Soft tissue sarcoma in uterine cancers is on the rise since the pandemic although it is still a rare and difficult-to-treat cancer; are there natural ways of increasing your survival odds?
Survival rates with sarcoma vary by the type of sarcoma, but are generally poor. In a few cases of uterine cancer (womb cancer) sarcoma is on the increase since the pandemic whatever the reason..
You can see how Chris Woollams helped Tabs Headington beat her rare synovial sarcoma here. You can find out more about how Chris helped George beat his rhabdomyosarcoma here.
So, here some ideas, backed by research on what patients might do beyond the conventional therapies to increase their personal odds of survival with this rare form of womb cancer.
1. Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs) - the major reason why cancers recur is that, at their heart, they have cancer stem cells, and these cause recurrence. No conventional drug can kill them off. CSCs appear to be in higher levels if the womb cancer is a sarcoma, thanif it is a normal adencarcinoma.
We frequently use CSC killers - off label drugs and natural compounds.
Dr Young S. Kim a Director of the National Cancer Institute has talked about Natural compounds such as Turmeric, Resveratol, sulforaphanes reducing risk of recurrence; another natural compound is the number 1 Ayurvedic herb, Tulsi (Holy Basil). We have reviewed the top ten natural compounds that fight CSCs.
There are also off label drugs such as Doxycycline, Niclosamide and Ivermectin that research shows are useful against CSCs.
2. Oestrogen, sarcoma and CSCs
Ostrogen plays a significant role in approximately 80% of womb cancer. It also plays a significant role in both the biochemistry of certain sarcomas and in cancer stem cells (CSCs). Perhaps the best known example is endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS); it is a rare, estrogen-dependent uterine tumour that originates in the connective tissue cells of the endometrium, the inner lining of the uterus.
ESS express estrogen and progesterone receptors, as well as the enzyme aromatase. Studies reporting ER expression in 60–80% of cases, This high expression of hormone receptors, supports the use of hormone-targeted therapies as a treatment strategy (1). To reduce aromatisation and oestradiol, you might use green juices containing lemon peel, and compounds such as melatonin, myomin and indole-3-carbinol. Do not touch grapefruit, its juice or large Seville oranges.
3. The gut microbiome is very important in all cancers - most oncologists know little about it. Their drugs damage it, as do drugs such as PPIs, blood thinners and antibiotics.
We know that pathogens play a strong role in womb cancer. A 2024 Study from the Mayo Clinic concluded that "Endometrial cancer was associated with diversity of good bacteria and with depletion of Lactobacillus species, including L. crispatus, but there was increased pathogenic bacterial diversity - Porphyromonas, Prevotella, Peptoniphilus and Anaerococcus in both the lower genital tract and endometrium. Treatment of benign and malignant endometrial organoids with L. crispatus exerted an anti-proliferative effect at high concentrations."
Women with endometrial cancer have also been found to have higher than normal levels of Herpes 1, 8, but HPV does not appear to be a consistent cause in a 28 study meta-analysis.
In uterine sarcoma it's no different - pathogens are present. One study should Candida (yeasts), Clostridium, Streptococcus and Pseudomonas strains were found in most cases of sarcoma and are negatively linked to overall survival times (2)
I'm not alone in my view of the importance of the microbiome with sarcoma patients - pathogens and viruses can both be a problem and the solution.
Why is the microbiome so important in womb cancer? First, dysbiosis and a lowered microbiome is linked to a greater cancer risk. Then it is known that women who rebuild their microbiome after conventional treatment, survive longer. One of the reasons is that a healthy gut microbiome links to a stronger adaptive immune system and greater numbers of lymphocytes.
Poor gut = poor immune system and lowered lymphocytes. Lowered lymphocytes = lowered survival.
4. You can increase your lymphocyte levels in womb cancer (sarcoma or adenocarcinoma) by using 2 - 3.6gm of Turkey Tail organic powder, Echinacea, Cat's Claw, and Astragalus. Healthy levels of lymphocytes should be between 2.4 and 4.0.
5. Galectin-3. The longer a cancer is in the body, the more cancer cells build Galectin-3. And Galectin-3 is also found in higher levels in hard-to treat cancers such as Neuroendocrine, TNBC and Sarcoma.
Galectin-3 is a protein that plays a significant role in the womb adenosarcoma tumour microenvironment and is associated with the progression, invasion, and metastasis of sarcomas. No drugs are currently available to tacle Gal-3. It has been found to suppress immune surveillance by killing T cells and interfering with NK cell function, thereby supporting tumor growth and metastasis. Galectin-3 also causes chemo-resistance. Gal-3 can be neutralised by Modified Citrus Pectin.
