16 ms·

Ask HN: A friend has brain cancer: any bio hacks that worked?

• deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
• zblevins 2y ago
  I have heard some people having luck by switching to a ketogenic diet. Here’s a paper I could find on PubMed about this. Sorry to hear about your friend. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9504425/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9504425/ Edit: I am not a doctor. My wife is a physician and I spoke to her before posting this.
  • mixmastamyk 2y ago
    While we're thinking about it, Vitamin D3 and K2-mk-7 are known to be helpful in that regard.
    • myphone8356 2y ago
      Not an expert or doctor disclaimer. Sugar is the food cancer cells crave. Not a miracle cure but restricting sugars may help reduce the growth of the tumor.
      • hombre_fatal 2y ago
        I'm pretty sure that's an old myth that sugar preferentially feeds cancer cells and that you somehow starve them by reducing sugar intake. After all, the body maintains stable blood glucose levels regardless of how low your sugar intake is. e.g. https://news.cancerresearchuk.org/2023/08/16/sugar-and-cancer-what-you-need-to-know/ https://news.cancerresearchuk.org/2023/08/16/sugar-and-cance...
        • amenhotep 2y ago
          "Reducing sugar intake" is not the same thing as ketosis. I have no strong opinions on whether it would work or not, but that's an article addressing something different and more clearly a misunderstanding.
          • malfist 2y ago
            Even in ketosis your body keeps a stable amount of glucose in your body. The mechanism is different, but the end result isn't. Your brain _only_ operates on glucose, you'll never run out unless something is seriously wrong with your body.
  • jawilson2 2y ago
    This. It is very dependent on the type of cancer. There is a lot of research on this. For a little context, I was a pediatric neurology professor for a while, and have been on a low carb diet for a decade. Much of the department did low carb, as did much of the oncology dept. Many kids with epilepsy are put on keto as well with great effect. I did a deep dive into low carb research before starting and keeping with the diet, and found a lot about using it for cancer therapy. I'm not sure what has changed in the last 10 years, but the above abstract looks promising. With a GBM, they probably don't have much to lose. *This is not medical advice, I'm not an MD (I was a BME doing epilepsy research), have them check with their Dr.
    • droideqa 2y ago
      The keto diet was actually developed specifically to help people with epilepsy[0]. [0]: https://epilepsysociety.org.uk/about-epilepsy/treatment/ketogenic-diet https://epilepsysociety.org.uk/about-epilepsy/treatment/keto...
  • Dansvidania 2y ago
    I wish I had something better to add, but I can add an anecdotal +1 to this. A relative went keto pretty hard after a bad diagnosis and they are still going strong. As far as I understand it, cancer cells can only function on glucose.
    • layla5alive 2y ago
      Some types of cancer cells
      • Dansvidania 2y ago
        do you have a source for this? not arguing, just would like to read more
    • circlefavshape 2y ago
      In my life a relative (by marriage) went keto after a bowel cancer diagnosis, and died at age 45
  • d--b 2y ago
    Thanks a lot, I hadn't seen this. I'll read through.
  • olieidel 2y ago
    +1 on this. I did my thesis on Glioblastoma-related imaging stuff [1]. The state of the art at the time (~2016) was that, realistically, none of the current treatments were "great", unfortunately. In short, you have 1) surgery, 2) chemotherapy, 3) radiation. Those treatments did extend survival in studies, but the overall survival of Glioblastoma patients was (tragically) still very bad at 12-24 months, and none of those therapy options were a cure. As a side note, I recommend the book "Being Mortal" from Atul Gawande. The TLDR here is that our healthcare systems tend to overtreat patients, especially those with cancer who actually have a rather bleak prognosis, because it's easier for a physician to simply order all treatments and tell the patient "all good here, good luck" instead of taking the time to sit down and have a (long) conversation about the bleak prognosis and which options are actually still worth it. By "worth it" I mean that there are trade-offs to each treatment option, and it takes some very careful weighing whether each one provides a net benefit for your friend's individual situation. E.g. surgery might extend survival by X months, but might also create, worst case, new disabilities. So now you're faced with the very difficult decision of whether to potentially live for a shorter time with less disabilities, or for a longer time with more. There's no perfect answer, but having this sort of discussion is a good step which many patients unfortunately never take. I think this is a failure in our healthcare systems and maybe in the education of physicians. Now, if I personally had a Glioblastoma, on top of the standard of care (surgery probably makes sense etc.), I think the ketogenic diet would currently be my best shot. Yeah, sure.. it's mostly only case reports so essentially anecdotal evidence, but it does look promising. Good luck for your friend! [1] https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=tinu7tYAAAAJ&hl=en https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=tinu7tYAAAAJ&hl=en
  • adamredwoods 2y ago
    If diet could stop cancer, we'd be done by now. I guarantee every cancer will mutate to overcome any change in diet you can throw at it.
    • stickfigure 2y ago
      All cancer treatments are probabilistic. There are no cures, just interventions that increase survival rates. There are no honest sentences that begin with "every cancer".
      • adamredwoods 2y ago
        There is no diet that will even intervene with cancer, unless the patient dies. Cancer is the patient's own cell that has mutated to a point beyond apoptosis and adapted to be able to draw nutrients from cells around it. It started from just one cell. It has already evaded dietary fluctuations and adapted. EDIT: the reason I'm a spaz about this is I feel too many people focus on diet as the focus of cancer. While it might be good for some prevention, it will not stop it, and I want people to focus on real treatments.
        • threeseed 2y ago
          I don't understand unreasonable positions like this. Nobody is saying that people should stop "real" treatments or that diet must be the primary or sole focus for treatment. But given that a change of diet (a) costs nothing, (b) has no downsides, (c) potentially may work it seems strange not to do it.
          • adamredwoods 2y ago
            And yet it is a highly focused topic and cancer rates have not gone down.
            • throwaway290 2y ago
              Are keto diet/lifestyle changes/etc actually used by doctors for cancer treatment? Even if those were effective you can't expect cancer rates to go down until they get deployed massively
• SoftTalker 2y ago
  No, no folk remedies or bio-hacking or wearing magnets on your head will help, unfortunately.
  • abnercoimbre 2y ago
    It's a powerful Ask HN though. This is deeply touching.
    • deadbabe 2y ago
      This is the bargaining phase of grief, where a person will seek to do whatever they can to change a fate. But when they find they can’t no matter how hard they try, they’ll just proceed to anger and then depression.
      • deleted 2y ago
        [deleted]
  • internetter 2y ago
    They did cite a peer reviewed paper in nature to substantiate the spinny head magnets. I doubt it will save their friend, but it's not total hogwash
    • querez 2y ago
      The paper was published in Nature *Scientific Reports*, not in Nature. Nature SR is a low-quality journal due to its very limited peer review (SR peer reviews only focus on scientific validity of a submitted paper, rather than its perceived importance, significance, or impact -- ie., they check if you followed proper scientific procedures, but won't check if what you're saying makes sense / fits with the rest of the scientific literature). It's a known dumping ground for papers that aren't good enough to be published in a real scientific journal, and it survives/thrives thanks to its association with the prestigious Nature journal.
      • 2y ago
• toomuchtodo 2y ago
  Find a clinical trial you can get them into.
  • scdc 2y ago
    Here is a good site to find clinical trials: https://clinicaltrials.gov https://clinicaltrials.gov
    • d--b 2y ago
      I'm in France, but we have a similar website.
      • dotcoma 2y ago
        You may want to take a look at this as well https://www.clinicalnet.com/ https://www.clinicalnet.com/
  • adamredwoods 2y ago
    Make sure to read Jake Seliger's blog. He really details the process on clinical trials. Rest in peace. https://jakeseliger.com/ https://jakeseliger.com/
    • Pakrozee 2y ago
      Thank you for the recommendation. Jake Seliger's insights on clinical trials have been incredibly helpful for many. His contributions will certainly continue to guide and inspire others. May he rest in peace. https://pakrozee.pk/ https://pakrozee.pk/
• Gluber 2y ago
  Did your friend get genetic sequencing done on his tumor. There are some recent promising results for braf mutated gbm
  • d--b 2y ago
    No, they can't reach the tumor surgically. Thanks for the info though.
• delichon 2y ago
  My dad lasted ten weeks after diagnosis. If I get it I'll put my ducks in a row and exit intentionally, rather than raging against the dying of the light. Fighting it is great if your friend is up for it, and it's a way for you to show your love. But listen carefully and don't force it.
  • d--b 2y ago
    Sorry for your dad. That thing's a bitch.
• steviee 2y ago
  Hack your calendar and be there for him! All the best!
  • yzydserd 2y ago
    How do you know it’s a male?
    • madmask 2y ago
      He doesn’t need to know
    • jtms 2y ago
      Do you feel a question like this improves literally anything other than your own sense of moral superiority?
      • yzydserd 2y ago
        Yes. I simply hope the commenter reflects and doesn’t use a gender next time if there is no evidence of gender. That’s simply it. In 2025 I don’t feel it is appropriate for a commenter to use the pronoun “him” when there is no evidence of gender, and there isn’t at the time of comment. I called someone out recently for the same, incurring -4 karma, and it turned out the gender pronoun was wrong: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42514127#42520946 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42514127#42520946
        • lastiteration 2y ago
          Who cares about the gender pronoun, it's just a commenter online. The content is why we are reading. The author could be male, female or a bot. Not important, not relevant.
• alecst 2y ago
  I'm really sorry to hear that. Since you're asking for moonshots and weird things to try, here's something they can ask their doctor about: > Case reports involving glioblastoma patients using water-only fasting regimens in conjunction with other forms of cancer treatment have reported favorable outcomes with respect to tumor growth https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2874558/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2874558/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5884883/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5884883/ From https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6836141/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6836141/
  • d--b 2y ago
    Thanks
  • znpy 2y ago
    There was an episode from “diary of a ceo” (don’t let the title fool you) where a scientist was making similar remarks: https://youtu.be/VaVC3PAWqLk https://youtu.be/VaVC3PAWqLk I wouldn’t usually post these kind of things, but since OP is asking for moonshots i’ll take a chance. Best of luck to your friend!
    • ballooney 2y ago
      You still shouldn’t post that kind of thing. Especially not that fraudulent bullshitter host.
  • fcanela 2y ago
    I have a relative with glioblastoma who could see his granddaughter born if he extends his life a while. Thanks a lot for sharing!
    • alecst 2y ago
      You're welcome. I read a lot about fasting and I have a lot of experience with it. It's helped me, personally, heal many things (but not all of them -- it's good to have low expectations.) In any case, it's a mind-expanding experience to go without food for a while, regardless of the outcome.
