Wow… what an event to remember. But the frist of many to come. I hope you’ll continue to support our efforts.

With “Bridging the Gap”, the Alma J. Cameron Foundation (AJCF) launches its inaugural campaign against cancer. This event catalyzes a much-needed conversation about lung cancer, the benefits of integrative medicine and the dearth of cancer awareness and information. Concurrently, the AJCF is pleased to initiate its Integrative Medicine grant program which provides those cancer patients facing economic challenges $6,000 for six months of treatments at the Simms/Mann UCLA Center for Integrative Oncology.

SKIN CHANGES AND CANCER TREATMENTS: TIPS FOR HEALTHY SKIN AND HAIR – TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2010: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Carolyn Goh, MD, UCLA Clinical Instructor, dermatologist and researcher and Jenny Kim, MD, PhD, UCLA Associate Professor, dermatologist and researcher discuss how skin, (the bodys largest immune system), hair, and nails are affected by the trauma of traditional and newer targeted cancer treatments. General appearance can be altered and affects quality of life. Emphasis is placed on ways to improve skin changes during and after treatment with options available to help maintain healthy skin and hair. Tips for reducing side effects, recovery and looking your best are also presented.

LOCATION:
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center (RRMC) Auditorium
757 Westwood Plaza
Room B130 (B Level)
Los Angeles, CA 90095
Parking is available at the RRMC and the Medical Plaza.
Cost is $11.

www.SimmsMannCenter.ucla.edu

RECENT TREATMENT ADVANCES IN RADIATION ONCOLOGY – Tuesday July 13, 2010: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Dr. Percy Lee, MD, UCLA Assistant Professor, radiation oncologist and researcher, discusses radiation therapy as an integral component in the fight against cancer and how recent advances have allowed radiation oncologists to target cancer more precisely by conforming the radiation to the size and shape of tumor thus maximally sparing normal tissue. He explains advances in 3-dimensional conformal therapy, intensity modulated radiation therapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, as well as stereotactic body radiation therapy which result in improved tumor control rates, survival, and decreases in short and longer term side effects.

LOCATION:
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center (RRMC) Auditorium
757 Westwood Plaza
Room B130 (B Level)
Los Angeles, CA 90095
Parking is available at the RRMC and the Medical Plaza. Cost is $11 at both locations.

Mark your calendar for the next Insights Into Cancer lecture on August 10, 2010:

Complementary Medicine in Cancer: A Panel of East West, Manipulative Therapies and Herbalism

Mary Hardy, MD, Medical Director, Simms/MannUCLA Center for Integrative Oncology, moderates a panel discussion with experts in treatment areas that complement conventional oncology on how complementary approaches can be utilized to improve quality of life, reduce symptoms and benefit wellness throughout the continuum of cancer care. Keith Henry, BS, DC, Assistant Professor of the Cleveland School of Chiropractic discusses the advantages and cautions of massage and manual therapies for cancer patients; Ka-Kit Hui, MD, FACP, Director, UCLA Center for East-West Medicine describes how acupuncture and herbs are used to treat symptoms of cancer and its treatments; and Amanda McQuade Crawford, BA MNIMH, author, medical herbalist with 20 years of experience shares knowledge about nutrition and herbs as complements to cancer care..

For additional information contact us at www.SimmsMannCenter.ucla.edu
(310) 794-6644

Editors’ Note: Local grades available at www.stateoftheair.org.

(Los Angeles, CA, Embargoed Until: 12:01 a.m. (pacific) Wednesday, April 29, 2009) — California’s air quality scored mixed grades with 38 of California’s 52 counties receiving failing grades and 16 receiving “A” grades in the 10th annual American Lung Association State of the Air 2009 report released today. Kern County ranked as having the worst annual particle pollution levels nationwide, as did San Bernardino County for ozone pollution. Likewise, the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside ranked as the worst ozone-polluted metro area and Bakersfield received the top ranking for the most year-round particle pollution.

This year, 12 more California counties received failing grades than last year, reflecting the tighter national ozone standard implemented in 2008. The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside metro area demonstrates a continued and notable improvement trend for annual particle pollution levels (dropping to number three on that most-polluted list nationwide), based on State of the Air report grades during the past decade, although particle pollution levels remain unhealthy.

