Metabolic Therapy in Cancer

Introduction

In recent years, a significant reassessment of the nature and causes of cancer has taken place. Cancer was formerly believed to be a localised disease, characterised by a lesion, usually in the form of a growth, which appeared at some specific part of the body. This localised lesion was thought to be the result of activity produced by an invading virus, carcinogenic agent or some form of trauma such as a shock.
Today, there is a growing conviction among researchers and physicians that cancer is a complex disease that is the end result of a disturbed metabolism (body chemistry).
Cancer is an insidious disease that involves the entire body; the nervous system, digestive tract, pancreas, lungs, excretory organs, endocrine system, and the entire defence mechanism of the body. The frequent reoccurrence of a malignancy after treatment with the conventional methods of surgery, radiation and/or chemotherapy results because the basic underlying metabolic cause of the cancer is rarely considered and, as a consequence, remains uncorrected.

Cancer Aetiology

In the human body there are many thousands of cells that are arrested, during development, at an embryonic stage. These cells are called mesenchymal cells, fibroblasts, neoblasts, etc. Their primary function is repair.  When a bone is broken, these cells are able to transform into bone cells. If blood is lost, these same cells are able to transform into blood cells.  They are truly pluripotential and can react to any number of morphogenetic stimuli. These same cells, when subjected to carcinogens (cancer-causing chemicals) develop into cancer cells.

Each day, in every human being, large numbers of these normal embryonic cells become cancerous.  They rarely, however, become the diseases that we call cancer due to a remarkable system called the immune system.  The function of this system is to destroy or neutralise all foreign material in the body. Once an embryonic cell becomes a cancer cell it becomes, from a biochemical point of view, foreign to the body. We, therefore, continue to remain healthy because the lymphocytes, macrophages, and other components of the immune system are able to neutralise or destroy these cells and prevent their spreading and multiplication.  These cancer cells are normally destroyed by our body's defence mechanisms within a few hours.
If the immune system, however, is weakened because of poor nutrition, excessive environmental pollutants or continuing debilitating stress, the cancer cells are uninhibited and will multiply rapidly forming the symptomatic "growth" of cancer.

Our immune system generally weakens with advancing age. This increases the possibility of degenerative metabolic diseases occurring. One of the primary objectives of all metabolic therapy is to revitalise the body's immune system and to restore it to a fully functional condition. Accomplishment of this goal permits the immune system to eliminate or otherwise negate the cancer cells before they can begin an invasive growth.

Metabolic physicians and researchers believe that we can remain healthy if we supply the individual cells of the body with the proper amounts of oxygen, nutrients, enzymes, minerals, amino acids, and other essential nutrients that we can provide both our diet and nutritional supplements.  Of equal importance is the ability of the body to eliminate the waste products of cellular metabolism through proper bowel movements, efficient breathing, normal excretion, etc.  Treatments must also be provided which will help the body detoxify itself by eliminating harmful pollutants.
This, in essence, is the central thought of metabolic therapy. It is a multi-faceted programme, incorporating numerous related elements, each of which plays an important role in the success of the complete therapy.

fj. Philip Brinzel M. D.

Laetrile and the Life Saving Substance Called Cyanide
 

A doctor from the FDA once said that Laetrile contains "free" hydrogen cyanide and, thus, is toxic. I would like to correct that misconception:
There is no "free" hydrogen cyanide in Laetrile.  When Laetrile comes in contact with the enzyme beta-glucosidase, the Laetrile is broken down to form two molecules of glucose, one molecule of benzaldehyde and one molecule of hydrogen cyanide (HCN). Within the body, the cancer cell – and only the cancer cell – contains that enzyme in significant quantities.

The key word here is that the HCN must be FORMED. This substance is not floating around freely in the Laetrile and then released. It must be manufactured. The enzyme beta glucosidase, and only that enzyme, is capable of manufacturing the HCN from Laetrile. If there are no cancer cells in the body, there is no beta-glucosidase. If there is no beta-glucosidase, no HCN will be formed from the Laetrile (1).
Laetrile does contain a cyanide radical (CN).  This same cyanide radical is contained in Vitamin B12, and in forest fruits such as blackberries, blueberries and strawberries.  You never hear of anyone getting cyanide poisoning from B12 or any of the above-mentioned forest fruits, because there’s no such thing.  The cyanide radical (CN) and hydrogen cyanide (HCN) are two completely different compounds, just as pure sodium (Na+) – one of the most toxic substances known to mankind – and sodium chloride (NaCl), which is table salt, are two completely different compounds. 
₁ For a more detailed analysis of the theoretical action of Laetrile against cancer cells, see the book of G. Edward Griffin, World Without Cancer.

