Posted on 12/20/2008 4:54:58 AM PST by decimon
Baltimore, MD -- A study published today in the December issue of the European medical journal Anticancer Research demonstrates that an ingredient used in a common cough suppressant may be useful in treating advanced prostate cancer. Researchers found that noscapine, which has been used in cough medication for nearly 50 years, reduced tumor growth in mice by 60% and limited the spread of tumors by 65% without causing harmful side effects.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the United States. The American Cancer Society estimates that 186,320 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2008 and 28,660 will die from it. One man in 6 will get prostate cancer during his lifetime. Although slow-growing in most men, the cancer is considered advanced when it spreads beyond the prostate. There is no known cure.
The laboratory study was a joint effort by Dr. Israel Barken of the Prostate Cancer Research and Educational Foundation, Moshe Rogosnitzky of MedInsight Research Institute, and Dr. Jack Geller of The University of California San Diego. Noscapine has previously been studied as a treatment for breast, ovarian, colon, lung and brain cancer and for various lymphomas, chronic lymphocytic leukemia and melanoma. This study, however, is the first to demonstrate its effectiveness in treating prostate cancer.
Noscapine is a naturally-occurring substance, a non-addictive derivative of opium. As a natural substance, noscapine cannot be patented, which has limited the potential for clinical trials. Rogosnitzky notes that drug companies are generally unwilling to underwrite expensive clinical trials without being able to recoup their investment. A synthetic derivative of noscapine has been patented but has not yet reached the clinical testing phase.
Since noscapine is approved for use in many countries as a cough suppressant, however, it is available to doctors to prescribe for other uses as well. This common practice is known as "off-label" prescription. Noscapine is increasingly being used off-label to treat a variety of cancers. Dr. Barken used noscapine to treat a handful of prostate cancer patients before retiring from clinical practice. Encouraged by the success of these treatments, his foundation funded the laboratory study being reported in the December 2008 edition of Anticancer Research.
As founder and medical director of the Prostate Cancer Research and Educational Foundation in San Diego, Dr. Barken is encouraging academic institutions to follow up this successful laboratory research with a human clinical trial. He has pioneered a web-based patient tracking system that will greatly reduce the cost of the trial while cutting the time necessary to complete the study. Using the web-based tracking system will also allow doctors outside the U.S. to enroll patients in the research.
Rogosnitzky, director of research at MedInsight Research Institute, points out the significant advantages that noscapine could present as a treatment for prostate cancer. "Noscapine is effective without the unpleasant side effects associated with other common prostate cancer treatments. Because noscapine has been used as a cough-suppressant for nearly half a century, it already has an extensive safety record. This pre-clinical study shows that the dose used to effectively treat prostate cancer in the animal model was also safe."
Hormone therapy and chemotherapy, along with radiation and surgery, are currently used to slow the progression of advanced prostate cancer. Side effects resulting from these treatments include impotence, incontinence, fatigue, anemia, brittle bones, hair loss, reduced appetite, nausea and diarrhea. No toxic side effects were observed in the laboratory study of noscapine.
###
About MedInsight Research Institute
MedInsight Research Institute is committed to bringing relief to those who suffer from cancer or chronic medical conditions by making doctors aware of commercially unsponsored medications, off-label (secondary) uses for approved medicines, long-lost therapies, and specialized tests that enable treatment to be tailored to the individual. As a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the institute works to bridge the ever-widening gap between medical research and actual medical practice. MedInsight's website is www.medinsight.org.
About Prostate Cancer Research and Educational Foundation (PC-REF)
PC-REF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation based in San Diego, California. It was founded by Dr. Israel Barken in 1997. PC-REF focuses on patient education, and provides financial support for innovative prostate cancer research projects. Its focus is on research ideas that can benefit today's patients. PC-REF's web site is www.pcref.org.
Gives “Turn your head and cough” a whole new meaning.
Lost the plumbing to surgery this year to cancer and all I really had to do was hit the 'ol Cepacol?
Drat!
Sorry to hear that.
I think I'll be satisfying my sweet tooth with cough drops now. Or morphine.
The article suggests that noscapine may help with other cancers..
“Gives “Turn your head and cough” a whole new meaning.”
Any doctor who says that while checking the prostate will deserve what he gets.
Somebody please tell me if I read this wrong.
The way I read this it says that Noscopine has been poven to work well in treatement of prostate and other cancers, but because it is a natural ingredient it cannot be patented, therefore the pharmaceutical industry cannot make billions off it , so instead they are spending time and resources trying to produce a substitute they CAN make millions off. Meanwhile people are dying because they cannot get rich off the cure.
Now that is a simplistic reading of what I got from this story, please tell me I am wrong.
Too bad it’s not dextramorphin, that stuff will get you higher than a kite. LOL
Gives “Turn your head and cough” a whole new meaning.Good one.
And exactly how is noscapine administered for prostate cancer? In which end?
Can’t we trust the market to provide this?
That is, as long as congress doesn’t declare it a prescription onlyl
Ping
I don't know but this, from the article, suggests ingestion: "Since noscapine is approved for use in many countries as a cough suppressant, however, it is available to doctors to prescribe for other uses as well."
So how about as a preventative measure? What’s it taste like? (I’ve never needed a cough suppressant.)
But, there's not enough info to say how good this is. If every drug that was promising in mice worked out in people, we'd be disease free!
“The way I read this it says that Noscopine has been poven to work well in treatement of prostate and other cancers, but because it is a natural ingredient it cannot be patented, therefore the pharmaceutical industry cannot make billions off it , so instead they are spending time and resources trying to produce a substitute they CAN make millions off. Meanwhile people are dying because they cannot get rich off the cure”
You nailed it! The FDA and “Big Pharma” WILL suppress anything that offers a cure for anything when they can’t clean out your bank account, take your house and anything else the greedy b%*%*ds can get before you croak off.
Thank you for posting the article, its the first I have heard of it..and since I am an expat living in Eastern Europe, I suspect I will be able to get the stuff easily, just like the other very effective treatments that are available most every place EXCEPT the U.S.
IIRC it's an Alkaloid with similar intoxicating properties to alcohol and other narcotics.
I’m glad I posted the article but you quoted Venturer (post #6) and not me.
Another benefit. Thanks. ;-)
I guess it is all in the dose.
Look for it to be banned very shortly by the FDA.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.