----- This page is not indexed in the main menu yet and only available via direct link to those who have it, as it is an early collection of information specific to ovarian cancer (OVCA) that I am researching for a friend in need (👋 😊) This is a work in progress, so the content may change frequently as I learn more. The main objective right now is to slow down the growth of the existing tumours, and block [metastasis](../../CancerPlan/4.%20Lions%20&%20Tigers%20&%20Bears%20(Pathways%20&%20Drivers)/Metastasis.md) to prevent additional tumours from forming. Three potential strategies to do this are: 1. **Food** - Adjusting food intake to reduce the tumours' preferred energy sources (i.e. the maco-nutrients carbohydrates, proteins, fats) it uses to grow. 2. **Supplements** - Using botanicals (whole or extracts) that have shown anti-cancer properties, or can help with the side effects of standard care treatment (e.g. [chemotherapy](../../CancerPlan/3.%20Treatments/3.6%20%20Standard%20care/Chemotherapy.md)). 3. **Off-label drugs** - The use of safe, easily accessible and affordable drugs already on the market for years, but not being used for cancer treatment in standard care (yet). # 1 – Food The goal is to reduce and smooth out blood glucose levels. So, get the weekly average as low as possible, and avoid spikes. Glucose is the preferred fuel source for cancer tumours. While they can certainly turn to the other things for energy (protein & fats), reducing glucose is step one. This is done by avoiding high glycemic foods (i.e. those easily converted into blood glucose), which means carbohydrates for the most part. A [ketogenic diet](../../CancerPlan/3.%20Treatments/3.4%20%20Food%20&%20Diet/Ketogenic%20diet.md) consisting of less than 50 g of carbohydrates a day is the extreme application of this strategy. It's not easy, but it's safe and sure gets glucose levels in check fast. There is also support for this "[fasting](../../CancerPlan/3.%20Treatments/3.4%20%20Food%20&%20Diet/Fasting.md) mimicking" type of diet triggering some beneficial metabolic processes, such as autophagy and others. One of the leaders in this area is [Thomas Seyfried, Ph.D](5.%20Resources/People/Thomas%20Seyfried,%20Ph.D.md). ## Useful tools The food tracking app [Cronometer](https://cronometer.com) I use and found super helpful in understanding my daily macro and micro-nutrient intakes, as well as calories. I also use a [Contour blood glucose monitor](https://www.ascensiadiabetes.ca/products/contour-next-one/) which I started from day 1 after my diagnoses to manage and understand what my foods were doing to my glucose levels. Really helpful data. It's a free device at London Drugs, but they get you on the test strips which are about $ 0.70 each (bottles of 100). # 2 – Supplements There are a handful of supplements that have proven effective in cancer treatment, which are safe and easy to source. My general supplement strategy while fighting my cancer tumour was: "If there is evidence it works against cancer, and it's safe, why not?" Valid 'why nots' might include cost, or contraindications with chemotherapy drugs, which need to be researched. With supplements, despite what some will say, there is no single one that does the whole job on cancer. None of the supplements are silver bullets, but a combination covering as many bases as possible could make the difference. There are hundreds of botanical supplements out there. The objective to reducing the complexity of them all is identifying the ones that have proven effective against OVCA or cancer in general. The supplements I think make the most sense to investigate to fight OVCA are: [Melatonin](../../CancerPlan/3.%20Treatments/3.3%20%20Supplements/Melatonin.md) [AHCC (shiitake mushroom)](../../CancerPlan/3.%20Treatments/3.3%20%20Supplements/AHCC%20(shiitake%20mushroom).md) [EGCG (green tea)](../../CancerPlan/3.%20Treatments/3.3%20%20Supplements/EGCG%20(green%20tea).md) [Coriolus versicolor (turkey tail)](../../CancerPlan/3.%20Treatments/3.3%20%20Supplements/Coriolus%20versicolor%20(turkey%20tail).md) [Berberine](../../CancerPlan/3.%20Treatments/3.3%20%20Supplements/Berberine.md) Exogenous Ketones Part of the [Press-pulse](5.%20Resources/Research%20papers/Press-pulse%20–%20a%20novel%20therapeutic%20strategy%20for%20the%20metabolic%20management%20of%20cancer.md) method of treatment recommended by [Thomas Seyfried, Ph.D](5.%20Resources/People/Thomas%20Seyfried,%20Ph.D.md) is a [ketogenic diet](3.%20Treatments/3.4%20%20Food%20&%20Diet/Ketogenic%20diet.md), combined with taking exogenous ketones. The body naturally generates ketones in the liver from fat stores, while in a low carb diet, as an alternate fuel source to glucose. But you can also add additional ketones through supplementation of BHB, which is a common health supplement for people using keto for various purposes. Here is a source in Vancouver for those, which provides 500 mg of BHB per serving: [Beyond Yourself Keto Fire 30 Serving — Popeye's Supplements BC](https://www.popeyesbc.ca/products/beyond-yourself-keto-fire-30-serving?