DCA

[Updated October 18, 2008]

DCA has been used in humans for 30 years but was only recently discovered to have anti-cancer properties (in mice). It works via a novel mechanism that would presumably apply to a broad range of cancers. The U of Alberta, where its potential use as an anti-cancer agent was discovered by a cardiologist, Dr.Michelakis, has set up a web page which has a letter from Dr. Michaelakis, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and links to the substantial media coverage that this has garnered:
http://www.depmed.ualberta.ca/dca/
since publishing the work in Cancer Cell: [PMID: 17222789]

Self-medicating cancer patients have banded together to set up an online web site to share information on it as discussed in this news flash:
http://www.bcma.org/Newsflash/March19-2007.htm#3
Their web site is http://www.thedcasite.com/ and it includes a discussion forum. One person said his PSA doubled 20 days after taking DCA and there is further discussion of whether this could be a PSA bounce in response to dying cancer cells or whether it means it did not work. See:
http://www.thedcasite.com/cgi/dcboard.cgi?az=read_count&om=16&forum=DCForumID2

Although some of the comments from self medicating users on the web site are not encouraging some recent work at the University of Florida published in May 2008 supports the role of DCA as acting against bcl-2. As discussed in our post on post on Testosterone Metabolism bcl-2 protects cancer cells and therefore agents that act against bcl-2 might render the cancer defensiveless against attack by other drugs. Thus it might be that a more professional approach, such as in the upcoming clinical trial, could still work.

There is a September 2008 review of DCA [PMID: 18766181] by Michelakis.

Also on the DCA is site is information on Nobuto Yamamoto who has done work on DCA
as well as GcMAF. The latter seems promising based on small scale testing.
See Yamamoto file.

Gleason inflation and lack of outcome improvements

Relative to early in the PSA era high risk Gleason grades are now more common and outcomes for high risk radical prostatectomy patients have not significantly improved. Multiple treatment modalities may be needed. J Urol. 2007 Jan, 177(1):113-7. [PMID: 17162017]

Elevated uPA and uPAR in aggressive cancer

In a small scale study, Dallas researchers have found that elevated levels of urokinase-typeplasminogen activator (uPA) and its soluble receptor (uPAR) are associated with (1) features of biologically aggressive prostate cancer and disease progression after radical prostatectomy and (2) metastasis. J Clin Oncol. 2007 Feb 1. 25(4):349-55. [PMID: 17264329]

Predicting prostate cancer many years in advance

Swedish researchers studied archived specimens of 462 Swedish men aged 44 to 50 who subsequently developed prostate cancer as well as 1,222 matched control subjects. They found that a single PSA test at age 44 to 50 years had substantial value for predicting subsequent clinically diagnosed prostate cancer. This could be useful in assigning men to risk groups.
J Clin Oncol 2007 Feb 1. 25(4):431-6. [PMID: 17264339]

Phellinus Linteus mushroom kills AR dependent PCa

Harvard researchers report that in test tube studies high doses of Phellinus Linteus mushroom extract kill human prostate cancer cells having androgen receptors (AR) but not cells lacking such receptors. Br J Cancer. 2007 Jan 30 [Epub ahead of print] [PMID: 17262078]