University of Alberta-Cure?

Your question is a question that belongs in both the forums about standard care AND in forums about alternative care.

Why?

Because forums about alternative care (care that is not yet standard) are automatically considered to be "treatments that are used INSTEAD of standard, evidence-based treatment".

I too have been interested in the possible metabolic management of cancer, and have initiated threads about recent information regarding the use of metformin for its effects on the mitochondria. It is not yet standard treatment, but it too is based on evidence-based treatment.

I post this update on DCA that I found. I don't have the current status of DCA, but for those who wonder if the DCA idea "died" as being "too far out" and "too kooky" in comparison to the standard treatment with chemotherapies, or whether the research into DCA has continued to slowly make progress, this is something of an update on DCA.

This research over time into DCA also provides some insight into the controversies about obstruction in the development of better treatments, and whether the system we have for recommending treatments now is self-perpetuating in favoring more toxic treatments, due in part to our desperation at time of diagnosis and our tendency to want to rely on treatments that hit cancer "as hard as possible".

http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2010/05/evangelos_michelakis_on_dichloroacetate.php

One way to make better progress with such work as the metabolic management of cancer would be to train endocrinologists to focus specifically on metabolic management of cancer and to sit as members with full authority to make recommendations for treatment on each of our tumor boards. It could provide more humane and less expensive solutions for the generations to come.

AlaskaAngel

P.S. You can lead someone to water, but you can't make them drink.

The May, 2010 info you and I posted is both encouraging and discouraging because time continues to pass. For those with mets it is particularly heartbreaking not to at least have trials in progress to get answers one way or the other.

Since the research into metabolic management with the use of the common, inexpensive drug metformin is similar, that is another possibility to discuss with providers.

Because I am not metastatic at this point and possibly have more time on my side, I want to see it receive full approval based on its proven merits, and would be concerned about possibly giving it a bad rap before it got approved if we didn't take the time to learn as much as possible about avoiding dangerous dosing levels, applying it to certain patients with a tendency to develop adverse reactions, etc.

But watching the video and knowing how hard those research scientists at Alberta are trying to find out just how well it works but have to walk so slowly because of lack of adequate funding would truly be torture for those who are metastatic.

A.A.

I checked out the DCA videos and research.  There are now ongoing trials in the US and we will find out if it is truly a cure.  I did read, however, and this was from the Alberta research team, that it can cause side effects such as neuropathy and liver damage and some mental impairment in certain dosages.  So it will remain to be discovered what dosage is correct and also how to counteract side effects if they occur..

They cautioned that self medicating would be risky because if you were not followed - as you would be in a clinical trial - any side effects could not be controlled and you could wind up with liver failure or some other problems.

I was very exicted by this at first and ready to order some online but after much research I realize that I will have to wait until the clinical trials are complete. I am not a gambler and my life is at stake so it's a pretty big thing to gamble with.

Kathy

Chatsworth, I pretty quickly found the same info. Unfortunately there is no magic bullet.