Far Infrared and Cancer
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Studies about the Effects of far-Infrared and Thermal Therapy on Cancer
The following excerpts are from recent studies on the effects of far infrared and thermal therapy (hyperthermia) on cancer.
The Greek physician Parmenides said, “Give me the power to create a fever and I can cure any disease.” The use of thermal therapy for treating sickness is an ancient practice that is still being used today.
In many German and Mexican alternative cancer clinics far infrared saunas are used for thermal therapy, called hyperthermia. The way it works is that cancer cells are more susceptible to high temperatures. Creating this fever kills cancer cells while not harming regular body cells.
Far infrared not only works by heating up the body but also through eliminating toxins and increasing circulation. In one of the studies below, far infrared was shown to reduce tumor volumes in mice even without the effects of hyperthermia. The same study also showed that far infrared prevented the proliferation of the cancer cells.
More research needs to be done but these are exciting breakthroughs which people need to know about.
Study shows that cancer cells are susceptible to hyperthermia
From the Oxford Journal of Medicine and Health;
“There is a clear rationale for using hyperthermia in cancer treatment. Treatment at temperatures between 40 and 44°C is cytotoxic for cells in an environment with a low pO2 (oxygen partial pressure) and low pH, conditions that are found specifically within tumour tissue, due to insufficient blood perfusion. Under such conditions radiotherapy is less effective, and systemically applied cytotoxic agents will reach such areas in lower concentrations than in well perfused areas. Therefore, the addition of hyperthermia to radiotherapy or chemotherapy will result in at least an additive effect. Furthermore, the effects of both radiotherapy and many drugs are enhanced at an increased temperature. Hyperthermia can be applied by several methods: local hyperthermia by external or internal energy sources, regional hyperthermia by perfusion of organs or limbs, or by irrigation of body cavities, and whole body hyperthermia.
The use of hyperthermia alone has resulted in complete overall response rates of 13%. The clinical value of hyperthermia in addition to other treatment modalities has been shown in randomised trials. Significant improvement in clinical outcome has been demonstrated for tumours of the head and neck, breast, brain, bladder, cervix, rectum, lung, oesophagus, vulva and vagina, and also for melanoma.
Additional hyperthermia resulted in remarkably higher (complete) response rates, accompanied by improved local tumour control rates, better palliative effects and/or better overall survival rates.
…The clinical results achieved to date have confirmed the expectations raised by results from experimental studies. These findings justify using hyperthermia as part of standard treatment in tumour sites for which its efficacy has been proven and, furthermore, to initiate new studies with other tumours. Hyperthermia is certainly a promising approach and deserves more attention than it has received until now.”
Hyperthermia shown to increase control and survivability of breast cancer and melanoma in several studies
Summary Excerpt
“Several phase III trials comparing radiotherapy alone or with hyperthermia have shown a beneficial effect of hyperthermia (with existing standard equipment) in terms of local control (eg, recurrent breast cancer and malignant melanoma) and survival (eg, head and neck lymph-node metastases, glioblastoma, cervical carcinoma). “
So while hyperthermia inhibits the growth of cancer, far infrared has been shown to not only prevent the growth of cancer but to also reduce tumors according to numerous studies.
Far infrared shown to inhibit cancer cell growth
From the Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Taipei Medical University and Hospital, Taiwan
Summary
Far infrared generated by from ceramics were used on melanoma cells for 48 hours. This resulted in a decrease in 11.8% in the proliferation of melanoma cells. Malignant melanoma cells are known to have high intracellular heat shock protein(HSP) and nitric oxide levels. These levels were suppressed by Far Infrared.
Abstract
The biological effects of specific wavelengths, so-called “far-infrared radiation” produced from ceramic material (cFIR), on whole organisms are not yet well understood. In this study, we investigated the biological effects of cFIR on murine melanoma cells (B16-F10) at body temperature.cFIR irradiation treatment for 48 hours resulted in an 11.8% decrease in the proliferation of melanoma cells relative to the control. Meanwhile, incubation of cells with cFIR for 48 hours significantly resulted in 56.9% and 15.7% decreases in the intracellular heat shock protein (HSP)70 and intracellular nitric oxide (iNO) contents, respectively.
Furthermore, cFIR treatment induced 6.4% and 12.3% increases in intracellular reactive oxygen species stained by 5-(and 6)-carboxyl-2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate and dihydro rhodamine 123, respectively. Since malignant melanomas are known to have high HSP70 expression and iNO activity, the suppressive effects of cFIR on HSP70 and NO may warrant future interest in antitumor applications.
Far infrared decreases tumor volumes by 86% in study on mice
From the University of Tokushima
Summary
After 30 days of using Far infrared on mice that had human hepatocellular carcinoma cells implanted in them, their tumors shrunk in volume by 86%.
Results:
Proliferation of HepG2 cells were suppressed (e.g., cell count declined by 34% after 10 days of FIR irradiation), tumor volumes reduced by 86% after 30 days of FIR irradiation, mRNA of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) decreased by 48%, vascular area in cross sections from the tumors decreased 60% compared with the control. More frequent properties in apoptosis were observed by TUNEL and DAPI staining in FIR-treated groups. Body weight of mice increased compared with the control. Oxidation and Reduction (Redox) reactions by H+ (proton and electron)/O2- (a kind of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)) were induced by FIR
Japanese study shows that far infrared controls prostate cancer cells
From the Central European Journal of Biology
Abstract
“We introduce a new effective method to control hormone-refractory prostate cancer cells using an activated rubber/resin form (RB), far-infrared ray (FIR) emitter, with or without sodium butyrate treatment (NaB). The growth of three human prostate cancer cell lines (Du145, PC-3 and LNCaP) was suppressed in vitro and vivo by FIR, and the cells were eradicated with FIR + 3 mM NaB. G1 arrest and apoptotic pathway proteins were induced by FIR with elevated expressions of apoptosis-related transcripts in cDNA microarray. RB reflects and radiates in the wavelengths of about 4 to 25 µm in the FIR that work to suppress the growth of human prostate cancer cells. Accordingly, this technique may be used as a new therapeutic treatment in hormone-refractory prostate cancer.”
