Cool weather. Cool weather has finally arrived. It was 9 degrees Centigrade in our back yard at 7 AM this morning, and it went up only to 20 degrees this afternoon. Yippee! Ah yes, I am a cold weather person. How I ended up in one of the muggiest hottest cities (during the summer months!) in Italy is beyond me. 😉 Oh but it is such a glorious day today, sunny and cool!

Cool blog comments. I have been getting some really great blog comments as well as some good feedback (both private and public) from the MM listservs these days. Obviously, a different kind of cool from weather cool ! Please, everyone, read Wally’s comment (yesterday’s post) and either post a comment re. his comment (!) or write me a private note. Thanks! Many things occurred to me after reading it.

My blog’s purpose. When a friend pushed me to create a blog about my experience with curcumin, I had no idea where it would lead. I thought, well, why not? I have always enjoyed writing and kept a diary for decades, until I started graduate school and was too busy studying and teaching. So, initially, I saw it just as a sort of electronic diary. Then two things started happening: 1. people were actually reading my blog AND sometimes leaving comments (yahoo!), and 2. I got hooked (on blogging!) once I began spending more time looking up the craziest-sounding natural extracts, from baicalein to gossypin and guggulsterone, and realizing that their amazing anti-cancer, perhaps anti-MM, potential. I started thinking, Why are these non toxic substances not being studied in every single cancer lab??? Where are the clinical trials??? I soon discovered why. Wally’s comment explains it well. Speaking of Wally, he is one of my most stimulating posters. And he asks me tough questions (in private messages until now), such as where do you want to go with your blog? My answer so far has been, more or less, nowhere in particular. And it’s true: when I first started blogging I simply wanted to find a non toxic protocol that would keep me stable and perhaps (I hope!) benefit some others €”those reading my blog pages and my MM listserv posts. But perhaps he is right. Perhaps I should be more ambitious and aim to put a dent in the status quo. I am open to suggestions.

Clinical trials. I have a general comment on this topic. Even if the results of the curcumin-MM clinical trial, so anxiously awaited, are not what we all hope, will that change my mind about curcumin? Of course not. I will continue to take curcumin and I will take anything else that shows promise in vitro and in vivo against MM and has been tested for centuries by populations all over the world, thus demonstrating non toxicity. There has to be a scientific base for anything I take, of course. This is not to say that I don’t have any faith in clinical trials. But I must say that I often base life choices on my instinct (with a factual basis). So far, it has served me well.

Cool MM listserv discussion. This is a related topic. We are having an interesting alternative versus conventional discussion on one of the MM listservs nowadays. One list member told us that her husband’s oncologist had APPROVED his taking curcumin (he has SMM). I was amazed. This would not have happened a few years ago, I am convinced of that. So the word IS getting out. I do have a final suggestion: those who are interested in curcumin or other alternative treatments might think of bringing up this topic with their doctors, family and friends. Spread the word. Show that there is interest in alternative remedies (that work, obviously). That could be a first step. Once doctors realize that many of their patients are taking these natural substances, well, perhaps things might start changing. As I said in a previous post, we can help our doctors think outside the box. It’s not much, but it’s a start. And perhaps my story will stop being anecdotal. Some day.

The title of my post is the translation of an ancient saying (which I loved!) referring to a common Islamic belief that the black cumin seed plant, or Nigella sativa or blackseed, a member of the buttercup family (the Ranunculaceae family), is a panacea for every ailment except aging and death. And everything that I read online yesterday and this morning on different websites would seem to confirm the extraordinary and wide-ranging healing properties of this plant. Wikipedia, for instance, informs us that Nigella sativa has been used for centuries, both as a herb and pressed into oil, by people in Asia, Middle East, and Africa for medicinal purposes. It has been traditionally used for a variety of conditions and treatments related to respiratory health, stomach and intestinal health, kidney and liver function, circulatory and immune system support, and for general overall well-being. In Islam, it is regarded as one of the greatest forms of healing medicine available. So here we have a plant extract that was and is used to treat ailments ranging from asthma to diarrhea, from skin diseases to nervous disorders, high blood pressure, diabetes, worms and parasites. Nigella sativa has antifungal, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activities, and also allegedly strengthens the immune system, cleanses the body, purifies the blood, improves blood circulation, and helps us live longer. Strengthens the immune system? Purifies the blood? Helps us live longer? Sounds too good to be true. Ahhh, but this is just the beginning.