The 38 California counties with air quality monitoring stations receiving failing grades for either high ozone days or particle pollution days (in alphabetical order) are Alameda, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Fresno, Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Plumas, Riverside, Sacramento, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Shasta, Solano, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Tulare, Tuolumne, Ventura and Yolo.

Sixteen California counties received an “A” grade for either low ozone or particle pollution days, with some of these counties also receiving an F grade in one category, but an A in another. The A grade recipients for at least one category, in alphabetical order, are Calaveras, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Siskiyou and Sonoma.

“Achieving and maintaining healthy air must be a public health priority, and we cannot relent on our work as a state and as individuals to keep our air clean,” said Tony Gerber, MD, PhD, a volunteer with the American Lung Association in California and a pulmonary specialist and assistant professor at the University of California. “Although there are some improvements, the significant number of failing grades for ozone and particle pollution means that the health and lives of millions of Californians are at risk because of our dirty air.”

“Now is the time to be more reliant on cleaner, low carbon fuels for transportation and power generation, such as electricity powered by solar and wind, and vehicles that are natural gas, battery electric and plug-in electric hybrids, and to finally move away from diesel, gasoline and coal” said Trisha Murakawa, board chair with the American Lung Association in California. “The California Air Resources Board’s adoption of the first-ever low carbon fuel standard last week is a giant step forward to achieve these goals and free the state from its petroleum addiction.”

Local governments must commit to strong measures to reduce vehicle emissions such as land use decisions that promote more compact development patterns and integrate transit and other alternatives to private vehicle use. The state must support local government efforts to reduce driving in every way possible, especially by providing needed funding for transit operations and improved planning.

Improving air quality benefits by strengthening the Smog Check program is another way to achieve healthier air. The American Lung Association in California is sponsoring SB 435 (Pavley) to require motorcycles, that emit 10 times more pollution per vehicle than cars, to get a biennial smog check.

“With the documented health risks, it is unacceptable that we still have thousands of old diesel buses and trucks transporting our children, food and products throughout our communities,” said Murakawa. “Effective implementation of the statewide truck and bus regulation, a measure strongly supported by the American Lung Association, will help address this problem. We have massive smoggy super-highway ports beginning in California and linking with roadways to the rest of the country and it is crucial that the ports take action to quickly reduce diesel pollution and that the International Maritime Organization allow the United States to require cleaner ocean-going vessels. Because of the ports, Californians bear the brunt of “delivery pollution” for goods going to the rest of the country.”

The State of the Air report includes a national air quality “report card” that assigns A-F grades to counties across the country and ranks cities and counties most affected by the most widespread types of pollution; ozone (or smog) and particle pollution. The report also details trends for the 25 most polluted cities. Grades for the 1,000 counties with air pollution monitors can be found by entering a zip code at www.stateoftheair.org.

Ozone is the most widespread form of air pollution. Ozone is a powerful gas formed most often when sunlight reacts with vapors when vehicles, factories, power plants and other sources burn fuel. Ozone pollution immediately irritates the lungs when inhaled, resulting in something like a bad sunburn. The health effects of breathing it can be immediate. Ozone can cause wheezing, coughing and asthma attacks. Breathing ozone pollution can even shorten lives. Breathing ozone and particle pollution is bad even for healthy children and adults.

The ozone grades incorporate the new national air quality standard for ozone, adopted in March 2008. This standard recognizes that even lower levels of ozone can be more harmful than previously thought. Failing grades for ozone pollution do not necessarily mean that the ozone levels have gotten worse from previous years,” explained Gerber. “It does mean that now we recognize that the ozone we have is much more dangerous and we need to do more to clean up the sources.”

Particle pollution is a toxic mix of soot, diesel exhaust, chemicals, metals and aerosols. It is the most dangerous and deadly of the outdoor air pollutants that are widespread in America. Breathing in particle pollution can increase the risk of early death, heart attacks, strokes and emergency room visits for asthma and cardiovascular disease. Particle pollution also affects how children’s lungs grow and function.

The American Lung Association’s State of the Air 2009 report finds that 6 out of 10 Americans –186.1 million people — live in areas where air pollution levels endanger lives. State of the Air 2009 acknowledges substantial progress against air pollution in many areas of the country, but finds nearly every major city still burdened by air pollution. Despite America’s growing “green” movement, the air in many cities became dirtier since the last report.