• byyoung3 2y ago
  fasting and low carb probably wouldn't hurt
• blader 2y ago
  1. Tumor Treating Fields (electricity, not magnets): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37953242/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37953242/ 2. CEGAT Vaccine: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-51315-8 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-51315-8 3. Supplementation: keto diet, curcumin, sauna, and some Chinese traditional medicines all have good academic data that improves overall and progression free survival Source: I am a rare disease dad and did a lot of research and put together a private research team as well.
  • d--b 2y ago
    Thanks for your message. My friend's getting TTF as part of his medical treatment. CEGAT Vaccine, I didn't know about, I'll look into it. Several people have mentioned keto diet, it also looks like a smart thing to try.
• arijo 2y ago
  Check this video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5FqS0Y82reI&pp=ygUPdGhvbWFzIHNleWZyaWVk https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5FqS0Y82reI&pp=ygUPdGhvbWFzIHN... Search for other Thomas Seyfried videos on YouTube - he defends a metabolic approach to cancer treatment. He writes the forward to “Keto for Cancer” - https://a.co/d/8NxMOXJ https://a.co/d/8NxMOXJ
• voisin 2y ago
  Not a bio hack per se but check out “Tripping over the Truth: The Metabolic Theory of Cancer”[0] [0] https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23496164 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23496164
• lylejantzi3rd 2y ago
  Have you looked into ivermectin and fenbendazole? https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3158014/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3158014/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7505114/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7505114/
  • d--b 2y ago
    No, thanks a lot for pointing out.
    • wesapien 2y ago
      Goodluck to you and your friend. I only know about PEMF and will read about sOMF. I bought an ICES-PEMF a few years ago just to try it out for my back pain and it did help in reducing it and healing it. It's small and battery operated and was designed as a wearable but you need to come up with your own way of holding it close to your body. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnGpibdAoic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnGpibdAoic
  • deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
  • adamredwoods 2y ago
    Fuck ivermectin and fuck you for even suggesting it. It doesn't work on cancer, end of discussion. It works by paralyzing worms on ion channel that humans DON'T have.
    • thebigspacefuck 2y ago
      Do you have a source for this? The linked study claims it has potential.
      • adamredwoods 2y ago
        Did you even read the links posted? The study for ivermectin states everything is speculation. So why is anyone challenging me when they didn't read the studies? >> Unfortunately, there have been no reports of clinical trials of IVM as an anticancer drug. There are still some problems that need to be studied and resolved before IVM is used in the clinic. The method of action of ivermectin is well known. Lots of articles state it works against COVID-19, but clinical trials have proven this to be false. Yet people still cling FOOLISHLY to that idea, and now creeping into cancer. But, it's GREAT against parasites! https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S022352342300805X https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S022352342... >> What is important, ivermectin does not cross the blood-brain barrier, and therefore, does not affect mammals, including humans, in which GABA receptors are located mainly in the central nervous system. Nevertheless, accumulation of ivermectin in the human brain has been observed after administration of doses about 100 times higher than the recommended one.
• cpr 2y ago
  https://www.2ndsmartestguyintheworld.com/p/ivermectin-testimonial-incredible https://www.2ndsmartestguyintheworld.com/p/ivermectin-testim... -- see "New and improved Joe Tippens protocol". Has worked for hundreds of people, and what has he got to lose? It's all natural medicines.
  • internetter 2y ago
    https://substack.com/@2ndsmartestguyintheworld https://substack.com/@2ndsmartestguyintheworld This guy is a nut
    • cpr 2y ago
      And you know because...?
• aetherspawn 2y ago
  My mother has “frozen” breast cancer for 15 years using oral bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis). To give you the short version of the story about how it works for HER: taking bloodroot causes the cancer to shrink too small to take a biopsy, but not go into remission, and when she stops taking it per the doctors advice, it gets very large and they start talking about surgery. Nobody really understands how it works and a lot of people claim it doesn’t work, but I think it’s probably similar to a low dose natural chemo. I have seen it work unusually well with skin cancers (melanoma) as well using paste application (this is called black salve), so despite what the FDA claims, I think there’s something there, and there’s a few papers that agree. Don’t put black salve on your head, it leaves a hole where the cancer comes out.
  • d--b 2y ago
    Thanks, worth a shot, it can't hurt
    • wizzwizz4 2y ago
      According to Jake Seliger, it can hurt. https://jakeseliger.com/2024/07/29/more-isnt-always-better-death-and-over-treatment-as-a-downside-of-agenticness/ https://jakeseliger.com/2024/07/29/more-isnt-always-better-d...
  • aetherspawn 2y ago
    She also swears by a product (basically a huge B17 dose) called Cascading Revenol that a guy on an old set of CDs Phillip Day (“the Truth about Cancer”) recommended to take with blood root. It advertises itself as a natural tumour growth inhibitor.
  • throwaway2037 2y ago
    About Sanguinaria canadensis, Wiki says: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanguinaria https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanguinaria Although limited laboratory research indicates potential for sanguinarine to inhibit the growth of cancer cells, there are no supportive clinical studies, and its use is discouraged due to adverse effects and potential toxicity.
• neom 2y ago
  That spinning hat is pretty cool. When cells breath they create a byproduct (Reactive Oxygen Species) - all cells do this, they need to keep their ROS levels in check else the cell will die, but because cancer cells have messed up mitochondria, they don't do this correctly and typically end up with way more ROS. That hat agitates the cells so they produce more ROS, but because the cancer cells are almost at capacity, it overloads them and they die from ROS strangulation. "For 4-hour treatment: Reduced DIPG cells by >80% Reduced GBM cells by >60%"
  • echelon 2y ago
    > That hat agitates the cells so they produce more ROS, but because the cancer cells are almost at capacity, it overloads them and they die from ROS strangulation. If this is the understood mechanism and it has measurable results, why isn't this in widespread use?
    • d--b 2y ago
      it looks like research is way underfunded. My guess is that it is too rare, and people die quickly so clinical trials really suck.
    • neom 2y ago
      Research is about a year old, even with fast track 4 years would be fast.
• IAmGraydon 2y ago
  The occurrence of GBM is about 3 out of every 100,000 people. If you happen to know 4, is there some commonality? Do you all work together in the same industry? Do they all live in the same town?
  • deegles 2y ago
    My aunt is in her 70s and has 5 friends currently with cancer. My belief is that it's downstream effects from Covid wrecking people's immune systems and their ability to naturally fight cancer. Time will tell.
    • dekhn 2y ago
      Bayes and Occam would suggest otherwise. If you're in your 70s in the US it's likely many people you know have cancer (unrelated to COVID). Especially now, given that detection is better than ever and more people are surviving longer with cancer.
      • MichaelZuo 2y ago
        Even more so, Probably 100% of the population over 70 has cancer in the sense of a clump of abnormal cell divison, just that for a lot of them it’s so slow growing or in a benign tumor that it doesn’t get discovered or treated.
    • Loughla 2y ago
      Not even thinking about environmental factors then?
    • admissionsguy 2y ago
      Unlikely to be COVID. The mRNA vaccine on the other hand...
      • armchairdweller 2y ago
        They are never gonna realize, the spell is too strong, particularly here If anybody with an open mind reads this: plasmid DNA contamination / insertional mutagenesis (use a source that hasn't been altered by the pharma industry for cover up)
• glitchc 2y ago
  Sorry friend, there no hacks from brain cancer. Mortality rate at Stage 4 is 100%. You're better off spending as much time as you can with them.
  • aCameronhuff 2y ago
    Unfortunately this is true, and there’s no near-term treatment that might change this outcome. There’s some treatments for slowing it down but there’s no proof of anyone being cured by any experimental method. There’s great progress being made and thousands of people working on paths to a cure but we’re still early days for some diseases.
• chasil 2y ago
  If you search on "glioblastoma" you will find a LOT of hits. I don't know anybody that has had it, but let's see if I can find the new treatment that I remember... Edit: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1610497 https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1610497 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08224-z https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08224-z This one is interesting... glioblastoma is full of killer immune cells (40% of all cells, mostly macrophages) that are "docile." https://scitechdaily.com/groundbreaking-method-starves-highly-lethal-cancer-tumors-of-energy-eradicating-them/ https://scitechdaily.com/groundbreaking-method-starves-highl...
  • d--b 2y ago
    These look good, thanks much.
• droideqa 2y ago
  "This gel stops brain tumors in mice. Could it offer hope for humans?"[0] [0]: https://hub.jhu.edu/2023/04/24/mouse-brain-tumors-glioblastoma/ https://hub.jhu.edu/2023/04/24/mouse-brain-tumors-glioblasto...
  • d--b 2y ago
    Yes, thanks I had seen that. It's a surgery thing though, so not much I can do myself.
• toss1 2y ago
  Sorry to hear about your friend; awful for both of you. Anything you can build or brew at home? About as good as chanting spells at the moon on alternate Tuesdays. And definitely do NOT go get infected with some virus, which will only create greater complications and misery. The only real chance I'd see out there is to get into a trial of some of the new immunotherapy treatments [0]. These create custom profiles and turn the body's immune systems against the cancer and have had some stunning successes — talk about biohacking — these researchers are out there! Of course these are still in development. There is a lot of research going on around Boston [1-5], Mayo Clinic [6], and other research hotbeds. Locating teams researching therapies applicable to your friend's cancer type, and hacking your way into one of those trials would likely be one of your best hacks ever; I'd focus on that. Gather the info, find out what it takes to get into the trials, get your friend qualified... Best of luck - I hope you can organize a great recovery for your friend! [0] https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/immunotherapy https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/immunoth... [1] https://www.bidmc.org/research/research-centers/cancer-research-institute/our-programs/immune-therapy https://www.bidmc.org/research/research-centers/cancer-resea... [2] https://www.massgeneral.org/cancer-center/clinical-trials-and-research/immunotherapy https://www.massgeneral.org/cancer-center/clinical-trials-an... [3] https://www.bumc.bu.edu/immunology/research/cancer-immunology/ https://www.bumc.bu.edu/immunology/research/cancer-immunolog... [4] https://www.bmc.org/content/immunotherapy https://www.bmc.org/content/immunotherapy [5] https://www.ludwigcancerresearch.org/location/boston-harvard/ https://www.ludwigcancerresearch.org/location/boston-harvard... [6] https://www.mayo.edu/research/centers-programs/cancer-research/research-programs/cancer-immunology-immunotherapeutics https://www.mayo.edu/research/centers-programs/cancer-resear...
  • d--b 2y ago
    Thanks a lot. I am in France though (should have said in the main text), and I don't think there's any fancy trial going on in France currently. Hopefully your comment can help someone else !
