...what supplement would be the cornerstone for your (complementary) treatment?
Dear all,
Indeed, new to this -very interesting!- forum, and like many before me posing an urgent question on behalf of a loved one.
My father has been diagnosed with a small and unfortunately hidden melanoma behind his ear. Unfortunately, it has already metastasised - at least to lymph nodes - and as he has been fatigued and losing weight I fear to internal organs as well.
As I'm sure you are all very aware melanoma can strike very quickly and very deadly - and does not respond well to conventional (chemo etc) cancer therapies.
This week my father will receive scan results. After that he may get some surgery, and immunotherapy (Ipilimumab, perhaps TIL), hopefully genetic medication as well (if he tests positive for mutations).
I want to back this therapy line up with a forceful complementary approach, with the primary aim to halt all tumor growth and the ambitious [I feel you simply have to try your luck as hard you can] end goal of complete tumor necrosis.
For lifestyle routes I'm trying my father to cut down on carbs (and completely on processed sugared foods), rid all dairy (milk especially), add soy (to keep protein up and for fytonutrient benefits) and increase fibres (and of course veggies). Next to that I want him to do at least one hour of walking each morning.
This should lay a foundation for immuno stimulation and hopefully decrease some tumor growth factors.
Next it comes to supplements - and that's where I get to my above question. I do hope there are specialists around, because -as you'll understand- much needs to be achieved in a short time span. Making supplement mistakes can be fatal...
I simply wonder what you - if YOU received melanoma diagnosis - based on knowledge, scientific insights and your personal gut-feeling - would feel & think could help you most...
For my father I'm assembling a supplement programme with the aim of blocking as many growth routes - and (unfortunately mostly based on in vitro studies) fingers-crossed routes to promote melanoma apoptosis (and anti-angiogenese, anti-metastase).
Many of the dosages I would suggest are sub-clinical. That is mainly because I fear (liver) toxicity. I do hope they will still be high enough to succesfully encircle the melanoma - cutting of its supply, while stuff like Vemurafenib goes for the actual kill... (which would depend on luck with the BRAF mutation - 55% chance).
I think the programme should include DIM/I3C (50mg), genistein (25-50mg - in isoflavones complex, soy), ECGC (300mg - in catechin complex, green tea), curcumin (400mg), vit D3 (75mcg/3000iu), melatonin (6mg), OPCs (150mg), resveratrol (100mg), IP-6 (1500mg) - and 4g of fish oil.
So, what do you think? Where would you agree - and where do you not? Am I dosing too 'safe' - or perhaps too high? What would you do differently?
I'm particularly interested to hear if people here have faith in IP-6 (irt melanoma). Is it as potent as it sounds? I understand it could cut off iron supply to tumor cells, but fear high doses could hurt general health - where should the balance be sought?
I'm also particularly interested to hear which you would choose, if you could choose only one supplement (to combat metastasised melanoma).
Next to this I'm interested to hear anyone's views on DCA - and on CoQ10 (to me there is no evidence of supplementation benefit in simply noting low levels in patients) and anything important that I may have overlooked.
Any help in this fight would be an encouragement in itself and deeply, greatly appreciated......
Rolf