“This should be a wake up call, that we as a nation can no longer consider air pollution a nuisance but rather a major threat to human health,” Gerber said. “When millions of Californians and 60 percent of Americans are left breathing air dirty enough to send people to the emergency room, to affect how kids’ lungs develop, and to kill, air pollution remains a serious problem that must be addressed.”

The report finds that air pollution now hovers at unhealthy levels in almost every major city, threatening people’s ability to breathe and placing lives at risk. Some of the biggest sources of air pollution, including power plants, old diesel engines, ocean-going vessels, and wood burning also worsen global warming.

“More than 175 million Americans, including those living in California live in areas with unhealthy smog levels; that’s 80 million more than we identified in last year’s report,” explained Charles D. Connor, American Lung Association President and CEO. “That higher number comes, in large part, because of the tighter ozone standard which let us know that more areas have unhealthy air. Yet, even that understates the problem. We at the American Lung Association believe that the new ozone standard is not yet strong enough to protect human health, an opinion shared by nearly all scientific experts.”

Emerging research has redefined the severity and immediate health impacts of particle and ozone pollution. New data show that women in their 50’s may be particularly threatened by air pollution. Diesel truck drivers and dockworkers who are forced to breathe exhaust on the job may face a greater risk of developing lung cancer or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

“The science is rock-solid. People are hurt by air pollution. Air pollution can harm even healthy adults, but it can threaten the lives of more vulnerable people such as infants and older adults,” said Gerber. “Californians can take steps to improve air quality, steps that can ultimately impact global warming as well. That includes driving less, switching to cleaner-fueled vehicles, like natural gas, battery-electric and hybrid electric-gasoline; walking, carpooling and taking public transportation and bicycles; not burning wood or trash; use hand-powered or electric yard care equipment rather than gasoline-powered versions; and using less electricity.”

“We need to renew our commitment to providing healthy air for all our citizens—a commitment the United States made almost 40 years ago when Congress passed the Clean Air Act,” Connor said. “Even after four decades, we still have much work to do. America needs to cut emissions from big polluters like coal-fired power plants and ocean-going vessels. We need to fix old dirty diesel engines to make them cleaner and strengthen the ozone standards to better protect our health. We also need to improve the decaying infrastructure of air monitors. America now must enforce the laws that help us improve our nation’s air quality.”

Visit www.californialung.org to see local air quality grades and to get involved by sending messages to Congress and Administration officials about taking action to protect the air we breathe.

About the Alma J. Cameron Foundation:The Alma J. Cameron Foundation for Cancer Awareness (AJCF), was created as a tribute to Mrs. Cameron’s heroic fight against lung cancer, her love and compassion for people. It is our mission to use this medium to bridge the gap between access to Integrative medicine for those who do not have access to such treatment option due to financial constraint. We intend to do this by providing financial grants and referrals, so that everyone who wants to will have access to Integrative medicine. The AJCF will also provide lung cancer awareness education online, through grass-root efforts and a series of Public Service Announcements (PSAs). www.theajcf.org

AND REMEMBER: “YOU DON’T HAVE TO SMOKE TO GET LUNG CANCER”

For more than a decade, Life Extension® has reported on small clinical studies that demonstrate beneficial effects in those with certain cancers who supplement with coenzyme Q10.

More recent studies have not only documented clinical improvements, but also have identified probable mechanisms by which CoQ10 may help slow tumor growth. Some of these mechanisms include immune augmentation, suppression of vascular endothelial growth factor (that facilitates tumor angiogenesis), and reduction of inflammatory markers that may facilitate cancer cell propagation.

Melanoma and breast cancer are two types of malignancies for which CoQ10 has demonstrated substantial clinical benefit.1,2 Regrettably, the media and cancer establishment have ignored these promising discoveries that could save many lives.

For example, a recent melanoma study compared the effects of administering alpha interferon with or without daily CoQ10 (400 mg). There was an astounding 10-fold lower risk of metastasis in the CoQ10-supplemented group! This effect was even more pronounced for those with more advanced melanoma, where CoQ10-supplemented patients were 13 times less likely to develop metastasis. Alpha interferon is an immune boosting drug that can induce side effects so severe that patients have to discontinue it. In this study,2 only 22% of CoQ10-supplemented patients developed side effects compared to 82% not taking supplemental CoQ10.