In the past few decades Nigella sativa has been under scrutiny for its anti-cancer potential. Nope, unfortunately I found no black cumin – myeloma studies. But I am still looking! Here follows a selection of the many studies examining the effects of Nigella sativa and its various extracts on cancer. A June 2007 study (abstract: http://tinyurl.com/2zksw6), which I was lucky enough to get my hands on, thanks to a good friend (grazie!), informs us that Nigella sativa has immunopotentiation and antihistaminic, antidiabetic, anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities. [ ] Furthermore, blackseed preparations may have a cancer chemopreventive potential and may reduce the toxicity of standard antineoplastic drugs. The study looked at the in vitro and in vivo (mice) potential of different extracts of Nigella sativa seeds against several tumour cell lines. The essential oil injected directly into solid tumours inhibited their development, and even decreased their volume after 30 days of treatment. The study concludes: Our results indicate for the first time that intra-tumor treatment of tumor-bearing mice with essential oil may have led to the inhibition of metastasis development [ ]. These results demonstrate either that the essential oil has an anti-metastatic activity in mice or that it inhibits or delays metastasis by rapid reduction of primary tumor volume at the site of induction. [ ] The present study demonstrates that the cytotoxic activity of blackseed extracts is a complex phenomenon depending not only on the nature of the extract and its components, but also on the tumor cell type. An August 2007 study published in “Cancer Research” (http://tinyurl.com/266rlg) examines the in vitro and in vivo effects of one of Nigella sativa’s active compounds, thymoquinone, on prostate cancer, concluding that it “may prove to be effective in treating hormone-sensitive as well as hormone-refractory prostate cancer. Furthermore, because of its selective effect on cancer cells, we believe that thymoquinone can also be used safely to help prevent the development of prostate cancer.” The cytotoxicity of Nigella sativa purified extracts, thymoquinone (TQ) and dithymoquinone (DIM), against a variety of tumour cells had already been examined in 1998 (http://tinyurl.com/33woyf). With very good results, I should add. A 2005 article (http://tinyurl.com/2u9arx) mentions the protective effects of TQ and the volatile oil against the nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity induced by either disease or chemicals. The seeds/oil have antiinflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic, antimicrobial and antineoplastic activity. The oil decreases blood pressure and increases respiration. Treatment of rats with the seed extract for up to 12 weeks has been reported to induce changes in the haemogram that include an increase in both the packed cell volume (PCV) and haemoglobin (Hb), and a decrease in plasma concentrations of cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose.” Well, all this is truly remarkable, to say the least. As I do with all the substances on my research list, I checked to see if there was any mention of clinical trials. I was actually not surprised to find only ONE (see: http://tinyurl.com/34kv6e), which tested Nigella sativa on dyslipidemia, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. No cancer trials. Not one! This sounds all too familiar, unfortunately. (Big sigh.)

My own experience with Nigella sativa. My interest in this remarkable plant was sparked at the beginning of 2006, after I read that black cumin seeds had been found in the tomb of Tutankhamen (how about that for a fascinating historical detail?). That reminds me: I have not yet mentioned that the seeds are used in Middle Eastern cooking to flavour breads, cakes, and even alcoholic beverages. And oh, by the way, Nigella sativa should not be confused with the herb and spice known as “cumin,” which is a member of the parsley family (I made that mistake until I looked it up). In April, I took black cumin oil capsules, a total of two grams a day, then I ran out of them and didn’t place another order since by then I had flaxseed oil capsules. However, I wonder if the black cumin oil might have had a positive effect on my good IgG increase in June ? And possibly on the improvement in my rosacea? Hard to say, now. I wasn’t paying much attention to these oil capsules at the time, I confess, since I hadn’t done much research at that point and was using them mainly to enhance curcumin bioavailability. Well, after what I have read in the past two days, I will reorder black cumin oil capsules and test them as a holistic remedy. Soon. In fact, I am going to see if I can grow the plant in my back yard with the rest of my herbs. My Nigella sativa story doesn’t end here!

A recent discussion on one of the MM listservs gave me some food for thought. The issue is: should cancer patients seek out alternative treatments only when they stop responding to conventional ones? Should alternative treatments be a last resort? I think you know what my answer is. 😉

This reminded of when I was confronted with the decision as to whether or not go ahead with chemotherapy in 2005. My Florentine haematologist (who retired in August 2006) had been urging me since early fall to begin two cycles of Velcade and then do an SCT (stem cell transplant) in the summer of 2006. But I wanted another opinion. So Stefano and I spent a few days in wonderful Turin (northern Italy, a city famous for its CHOCOLATE, need I say more?) to consult with a famous Italian MM specialist who looked over my test results and told me to wait, since I still didn’t have any CRAB symptoms. (My friend Don has a great explanation for CRAB symptoms on his website: http://myelomahope.blogspot.com/). At any rate, one doctor tells me to begin chemo, another tells me to wait. What to do? I remember this was a very confusing time for me and my family.