6. p53, or protein 53. This is found to be deficient in 90% of sarcoma. And 96% of ovarian and endometrial cancer. Yet again, Doctors can do nothing about it. p53 is a tumour suppressor protein and is linked to poorly functioning mitochondria which power down, leading to oxidative phosphorylation and cancer. Off labels drugs such as Niclosamide can reinstate p53, as can natural compound IP-6. Research indicates that dietary factors like CoQ10, magnesium, and iodine can influence p53 function and stability. A Mediterranean diet supplemented with CoQ10 was shown to reduce mutations in p53 in elderly subjects, likely by decreasing oxidative DNA damage.
This is a metabolic issue - no drugs are known to fix the issue. We have a review of the factors that can restore p53 from research.
7. Arginine - A hot topic in the USA. There, experts are looking at whether or not you can cut this amino acid and starve a sarcoma. 2011 research shows that there is an over-expression of Arginine-metabolising enzymes in most soft tissue sarcoma. Brian A. Van Tine, MD, PhD, an associate professor of medicine and colleagues found that all cancer cells, but especially those from sarcomas, have a critical defect—they rely on arginine in the blood for boosting blood supplies and fuel. Normal cells make their own arginine, but 90 percent of sarcoma cancer cells cannot because they lack argininosuccinate synthetase. When deprived of arginine, these cells starve, and begin a process called autophagy (self-eating).
To enhance the effectiveness of arginine deprivation therapy, researchers have combined it with other drugs. For example, adding chloroquine to arginine deprivation therapy has been shown to induce apoptosis and necroptosis in ASS1-deficient sarcomas, leading to cell death.
This dual metabolic stress strategy could potentially be applied to up to 90% of sarcomas, regardless of their histology. So, starving sarcoma cells of Arginine seems like a good idea. Arginine deprivation therapy is currently being investigated in clinical trials for various types of cancer, including sarcomas, liver cancer, lung cancer, and others. The arginine-depleting drug ADI-PEG 20 is one of the agents being tested in these trials.
But...L-Arginine is an essential amino acid for humans - a substrate for both arginase and nitric oxide synthase enzymes. Nitric oxide prevents heart attacks, for example, by lowering blood pressure. You need Arginine - arginine dilates blood vessels, improves blood flow and triggers the production of protein. It is involved in wound healing, helping your kidneys remove toxins from the body, removing ammonia, and in immune and hormone function. Cancer tumours metabolise arginine (3)
Arginine is found in nuts, seeds, dairy, meat and whole grains from brown rice to oats. Too much arginine can however cause migraines in humans and can block the amino acid lysine, which prevents cold sores.
So, it may not be quite as simple as just cutting arginine. Anyway, an amino acid called serine can act as a backup to cancer cells needing arginine. This is a non-essential amino acid that you make yourself from glycine. Low levels are linked, for example, to low levels of myelin around nerves, chronic fatigue syndrome, and it is involved in making immunoglobulins for antibodies. It may be of benefit in dementia and poor sleep. Serine is found naturally in egg white, seeds, soy, seaweed products, dairy and especially milk and parmesan, beef and peanut butter. The list is endless.
Personally, I think this route is doomed to failure. But I pass it on because you may well read about it!
8. Causes - Sarcoma can be linked to hereditary conditions (e.g. Li-Fraumeni syndrome, which is caused by a mutation in the p53 tumor-suppressor gene Sarcoma can also be caused by toxins - herbicides, dioxins, and xenoestrogens (4); and injury and previous radiation treatment.
9. Drugs are getting better but traditionally sarcoma has not responded well to chemo. Link here to a list of NCI drugs (5).
There is research with the off-label drug Mebendazole having a strong effect with osteosarcoma. Fenbendazole has also shown potential in vitro and in animal models for treating sarcoma.
Other, more conventional off-label targeted therapies were sorafenib (45% of treatment lines), sunitinib (25%), sirolimus (9%), and imatinib (8%). The overall response rate (ORR) to these therapies was 15% and the disease control rate at two months was 59% (6). Not terribly impressive.
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References
1. Endometrial Stromal Sarcoma - Science Direct
2. The sarcoma microbiome as a diagnostic and therapeutic target - Gabriel Tinoco et al; Journal of Clinical Oncology
Volume 39, Number 15
3. Arginine metabolism in soft tissue sarcoma - Xiaofeng Yan et al; J Dermatol Sci. 2011 Mar;61(3):211-5.
4. Environmental exposure to xenoestrogens and oestrogen related cancers: Aleksandra Fucic et al; Environ Health. 2012 Jun 28;11
5. NCI - Drugs Approved for Soft Tissue Sarcoma
6. The off-label use of targeted therapies in sarcomas: the OUTC’S program - Lauriane Eberst et al; BMC Cancer. 2014 Nov 24;14:870