In this article we will hope to show the evidence from research that suggests that cancer spread can be controlled by disrupting one of cancers most important survival tools, the ability of its cells to communicate (crosstalk) with each other and share vital information on mutation and drug resistance.
Our body’s have an intricate communication network, not just the nervous system that sends messages from brain, but a cellular communication system that sends messages that guide all our body systems. For instance we have communication systems through our growth factors. Growth factors are protein molecules that help communicate messages for when growth or healing occurs by way of regulating messages related to cell growth or cell division and cell survival. This is how we grow and repair bone, grow and maintain blood vessels, and grow and maintain and repair many body systems. In cancer, growth factors are critical to stop or inhibit cancer growth.
Cancer is an opportunist
Once cancer takes hold, it takes over our body communication systems and develops an intricate network of communications of their own. Communication among the cancer cells is one of their keys to survival. The messages cancer cells send and receive to other cancer cells allows them to bypass our immune systems and metastasis to other sites, it allows the cells to convey messages to other cancer cells on effective mutation that helps make cancer “chemo-resistant,” or “treatment resistant,” and survive.
This is a powerful communication system and only recently the subject of research speculating on how to stop cancer cell’s ability to communicate amongst themselves with researchers suggesting that if we can break cancer’s communication system, we can stop its spread or metastasis.
Phytoestrogens uncanny ability to disrupt cancer messages
“Phtyoestrogen” means estrogen from a plant source. Phytoestrogens have been shown to have an anti-cancer activity by among other things, an uncanny ability to disrupt chemical messages between cancer cells. Phytoestrogens are found in many edible plants such as berries, mangos, apples, citrus fruits, plums, cherries, kiwis, onions, tea, coffee, red wine, whole wheat, rice, corn or oats. Soy contains phytoestrogens which have been associated with the ability to inhibit cancers of the breast, colon, ovaries, and the uterus.
In March 2019, a research team writing in the scientific journal Molecules (1) found, “dietary intake of lignan-rich foods (phytoestrogens) could be a useful way to bolster the prevention of chronic illness, such as certain types of cancers and cardiovascular disease.” One of the mechanisms of this benefit is the breakdown of cancer’s ability to communicate.
A December 2020 study (2) went further in explaining how polyphenols (phytoestrogens are phenolic (a plant anti-stress compound) phytochemicals or polyphenols), impact the body’s ability to support the gut microbe and possibly help against cancer.
“Plant polyphenols are a broad group of bioactive compounds characterized by different chemical and structural properties, low bioavailability, and several in vitro biological activities. Among these compounds, lignans (a non-flavonoid polyphenolic class found in plant foods for human nutrition) have been recently studied as potential modulators of the gut-brain axis. In particular, gut bacterial metabolism is able to convert dietary lignans into therapeutically relevant polyphenols (i.e., enterolignans), such as enterolactone and enterodiol.” In other research, enterolactone is being study for its benefits against breast cancer (3) and enterodiol is being studied as part of flaxseed oil’s ability to fight cancer (4).
Enterolignans are characterized by various biologic activities, including tissue-specific estrogen receptor activation, together with anti-inflammatory and apoptotic (in this case the ability to convince cancer cells to committ suicide or programmed cell death) effects.
A January 2020 study (5) suggested supplementation with phytoestrogens and insoluble fibers may act as a chemopreventive agent to reduce cancer development or spread in colorectal cancer patients.
This was also suggested in a 2021 study (6) on the Mediterranean diet where polyphenols play a key role due to their anti-oxidant properties, and for some of them, as nutripharmacological compounds capable of preventing a number of diseases, including cancer.
Another January 2020 study (7) suggested that phytoestrogens induced cell death in ANXA1-knockdown leukemia cells.
In December 2018, researchers in the journal Clinical science (8) suggested that recent evidence indicates that phytoestrogens disrupt communication among breast cancer cells. This disruption allows the “anti-cancer,” messages produced by the gut to the immune system to get through. Supporting the healthy gut microbiota allows for “message signalling” between the healthy gut and the immune system in which the gut helps the immune system development a plan against disease.