If the above is true, how did the story ever get started that Laetrile contains "free" hydrogen cyanide?
It was the Food and Drug Administration.  I remember reading in some newspaper back in the late 1960s or early 1970s a news release from the FDA. This release stated that there were some proponents of a substance known as "Laetrile" (I'd never heard of it before) who were saying that this substance was capable of forming hydrogen cyanide in the presence of the cancer cell. The release continued by saying that, if this were actually true, we had, indeed, found a substance, which was target-specific, and would be of great value to the cancer patient. But, the news release went on to say, the FDA had done extensive testing of this substance, "Laetrile," and found no evidence that it contained hydrogen cyanide or that any hydrogen cyanide was released in the presence of the cancer cell. Thus, they reached the conclusion that Laetrile was of no value.
When it was clearly established some time later that Laetrile did, indeed, release hydrogen cyanide in the presence of the cancer cell, how do you suppose the FDA reacted? Did they admit that they were wrong? Did they admit that they had done a very inadequate job in running their tests? No! They now proclaimed that Laetrile contained hydrogen cyanide and thus was toxic!

So, here is a bureau of the Federal Government which, a short time before, had said that the reason Laetrile did not work was because it did not release hydrogen cyanide in the presence of cancer cells.
Now, when they find that it does, they say that it is toxic. When we offered them an opportunity to present evidence of Laetrile's toxicity in Federal Court, they admitted that they had none.

B-17 molecule is unbreakable in nature except by the enzyme glucosidase . There is 3000 times as much glucosidase in the cancer cell as there is in a normal cell.
Though it has limitations in certain cancers, vitamin B-17 may be extremely effective in the most common tumours such as carcinoma of the lung, breast, prostate, colon, and lymphomas. A highly publicised clinical trial conducted by the National Cancer Institute in 1981 tried unsuccessfully to prove Laetrile ineffective and toxic.  Today, Laetrile occupies a position on the "front lines" of alternative cancer therapy.  "We have found Laetrile to be effective in people that have active cancer", says Dr. Contreras "but that is not its only function, for the prevention of cancer and the maintenance of remission there is nothing as effective as Laetrile.  Its non-toxicity permits its use indefinitely in the prevention of relapses and the prevention of metastases.  Surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy can only be administered for a limited time, afterward patients are left without any protection”. This website will teach you how to begin and continue metabolic therapy at the comfort of your own home.

Francisco Contreras, M. D.
Oasis of Hope Hospital

The use of Amygdalin (Vitamin B-17)  in Metabolic Cancer Therapy
Amygdalin's Mode of Action

Metabolism is the total function of our body. In order for our body to function properly, all its attributes (physical, mental, and spiritual) must work in harmony.

Total care is the goal of metabolic therapy. Metabolic therapy elements are utilised in order to provide our human organism the best environment to be able to combat disease and regain health.

Metabolic therapy is a non-toxic cancer treatment based on the use of vitamin B-17, proteolytic pancreatic enzymes, immuno-stimulants, vitamins and mineral supplements. Laetrile (vitamin B-17) is the chief anti-tumour agent.

Laetrile is a natural chemotherapeutic agent found in over 1,200 plants, particularly in the seeds of common fruits such as apricots, peaches, plums, and apples. It is also a diglucoside with cyanide radical that is highly "bio-accessible." This means that it penetrates through the cellular membrane reaching high intra-cellular concentrations easily. Only this cyanide radical damages cancer cells, and, over the years, it has been proven that amygdalin is completely safe and non-toxic.

The normal cells in our organism contain an enzyme called rhodanese which "neutralises" the amygdalin. This enzyme does not allow the amygdalin to release the cyanide.
In this way, amygdalin only serves as glucose to healthy cells, providing energy. Malignant cells do not contain this enzyme, however. In the absence of rhodanese, amygdalin is activated, liberating the cyanide radical inside the malignant cell, eventually causing its destruction.
Only cancer cells are destroyed – but normal ones are not affected. As the amygdalin attacks unhealthy cells, benzaldehyde is discharged also, being converted to benzoic acid, with an effect comparable to that of aspirin, i.e. it contributes greatly to pain control.

The hundreds of clinical studies conducted by many competent physicians around the world, including those directed by Dr. Emesto Contreras Rodriguez at the Oasis of Hope Hospital in Mexico, give us complete confidence that there is no danger in using Laetrile.