Our editorials have harshly criticized the National Cancer Institute for failing to fund larger studies in order to ascertain exactly how effective CoQ10 may be as an adjuvant cancer therapy.

It is our pleasure to reprint an update by the National Cancer Institute that presents their views on the role that CoQ10 may play in cancer treatment. Considering that this report emanates out of a federal agency that is normally biased against alternative therapies, we are quite pleased with the relative balance this report provides.

We do take issue with the National Cancer Institute’s insinuation of CoQ10 side effects, as these are likely the result of the underlying cancer and/or problems inflicted by toxic chemo drugs. Of the tens of thousands of healthy Life Extension® members who use CoQ10, none report these side effects.

Questions and Answers About Coenzyme Q10

What is coenzyme Q10?

Coenzyme Q 10 is a compound that is made naturally in the body. The Q and the 10 in coenzyme Q10 refer to the groups of chemicals that make up the coenzyme. Coenzyme Q10 is also known by these other names:

CoQ10.
Q10.
Vitamin Q10.
Ubiquinone.
Ubidecarenone.

A coenzyme helps an enzyme do its job. An enzyme is a protein that speeds up the rate at which natural chemical reactions take place in cells of the body. The body’s cells use coenzyme Q10 to make energy needed for the cells to grow and stay healthy. The body also uses coenzyme Q10 as an antioxidant. An antioxidant is a substance that protects cells from chemicals called free radicals. Free radicals can damage DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). Genes, which are pieces of DNA, tell the cells how to work in the body and when to grow and divide. Damage to DNA has been linked to some kinds of cancer. By protecting cells against free radicals, antioxidants help protect the body against cancer.

Coenzyme Q10 is found in most body tissues. The highest amounts are found in the heart, liver, kidneys, and pancreas. The lowest amounts are found in the lungs. The amount of coenzyme Q10 in tissues decreases as people get older.

What is the history of the discovery and use of coenzyme Q10 as a complementary or alternative treatment for cancer?

Coenzyme Q10 was first identified in 1957. Its chemical structure was determined in 1958. Interest in coenzyme Q10 as a possible treatment for cancer began in 1961, when it was found that some cancer patients had a lower than normal amount of it in their blood. Low blood levels of coenzyme Q10 have been found in patients with myeloma, lymphoma, and cancers of the breast, lung, prostate, pancreas, colon, kidney, and head and neck.

Studies suggest that coenzyme Q10 may help the immune system work better. Partly because of this, coenzyme Q10 is used as adjuvant therapy for cancer. Adjuvant therapy is treatment given following the primary treatment to increase the chances of a cure.

What is the theory behind the claim that coenzyme Q10 is useful in treating cancer?

Coenzyme Q10 may be useful in treating cancer because it boosts the immune system. Also, studies suggest that CoQ10 analogs (drugs that are similar to CoQ10) may prevent the growth of cancer cells directly. As an antioxidant, coenzyme Q10 may help prevent cancer from developing.

Refer to the PDQ health professional summary on coenzyme Q10 for more information on the theory behind the study of coenzyme Q10 in the treatment of cancer.

How is coenzyme Q10 administered?

Coenzyme Q10 is usually taken by mouth as a pill (tablet or capsule). It may also be given by injection into a vein (IV). In animal studies, coenzyme Q10 is given by injection.

Have any preclinical (laboratory or animal) studies been conducted using coenzyme Q10?

A number of preclinical studies have been done with coenzyme Q10. Research in a laboratory or using animals is done to find out if a drug, procedure, or treatment is likely to be useful in humans. These preclinical studies are done before any testing in humans is begun. Most laboratory studies of coenzyme Q10 have looked at its chemical structure and how it works in the body. The following has been reported from preclinical studies of coenzyme Q10 and cancer:

Animal studies found that coenzyme Q10 boosts the immune system and helps the body fight certain infections and types of cancer. Coenzyme Q10 helped to protect the hearts of study animals that were given the anticancer drug doxorubicin, an anthracycline that can cause damage to the heart muscle. Laboratory and animal studies have shown that analogs of coenzyme Q10 may stop cancer cells from growing.

Have any clinical trials (research studies with people) of coenzyme Q10 been conducted?

