The recent publicity surrounding an article on cancer “prehabilitation” has likely created greater awareness of what was touted as a “new” approach to patient care. “New,” we wondered?!? Not here at the Block Center. We’ve been implementing “cancer rehab” programs with our patients for over 2 decades! Conventional medicine typically takes a patient straight from … Continued
Keith Block M.D. With all the time, effort, heated debates, and battles that have taken place to date on health care, the discussion has been limited to reforming health care economics but has not been focused on reforming health care itself. As the effort to revise the US health care system unfolds, it is imperative … Continued
In two previous blog posts I reviewed the current controversy about the study by Thomas Brasky and colleagues, who found that men with high-grade prostate cancer had slightly higher levels of the fish-based omega-3s, EPA and DHA. As I noted, this is a study with many flaws and limitations, which restricts its credibility. In addition, … Continued
Yesterday’s blog post looked at the study by Thomas Brasky and colleagues, which suggested that men who had high-grade prostate cancer had slightly higher blood levels of the omega-3 molecules from fish, EPA and DHA. Based on this result, the authors cautioned men about using fish oil or eating fish. I reviewed the quite substantive … Continued
Dr. Keith I. Block Fish oil is in the news again, thanks to reports about a research study conducted by Dr Theodore M. Brasky and colleagues linking high blood levels of the fish oil constituents EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) to an increased risk of high-grade prostate cancer in American men. This study … Continued
Medicinal mushrooms contain compounds that can enhance the effectiveness of chemo while reducing side effects such as nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite, as well as suppress metastasis and increase levels of natural killer cells. One type of mushroom compounds, beta-glucans, has been shown to boost the cancer-fighting powers of the immune system's cyto-toxic T … Continued
Several clinics, mostly in Italy, have performed clinical trials in which they gave glutathione in combination with chemotherapy to determine whether it might ameliorate side effects while preserving the drug activity. Dr. Block has extensively reviewed the use of antioxidants, such as glutathione, given in combination with chemotherapy before deciding to use this combination. Two … Continued
The concern about the use of glutathione with chemotherapy is that it is an intra-cellular antioxidant that – in some laboratory studies – appears to block certain effects of chemotherapy drugs in cancer cells. Specifically, the naturally produced glutathione in cells can stop apoptosis, or cancer cell suicide, from occurring. It is also associated with … Continued
On June 26, Time magazine ran a story about molecular targeted therapy for treating cancer, characterizing these drugs as the promising future of cancer treatment. These therapies target cancer cells bearing one or more specific mutations. While general medical opinion suggests these molecular drugs are less damaging to healthy cells than conventional chemotherapies, other views … Continued
In expressive writing you simply write about your disturbing thoughts and very private feelings. No one need ever see what you write—even you don’t have to read what flows from your pen. This process can let you vent feelings and reduce tension, face issues that seemed unmanageable, and admit to emotions that seemed inadmissable. Expressive … Continued