    • toss1 2y ago
      I don't know about trials in France, but this is definitely a very hot research topic globally. A quick search pulled in a bunch of institute names I recognize from over here in the US [0-3]. There are also some immunotherapies that are already approved for use and past the trial stage e.g., [4]. Be bold - keep hunting until you find YES. Good luck to your friend! [0] https://www.gustaveroussy.fr/en/gustave-roussy-leading-centre-immunotherapy-europe https://www.gustaveroussy.fr/en/gustave-roussy-leading-centr... [1] https://institut-curie.org/immunotherapy https://institut-curie.org/immunotherapy [2] https://sante.sorbonne-universite.fr/en/structures-de-recherche/immunology-immunopathology-immunotherapy https://sante.sorbonne-universite.fr/en/structures-de-recher... [3] https://www.pasteur.fr/en/our-missions/strategic-plan-2019-2023/vaccinology-and-immunotherapy-initiative https://www.pasteur.fr/en/our-missions/strategic-plan-2019-2... [4] https://www.cancerresearch.org/regulatory-approval-timeline-of-active-immunotherapies https://www.cancerresearch.org/regulatory-approval-timeline-... [edit: add #4]
• frisco 2y ago
  Personally knowing four people with GBM and not being an oncologist is exceptional and worrying. That feels like it should be raised to… someone. It is very possible something bad is happening and a commonality needs to be tracked down urgently.
  • d--b 2y ago
    It is indeed very strange, none of these people lived in the same place or got diagnosed at the same time (some 20 years ago). Most are fairly remote to me though... Like : a good friend's mom, or my wife's cousin's husband, etc.
  • selcuka 2y ago
    I knew two people (one adult, one child) who lived in the same building and got diagnosed with leukemia (~14 per 100,000) shortly after each other, maybe within a few weeks. It's anecdotal, of course, but I've always thought that there could have been a connection.
    • hinkley 2y ago
      It could be birthday paradox, but it could potentially be enough to get someone to come check for contaminants. Looks like benzene, some pesticides, and formaldehyde are the common workplace exposures that can trigger leukemia. But some of those can turn up near housing.
      • selcuka 2y ago
        > benzene, some pesticides, and formaldehyde are the common workplace exposures that can trigger leukemia. That rings a bell. I remember that someone mentioned a recent repainting of the building. The incident happened at least a decade ago, so I can't remember all details.
        • hinkley 2y ago
          I just finished Silent Spring last fall and was shocked to learn they already knew DDT and other pesticides were causing leukemia back in 1960. I guess PR from the chemical companies is working, because I would have guessed 1979-1985.
• AdmiralAsshat 2y ago
  Had a very close friend who passed away years ago from it. We tried various things, from apricot pits to a hat with electrodes attached to his head. Nothing worked. He died about a year before John McCain died of the same. I regretted that we didn't try to do more, but, seeing that it took McCain in the same length of time did make me feel a little bit better (not that I was happy for McCain's death, but that his connections and world-class treatment made no meaningful difference in how long it prolonged his life versus that of my friend).
• Oras 2y ago
  A few years ago, I came across the idea of autophagy. The idea is water fasting for at least 24 hours to trigger the self-destruction of cells. Combined with keto diet, as some suggested, might be a starting point. So sorry to hear about your friend. My mom had a breast cancer that spread to brain. At that time, the only medicines that worked were Tykerb and Xeloda, as these were the only ones that could travel to the brain. They had promising results for a few months, and the tumour shrank a lot and then started growing again. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autophagy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autophagy
• Dove 2y ago
  Pawpaw may be worth looking into.
• anticancer 2y ago
  I had a family member diagnosed with an aggressive cancer, and we were able to shock the doctors with their progress and recovery. Our goal was to contribute as much as we could to the treatment effort, and so we focused on diet and rest. Namely we removed all sugar and glutamine (animal products), and took care of all household tasks: cleaning, cooking, getting to appointments, etc. Each cycle when we would get the blood test results we would add items to the diet to address any numbers that were falling. For example, increasing iron, folate and b-complex rich foods like lentils to support platelet production. There is a lot to be said about where chemo and radiation treatments are these days, and I am thankful for the medical interventions. The drug treatment designed by the doctors, and our efforts at home, led to the tumor shrinking at such a rate that my family member is considered a statistical anomaly, and their blood protein markers are at below normal levels; down from 27x the normal level when we started treatment. This book is a great resource: https://www.howtostarvecancer.com/the-book/ https://www.howtostarvecancer.com/the-book/ In addition to diet advice it also covers a lot of new or experimental treatments for nearly all cancers. I truly believe diet can make a huge impact on addressing cancer. Good luck.
  • Atlas-Marbles 2y ago
    Identical story here. A family member followed the medication/diet/supplement protocol from that same book in conjunction with standard cancer treatment. When the surgeon took the tumor out, he was shocked that it had drastically reduced in size. Their blood markers "could not possibly be better" according to the surgeon. The surgeon said he had never seen a patient respond this positively in his career. The additional evidence-based protocols likely contributed to this result. Even before beginning conventional treatment, the McLelland protocols reduced the cancer biomarkers. It's also worth noting that there is no universal protocol in the book. Each cancer has a different metabolism requiring a different approach.
• yread 2y ago
  become an professor and try some immunotherapy like prof. Long and prof. Scolyer? https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-69006713 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-69006713
  • cjbillington 2y ago
    As of his latest scan in November, 18 months post surgery, Scolyer's cancer hasn't recurred [1]. Average time to recurrence post-surgery is 6 months. Don't want to leap to conclusions prematurely, but that might be some progress. [1] https://x.com/ProfRAScolyer/status/1859179205885673877 https://x.com/ProfRAScolyer/status/1859179205885673877
    • adamredwoods 2y ago
      He tried an experimental payload that contained two ADCs, one BRAF inhibitor and something else, maybe PD-1 inhibitor. Then he had surgery. Payload-heavy ADCs are the way forward against difficult cancers.
      • Pakrozee 2y ago
        They're using weakened viruses. Virus use in cancer is nothing new, but an interesting field. I can see why pharma hesitates using it, viruses can mutate, too, similar to cancer. https://pakrozee.pk/ https://pakrozee.pk/
• goldforever 2y ago
  [dead]
• stonenoodles 2y ago
  Not sure if applicable and how to get in. Afaik price is around 100k for a personalised vaccine but you have to give them vaccine candidates based based on DNA data. Maybe some local biotech uni could help with that. https://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/data-insights/innovators-precision-and-personalized-medicine-personalized-cancer-vaccines-pharmaceutical/ https://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/data-insights/inno...
• dp-hackernews 2y ago
  This may be informative... https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/ketogenic-diets-for-cancer-hype-versus-science/ https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/ketogenic-diets-for-cancer-...
• droideqa 2y ago
  I am not a doctor at all, but I found these via Google scholar. 1. Ruta graveolens extract[0][1] 2. Terpenes[2] 3. Metformin helps temozolomide[3][4][5] 4. Tumor treating induced fields (magnetic fields like you originally said) [note: published after your paper, and your paper wasn't cited by it][6] 5. Ibrutinib[7] --- [0]: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0118864&type=printable https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/jo... [1]: https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/25/21/11789 https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/25/21/11789 [2]: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780323998734000141 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B97803... [3]: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5762574/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5762574/ [4]: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10340608/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10340608/ [5]: https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12672-023-00678-3.pdf https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12672-023-006... (not effective) [6]: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11524832/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11524832/ [7]: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.aah6816 https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.aah6816
  • neom 2y ago
    re: #4, they seem to be quite different. The paper OP referenced is considerably more novel, paper [6] here is incremental improvement on existing technology (TTFields).
• rkhassen9 2y ago
  so sorry for your friend. I've wondered about the studies you linked as well as these from some previous links from HN you may or may not have already seen: mRNA Cancer Vaccine Reprograms Immune System to Tackle Glioblastoma in 48 Hours(https://www.insideprecisionmedicine.com/topics/oncology/mrna-cancer-vaccine-reprograms-immune-system-to-tackle-glioblastoma/ https://www.insideprecisionmedicine.com/topics/oncology/mrna...) 406 points|birriel|8 months ago|230 comments Researchers develop treatment that can kill glioblastoma cells in brain pathway(https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-08-therapy-treatment-glioblastoma-cells-newly.html https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-08-therapy-treatment-gli...) 142 points|wglb|5 months ago|19 comments Blood–brain barrier opening with ultrasound device in patients with glioblastoma(https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(23)00112-2/fulltext https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2...) 62 points|bookofjoe|2 years ago|31 comments Precision Oncology: Epigenetic Patterns Predict Glioblastoma Outcomes(https://directorsblog.nih.gov/2016/12/06/precision-oncology-epigenetic-patterns-predict-glioblastoma-outcomes/ https://directorsblog.nih.gov/2016/12/06/precision-oncology-...) 45 points|sciadvance|8 years ago|10 comments Doctor cancer free after novel glioblastoma self-treatment(https://nypost.com/2024/05/15/lifestyle/australian-doctor-richard-scolyer-cancer-free-year-after-terminal-diagnosis/ https://nypost.com/2024/05/15/lifestyle/australian-doctor-ri...) 40 points|crhulls|8 months ago|2 comments Man lives 10 mo without recurrence after groundbreaking glioblastoma treatment(https://twitter.com/ProfRScolyerMIA/status/1770038356300423632 https://twitter.com/ProfRScolyerMIA/status/17700383563004236...) 31 points|jrpt|10 months ago|4 comments Study kills glioblastoma by manipulating brain's astrocytes(https://scitechdaily.com/groundbreaking-method-starves-highly-lethal-cancer-tumors-of-energy-eradicating-them/ https://scitechdaily.com/groundbreaking-method-starves-highl...) 16 points|graderjs|2 years ago|0 comments Ask HN: Help with Glioblastoma
  • dang 2y ago
    Here are those links, passed through HN's threadography software: Ask HN: Help with Glioblastoma - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41299748 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41299748 - Aug 2024 (11 comments) Researchers develop treatment that can kill glioblastoma cells in brain pathway - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41144021 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41144021 - Aug 2024 (19 comments) Doctor cancer free after novel glioblastoma self-treatment - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40373382 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40373382 - May 2024 (2 comments) mRNA Cancer Vaccine Reprograms Immune System to Tackle Glioblastoma in 48 Hours - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40231515 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40231515 - May 2024 (230 comments) Man lives 10 mo without recurrence after groundbreaking glioblastoma treatment - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39759022 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39759022 - March 2024 (4 comments) Blood–brain barrier opening with ultrasound device in patients with glioblastoma - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35853217 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35853217 - May 2023 (31 comments) Study kills glioblastoma by manipulating brain's astrocytes - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33076921 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33076921 - Oct 2022 (0 comments) Precision Oncology: Epigenetic Patterns Predict Glioblastoma Outcomes - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13117386 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13117386 - Dec 2016 (10 comments)
• Spooky23 2y ago
  Look for trials - CART has had promising results for glioblastoma.
