Has anyone used this? If so, I would appreciate knowing any favorable
results or non-results you had with it.
I recently ran across an article from December 2002 that discusses the
use and successes of Artemisinin.
http://www.townsendletter.com/Dec200...isinin1202.htm
Since reading that article I have found a lot more info on the net. So
far, have not found any clinical trials, double-blind, that test the
effectiveness of the product. That does not surprise me since the
product does not appear to be something that a drug company could
patent. It is sold here in the U.S. as a dietary supplement.
I did read a recent report that some dudes at Johns Hopkins in
Baltimore, MD had made a
super effective version of Artemisinin that killed cancer cells in the
lab a lot faster and better than regular Artemisinin and it was
licensed to a drug company. I assume that would mean years of animal
tests, FDA applications, clinical trials, etc. before it might be
approved.
For those not familiar with Artemisinin, it is used in many parts of
the world as a first-line treatment for malaria. In the U.S. it has
not been approved for malaria treatment. A couple of scientists
determined that malaria in humans acts like many cancer cells do,
including prostate, and wondered if it would have the same
effectiveness. Turns out it did in most cancer cells treated in a lab
setting, killing them but not harming normal cells that were in the
mix.
A couple of other articles I ran across:
http://www.mwt.net/~drbrewer/canart1.htm http://www.mwt.net/~drbrewer/canart2.htm
contained a lot of detailed information. I especially like a section
in the first article:
"Here's the kind of cancer treatment I dream of people getting:
"Right at the top of this dream treatment would be a product that is
effective at destroying cancer cells without causing collateral damage
to healthy cells. Yes, a nice non-toxic treatment that avoids all
those nasty side effects that cause you to purchase a wig and put barf-
bags on your weekly shopping list. And quick. Yes, a nice non-toxic
treatment that is quick to get results; that's what I want. No fooling
around; quickly eradicate the tumor or at least bring on a long-term
remission.
"Next in line would be ease of use. Open a little bottle once or twice
a day and swallow a pill or two in the privacy and comfort of one's
home, at the kitchen table or maybe even stretched out in the
recliner, reading the paper.
"I have already included non-toxic, quick acting and easy to use. I'm
also going to dream it is inexpensive; so inexpensive that even the
poor people of the world might be able to afford it. And of course, it
must be available, right now.
"Since it's my dream of an ideal treatment, I'm going to go all the
way and make sure it is so basic that it works with just about every
kind of cancer cell, cutting through all those confusing differences.
"Although it might appear that I have been listening too long to the
uplifting Rodgers and Hammerstein's melody 'To Dream the Impossible
Dream', research from the University of Washington's bioengineering
labs of Professors Lai and Singh may have discovered how a compound
from the Chinese herb sweet wormwood (qinghao in Chinese) can fulfill
all these requirements."
Quoting from that same article:
"The malaria parasite enters the red blood cells and sequesters iron.
The mechanism of action of artemisinin in "zapping" the malaria
parasite is through the affinity of artemisinin to iron. The
artemisinin compound contains two oxygen atoms hooked together in what
is termed an endoperoxide linkage. In the presence of free iron this
linkage breaks down, forming very reactive free radicals that cause
rapid and extensive damage and death to the parasite."
Further in the article:
"Dr. Lai wondered if artemisinin compounds would demonstrate the same
free radical damaging cascade in cancer cells as they do to the
malaria parasite. Starting in 1994 and later with research funding
from the Breast Cancer Fund in San Francisco, Dr. Lai and his
colleague, Dr. Narendra Singh, Ph.D., M.D., initiated some test tube
studies with cancer cells. Meanwhile, the University of Washington
patented his potential cancer treatment.
"Test Tube Results with Artemisinin
"The breast cancer cell research resulted in a 28% reduction of breast
cancer cells treated only with artemisinin, and a staggering 98%
decrease in breast cancer cells that were treated with artemisinin and
an iron-enhancing molecule, transferrin, within 16 hours. These same
treatments had no significant effect on normal human breast cells.
This research pointed to the involvement of free iron in the toxic
effect of artemisinin toward cancer cells, while basically sparing
healthy cells. ("Selective toxicity of dihydroartemisinin and
holotransferrin toward human breast cancer cells," Life Sciences 70
{2001) 49-56)"
"These results become even more potentially important because the
breast cancer cells used in the study were radiation resistant, a
difficult situation to overcome."
Although the scientists added iron-enhancing transferrin to the mix,
the human body should contain sufficient iron that no supplemental
iron is needed for the Artemisinin to be effective.
I recently obtained a couple bottles of 90 each 100 mg caps from the
company recommended in the Townsend article. Was right cheap, probably
about forty bucks total, delivered via UPS. Began taking two caps upon
arising in the morning and two caps when going to bed. All taken with
milk and some swiss cheese (my personal preference) to provide some
fat to help them along in the body. Began 10 August 2007 and will go
off them at end of four weeks. Off for a week, then start either two
weeks on, one week off, or four weeks on, one week off. I read one
report that the gut may not properly process the caps when taken
without a break. No way to know if that is accurate but if the
Artemisinin is working, a week off is not going to affect it and may
be beneficial to absorption.
Just starting on
Lupron and Flutamide, I know it may be difficult or
impossible to determine any beneficial effects of the caps. I will be
doing follow up lab tests and bone and CAT scans around the end of
October or some time in November.
Like any combination of drugs, dietary supplements, drinking
grapefruit juice when on drugs, what happens remains to be seen. Any
drug or dietary supplement should be thoroughly considered and thought
through before beginning any treatment. What works for one person may
be a disaster for another person. I am not a medical doctor. Just
another old dude waging my personal war against prostate cancer in the
best way I can.
As I write in my first post to this group:
If the drugs work, I'll let you know.
If they don't... I don't think they have invented a way to access the
Internet from six feet under.
Chef Roger
Age: 69
2/2006 PSA 20
6/2007 Stuck Catheter Removed
Found Bladder Stones
6/2007 Bladder Stones Pulverized
6/2007 Prostate Biopsy: Gleason Score: (4+5) =9
7/2007 PSA 322.73
Bone Scan: PCA Metastasized to Bones
CAT Scan: Metastatic Disease in Bones
Stage 4
7/2007 Lupron and Flutamide
My Non-Commercial Webpage:
http://rogerwoods.bravehost.com/
My Photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rogerwoods/
Saga of my Battle with Prostate Cancer:
http://rogerwoods.bravehost.com/prostate.html
Yahoo Instant Messenger: rwoods4108
Email:
rwoods4108@yahoo.com
Currently in Golden Valley, AZ
Artemisinin 
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