In January 2006, though, I found the curcumin-myeloma studies, wrote to Prof. Bharat Aggarwal at the MD Anderson Cancer Research Centre in Texas, discussed the curcumin protocol with my husband and my haematologist, and began the curcumin protocol. After eight weeks, my IgG had decreased by almost 20%. We were all surprised and elated. My haematologist was among the first to congratulate me (he later told me that he had begun sprinkling turmeric over his food, which pleased me exceedingly!).

I guess the lesson to be learned here is that it might be a mistake to wait until you have no options left. Explore your options. Yes, there are quite a few absurd purported alternative cancer cures out there, but you can learn to distinguish the good from the bad, just as I have. If a substance or treatment has no scientific backing, forget it. Period.

My current haematologist recently told me that she always learns something from me. I consider that one of the most significant things she has ever said to me. Conventional doctors know a lot, for sure, but they don’t know everything. We can help them think outside the box. Just a few random thoughts to end a rather lazy Sunday afternoon.

Well, I am taking the day off. We are puttering around the house, fixing and straightening out things, reading, watching TV and playing with the cats. I took this photo of Peekaboo earlier today. Hey, good idea: it’s time for a nap! 🙂

Post number two of the day. A good friend (grazie!) recently sent me a study on gambogic acid (GA) published in the August 2007 issue of Blood (the abstract can be viewed at http://tinyurl.com/2xjgjm). GA is a naturally occurring brownish-to-orange resin called gamboge, which is derived from Garcinia hanburyi, a tree that grows in Southeast Asia. And in fact, this resin has been used in traditional folk medicine for a long time. Sound familiar? Yep. The purpose of the Blood study was to see if GA would suppress the infamous NF-kB. And guess what? It does. My favourite word appears again in this study: apoptosis. The study, which I would be happy to forward upon request, is full of scientific jargon, but the conclusion is clear: GA suppressed TNF-induced expression of cyclin D1, COX-2, and c-Myc, all linked to cell proliferation. [ ] We also clearly provided evidence supporting GA’s ability to potentiate apoptosis induced by TNF, 5-flourouracil (5-FU) and doxorubicin, with effects similar to those reported in tests of a specific inhibitor of NF-κB 21. Overall, our results provided the molecular basis for GA’s antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory effects. So GA can also be used to increase the effectiveness of some chemotherapy drugs. Good to know. There are several studies on GA and cancer, but apart from the above-mentioned one, the first that caught my attention, published in 2004, dealt with the effects of GA on human gastric carcinoma cells: http://tinyurl.com/2potff Remember Bax and Bcl-2? (see my recent Survivin MM with Curcumin post) Well, GA activated Bax and decreased the levels of Bcl-2 in these cancerous cells, a process which may contribute to the apoptosis mechanism. Interesting. Furthermore, GA was found to target malignant cells, not normal ones. Also very interesting. This is confirmed by a study (http://tinyurl.com/ynuc39), published in August 2007, that looks at the apoptotic effects of GA on human hepatoma cells: GA selectively attacks tumour cells, leaving normal ones alone. Another study published in May 2007 (http://tinyurl.com/39ju89) shows that a derivative of GA, called NG-18, markedly induced leukemia HL-60 cells apoptosis. And once again, we read that Bcl-2 was downregulated and Bax was upregulated.

I will stop here, even though there would be a few more studies to discuss. The important conclusion is that here we have yet another non toxic substance that possesses the remarkable ability of distinguishing between healthy and cancer cells. This astonishing fact never ceases to amaze me, even though the above-mentioned Blood study informs us that between 1980 and 2000, as many as 70% of all drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat cancer were based on natural sources. How about THAT?!!!

Two posts today. First, an update on Puzzola, my seven-year-old cat. My Mom and I took her to the vet yesterday. The upshot is that she does not have kidney stones (phew!), but she does have some small mineral deposits and crystals in her kidneys and bladder, so she will have to be on a special diet and be monitored closely for months. However, the situation is not serious, and we were reassured that she will be okay. Since her last couple of visits to the vet have not been fun at all (!), she scampered away from me when I went to get her to take her to the vet (how do they know???), and I ended up chasing her all over the house, which was not fun for either of us. When I finally cornered and grabbed her, she peed all over me, absolutely terrified. I wish I could have explained to her that I was doing it for her own good! Oh well. However, I must say that when the vet rolled her over on her back, and we held her paws for the ultrasound, she didn’t move an inch, not even when her tummy was shaved. My brave girl!