There have been no well-designed clinical trials involving large numbers of patients to study the use of coenzyme Q10 in cancer treatment. There have been some clinical trials with small numbers of people, but the way the studies were done and the amount of information reported made it unclear if benefits were caused by the coenzyme Q10 or by something else. Most of the trials were not randomized or controlled. Randomized controlled trials give the highest level of evidence:

In randomized trials, volunteers are assigned randomly (by chance) to one of 2 or more groups that compare different factors related to the treatment. In controlled trials, one group (called the control group) does not receive the new treatment being studied. The control group is then compared to the groups that receive the new treatment, to see if the new treatment makes a difference.

Some research studies are published in scientific journals. Most scientific journals have experts who review research reports before they are published, to make sure that the evidence and conclusions are sound. This is called peer review. Studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals are considered better evidence. No randomized clinical trials of coenzyme Q10 as a treatment for cancer have been published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

The following has been reported from studies of coenzyme Q10 in people:

Randomized trial of coenzyme Q10 and doxorubicin

A randomized trial of 20 patients looked at whether coenzyme Q10 would protect the heart from the damage caused by the anthracycline drug doxorubicin. The results of this trial and others have shown that coenzyme Q10 decreases the harmful effects of doxorubicin on the heart.

Studies of coenzyme Q10 as an adjuvant therapy for breast cancer
Small studies have been done on the use of coenzyme Q10 after standard treatment in patients with breast cancer:

In a study of coenzyme Q10 in 32 breast cancer patients, it was reported that some signs and symptoms of cancer went away in 6 patients. Details were given for only 3 of the 6 patients. The researchers also reported that all the patients in the study used less pain medicine, had improved quality of life, and did not lose weight during treatment.

In a follow-up study, two patients who had breast cancer remaining after surgery were treated with high doses of coenzyme Q10 for 3 to 4 months. It was reported that after treatment with high-dose coenzyme Q10, the cancer was completely gone in both patients.
In a third study led by the same researchers, 3 breast cancer patients were given high-dose coenzyme Q10 and followed for 3 to 5 years. The study reported that one patient had complete remission of cancer that had spread to the liver, another had remission of cancer that had spread to the chest wall, and the third had no breast cancer found after surgery.

It is not clear, however, if the benefits reported in these studies were caused by coenzyme Q10 therapy or something else. The studies had the following weaknesses:

The studies were not randomized or controlled.
The patients used other supplements in addition to coenzyme Q10.
The patients received standard treatments before or during the coenzyme Q10 therapy.
Details were not reported for all patients in the studies.
Anecdotal reports of coenzyme Q10

Anecdotal reports are incomplete descriptions of the medical and treatment history of one or more patients. There have been anecdotal reports that coenzyme Q10 has helped some cancer patients live longer, including patients with cancers of the pancreas, lung, colon, rectum, and prostate. The patients described in these reports, however, also received treatments other than coenzyme Q10, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery.

Have any side effects or risks been reported from coenzyme Q10?

No serious side effects have been reported from the use of coenzyme Q10. The most common side effects include the following:

Insomnia (being unable to fall sleep or stay asleep).
Higher than normal levels of liver enzymes.
Rashes.
Nausea.
Pain in the upper part of the abdomen.
Dizziness.
Feeling sensitive to light.
Feeling irritable.
Headache.
Heartburn.
Feeling very tired.

It is important to check with health care providers to find out if coenzyme Q10 can be safely used along with other drugs. Certain drugs, such as those that are used to lower cholesterol, blood pressure, or blood sugar levels, may decrease the effects of coenzyme Q10. Coenzyme Q10 may change the way the body uses warfarin (a drug that prevents the blood from clotting) and insulin.

As noted in Question 1, the body uses coenzyme Q10 as an antioxidant. Antioxidants protect cells from free radicals. Some conventional cancer therapies, such as anticancer drugs and radiation treatments, kill cancer cells in part by causing free radicals to form. Researchers are studying whether using coenzyme Q10 along with conventional therapies has any effect, good or bad, on the way these conventional therapies work in the body.

Is coenzyme Q10 approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use as a cancer treatment in the United States?

Coenzyme Q10 is sold as a dietary supplement and is not approved by the FDA for use as a cancer treatment. In the United States, dietary supplements are regulated as foods, not drugs. This means that approval by the FDA is not required before coenzyme Q10 is sold, unless specific health claims are made about the supplement. Also, the way companies make coenzyme Q10 is not regulated. Different batches and brands of coenzyme Q10 supplements may be different from each other.