New research on Enterodiol and colorectal cancer communication
Another important phytoestrogen is enterodiol. We are going to ask the United States National Institutes of Health to explain what enterodiol is.
Enterodiol is one of the most important lignan-type (a polyphenols or naturally occurring plant chemical) phytoestrogens.
Enterodiol is formed by bacteria in the intestinal tract from the plant lignans.
So what we have are food types that are broken down in the intestinal tract in healthy bacteria. Now let’s see how this health bacteria can help cancer patients.
In March 2019 in the Journal of the science of food and agriculture, (9) researchers found that the known benefits of Enterodiol should be extended to being able to inhibit colorectal cancer cell growth. How do they do it? By killing a lot of cancer cells by taking away one of the proteins cancer uses to protect itself and by disrupting survival communications between the cancer cells.
Flaxseed oil
An August 2019 study (10) reported these findings on how flaxseed oil could kill, disrupt and stop cancer cell proliferation. Cancer cell communication breakdown is a key.
“Flaxseed oil is widely recognized for its exceptional nutritional value, high concentration of fiber-based lignans and large amounts of ω-fatty acids. It is one of a generic group of functional foods that is often taken by cancer patients as a potential treatment.
We have examined the anti-cancer effects of flaxseed oil by studying its direct effects on cancer cell growth in vitro (in the laboratory).
Treatment of a variety of cancer cell lines with flaxseed oil decreased their growth in a dose-dependent manner while non-malignant cell lines showed small increases in cell growth. Cells treated with a mixture of fatty acids, including α-linolenic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and eicosapentaenoic acid and lignans including enterodiol and enterolactone was also able to decrease the growth of cancer cells.
Treatment of B16-BL6 murine melanoma and MCF-7 breast cancer cells with flaxseed oil induced apoptosis. In addition, treatment with flaxseed oil also disrupted mitochondrial function in B16-BL6 and MCF-7 cells. These results indicate that flaxseed oil can specifically inhibit cancer cell growth and induce apoptosis in some cancer cells and suggests it has further potential in anti-cancer therapy..”
Inhibiting cancer cell growth and cell death requires a disruption of cancer cell communications.
Breast Cancer
An August 2021 study (11) offered doctors this assessment of the role Phytoestrogens may play in breast cancer patients:
“Phytoestrogens are a biologically active organic compounds derived from plants and have structures like to the main mammalian estrogen, E2. There are five major classes of phytoestrogens, namely: flovonoids, isoflavonoids, lignants, coumestans, and stilbenes. The data about association between breast cancer and phytoestrogens issue from epidemiological studies showing that the incidence of breast cancer is low in Asian women who consume high dietary levels of soy products which have a high isoflavone content.
Resveratrol, quercetin, daidzein, and genistein represent a group of the most commonly consumed phytoestrogens. In East Asia, the average daily consumption of phytoestrogens is evaluated to be 20–50 mg. In Europe the average daily phytoestrogen consumption is assessed to be 0.49–1.0 mg. (Fifty times less).
Phytoestrogens are thought to exert anticancer actions through different molecular pathways. They act within target cells on estrogen receptors, cell signaling pathways, the cell cycle, apoptosis, steroid synthesis and induction of DNA damage in cancer cells.”
The Magaziner Center’s Comprehensive Cancer Support Program
The Magaziner Center’s Comprehensive Cancer Support Program combines conventional, complementary and functional therapies individualized to the needs of each patient. We place great emphasis on an extremely thorough series of lab tests to evaluate the cells of the immune system, inflammatory markers, antioxidant defenses, nutritional status, and overall toxic burden. Most of our patients have already been through the rigors of conventional treatments but have either experienced adverse side effects or unsatisfactory outcomes or both.
