Shocking Discovery: Antioxidants Fuel Lung Cancer Growth! What You Need to Know
The latest research, "Antioxidants stimulate BACH1-dependent tumor angiogenesis," suggests that antioxidant supplements, such as vitamins C and E, may promote the growth and spread of lung cancer by stimulating the formation of blood vessels inside tumors, as observed in mouse experiments. Researchers found that doses of these antioxidants exceeding what is necessary lead to an amplification of blood vessel growth—a factor associated with tumor growth and metastasis. It's important to note that this study does not recommend altering antioxidant consumption in cancer patients, as removing antioxidants from the diet can lead to other health problems. Instead, the primary focus is on excessive doses beyond the required level, which may have unforeseen consequences for cancer progression. Further research may explore the potential of blood vessel growth inhibitors as targeted cancer treatments, particularly for individuals with elevated levels of the BACH1 protein in tumors, which may result from supplements or mutations. This approach could have implications for various types of cancer, including lung, kidney, and breast cancer.
Targeted therapy is a cancer treatment that aims to attack only cancer cells with precision, sparing healthy cells. It's like using a specialized key to mark cancer cells as targets and treat cancer while leaving the rest of your body unharmed. Here are some examples of targeted therapy in cancer treatment:
- HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: In some breast cancers, there's a protein called HER2 that promotes cancer growth. Targeted therapies like Herceptin (trastuzumab) block HER2 to stop cancer cells from growing.
- EGFR-Mutated Lung Cancer: Some lung cancers have mutations in the EGFR gene. Drugs like erlotinib (Tarceva) target these mutations and slow down cancer growth.
- BRAF-Mutated Melanoma: In melanoma skin cancer with BRAF mutations, drugs like vemurafenib (Zelboraf) specifically target these mutations to slow the cancer's progression.
- Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML): Imatinib (Gleevec) is a targeted therapy for CML. It blocks the activity of the abnormal protein created by the Philadelphia chromosome, which is responsible for CML.
- Rituximab for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: Rituximab targets CD20, a protein found on the surface of some lymphoma cells. It marks these cells for destruction by the immune system.
