOFF is an internationally renowned physician with extensive credentials in clinical immunology and holistic medicine. A graduate of New York Medical College, he pursued extensive post-doctoral training including a fellow- ship at the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital in London, England. He has authored/co-authored countless articles and 8 books including co-authoring the bestseller "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: The Hidden Epidemic" and The Prostate Miracle.

This article is produced and written by the writing team at IMMUNOLOGY TODAY- The Official Newsletter of Integrative Medicine of N.Y. of Westbury NY-- Edited and co-published by Dr. Jesse A. Stoff exclusively for the purposes of this blogpost (Immunology Today) and rejuvenatesoliutions.com The publisher(s) hold all rights (c) to all elements, images and content herein.  All distribution, sharing or re-posting of this article is only with the express permission from Dr. Stoff and Integrative Medicine of NY (formerly Linchitz Medical Wellness). 265 Post Ave. Suite 380 Westbury, NY 11590  |  516.759.4200  |  www.StoffImmunology.com.   Rejuvenate! is a registered trademark of Intermedia Communications Ltd. All written content in this newsletter is produced by the Stoff Institute for Medical Research (SIMR) exclusively for private distribution at the Integrative Medicine of NY ©2016- All Rights Reserved.

DISCLAIMER: All information provided in this article is intended as general public information and is not intended to treat or cure any disease or disorder. Dr. Jesse A. Stoff, Integrative medicine of NY, nor any individual or practitioner associated with the publishing of this article is not liable for any damages resulting from the use of the information on this article. As a visitor of this blogsite, you acknowledge and agree that any reliance on or use by you of any information available on this Internet web site shall be entirely at your own risk. In no event shall the owner or operator be liable for any direct, indirect, consequential or exemplary damages arising from the use or the performance of this Internet web site, even if the owner or operator has been advised of the possibility of such damages. While every attempt has been made to verify the information on this website, neither the owners, distributors, agents, publishers or their affiliates assume any responsibility or liability for any error, inaccuracies, omissions in the same, or related to results from use of these materials. No party is liable for any direct, incidental, consequential, indirect, or punitive damages arising out of your access to, or use of this blogsite and the contents herein.