Cancer and Biological Terrain

Integrative medical doctors for many decades have said that the terrain of the body is a contributing factor to the development and spread of cancer.  Specifically, in this approach the three factors that determine this "terrain" are acid-base balance, antioxidant status, and resistivity, which is a measurement of the ability of the body’s electricity to flow through a given area. My cancer patients know that I talk with them about their pH (acid-alkaline) balance as well as their antioxidant status.

A new study from Stanford University School of Medicine has been published which supports this "terrain" idea.

Dr. Amato  Giaccia the senior author of this research which is published in the January 6 issue of Cancer Cell stated "Metastasis is not a passive process".  "Cells don’t just break off the primary tumor and lodge someplace else.  Instead, the cells actually secrete substances to precondition target tissue and make it more amenable to subsequent invasion" Dr. Giaccia has found a protein called LOX, that attracted certain types of cells to the pre— metastatic area in mice.  By blocking LOX expression in the mice, the researchers were able to prevent metastasis.

This research supports the idea of the "terrain" needing to have special qualities in order to attract metastasis.

I look forward to more articles that will look at this aspect of cancer and specifically metastatic cancer.

* Original Reference