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Selenium as an alternative to chemotherapy
Identifier
013093
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
Temozolomide (brand names Temodar and Temodal and Temcad) is an oral chemotherapy drug. It is an alkylating agent used for the treatment of Grade IV astrocytoma — an aggressive brain tumor, also known as glioblastoma multiforme — as well as for treating melanoma, a form of skin cancer.
Cyclophosphamide (trade names Endoxan, Cytoxan, Neosar, Procytox, Revimmune), is a nitrogen mustard alkylating agent . It is used to treat cancers and autoimmune disorders. As a prodrug, it is converted by liver cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes to form the metabolite 4-hydroxy cyclophosphamide that has chemotherapy properties. Cyclophosphamide has severe and life-threatening adverse effects, including acute myeloid leukemia, bladder cancer, hemorrhagic cystitis, and permanent infertility.
Cisplatin, cisplatinum, platamin, neoplatin, cismaplat or cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (CDDP) is a chemotherapy drug. It was the first member of a class of platinum-containing anti-cancer drugs, which now also includes carboplatin and oxaliplatin. These platinum complexes react in vivo, binding to and causing crosslinking of DNA, which ultimately triggers apoptosis (programmed cell death). Cisplatin has a number of side-effectsincluding kidney damage, nerve damage, neurotoxicity, nausea, vomiting, electrolyte distrurbance, hearing loss and bone marrow suppression [amongst others].
A description of the experience
Biol Trace Elem Res. 2014 Dec;161(3):246-54. doi: 10.1007/s12011-014-0111-8. Epub 2014 Aug 28.
Selenium action in neuro-oncology.
Yakubov E1, Buchfelder M, Eyüpoglu IY, Savaskan NE.
- 1Department of Neurosurgery, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, FAU-Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.
Abstract
The trace element selenium and selenocysteine-carrying selenoproteins play a pivotal role in the brain. Beside the essential function during development and maintenance of brain action, selenium has also been associated with several neurological and neuro-oncological conditions.
Reliable supply of selenium is important since selenium compounds can affect tumor microenvironment and neoangiogenesis in malignant gliomas (WHO grade III and IV [glioblastoma, GBM]) via induction of apoptosis and alteration of matrix metalloproteinases expression.
Here, we summarize recent findings focusing on the anti-toxicity and cancer-preventive properties of selenium and their implication in current multimodal therapies including temozolomide (Temodal), cyclophosphamide (Endoxan), and cisplatin (DDP, Platiblastin, and Platinol).
We shed light on unintended side effects in chemotherapy and the developments of novel combinatorial chemotherapeutics with selenium compounds.
We found that selenium and selenium compounds have dual action profiles with direct anti-cancer and chemotherapy-intensifier effects as well as neuroprotective and cytoprotective agents. Current selenium trials and selenium supplementation with focus on neuro-oncology will be discussed with regard to low-adequate-to-high/toxic selenium status.
PMID: 25164034
The source of the experience
PubMedConcepts, symbols and science items
Concepts
Symbols
Science Items
Activities and commonsteps
Activities
Overloads
Brain tumourCancer
Chemotherapy drugs
Selenium imbalance
Skin diseases
Suppressions
Brain damageSelenium