_pos=1&_sid=089202835&_ss=r) [Cannabis THC-CBD](../../CancerPlan/3.%20Treatments/3.2%20Integrative%20therapies/Cannabis%20THC-CBD.md) THC & CBD were two supplements I found of great help. CBD has shown benefit in dealing with chemo side effects, in particular peripheral neuropathy. This study had participants using 300 mg a day with good results: [Oral cannabidiol (CBD) for prevention of acute and transient chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy](../../CancerPlan/5.%20Resources/Clinical%20trials/Oral%20cannabidiol%20(CBD)%20for%20prevention%20of%20acute%20and%20transient%20chemotherapy-induced%20peripheral%20neuropathy.md) This is a CBD dosage hard (impossible?) to fulfil using the products sold in licensed dispensaries. I went off-market to find products with similar dosages to those in the study. THC, what can I say. My high-dose THC oil was truly a livesaver during the long weeks and months of chemo. Pain management and better sleep were the primary uses, but I also used THC as an anti-cancer treatment directly as my tumour was reasonably accessible from the outside world 😬 # 3 – Off-label drugs I know the least on this subject compared with the first two. But there does seem to be some well known prescription sourced drugs that are getting serious attention from the medical community in clinical trials as they show promise in fighting cancer, as well as treating the ailments they are currently used against. [Jane McLelland](5.%20Resources/People/Jane%20McLelland.md)'s' Facebook group, and book on How to Starve Cancer turned me on to quite a few of them. I haven't read all of the book; it's not and easy read and doesn't offer much practical implementation advice , but I cherry picked some of the data it offers. You need a friendly doctor who is knowledgable in how these drugs are being used off label, and is willing to write a prescription for them. The two that were recommended to me by a medical oncologist were [Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN)](../../CancerPlan/3.%20Treatments/3.5%20%20Off-label%20drugs/Low%20Dose%20Naltrexone%20(LDN).md), and [Desloratadine (Aerius)](../../CancerPlan/3.%20Treatments/3.5%20%20Off-label%20drugs/Desloratadine%20(Aerius).md) (an antihistamine sold in Canada under the brand name Aerius). See the study below on antihistamine's in cancer treatment. # Studies, papers, and other interesting data This is just a collection of research papers that hold interest in identifying important pathways and drivers of OVCA, as well as promising supplements and off-label drugs. 1. [Antihistamines and Ovarian Cancer Survival - Nationwide Cohort Study and in Vitro Cell Viability Assay](../../CancerPlan/5.%20Resources/Research%20papers/Antihistamines%20and%20Ovarian%20Cancer%20Survival%20-%20Nationwide%20Cohort%20Study%20and%20in%20Vitro%20Cell%20Viability%20Assay.md) 2. [Melatonin as a promising agent to treat ovarian cancer](../../CancerPlan/5.%20Resources/Research%20papers/Melatonin%20as%20a%20promising%20agent%20to%20treat%20ovarian%20cancer.md) 3. [IGF-I in epithelial ovarian cancer and its role in disease progression](../../CancerPlan/5.%20Resources/Research%20papers/IGF-I%20in%20epithelial%20ovarian%20cancer%20and%20its%20role%20in%20disease%20progression.md) 4. [Dual inhibition of glycolysis and glutaminolysis as a therapeutic strategy in the treatment of ovarian cancer](../../CancerPlan/5.%20Resources/Research%20papers/Dual%20inhibition%20of%20glycolysis%20and%20glutaminolysis%20as%20a%20therapeutic%20strategy%20in%20the%20treatment%20of%20ovarian%20cancer.md) 5. [Metabolic shifts toward glutamine regulate tumor growth, invasion and bioenergetics in ovarian cancer](../../CancerPlan/5.%20Resources/Research%20papers/Metabolic%20shifts%20toward%20glutamine%20regulate%20tumor%20growth,%20invasion%20and%20bioenergetics%20in%20ovarian%20cancer.md) # Books A book on cancer as a metabolic disease: [The Metabolic Approach to Cancer: Integrating Deep Nutrition, the Ketogenic Diet, and Nontoxic Bio-Individualized Therapies - Amazon.ca](https://www.amazon.ca/Metabolic-Approach-Cancer-Integrating-Bio-Individualized/dp/1603586865/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=26ZJQPTXHQFDL&keywords=metabolic+approach+to+cancer+book&qid=1683916180&sprefix=metabolic+appr%2Caps%2C183&sr=8-1) Jane McLelland's FB group: [Jane McLelland Off Label Drugs for Cancer | Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/groups/697546077022478/search/?q=rectal%20cancer)