Radio Waves as Cancer Treatment

As a follow-up to Karen's post, there seems to be some promising treatment from the use of Radio Waves. Very interesting piece, which I will surely be following.

"Fascinating" Possible Cancer Treatment
ERIE, Pa., Aug. 27, 2007
(CBS) For most, a cancer diagnosis can be devastating. But, as CBS News contributor Benno Schmidt reported on The Early Show Monday, for John Kanzius, it was a call to action. Kanzius isn't a doctor. He doesn't even have a college degree. Yet, observes Schmidt, the device he invented has impressed a notable researcher and inspired his hometown, Erie, Pa., to the point where it gave him a key to the city in April. Asked by Schmidt what made him think he could cure cancer, Kanzius replied with a laugh, "What made me think I couldn't cure cancer? Nobody else was doing it!" A former radio and TV engineer and one-time station owner, Kanzius, who suffers from leukemia, hated his chemotherapy and saw its devastating effect on others. "I ran into some of the same patients over and over again and, to see their smiles disappear within a few weeks, and then watch their hair disappear and then, clinging to their mothers asking, 'What's wrong with me?' was heartbreaking." Kanzius, who'd been building radios since childhood, believed radio waves could somehow be harnessed to destroy cancer, without drugs or invasive surgery. "I envision this treatment taking no more than a couple of minutes or so," he says. Kanzius hopes cancer treatments could work something like this: A patient would be injected with tiny metal nano-particles, which would be carried through the bloodstream by a targeting molecule and attach only to cancerous cells. The patient would then be exposed to an energy field created by radio waves, and feel nothing, while the nano-particles would generate enough heat to destroy their cancerous host cell. While noting that targeting cancer cells will be the biggest challenge, Kanzius demonstrated just how easily the nano-particles could be used as receivers. A lab worker injected carbon nano-particles into a specific spot in a piece of liver, which was then placed into an energy field of low frequency radio waves. Within seconds, the areas injected the with nano-particles were heated to the point of actually cooking the liver, while leaving the surrounding meat unscathed. Kanzius' invention has caught the attention of Dr. Steven Curley, a surgical oncologist and cancer researcher at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. "This has the most fascinating potential I've seen in anything in my twenty years of cancer research," Curley told Schmidt. Curley has developed current methods of using radio frequencies to attack cancer, but says he looks forward to one day using a non-invasive approach like the one Kanzius is working on. "This," Curley says, "is what will get into the cancer cells and again … release heat that will kill the cancer cells." He wouldn't reveal animal test results on camera, but says he's optimistic that his findings will this fall. In the meantime, he's joined Kanzius in an effort to raise awareness and funds to expedite further research. The April symposium at which Kanzius got the key to Erie brought out 700 people who were not only enthused by the prospect of curing cancer, but having their city as the manufacturing hub of the device Kanzius invented. Former Erie Mayor Joyce Savocchio remarks, "I always say to John Kanzius, he'd better practice Swedish, because I honestly believe he's going to be in Sweden accepting the Nobel Prize!" Savocchio leads the fundraising efforts in Erie and says, since the machine would be built there, Erie cud benefit, big-time. "The projected income," she points out, "should this be successful, is anywhere between $2.5 billion and $10 billion a year." Experts say human trials using Kanzius' device are at least two years away, but Kanzius is undaunted, telling Schmidt, "I'd like to see the first patient treated wile I'm still alive, and to have the doctor tell them they're cured! As for Kanzius himself — Schmidt says his health is considered stable, and he continues to undergo chemotherapy for his leukemia.

Click on this link to watch the video:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/08/27/earlyshow/health/main3206892.shtml

Short update.

Well for the past 3 weeks my goal has been to get strong and put on weight. Well with the help of a drug my doctor gave me I have gained 3 pounds and am getting stronger every day. I have cut down on the methadone pain killer and have much more strength. For the first time in 4 months I have gone out with Nicki and it was not to go to the hospital or doctor. What a relief. That in itself made me feel so good.

So this week I go for the PET scan and CAT scan and get ready for new treatment next week. We are excited and feel very positive about the new drug.

It makes me so happy writing this and feeling good. Once again thanks for all of the e mails, cards and calls. I am sure all of your positive energy has helped me get stronger.

Looking forward till tomorrow


Love

Mark

Here we go again!

Well its back to the blog. Sorry it takes so long but often there is little to write about. I went to Sloan on Thursday and met with my doctors. I have enrolled in a brand new clinical research program. There will be 20 people involved and I am number 3. The drug is called ADI-SS Peg 20,000. It causes a nutrient called Arginine to break down and that nutrient is needed by melanoma cells to grow. My doctor feels optimistic about this cutting edge drug so away we go. I need to go for a number of scans to see if the results. The results in mice have been very positive so as we say Here we go again!

Once again thanks to all of you for your warm wishes, notes, e mails, calls and thanks for staying with me over these past few months it really means the world.

Nicki continues to hold down the fort and does an amazing job in keeping it all together.

Looking forward till tomorrow

Love

Mark

The Next Phase

It's been a while since I've posted, so I'll pack this one full of information..

Yesterday I went with my parents to meet with Dr. Wolchok and his team. The purpose of the visit was to discuss what new treatments are available to him. After reviewing several clinical trials and eliminating just about all of them, we decided to move forward with a Phase I/II trial of a new experimental drug called - ADI-SS. Prior trials of the drug have had positive results with virtually no side effects.

My dad will receive one shot a week of the drug for 8 weeks. He will have a PET scan before the first injection, on day 4 of the first week, and after the 8th week. This test along with blood work will determine if the drug is working. The shots will be given at Sloan Kettering.

The drug is an arginine-degrading enzyme - arginine is an amino acid that the melanoma cells require to live. Arginine is found naturally in our bodies and is made by healthy cells. The thought behind the drug is that if you can remove all of the free-floating arginine from the body, the cancer cells will starve and die. The enzyme used to remove the arginine escapes from the body very rapidly so they use what is essentially anti-freeze to keep it in the body up to a week.

Details of a previous trial can be seen here.

The doctor was very optimistic about this drug and so are we.

Some other updates from the appointment - my dad's white blood count was at a good level (4.2) and his blood pressure and heart rate were at normal levels.

They are going to try and reduce the level of pain medicine he's on because they think it's the cause of him being so tired all the time. They also prescribed a medication to increase his appetite.