• cjbgkagh 2y ago
  There are immune system supporting mechanisms for particular immune system dysfunctions that tend to co-occur with cancer. A particularly interesting one is Low Dose Naltrexone which is super cheap and has practically no downsides. If there is a case of even mild dysautonomia various meds like modafinil and amitriptyline can help along this axis.
• buckle8017 2y ago
  [flagged]
• Inviz 2y ago
  My friend got fully recovered from stage 4 melanoma with immune therapy in Italy. Good luck
• dantodor 2y ago
  Look for prof. Seyfried videos on youtube about GBM and his protocol.
• jo6gwb 2y ago
  Google Richard Scolyer: Top doctor remains brain cancer-free after a year. A year after undergoing a world-first treatment for glioblastoma, Australian doctor Richard Scolyer remains cancer-free. Check out Sonalsense - https://www.sonalasense.com/for-patients https://www.sonalasense.com/for-patients. Requires specialized machine not in US as of last year. Dr Mitchell Berger out of UCSF is the GOAT.
  • klipt 2y ago
    Scolyer is in the relatively fortunate position of being a world class cancer researcher before getting cancer, so he had the resources of an entire oncology lab to give himself a speculative treatment.
    • femto 2y ago
      Best hope in this regard is to keep an eye out for a resulting clinical trial, unless you have access to a friendly cancer research lab that wants to replicate the experiment.
• ausbah 2y ago
  I know when someone’s faced with certain death they’ll do almost anything they can to survive if only for a little bit longer, but this thread full of personal antectodes and largely non-reproduced effects from random pubmed articles is the hackernews equivalent of essential oils or smth
  • 7e 2y ago
    It's false hope, swallowed hook line and sinker.
    • d--b 2y ago
      Sure this is the right place for a good word
    • mllev 2y ago
      Person with cancer: I hope this new treatment works for me You: FALSE!
  • lambdaphagy 2y ago
    My impression formed from my time in cancer drug discovery is that bro science is, within practical bounds, a perfectly reasonable option for one arm of a comprehensive plan for treatment. A lot of things that sound like bro science are actually broadly supported in the literature. But studying this stuff is hard because of all of the usual issues with human subjects, the less than complete reliability of our epistemic institutions, and the infeasibility of running enough trials to address every indication in every subcohort. So if anecdata supports some intervention that that isn't aggressively inconsistent with basic theory, won't make you miserable for what might be the rest of your life, and which you could try with the sober understanding that your One Weird Trick might not work, why not? If nothing else, a well-documented case study with good adherence tells us of one more thing that didn't work, which is hardly the worst parting gift to the world.
    • lambdaphagy 2y ago
      To give a practical example, grapefruit juice contains some compounds that inhibit CYP3A4, a metabolic enzyme that influences the metabolism and absorption of many drugs, which is why many prescriptions tell you not to drink it while taking a given medication. This interaction was not discovered until 1989, and not reported until two years after that. So before 1991, a simple dietary intervention that affected like half of all drugs and that could in principle have been noticed by patient who felt bad after drinking a common household beverage, was bro science. Which is not to say "and therefore just do whatever", but just to point out that there's plausibly a lot of low-hanging fruit still left if you can figure out where to pick it.
• Pigalowda 2y ago
  I’m sorry you’re having to deal with your friend’s suffering. Unfortunately there’s no hack that will help with GBM in any meaningful way. The best thing you can hope for is that the pathologist made a mistake and it’s Astrocytoma rather than GBM.
• TylerLives 2y ago
  Lots of aspirin - https://raypeat.com/articles/aging/aspirin-brain-cancer.shtml https://raypeat.com/articles/aging/aspirin-brain-cancer.shtm...
• cj 2y ago
  My best friend died of brain cancer. Although not from the cancer itself. He died of an opioid overdose. He was prescribed pain killers for cancer-related pain, and got hooked. His doctors stopped prescribing, so he found it elsewhere, and got a bad batch with fentanyl. (He was a VC living in SF, well to do, he had all the treatment money could buy, but cancer ended up not being what killed him) I know this isn’t what you’re looking for, but be sure to not ignore other parts of his health. Addiction and other disorders are common among people with terminal or not-so-great prognosis. The most you can do is to be a great friend.
  • nick__m 2y ago
    Stopping opioid because a cancer patient is addicted is incredibly cruel! sorry for your lost.
    • cdrini 2y ago
      Responded to one of your sibling comments with more thoughts, but it could very well be what the patient themselves wanted -- help with breaking the addiction so they could instead spend their time doing things they care about.
  • paulpauper 2y ago
    Addiction and other disorders are common among people with terminal or not-so-great prognosis. Or maybe his death was an outlier .pain meds are well tolerated by most people.
  • stickfigure 2y ago
    > Addiction and other disorders are common among people with terminal or not-so-great prognosis It's horrifying that we don't just give them what they want. Who are we to judge?
    • cdrini 2y ago
      I think that's a kind sentiment, but the counter arguments would be (1) they could very likely overdose and die, and (2) an addiction changes who you are, so it's not that "they" want it, it's the addiction that wants it. Your friend is the "they" before the addiction, and likely hates themselves after every time they fall off the wagon. To be clear we don't know the exact details, so we're speculating ; I could imagine some universe where it might make sense to let them, but in most cases I think what the real "they" would want is help breaking the addiction so they can spend their time doing the things that actually matter to them and give their life meaning.
• koolba 2y ago
  Did all your friends with brain cancer know each other? If so, that seems like more than a coincidence.
• matthest 2y ago
  Always put the phone on speakerphone and keep it away from your head. This is no longer a fringe conspiracy theorist thing (though research on it is still early and relatively sparse). For example: https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/02/health/brain-tumors-cell-phones-study/index.html https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/02/health/brain-tumors-cell-... https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5417432/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5417432/ Maybe it is causing certain cancers, maybe it isn't. Science will probably know more in 10 years. But in the mean time, why take on unnecessary risk?
  • hypefi 2y ago
    man, people are so stupid, loads and loads of people are saying that EMFs at close distance are kinda harmful, yet you get downvoted, precautionary principle is your best ally to avoid harm or worse, these technologies are new, and medicine/research moves slowly especially if lobbies by the biggest/wealthiest corps in the world are involved.
• ChrisMarshallNY 2y ago
  Damn. Sorry to hear that. I have had two friends get it, and neither made it. Another died of it, but it metastasized from their lung (Yeah, I have known a hell of a lot of people with cancer. Most have survived). If you have known 4 people with the same cancer, they call that a "cluster," in the vernacular, and it might not be a bad idea to see if you can figure out where it comes from. Here on Long Island, we have numerous breast cancer clusters. I am pretty cynical that people know the cause, but don't want to deal with it. I had a serious non-cancerous tumor, back in '96, but managed to learn to walk and chew gum again, after a couple of months. The key is whether or not it's operable. Mine was, none of my other friends were operable.
  • rappatic 2y ago
    > I am pretty cynical that people know the cause, but don't want to deal with it. I looked up "long island breast cancer" and saw a long list of risk factors. Out of curiosity, did you have a specific one in mind?
    • droidist2 2y ago
      Long Island is a very dense with overhead power lines, but then again look at Tokyo.
    • ChrisMarshallNY 2y ago
      Long Island is one of the oldest industrial areas in the nation. Many those planes and tanks that you saw in the WWII movies were built here. The companies around here dumped their waste straight into the aquifer. For decades. Where our drinking water comes from. But it’s also some of the most valuable real estate in the nation.
• cjameskeller 2y ago
  Very much an anecdote, but when I was younger, I knew someone who attributed the remission of their (expected to be terminal) brain cancer to eating lots of bananas that were so green/unripe that they crunched. I searched for this just now, and it seems there may be some real science behind it, but it's hard to say without digging into it further.
• wayoverthecloud 2y ago
  My father-in-law's stage 4 brain tumor was discovered when he was 50. He's in good health now. They operated on him and removed the tumors and did chemotherapy. They continuously monitored for regrowth but it didn't happen. He did yoga religiously for most of his adult life. Even his hair has grown back.
• sirholmes 2y ago
  Look at MDAnderson in Houston. https://www.mdanderson.org/cancerwise/glioblastoma-survivor---md-anderson-is-a-blessing.h00-159695967.html https://www.mdanderson.org/cancerwise/glioblastoma-survivor-... https://www.mdanderson.org/cancerwise/how-i-knew-i-had-a-brain-tumor---4-survivors-share-their-symptoms.h00-159699123.html https://www.mdanderson.org/cancerwise/how-i-knew-i-had-a-bra... Along with other success stories, they helped my sister with a particularly lethal form breast cancer in one of their clinical trials. Also - If your friend is approved and needs a place to stay, let me know. Know a couple of people who help house people who are getting treatment here. You’re an amazing friend and I hope your friend gets the care they need
• pcarolan 2y ago
  Lost my wife to brain cancer (gb4). After sifting through the noise, here’s what works based on stat sig research as far as I know: 1. Radiation 2. Surgery, awake craniotomy to reduce loss of function 3. Temodar chemotherapy 4. Optune helmets 5. Monoclonal antibodies 6. Maybe high dose vitamin C (suspicious results) If I knew then what I know now I would have focused on reducing stress in our lives as it felt like it accelerated the growth, perhaps due to a weakened immune system. Quality of life and joyful moments together is the best you can hope for. It brings you into awareness of the magic of life and each other. Focus on that — which is 100% in your control. Here is a link to the optune helmet: https://www.optunegio.com/ https://www.optunegio.com/
• deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
• alienbot1234 2y ago
  This protocol worked for some patients: mistletoe, valerian, stinging nettle, thyme, mountain germander, rosemary, oregano, yarrow, peppermint, lemon balm, chamomile, hops, st john's wort, glechoma hederacea (ground ivy/evergreen creeper), catnip, artemisia absinthium (common wormwood), artemisia vulgaris (common mugwort), greater celandine, erythrea centaurium, calendula officinalis (marigold), capsella bursa-pastoris (shepherd's purse), betula pendula roth (common birch), basil, althaea officinalis (marshmallow) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5809810/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5809810/ Some things will stimulate the immune system for a little while and then taper off (prunella vulgaris, blue agave syrup, wasabi), whereas others are higher reliability (modified citrus pectin, ashwagandha, milk thistle, kefir/probiotics, food like coconuts, berries, pomegranates, mangoes, mushrooms, broccoli, cabbage, asparagus, etc). There are harsher herbs/substances that work against cancer but damage your organs which should be avoided if possible (cat's claw, thunder god vine, aspirin, etc). Other things to avoid include some b-vitamins like niacin/folate, amino acids like methionine/lysine/glutamine, potato chips, and other things that can help the cancer grow once it exists. Also be sure to purify your air/water, air pollution will make the cancer grow a lot faster. Additional notes are here: https://github.com/outdreamer/build-a-cure/blob/master/docs/tasks/example_scripts/cancer.md https://github.com/outdreamer/build-a-cure/blob/master/docs/...