Our whole-body approach to cancer includes a variety of therapies, such as nutrition and lifestyle counseling, dietary modifications, supplementation, intravenous vitamin C and other substances, oxidative therapies, immunotherapy, detoxification, lifestyle modifications and exercise therapy, spirituality and mind-body techniques, including stress management and meditation, all with the goal of strengthening the immune system and restoring normal cellular function.
Our treatments are also focused on reducing inflammation, enhancing cellular immune response, improving mitochondrial function, reducing risks of blood clots and inactivating cancer cells or cancer initiating cells, that are likely to cause recurrences and metastasis of the disease and are often far more harmful than the actual tumor cells. We strive to change the microenvironment and behavior of the cancer cells by reducing the fuel for these cells and, at the same time, leaving healthy cells alone.
If you would like to explore more information, please contact our office so we can start a conversation with you.
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Foods Rich in Polyphenols May Stop Cancer Spread
1 Rodríguez-García C, Sánchez-Quesada C, Toledo E, Delgado-Rodríguez M, Gaforio JJ. Naturally Lignan-Rich Foods: A Dietary Tool for Health Promotion?. Molecules. 2019 Jan;24(5):917.
2 Senizza A, Rocchetti G, Mosele JI, Patrone V, Callegari ML, Morelli L, Lucini L. Lignans and Gut Microbiota: An Interplay Revealing Potential Health Implications. Molecules. 2020 Jan;25(23):5709.
3 Micek A, Godos J, Brzostek T, Gniadek A, Favari C, Mena P, Libra M, Del Rio D, Galvano F, Grosso G. Dietary phytoestrogens and biomarkers of their intake in relation to cancer survival and recurrence: A comprehensive systematic review with meta-analysis. Nutrition reviews. 2020 Jul 6.
4 Buckner AL, Buckner CA, Montaut S, Lafrenie RM. Treatment with flaxseed oil induces apoptosis in cultured malignant cells. Heliyon. 2019 Aug 1;5(8):e02251.
5 Luceri C, Femia AP, Tortora K, et al. Supplementation with phytoestrogens and insoluble fibers reduces intestinal carcinogenesis and restores ER-β expression in Apc-driven colorectal carcinogenesis. Eur J Cancer Prev. 2020;29(1):27–35. doi:10.1097/CEJ.0000000000000542
6 Yammine A, Namsi A, Vervandier-Fasseur D, Mackrill JJ, Lizard G, Latruffe N. Polyphenols of the Mediterranean Diet and Their Metabolites in the Prevention of Colorectal Cancer. Molecules. 2021 Jan;26(12):3483.
7 Hasan M, Kumolosasi E, Jasamai M, Jamal JA, Azmi N, Rajab NF. Evaluation of phytoestrogens in inducing cell death mediated by decreasing Annexin A1 in Annexin A1-knockdown leukemia cells [published online ahead of print, 2020 Jan 7]. Daru. 2020;10.1007/s40199-019-00320-0. doi:10.1007/s40199-019-00320-0
8 Molina L, Bustamante FA, Bhoola KD, Figueroa CD, Ehrenfeld P. Possible role of phytoestrogens in breast cancer via GPER-1/GPR30 signaling. Clin Sci (Lond). 2018;132(24):2583–2598. Published 2018 Dec 13. doi:10.1042/CS20180885
9 Shin MK, Jeon YD, Jin JS. Apoptotic effect of enterodiol, the final metabolite of edible lignans, in colorectal cancer cells. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. E published 2018 Oct 24.
10 Buckner AL, Buckner CA, Montaut S, Lafrenie RM. Treatment with flaxseed oil induces apoptosis in cultured malignant cells. Heliyon. 2019;5(8):e02251. Published 2019 Aug 9. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02251
11 Starek-Świechowicz B, Budziszewska B, Starek A. Endogenous estrogens—breast cancer and chemoprevention. Pharmacological Reports. 2021 Aug 30:1-6.
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