Our two-year-old cat, Priscilla, has learned a new trick €”drinking water from the faucet. Now, I know that heaps of cats do adorable things like that, but I have never had a cat who is so totally OBSESSED with drinking water in this manner. Whenever someone heads in the general direction of the bathroom, she rushes ahead, leading the way over to the sink. And she won’t let you go about your business until she has quenched her thirst. Thirst? What thirst?!!! She must drink ten times her body weight in tap water a day! (Ok, SLIGHT exaggeration…) Anyway, today I have a ton of errands to run, including taking my eldest cat Puzzola to the vet for an ultrasound (she probably has kidney stones, poor sweetie), so I don’t have time to do any research, but I thought I would post this photo. My research can wait till tomorrow. 🙂

In yesterday’s post I should have specified that I discussed my JUNE test results with my doctor. I haven’t had any tests done since then. In Italy, patients see their test results before their doctors do. In fact, I have my test results mailed to me (and it’s a free service, too!). You can also go pick them up at the hospital. And we patients keep all of our lab reports, including X-rays. As I recall, in the U.S. and Canada it’s the complete opposite: you have to go to your doctor’s office to see and discuss your test results. That’s what I had to do, at any rate, when I lived in Massachusetts and Ontario.

I have always debated whether or not to answer blog comments publicly in my comment section, or privately, via individual e-mails. I have done both, but mainly the latter. Today I wanted to address one of the comments publicly: why am I testing curcumin without bioperine? Excellent question, to which I have two answers: 1. the capsules without bioperine are available on the Italian market, whereas I have to order the capsules WITH bioperine from the U.S. (a real drag, for many reasons), and 2. I simply wanted to see if curcumin capsules without bioperine would work as well as the ones with bioperine. Here follows the history of my curcumin intake, in a nutshell: in 2006, for months I mixed curcumin C3 powder with a fat (warm coconut milk, flaxseed oil, etc.); last summer, while on holiday in the States, as a matter of convenience, I took curcumin C3 capsules with bioperine; last fall I decided to continue to test those capsules, and then this summer I decided to try curcumin C3 capsules without bioperine. My test results have been quite decent up to now, except for a brief period last fall when I took a half dose of curcumin by mistake, duh. So, if my next blood test results are good, I would prefer to take the bioperine-less capsules from now on. Easy peasy!, as Jamie Oliver (the Naked Chef) always says. 😉

Ah, speaking of tests, I did not go to the hospital to have my blood drawn this morning. I decided to wait for a another couple of days after I woke up with a very bad headache (of course, it was gone by the time I had finished my morning coffee, sigh). Tomorrow I will be very busy, but I may have time to go to the lab on Friday.

Feline circus update. Peekaboo is now beginning to chase playfully after our three older cats, who are besides themselves with a mixture of fury and bewilderment. The little darling just wants to play with them, but they see matters differently. So all you can hear in our house these days is HISSSSS GROWWWWWL GRRRRR SNARRRL HISSSSS! I have also seen a few paws raised but €”in all honesty €”I cannot blame the older ones for wanting to whack the little critter, as adorable as she is (in the photo she is sitting on my dining room chair, planning her next move). She is simply…too much! This morning she began chasing after and playing with Piccolo’s tail! The poor guy tries to retain some dignity by remaining on high surfaces where she can’t reach him (yet), so he will jump from our dining room table to the kitchen counter and so on. If I didn’t feel so sorry for my adult cats, I would find it all very amusing. Well, I have a bit of research to do, the cats are asleep, all is peaceful at the moment…so off I go! 😉

Today I realized that I should be concentrating more on my diet. During my recent southern Italian holiday, I was eating more (a lot more!) than I usually do at home, even though, oddly enough, I did not gain any weight. In fact, if anything, I lost a bit of weight. In addition to eating two and three course meals, though, I was eating foods that are not really (!) part of a cancer diet, such as sausage (oh, so yummy, though!). In my experience, southern Italian cooking is not the lightest fare on Earth. Delicious, but not light. For instance, the eggplant parmesan that Stefano’s cousin prepared for our August 15 ferragosto feast was absolutely divine, but she made it the traditional way, that is, fried not just once but TWICE. No, I am not kidding. The first frying occurs after you get rid of the eggplant’s bitter taste (by sprinkling a bit of coarse sea salt on the slices which then are placed inside a colander to drip for about an hour). You then roll the fried slices in flour, dip them in egg and fry €˜em…again. The final part coincides more or less with what we all know about this dish: layers of eggplant, tomato sauce, fresh basil and mozzarella and other kinds of cheese. Yummy, but wow! After many of those rich meals, I barely had the strength to crawl upstairs and take a long nap. Plus, when Stefano and his relatives learned that my iron stores (my June test results) were very very low, they almost began force-feeding me red meat every day. Help! I have always been a wannabe vegetarian and still stubbornly refuse to eat some kinds of meat (rabbit etc.), but I also know that we absorb less iron from vegetables (non-heme iron). I tried to point out that my serum iron is well within the normal range, it’s just my ferritin that is low, but to no avail. I was outnumbered. 😉 In the end I stopped protesting and ate the bloody meat. One good thing about eating meat in Italy is that it is safe. No hormones, no antibiotics, etc.