• Projectiboga 2y ago
  here is a thread about a paper on this topic on the second page. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42651572 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42651572 Ketogenic Diet in the Treatment of Gliomas and Glioblastomas https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9504425/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9504425/
• ibash 2y ago
  You should ask them if they want you playing doctor. I have a chronic disease, not fatal, and totally manageable. But the most annoying thing is when someone finds out and suddenly pretends to be the expert. Of course my doctors and I investigating it for years were completely wrong! I should’ve ate more apricots! Please just check with them if they want their limited time spent like that.
  • ionwake 2y ago
    dont get why that upsets you. I have had a chronic disease my whole life and one of the people who offered help completely saved my life. If anyone else told me to eat apricots Id be grateful for their time and attention. I would probably eat the apricots and tell them it was fantastic, even if it had no effect. Sorry I just have rarely seen my friends or family offer any advice. - Back to OP, Ive always remembered Paul Stamets recommending the stamets-7 mushroom blend with research papers talking about recession. no idea if it works.
    • scotty79 2y ago
      It can be bit annoying because people people think "can't hurt to try" but there's thousand unfounded things to try, little time, no way to pick and some of them could hurt. There's no harm in listening to ideas, being expected to implement them is another thing.
      • threeseed 2y ago
        a) Nobody here is talking about unfounded things nor demanding anyone do anything. b) There are not thousands of things to try. In fact in most cases there will be no options since you will need to be in a clinical trial, asking a Doctor to try something unproven and unethical or need substantial resources.
        • totallynothoney 2y ago
          > Nobody here is talking about unfounded things nor demanding anyone do anything. You sure? There's people commenting "just checked google scholar" and naming random plants without citing anything.
• bigkuanysh 2y ago
  Fasting, and carnivore diet. Anthony Chaffee, Shawn Baker, and Sean Omara are strong signals and examples of what modern diets lead to: inflammation, sickness, slow death.
• 63 2y ago
  You may not like hearing this, but the best thing you can do for him is be a supportive friend and try to make him happy when you get the time to. You are not an expert on brain cancer. You will not become an expert on brain cancer before he dies. You know who is an expert on brain cancer? His oncologist. I know grief is hard and you're motivated by your love for the people in your life, but there isn't some cheap hack that will fix this. Trust the experts to do their job and for the love of god don't take cancer advice from strangers on the internet. In the meantime, love your family, love your friends, love your life, and try to make others happy.
  • farseer 2y ago
    His Oncologist is definitely an expert but is not allowed to practice unorthodox moonshot treatments or unproven "hacks" at the risk of loosing his license. This is a desperate situation, and there is no harm in trying something, anything. I am sure his friend doesn't want people around him to give up on him either.
• 23B1 2y ago
  You're a good friend trying to search for answers and I hope you find one.
• nikisweeting 2y ago
  Disclaimer: am not a doctor + know nothing about this branch of medicine, but this fairly new drug cured one of my family member's (stage 2?) lung cancer that metastisized to brain: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osimertinib https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osimertinib aka Tagrisso My understanding is that it's a 3rd generation evolution of immune-system-boosting drugs that "teach your immune system to attack cancer". I don't know how fundamentally different brain cancer that starts in the brain is vs lung cancer that moves to the brain, but maybe similar approaches are possible?
• dubscientist 2y ago
  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33508300/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33508300/
  • dubscientist 2y ago
    Key findings: Harmine treatment significantly suppressed the proliferation of U251-MG and U373-MG cells in a dose and time-dependent way. Mechanistically, harmine reduced the basal and EGF-enhanced the phosphorylation level of FAK and AKT. Moreover, harmine inhibited the cell viability of U251-MG and U373-MG cells by downregulating the phosphorylation of the FAK/AKT pathway. Besides, harmine significantly suppressed the migration of U251-MG cells by suppressing the expression of MMP2, MMP9 and VEGF. Subsequently, orthotopic xenograft models revealed that harmine treatment dramatically inhibited the growth of glioblastoma in vivo. Significance: In conclusion, these results suggest that harmine suppresses the proliferation and migration of U251-MG and U373-MG cells by inhibiting the FAK/AKT signaling pathway. Our findings elucidate harmine could be a promising drug for glioblastoma therapy.
• joeyrideout 2y ago
  I recently listened to this Diary of a CEO podcast episode [1] discussing the potential link between blood glucose from carbohydrate-heavy diets and cancer. It is an alternate metabolic theory of cancer, and the podcast guest claimed that fasting followed by a keto diet was showing early success as an intervention for cancer patients (as an addition, not a replacement, to existing standard of care). I have not seen the data nor do I know the sample size, but the discussion convinced me to rethink my carb intake. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaVC3PAWqLk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaVC3PAWqLk
• scotty79 2y ago
  20mg melatonin daily (perfectly safe for years, doesn't affect sleep patterns at this dose) Depakote for seizures (instead of something else) All I know that when those were stopped recurrence started. It was after 5 healthy years on those and nothing else. It was primary anaplastic grade 3 glioma. Obviously get surgery, radiation and Temozolomide for initial treatment.
• Jimmc414 2y ago
  Just read this paper today. Ketogenic Diet in the Treatment of Gliomas and Glioblastomas https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9504425/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9504425/
• yava2025 2y ago
  [dead]
• kerkeslager 2y ago
  Sorry to hear about your friend. Here's a joke: Q: What do you call alternative medicine that works? A: Medicine. Seriously though, "bio hacks" are no different. If these things worked, it's very likely they'd just be normal practiced oncology. Oncology isn't a subfield of medicine where researchers are overly cautious about risks. The patient is practically guaranteed to die, so even if your research has a chance of killing the patient, that's an improvement. It is far more likely that whatever shallow reading of the medical data you bring to the table is going to counterproductive than productive. I strongly suggest not meddling.
  • taxicabjesus 2y ago
    The author of this Ask HN is asking because conventional cancer medicine is not good enough. I think cancer dissidents say the screening programs for early treatment makes the doctors look better by increasing the number of non-fatal cases that are “diagnosed”. But most people who die after a certain age all have non-fatal tumors in their bodies… > Q: What do you call alternative medicine that works? A: Medicine Medicine that doesn’t work is grandfathered in to be called Medicine to. I don’t know how standard harmful treatments get retired from active use. I mentioned your joke in a comment on a submission about stents: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14722748 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14722748
    • kerkeslager 2y ago
      > I don’t know how standard harmful treatments get retired from active use. So naturally, you've assumed they don't get retired? I assure you, they do: sometimes it takes longer than it should, but if there's evidence that a treatment is harmful, it eventually does fall out of practice. Very few leeches are used in medicine today, in case you haven't noticed. The ProPublica story you linked was published in 2017, so I'm not hearing that this problem of treatment 8 years ago is still a problem today. It also doesn't make clear what evidence it has against stents. I found some studies from 2003/2004 that say they found insufficient evidence for stents preventing "mortality, acute myocardial infarction, or coronary artery bypass surgery". However, there was evidence for "substantial reductions in angiographic restenosis rates and the subsequent need for repeated PTCA". Now setting aside the pause for a second. Don't look this up: do you even know what "angiographic restenosis" is? If not, why would you think you're qualified to have an opinion on this? Because you read an article in ProPublica, you think you're a cardiologist now? And here's my big picture point: yes, you can find problems with the medical field. Doctors are humans, and they make mistakes. But the track record of doctors as compared to random quackery off the internet, is absolutely stellar. You're criticizing medicine without comparing it to anything. Some of your criticisms are valid areas we could improve on, but the alternative you're offering is much, much worse. People die from under-studied treatments all the time.
• adamredwoods 2y ago
  Sequence the cancer. Get involved in clinical trials early. There's no "biohacking" cancer without pharmatech. It mutates. You would need a two or three sided attack. There was a concept on causing the cancer to have an "extinction event" and I agree with that, due to how cancer mutates. We're also missing tools to see how effective treatments are, on a day-to-day basis. This may be out of technological reach. Also, keep in mind, the blood-brain barrier is difficult to deal with.
• nojs 2y ago
  This may be of interest: https://amp.abc.net.au/article/103610270 https://amp.abc.net.au/article/103610270
• aCameronhuff 2y ago
  Here’s a summary of all of the current treatments and near future treatments for GBM/glioma: https://docs.google.com/file/d/1kTa3eamaL91Smjh9r_0CYv5OYFX4fPK3/edit?usp=docslist_api&filetype=msword https://docs.google.com/file/d/1kTa3eamaL91Smjh9r_0CYv5OYFX4.... This is as complete a list as you’ll find, written in plain English, with citations for every part of it. Slightly out of date but there hasn’t been much that’s new and different since last year. Vorasidenib was approved recently in USA and it’s the most effective IDH inhibitor - worth reading more about. The document is focussed on glioma but there’s a lot of GBM research. Unfortunately the short answer is that there is no cure and there is treatment that might be a cure under development. There are treatments that slow the course, and the patient’s doctors know all of them and they will recommend what’s best. This is an area of medicine that is hard for amateurs to learn about, and a neurooncologist has decades more training than their patients. The reality is this is a horrible disease that currently has no cure - and the treatments that work are all complex medicines prescribed by specialists.
  • d--b 2y ago
    Thanks a lot
    • aCameronhuff 2y ago
      You’re welcome. I’m the author if you have any questions.
  • mahkeiro 2y ago
    I read about this guy last year, using melanoma approach (he is a melanoma specialist) for his GBM: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/nov/03/brainstorm-richard-scolyer-book-interview-brain-cancer https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/nov/03/brainstorm-ric... Of course n=1, but I find it interesting when there is this cross field way of thinking.
    • aCameronhuff 2y ago
      He’s gotten a lot of press attention and it’s great, but it’s not something new. The researchers who do GBM work are always looking at developments in the parallel tracks of other cancers. It’s not really the case that they haven’t looked at melanoma work. That’s sort of a news spin on the nature of this work. There’s always cross-pollination because the genetic underpinnings of cancers are almost always related. For example, IDH inhibitors (the most recent advancements for glioma patients) are relevant for several kinds of cancer, not just gliomas.
