Cancer Free? Check your Metabolic Profile
December 03, 2018Cancer Free? Check your Metabolic Profile
References: Cancer Free Hrbacek, Wikipedia, Cancer Research, Br J Cancer, Oncotarget, World Jr Biol Chem, Journal of Cancer,
When cancers start they tend to become "less mature" in an increasing fashion. It shouldn't be surprising that cancers have immature fetal proteins in them. Humans start as immature fetuses. Your first marker of being pregnant as a woman is having HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) in your urine. That's the little line that shows up on the pregnancy test you bought at Walgreen's. It logically follows that the immature cells of cancers might make HCG, a fetal protein. Indeed, some unique cancers that start in the placenta skyrocket their HCG levels, but a lot of cancers have a little bit of HCG. By itself, that little bit might merit a shrug.
The core idea of the American Metabolic Profile is to combine all the markers that show up in small amounts in various cancers into a panel of tests. Each one of them is not so remarkable. However, all of them put together combine to make a uniquely sensitive test. This may not tell you what you have, but it's quantity may be useful in expressing how much you are progressing or regressing. Here are the separate markers in the test.
1. HCG. As mentioned, the pregnancy test. Normal is less than 1 mIU/ml. 1-3 is a gray zone. Anything above 3 is something to be concerned about and monitor. This can show up as early as 10 years before an x-ray or physical exam will find the cancer. How does it relate to pregnancy? Less than 5 is "not pregnant" and greater than 25 is "pregnant". It doubles every couple of days in pregnancy. Cancer is a different beast. A level of 2.2 might not merit a fire alarm. When it changes to 2.6 in this profile, it does!
2. PHI, Phosphohexose isomerase. Funny little protein that helps glucose shift back and forth with fructose. No big deal. But somehow it also ends up playing a role in helping cancers spread, metastasize. That's exactly what you want to know. Normal is under 34 and the gray zone is 34-40. But any change is meaningful.
3. CEA: Carcinoembryonic Antigen. This has been found to be present in many folks with cancer, and rises and falls with the amount of the cancer. It shows up early. It is another of those embryonic ones we mentioned. Normal is under 3 and gray is 3.1-5 ng/ml.
4. GGTP: Gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase. This enzyme is bound to membranes in the liver and reflects damage to the liver. Its action is to break down glutathione into its individual amino acids. We like glutathione. Losing it is bad. Why cancer does this might be in part because cancers don't like glutathione. So they try to make more GGTP to get rid of it. So let's measure it and see how much you have. It's part of that early detection thing.
5. TSH. Thyroid stimulating hormone. Go figure! For whatever reason, many folks with cancer have high TSH because their thyroid just poops out. Again, not dramatic, but combined with the others, makes for a red flag. Could this be why some folks advocate for more iodine to lower cancer risk?
6. DHEA-S. Dehydroepiandrosterone. It's sort of thought of as the anti-stress hormone but curiously, again, it's oddly low in many folks with cancer. You don't want to be low. It's a predictor of trouble. By itself, not certain, but nevertheless, a yellow caution sign. Normal ranges are: Females 35.0 – 430.0 µg/dL, Males 80.0 – 560.0 µg/dL.
That's the list. Not remarkable in itself with its individual test, but combined has a close to 90% predictive accuracy. Its changes with therapy are useful. It is not specific to what type of cancer, but it helps to tell if you if your diet is helping you, your supplements, your IV Vitamin C etc.
WWW: What will work for me. I'm going to get this one on myself. I've just ordered a bunch of tests for my office. It's going to be on the list of tests I offer my new clients who want to get a screening test just to know. Its cost of $ 549 is a slightly sobering fact.
Pop Quiz
- A high TSH means you have cancer. T or F Answer: Heck no. It means your thyroid is struggling and not keeping up. But combined with the other tests in this screen, it may indicate you are at some risk. Consider taking some iodine just on general principles. Go for about 1 mg a day. Sea weed in any form. (Hurray, Sushi tonight!)
- Taking DHEA as a supplement will help prevent cancer. T or F Answer: We don't know that. We do know that folks with cancer almost always have a low DHEA. Taking a supplement? Well, I do and I prescribe it to virtually all my clients. Evidence of rock solid proof is thin.
- Which one of these is the enzyme that encourages cancers to spread? Answer: PHI
- Cancers all tend to be pretty mature cells? T or F Answer; Oops. Backwards. Pretty immature. Which is why CEA or carcino-EMBRYONIC-antigen is an indicator of a very immature cell.
- The validity of this test comes from what? Answer: No individual one but the combination of all of them and their mutually supporting snap shot. To be used to measure the success of your efforts to bring the wicked disease to heal.