On a related note, I went to see my doctor’s substitute this morning. After we happily discussed my most recent test results, she printed out the request for my next set of blood tests, so I may go up to the Careggi hospital lab to have my blood drawn tomorrow morning. That way I can see what effect a heavy southern Italian diet coupled with bioperine-less curcumin capsules had on me. Should be interesting.

On another related note, one of the newsletters that I subscribe to is Dr. Andrew Weil’s Daily Tip. Today’s tip, which actually gave me the idea for this post, is titled Four Ways to Reduce Inflammation, since inflammation is linked to many nasty ailments, including cancer. (In fact, I have a few notes on the cancer and inflammation link in my “blog ideas” folder. For a future post.) At any rate, these are Dr. Weil’s recommendations:

1. Eat a diet rich in omega-3s, including wild Alaskan salmon, sardines, freshly ground flaxseed and walnuts. 2. Incorporate plenty of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables in your meals. 3. Reduce your intake of polyunsaturated vegetable oils (such as sunflower, corn and safflower oils), replacing them instead with extra-virgin olive oil. 4. Use healing spices in your cooking: turmeric, ginger and red pepper can add zing to meals and are all natural anti-inflammatories.

Makes sense. I already follow many of these suggestions, as well as a few of my own. My biggest downfall, as I have written in previous posts, is chocolate oh, and wonderful rich chocolate and nut ice-cream during the summer. Have I ever mentioned that we happen to live practically around the corner from the best ice-cream parlour in Florence? Ah yes. How coincidental is THAT? 😉

Nope, survivin is not a typo. A new study, published in the August issue of the Journal of Experimental Hematology (Chinese Association of Pathophysiology), examines the effects that curcumin had on a human (peripheral blood) MM cell line: RPMI 8226. The results are interesting but hardly surprising. One word says it all: apoptosis! Curcumin, in fact, was found to down-regulate survivin (there’s that word, again!) and Bcl-2 mRNA, and to up-regulate Bax mRNA. Hmmm, what are these three items? Survivin is a member of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) family. Not a nice family to have in your neighbourhood, I would say. 😉 A study published in February of 2007 (http://tinyurl.com/2s9xon) informs us that there is a significant correlation between survivin expression at protein level and clinical course of MM. Therefore, the down-regulation of survivin is good news for us MMers. As for Bcl-2, it’s an anti-apoptotic gene which may contribute to the chemoresistance of MM cells. In fact, MM cells that survive chemotherapy treatments show increased levels of this gene. See: http://tinyurl.com/3468dk So the down-regulation of Bcl-2 is also good news. And, finally, Bax is a protein that promotes apoptosis. Aaaah, apoptosis, which has become my favourite word in the English language ever since I was diagnosed with MM in 2005. Okay, back to us and the new curcumin-MM study. Unfortunately, since I do not have a reading knowledge of Chinese, I will not be able to comment on the full study. But the abstract, which can be found at http://tinyurl.com/2hh378, certainly adds a few more details to the story of how curcumin is able to kill MM cells.

I am slowly getting back to my normal routine after returning from our summer holiday, but introducing a funny, adorable but also rambunctious kitten into our household is taking more time and energy than I had predicted. Our three adult cats are still hissing and growling and being quite grumpy, but surprisingly this is having no negative effect on Peekaboo’s cheerful and positive attitude. What I cannot figure out is WHY she will happily bounce right up to their noses while they are growling and baring their fangs talk about tempting fate! I expect she will get whacked at some point, but so far that has not happened. Right now she is fast asleep right by my keyboard. Cutie pie. At any rate, I will continue to do research in my snippets of time (and try to answer the e-mails I have received, sorry for the delay!). And, ah yes, I have a couple of very promising new substances on my list! Time for lunch! 😉