• geuis 2y ago
  Keto diets seem to have at least a positive anecdotal effect. Putting aside the cancer part, a strict adherence to the caloric restriction diet has general health benefits. Whether the positive health benefits impact the cancer itself is unknown. It may simply be that being healthier helps patients deal with the impacts of chemo and radiotherapy. Also possible is that caloric restriction helps to put the body into a biology mode that helps to combat cancerous tissue. There's no solid science behind any of this, but generally being healthier helps with any medical treatments.
• teyc 2y ago
  There's a professor who argues that cancer cells are fermentation and ketogenic diet is one of the pathways. There are drugs to stop this kind of respiration as well. People on Twitter regularly posts links to relevant PubMed articles.
• ugh123 2y ago
  How does one even obtain zika virus to try that? Although yet, the "case report" talks about only 1 patient
  • d--b 2y ago
    Zika virus is in the wild and in virus banks. Since no virus banks will hand you out a live virus strain, your best shot is to fly to the rain forest, and get bitten by mosquitoes. At worst, it gives you an excuse for one last trip to Thailand… you may contract dengue fever and chikungunya though, which is not exactly pleasant. The case is not a patient, the woman caught the virus cause she lives in Brazil.
    • adamredwoods 2y ago
      They're using weakened viruses. Virus use in cancer is nothing new, but an interesting field. I can see why pharma hesitates using it, viruses can mutate, too, similar to cancer. https://translational-medicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12967-024-04930-4 https://translational-medicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10... https://source.washu.edu/2021/03/zika-virus-helps-destroy-deadly-brain-cancer-in-mice/ https://source.washu.edu/2021/03/zika-virus-helps-destroy-de... But plant viruses, like cowpea mosaic, now that's a virus humans don't need to fear: https://www.drugdiscoverynews.com/plant-virus-based-immunotherapies-could-halt-cancer-metastasis-16090 https://www.drugdiscoverynews.com/plant-virus-based-immunoth...
• domofutu 2y ago
  https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42651572 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42651572
• y33t 2y ago
  Don't bother, if you're in a position to do so, help them find a first-class brain surgeon. Get them into Sloan Kettering, Mayo, Duke or OHSU or whoever. Help them look for clinical trials to get chemo past the blood-brain barrier (I've heard some promising things in this area, though I'm not sure if it's being tested on humans yet). If they have a family that's taking care of them, offer to help them. Even just a grocery trip a week or something would be a massive help (obviously this depends on how close you are to them but you get the picture). Hell, offer to just hang out with your friend for a few hours so the family can get out and decompress for a bit if they need to. Don't let them fall into the false hope of "I might have 5-10 more years". The person I knew fell into that and did absolutely nothing they wanted to do before they died because they were in denial and kept holding onto the expectation that they'd get better. If they have money, every cockroach will come out of the woodwork trying to get a piece. Watch out for them if you can. I know someone who got scammed out of a very substantial amount by a real brain surgeon in America(!!!), who referred them to a guy that sold a bogus device which he claimed would "destroy the tumor" (no FCC sticker on it and the entire thing was controlled by a Raspberry Pi when I disassembled it). Brain surgeon had a bunch of FDA complaints against them too and performed it in one of the poorest cities in the country, across the street from a burnt out apartment building. The local pharmacy had a constant police presence because of armed robberies for the drugs. These details scream sketch to normal people, but normal people aren't going to be dying of brain cancer in the foreseeable future. Desperate people will do crazy things if they think it offers some hope.
  • RamblingCTO 2y ago
    Agreed. Maybe look into end of life LSD therapy (https://www.webmd.com/palliative-care/features/facing-death-without-fear-psychedelics--end-life-care https://www.webmd.com/palliative-care/features/facing-death-...) and work on the bucket list. That should be priority #1. #2 can be to try a lot of "out there stuff", but don't forget to live.
    • lumost 2y ago
      End of life bucket lists are a strange thing, I recall a close family member who entered hospice. They kept attempting to use their credit card to pay for all expenses, dinners, etc. Of course, everyone around wanted to contribute - this person was not well off, the credit card was not used for much. It took some weeks later after they passed for me to realize that they knew it was a credit card bill they would never need to pay. In all likelihood others contributions simply blocked them from feeling that they were contributing.
• rswail 2y ago
  Telix https://telixpharma.com https://telixpharma.com that is working on theraputics and diagnostics for gioblastomas (amongst other cancers). The Australian of the Year (a quasi government annual position) was last year given to Professor Scoyler, who is a leading melanomia researcher. He was diagnosed with gioblastomas 2-3 years ago and was able to make himself a research subject for immunologic and other approaches to dealing with brain cancer. My friend was diagnosed with gioblastoma 2 years ago, she is very much dependent on steroids and has exhausted the chemo/radio possibilities. It sucks, but hopefully getting better. Search out all of the possible trials and other potential cures.
• totallynothoney 2y ago
  Beyond the obvious fact that wasting the last of your friend's life by pushing him to become a one-subject experiment from a random pubmed article is bad. HN is a tech nerd VC forum, and as a rule, nobody here knows anything about medicine. Even if there are one or two actual subject matter experts in this thread, you can't distinguish them from every idiot who thinks they are god's chosen genius because mommy got them an Apple II when they were kids. If, and only if, he's interested himself, try to get him into a clinical trial; don't get Zika virus from who knows where for the love of God. You'll be a good friend to him during this time. Best of luck. (4 vaguely related people getting the same aggressive brain tumor sounds worrying)
• deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
• bhl 2y ago
  Look into immunotherapy trials at hospitals like UCSF. They might have pre-existing conditions which would make them in-eligible however. In any case, try to spend as much time with them as possible; you won't regret anything when they pass.
• cyrc 2y ago
  I do not know if this will work but search for Beata Halassy University of Zagreb researcher Beata Halassy treated her breast cancer with an unproven virus-based therapy using viruses she cultivated in her own lab. https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2024/11/14/cancer-virus-treatment-self-experiment/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2024/11/14/cancer-vir...
• ampdepolymerase 2y ago
  > getting infected with the zika virus (probably the best thing to do IMO Virology based methods don't last very long because the immune system adapts quickly. If you want to go down that route, make sure you have experts on hand.
• lakomen 2y ago
  - Don't avoid proper medical treatment. - Cannabis has been known to help, both with Cancer as well as feeling unwell during chemo and increasing appetite. Best of luck
• whoknows987 2y ago
  I'm not a doctor. All people who I personally know who had cancer and went through standard procedures are dead. Do your own research, I came across this avenue but I personally know nobody who tried this https://www.burzynskiclinic.com/ https://www.burzynskiclinic.com/
• rekabis 2y ago
  Most cancers are dependent on glucose as a fuel source, as they typically use 200× more than most other cells in the body. If you can, convince your friend to go on a zero-carb, zero-sugar diet that even cuts out artificial sweeteners (as they can also screw with metabolism). Get them to try to hammer their A1C down to 3.0 or less for 3+ months, so they go into extended periods of ketosis. A continuous glucose monitor can help identify spikes, which can also be moderated with 2tbsp of vinegar before each meal.
• sjducb 2y ago
  Go on a psychedelic retreat. Psilocybin or Ayahuasca. Spend at least a week with a registered Shamanic Practitioner. It’s a fast track to the acceptance stage and it’ll help your friend enjoy the last part of their human experience. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/2022/08/psychedelics-may-lessen-fear-of-death-and-dying-similar-to-feelings-reported-by-those-whove-had-near-death-experiences https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/...
• hoppp 2y ago
  Maybe a zero sugar diet, or starving to try to starve the tumor? Maybe a dewormer pill? I dunno, Im sorry for you friend really.
• mharig 2y ago
  [dead]
• gadders 2y ago
  I read this article once: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/12/07/bacteria-on-the-brain https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/12/07/bacteria-on-th... " The tumor had spread to his brain stem and was shortly expected to kill him. Muizelaar cut out as much of the tumor as possible. But before he replaced the “bone flap”—the section of skull that is removed to allow access to the brain—he soaked it for an hour in a solution teeming with Enterobacter aerogenes, a common fecal bacterium. Then he reattached it to Egan’s skull, using tiny metal plates and screws. Muizelaar hoped that inside Egan’s brain an infection was brewing." The scientists did get penalised for it but as a hail mary it might be worth investigating. My best wishes for your friend. https://www.nature.com/articles/nature.2012.11080 https://www.nature.com/articles/nature.2012.11080
• Modified3019 2y ago
  I suggest looking into hyperthermia therapy (which is used in combination with immune system priming drugs, and sometimes traditional chemical/radiation treatments) Unfortunately the classic easy external way it’s done isn’t the best fit for brain application, as it’s literally heating the body up in a sauna to a point where heat reactive proteins are generated. This forces the cancer to either open up various cellular transport mechanisms (announcing itself to the immune system) or denature (and die). This is repeated multiple times, and can actually be so effective and the doctor overseeeing the treatment needs to be careful not to kill off too much cancer at once if there is a large amount, due to the resulting necrosis. However related to this for deep body use is using radiation devices or probes to heat tumorous areas deeper in the body, or outright use laser probes to not-quite-burn places. This can allow access to otherwise inoperable tumors. See Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) https://www.barnesjewish.org/Medical-Services/Neurology-Neurosurgery/Brain-and-Spine-Tumors/Hyperthermia-Treatment-for-Brain-Tumors https://www.barnesjewish.org/Medical-Services/Neurology-Neur... https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/17114-hyperthermia-therapy https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/17114-hyper... Hyperthermia therapies are lesser known for some tragic reason, but they are FDA approved.
• aaron695 2y ago
  [dead]
• bArray 2y ago
  I just now checked out my theory of switching to a keto diet - this appears to be terrible advice. There appears to be some initial idea of using keto to control cancer [1]. My working theory is that cancer is a high-replication cell, and the ketogenic diet is anti-growth, increasing the probability of it outgrowing the resources available. It appears possible to starve them of glucose [2]. In reality, it appears the keto diet may encourage metastatis, by promoting BACH1 [3]. You may end up with weaker cancer spread around the body. It's extremely unclear if this is a better situation or not. [1] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6375425/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6375425/ [2] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0899900724000777 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S08999... [3] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11152127/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11152127/
  • markjohnson9 2y ago
    Thank you for this. I don't have your background but I have GBM and research it and yes agree there is a total bypass in your system for keto. Your body finds a way to get what it needs. Keto might buy some time before that takes effect but it is not a solution.
    • bArray 2y ago
      I'm not in the medical profession, I'm just a humble internet user. It's entirely possible you know more than me - I'm happy to hear other ideas. > Keto might buy some time before that takes effect but it is not a solution. It might still be a solution. The cancer may be spread out and easier for the body to effectively tackle. Also note that it may depend on type or location. One thing that does seem clear is that if you do go the keto route, you would need to stick at it. If you purposefully break it down, it spreads, then you give it back the fuel, it would probably make the situation far worse by growing rapidly in multiple locations.
      • markjohnson9 2y ago
        You would definitely need to stick with keto. I have actually heard a lot of good, small testimonials. Some of them are from science journals and just lack the patient size. However, I don't think it would really buy me survival just a little more time at best. My conclusion is it could be worth pursuing but with my limited time I am just not willing to make the sacrifice. Not without having a better sense that it would cure me. For that reason I will pursue some other alternate strategies such as the spinning magnets. Thank you for your help.
• markjohnson9 2y ago
  I am in the same boat. Glioblastoma diagosis 21 months ago. I am IDH wild type with MGMT methylation status. I am starting to get a possible recurrence. Yes, I HAVE used the spinning oscillating magnetic field. I don't know that I am doing it right but I have the following setup and have been doing this for a month. I simply connected a large round 500lb neodynium magnet to a drill. I set the drill to oscillate for 2 seconds rapidly and then slow down to near stopping for 1 second. This results in it continually spinning up and down. Since I don't know the ideal frequency I am trying to hit ALL frequencies. This is just a burner account but i am a very real person. If I lose my credentials, I may have to create yet another account. I apologize if that happens. I know it's not appropriate but god bless you. Let's keep sharing. I appreciate you starting this up.
  • markjohnson9 2y ago
    I should also say that i am using the device for 20 minutes at a time and 3 times a day. I am not sure if that is sufficient, I know in the article they were using for 2-6 hours.
    • neom 2y ago
      If you're going to be doing this stuff, you should really at minumum be taking their paper and giving it to chatgpt to work with. Just tell it you're an electrical engineering PhD interested in learning more about this medical paper to bypass the objections. Sure magnets are relatively safe, but still. This might also help you: https://s.h4x.club/d5uQpQJY https://s.h4x.club/d5uQpQJY / https://s.h4x.club/qGu4v46n https://s.h4x.club/qGu4v46n
      • markjohnson9 2y ago
        Thank you. This is a great idea. I have been using chat gpt, asking it questions but I haven't actually tried it on this particular latest treatment. It will be interesting to see what it says.
  • d--b 2y ago
    Thanks a lot for sharing. Yes, going up and down the frequency range is what they seem to be doing in the experiments as well. By 500lb, you mean its pulling force, right? Thought it was the weight of the magnet for one second. And just making sure, by "round" you mean cylinder with diametric polarization? Do you use any tool for measuring the strength of the magnetic field? Good luck to you.
• BrannonKing 2y ago
  Try fasting. Go 24 hours without food and little (water) or no drink. Do this once a month when you don't have cancer, and maybe more when you do. The theory behind it: Some cancers such as Chordoma are reliant on mTOR, which fasting inhibits or modulates. (This is also why Rapamycin is being researched for cancer treatment, though its mTOR effect is mild.) Theory part 2: tumors tend to have a lot of glycogen, which is unavailable when fasting. The body still needs it so it will pull some from tumors if necessary.
• mediumsmart 2y ago
  In that situation I would stop eating for a while but I would also not count on it working since I can’t really stand hope. Acceptance is the key for me. You can find a video called fasting for survival from a cardiologist called pradip jamnadas and see if it makes sense for you or your friend.
• lawrenceyan 2y ago
  The state of the art in cancer treatment currently is personalized immunotherapies spearheaded by companies like BioNTech, etc. Cancer should be viewed from a system wide perspective in my opinion rather than a location specific disease. If you really want to get into biohacker territory, figure out how to sequence the tumor’s mutanome distribution and then generate a mRNA vaccine encoding the unique antigen markers of the tumor. That’s basically what these biotech companies are doing[0]. If you need pointers on where to begin your research, BNT122 is a good place to start. Good luck. Depending on how much money your friend has, you might be able to make something happen. Consider contacting biotech companies directly. [0]: https://www.biontech.com/int/en/home/pipeline-and-products/pipeline.html https://www.biontech.com/int/en/home/pipeline-and-products/p...
• TriNetra 2y ago
  You can ask him to try yogic and ayurvedic methods. AN excerpt from The Wellness Sense book (author: OM Swami) [0]: >I've had patients successfully cure ulcers, cancers, migraines, obesity, hypertension, allergies, depression and many other ailments by following the principles I share with you in this book. I am not suggesting that Ayurveda is a panacea. No system of medicine is. But, when you combine the principles of Ayurveda with the yogic thought, you make a giant leap in your understanding of the human body and its wellbeing. In this book, I introduce you to a holistic system of health and wellness. My goal is not to give you herbal remedies, because once again I don't wish to treat the symptoms. Besides, I'm not a medical professional but a meditation specialist and a tantric practitioner. There are plenty of Ayurvedic doctors out there you can consult for medicine. Having said that, chances are, once you adopt the principles and practices I am sharing here, you will not need to see a doctor again. For a healthy and a long life, the ancient yogic thought offers you one of the most insightful, complete and scientific perspectives. I promise by the time you finish reading this book, you will look upon your body and your health in a new way. You will learn how to take care of it better, you will know how to lead a healthier life in our present world 0: https://www.amazon.com/Wellness-Sense-Practical-Emotional-Ayurvedic/dp/9351772624 https://www.amazon.com/Wellness-Sense-Practical-Emotional-Ay...
• Doomscroller 2y ago
  Fasting: https://www.mskcc.org/news/fasting-primes-immune-systems-natural-killer-cells-to-better-fight-cancer-new-study-in-mice-finds https://www.mskcc.org/news/fasting-primes-immune-systems-nat...
• seniortaco 2y ago
  I'm not sure why all the hate. This is entirely up to your friend. If they want to spend their remaining time trying moonshots, then by all means do it, and blog the results online and share with others. Make it into something fun. It literally does only increase their chances of survival even if by some extremely small amount. Otherwise, if they prefer to spend their time in other ways, support them in that. "False hope" is kind of an oxymoron. Hope is never easy to have. Fortunately it's not required. You can accept death and still find enjoyment/distraction in self-experimentation.
• orion138 2y ago
  Mass General has had some success in clinical trials using an immunotherapy based approach. https://www.massgeneral.org/news/press-release/clinical-trial-results-show-dramatic-regression-of-glioblastoma-after-next-generation-car-t-therapy#:~:text=The%20trial%2C%20known%20as%20INCIPIENT,achieving%20near%2Dcomplete%20tumor%20regression https://www.massgeneral.org/news/press-release/clinical-tria....
• wkkapr 2y ago
  Ivermectin has been used by many doctors in the past year or so for many different kinds of cancers. Here's an overview of why IVM is a good re-purposed cancer treatment. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7505114/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7505114/
• joemazerino 2y ago
  Fasting for prolonged periods has been found to help on both cancer discovery and during chemo.
• jjtheblunt 2y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Scolyer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Scolyer is an Australian MD with glioblastoma whose treatment is immunotherapy; he is blogging (on X for example) as it's ongoing, and has been doing very well.
• Client4214 2y ago
  I can recommend Lenox Hill on Netflix if you or them have not already seen it, pretty interesting watching doctors operate on and care for GBM patients - https://www.netflix.com/title/80201728 https://www.netflix.com/title/80201728 I have to imagine those doctors are still there doing this, it's been their life's work.
  • Client4214 2y ago
    Also a good book on Cancer in general - Chris Beat Cancer - https://www.amazon.com/Chris-Beat-Cancer-Comprehensive-Naturally/dp/1401956114 https://www.amazon.com/Chris-Beat-Cancer-Comprehensive-Natur... I enjoyed the read even though I don't think juicing can cure cancer. They mentioned studies where cancer cells were shrinking after dripping different juices onto them. It's mostly about eating your fruits and vegetables. The dude survived cancer without going through your typical Chemo.
    • adamredwoods 2y ago
      He had his tumor surgically removed. Juicing didn't cure him.
      • Client4214 2y ago
        That's an important point. He did have the tumor removed, but declined to go through traditional chemo afterwards.
• Llamamoe 2y ago
  Obvious caveat: You REALLY want to research this in-depth to see if there's any basis to it, but I recently came across the fact that Hymecromone(4-methylumbelliferone) is an inhibitor of Hyaluronic Acid synthesis, which is a part of extracellular matrix, and necessary for cell proliferation, that is currently being investigated for a large range of different cancers, with positive effects in most(mostly animal models and in vitro studies). I first discovered it when searching for bladder cancer therapies[1][2] A cursory search seems to say that HA does in fact play a role in GBM[3], and that 4MU appears to reduce GBM cell proliferation[4] though it looks at a different mechanism. In fact, there seems to be a review of its potential for treating brain cancers specifically[5] As far as I can tell, it's a commonly prescribed drug for bile acid related issues that rarely has any side effects or risks. It appears to be safe, and to improve outcomes across many types of cancers [1] https://www.auajournals.org/doi/full/10.1016/j.juro.2014.02.842 https://www.auajournals.org/doi/full/10.1016/j.juro.2014.02.... [2] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11081427/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11081427/ [3] https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-007-7602-9_26 https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-007-7602-9_... [4] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352304221001057 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235230422... [5] https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yasser-Mustafa-3/publication/354381262_Hymecromone_and_Its_Products_as_Cytotoxic_Candidates_for_Brain_Cancer_A_Brief_Review/links/6135e54838818c2eaf85d993/Hymecromone-and-Its-Products-as-Cytotoxic-Candidates-for-Brain-Cancer-A-Brief-Review.pdf https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yasser-Mustafa-3/public...
• RagnarD 2y ago
  Immunotherapy is the only practical way to go. In particular research DCVax-L (e.g. https://www.thebraintumourcharity.org/brain-tumour-diagnosis-treatment/treating-brain-tumours/emerging-treatments/immunotherapy/cancer-vaccines/ https://www.thebraintumourcharity.org/brain-tumour-diagnosis...), but also other immunotherapies. There may be nearby clinical trials for such therapies as well: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ https://clinicaltrials.gov/
• stefanwlb 2y ago
  [dead]
• mxvanzant 2y ago
  I am currently getting treated for Folicular Lymphoma, so I've been looking into complementary treatments for myself. I saw a video on youtube -- wait, here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikSlMlMFS7M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikSlMlMFS7M -- from a medical journal former editor / writer guy who cured his throat cancer or maybe it was skin cancer, but he talked about both, with topical treatments using food grade hydrogen peroxide (h2o2). (I forgot the strength he used -- maybe 35%. But do not swallow this stuff -- very harmful to ingest, only apply it topically at specific points.) Anyway he was talking about brain tumors and how for some kinds there are no good treatment options and he conjectured that injecting these kind of brain tumors with the 35%(?) h2o2 could wipe them out. This is because most cancer cells are highly susceptible to h2o2 (way more than normal cells) A brain surgeon could do this using imaging guidance, etc. Maybe you can find a surgeon who is already doing this type of treatment in a trial perhaps. Three other options: 1. High dose vitamin C via IV. At very high doses, Vitamin C can wipe out cancer cells via multiple mechanisms. One of these is because VitC generates ozone in the cancer cells which destroys them in a similar method as if they had been dosed with h2o2. 2a. Get into ketosis via diet -- can selectively cause cancer cell death -- something to do with mitochondria metabolism changes in cancer cells. But, getting into ketosis is super difficult. 2b. Get into ketosis by supplementing with MCT (medium chain triglycerides) from coconut oil. The C8 component of this type of oil seems to have the strongest ketosis results. C8 MCT is processed by your liver and converted into ketones. Much easier than a keto diet. 3. Follow the Gerson therapy -- https://gerson.org/the-gerson-therapy/ https://gerson.org/the-gerson-therapy/ -- lots of fresh pressed mostly veggie juices as the main component of the diet along with other things. This can also mimic a fast (another way to selectively kill cancer cells). I'm doing 1, 2b, and starting to do 3 for myself. None of these are expensive and they are all very safe to do and you can do 2 and 3 at home. I live near Chicago and I'm getting standard treatment at Illinois Cancer Specialists in Niles and the IVC treatments from Raden Wellness in Highwood. I'm working with an MD Oncologist and a Naturopathic Oncologist. So far so good! Best of luck to your friend!!!
• dswilkerson 2y ago
  Fasting puts your cells into a "clean out the junk" mode that is quite powerful for deleting stuff, including cancer. That is, rather that being passive, fasting is quite active and uniquely potent. I had a lump in my throat near my vocal chords that I was told was a standard response to acid reflux and was inoperable. It was there for 15 years and hurt whenever I would sing. I did a 20 day fast last summer and just happened to have it examined and photographed before and after. Before the fast it was there and after it was completely gone. Valter Longo is one of the world's experts on fasting. You might want to read this article of his on fasting and cancer: https://www.cell.com/trends/endocrinology-metabolism/abstract/S1043-2760(18)30017-1 https://www.cell.com/trends/endocrinology-metabolism/abstrac... ____ Starvation, Stress Resistance, and Cancer Roberta Buono, Valter D. Longo Dysregulated metabolism is one of the emerging hallmarks of cancer cells. Differential stress resistance (DSR) and differential stress sensitization (DSS) responses are the mechanisms caused by fasting and fasting-mimicking diet (FMDs) to promote protection of normal cells and induce cancer cell death. Fasting-dependent reduction in glucose and IGF-1 mediates part of the DSR and DSS effects. Fasting and FMDs have the potential for applications in both cancer prevention and treatment. ____ Either Longo or another fasting researcher pointed out that you can make a level of chemotherapy where none of the rats that are not fasting live and where all of the rats that are fasting live. So fasting is a powerful alteration of cells that makes them tolerate chemotherapy much better. You might want to contact Alan Goldhamer of TrueNorth Health Center. They have almost four decades of experience getting fantastic results by fasting people (about 20K so far), such as curing cancers, Lupus, Diabetes, etc. See https://youtu.be/42QAyVkAS_0?t=71 https://youtu.be/42QAyVkAS_0?t=71 or this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuebTcdLIKY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuebTcdLIKY The below is from a friend of mine who an M.D. told me has read so much about biomedicine that "it's as if he went to graduate school": ____ In complete contrast to chemotherapy, fasting helps pain, anxiety and depression - http://www.mindthesciencegap.org/2013/04/10/fasting-for-mental-health-does-it-work/ http://www.mindthesciencegap.org/2013/04/10/fasting-for-ment.... For general information on fasting, I recommend reading or watching Dr. Jason Fung. He is a nephrologist from Canada. His book The Obesity Code (I have read it) is selling well, but you can get the same information by watching YouTube videos, which I preferred to his book. My favorite were his early lectures that are less flashy “The Aetiology of Obesity Part 1 of 6: A New Hope” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpllomiDMX0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpllomiDMX0 However, if a six hour graduate lecture series is more than you want to sign on for, any of the more recent videos at www.dietdoctor.com will provide the basics. In addition to Dr. Fung, a number of doctors are publishing articles and videos about fasting and cancer: * Dr. Fung quoting Noble winner for autophagy - https://www.dietdoctor.com/fasting-cellular-cleansing-cancer-connection https://www.dietdoctor.com/fasting-cellular-cleansing-cancer... & https://www.dietdoctor.com/attacking-cancers-weakness-not-strengths https://www.dietdoctor.com/attacking-cancers-weakness-not-st... * Dr. Seyfried - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEE-oU8_NSU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEE-oU8_NSU - he wrote a book (https://www.amazon.com/Cancer-Metabolic-Disease-Management-Prevention-ebook/dp/B00852YXZS/ref=mt_kindle?_encoding=UTF8&me= https://www.amazon.com/Cancer-Metabolic-Disease-Management-P...) that I have not purchased this book, but it is highly regarded and referenced by others. * Dr. Winters - https://www.dietdoctor.com/member/presentations/winters https://www.dietdoctor.com/member/presentations/winters – This is a discussion of the metabolic approach to cancer * Dr. Poff - https://www.dietdoctor.com/can-you-treat-cancer-with-low-carb https://www.dietdoctor.com/can-you-treat-cancer-with-low-car... - Keto diet and cancer Some of this is very biochemistry based and is just tons of detail saying “fasting and/or a ketogenic diet will fight cancer.” Spending the time to understand the biochemistry of the disease and visualizing what you want your body to do will help your body heal. While this sounds very touchy, feely and like voodoo medicine to a traditionally trained biochemist, the research is strong on the ability of the mental imagery to have a therapeutic benefit. (Again, I cite Dr. Rosenthal, neuroscientist, as a higher authority). ____
• loa_in_ 2y ago
  Anecdotally, people cite high abv alcohol consumption for having a preserving effect on living body. I imagine it being like a variety of chemotherapy. By that I mean specifically not drinking a mixed drinks, but drinking nothing but straight vodka and water for a whole day or multiple, while maybe eating some pickles. It shifts body metabolism from sugars and fats to mostly alcohol and protein. It's not as tough as it sounds, given that, again anecdotally, many Slavic and Finnish people do so casually.
• trod1234 2y ago
  [dead]
• systemsignal 2y ago
  Highly recommend looking into the work of Thomas Seyfried, the metabolic theory of cancer, press-pulse approach, glutamine targeting Press-Pulse approach described: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7kOs6bS1Hg&t=7185s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7kOs6bS1Hg&t=7185s (~ keto+exercise+hyperbaric oxygen therapy+standard approaches which become more effective) https://nutritionandmetabolism.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12986-017-0178-2 https://nutritionandmetabolism.biomedcentral.com/articles/10... https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/bcnews/science-tech-and-health/biology-and-genetics/targeting-cancer.html https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/bcnews/science-tech-and-health/bio... https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-019-0455-x https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-019-0455-x https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8200410/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8200410/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PJfOFTaYow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PJfOFTaYow
• femto 2y ago
  I've just read "Brainstorm" the recent biography by Richard Scolyer, the melanoma researcher who has survived 18 months, possibly due to a novel immunotherapy regime. It's worth a read, especially chapter 8, about his GBM treatment. My takeaways: * His treatment is an experiment. It's based on techniques regularly used in melanoma treatment, but which have not previously been used for brain cancers. Clinical trials are required to tell if the success to date is due to good luck or the treatment. * There was/is a real chance of death due to complications, particularly brain swelling or damage to other organs, from the immunotherapy. There have been complications, including liver toxicity, but the book gives the impression that these have been managed. * The drugs themselves are commercially available, the three immunotherapy drugs used (Anti-PD-1, Anti-CTLA-4, Anti-LAG-3) being "off the shelf" and the customised vaccine was manufactured by a US based company (not a research lab). * A major barrier to someone else trying this treatment regime is finding a medical team willing to take the risk. That was probably the biggest reason Scolyer was able to access this treatment whereas others might struggle: he and his collaborator, Georgina Long, were able to convince others that it had a reasonable chance of working. * The novel part of the treatment was delaying the usual brain surgery and steroids and not doing chemotherapy. Instead an immediate treatment was done with immunotherapty drugs, results showing that there was no "blood-brain barrier" that stopped them from working. After about 2 weeks, surgery was performed to remove the bulk of the tumour with minimal cutting into the healthy brain. Radiotherapy was then used, along with a continuing course of the immunotherapy and a course of a vaccine customised to the genetics of Scolyer's tumour. * Planning is underway to run clinical trials, involving research institutes in Melbourne and the US and a pharmaceutical company, to test whether the results on Scolyer are reproducible. Preprint of the publication: "Neoadjuvant Triplet Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma" (this is the paper that documents Scolyer's treatment and results to April 2024) https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-4255559/v1 https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-4255559/v1
• pleb_nz 2y ago
  This is interesting stuff. Though but my field. https://youtu.be/KjdAtauO2cA?si=QGOQW8Ed165CZHL6 https://youtu.be/KjdAtauO2cA?si=QGOQW8Ed165CZHL6
• dubious2 2y ago
  Dr.John Campbell on YouTube has video on ivem and fen ben cancer cure experiences. Very interesting. Take a look.One entitled fen ben for cancer? About a month ago.
• dubious2 2y ago
  Dr.John Campbell on YouTube has video on ivem and fen ben cancer cure experiences. Very interesting. Take a look.One entitled Fen ben for cancer ?About a month ago
• zippyman55 2y ago
  I lost my brother to a glioblastoma. I think it’s a 70 pct mortality at 18 months. Best thing my brother did, against doctors orders, was to have some nice vacations w his kids. Those were such fond memories for the kids. I am sorry for your friend.
  • d--b 2y ago
    Thanks for your comment, and sorry for your brother. That some doctor discouraged your brother to take a last vacation with his kids is beyond my comprehension. It's great that he did it anyways.
• yamrzou 2y ago
  This may be of interest: Cancer in the Cold - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32440688 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32440688 - Aug 2022 (99 comments)