By Dr. Matsen

In the mid-1990s, two women with breast cancer came to see me on separate occasions; both wanted to follow a naturopathic program with the hopes that it would rid them of their disease. Each had previously had cancer in her other breast which had been successfully treated with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatments, but neither of them wanted to go through that process again.

I was very reluctant to get involved as I had recently seen two other patients with very advanced stages of breast cancer try unsuccessfully to reverse their cancers. However, these two women were insistent and their breast cancers had been detected early enough that they could still go for conventional treatment if what we did failed. Also, I found a cancer research journal article in which E.F. Lewison stated that, in his 25 years of practice as a breast disease specialist, he had seen 12 women reverse their breast cancer. He said, “Despite widespread doubt and skepticism, there is ample clinical evidence to confirm the fact that spontaneous regression of breast cancer is a rare phenomenon but is real and does occur.” (1) While this was a tiny percentage of his total number of patients, it did show that breast cancer reversal was possible.

After a month or so of following my Eating Alive Program, one of the women gave into her fears and had her tumor surgically removed. However, the tumor biopsy showed that this once-malignant tumor was now benign. In other words, the cancer of her breast had disappeared. The other patient’s breast cancer slowly disappeared over six weeks. Her story was featured in the Vancouver Sun newspaper and the interviewer asked me what my miracle cancer cure was?

I could only reply that I didn’t actually treat diseases and, as always, my program involved dietary changes and nutritional supplements designed to improve liver function. ‘What does the liver have to do with breast cancer?’ was the next question. I replied by writing a 612-page book called The Secrets to Great Health. In this book I cite numerous factors that were known to be involved in breast cancer, in particular, that when the liver breaks down steroid hormones, they become either C-2 or 16-alpha breakdown products. The C-2 pathway inhibits breast cancer while the 16-alpha pathway stimulates breast cancer.

When I wrote The Secrets to Great Health in 1998, I suspected that something in the Eating Alive Program enabled these two patients’ livers to break down hormones via the beneficial C-2 pathway rather than the detrimental 16-alpha pathway, but I wasn’t sure exactly what that ‘something’ was. In retrospect, it is clear now that their cancer reversal most likely came from the addition of Indole-3-Carbinol (I-3-C) into their supplementation. I-3-C had just become available as a supplement in the mid-1990s and these two women were among the first of my patients to receive it. I-3-C is one of more than 100 sulfur compounds found in the cabbage family.

Cabbage and brussels sprouts activate the liver’s Phase I enzymes while brussels sprouts also activate the enzymes of the small intestine and broccoli activates the liver’s Phase II enzymes, which may be the most crucial for breaking down hormones through the beneficial C-2 pathway. (2)

In 1978, a study of I-3-C showed that it inhibited cancer of the breast and stomach in mice. (3)

In 1982, it was shown that a diet high in cabbage, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, mustard greens, kale, lettuce, celery and tomatoes inhibits cancer. (4)

In 1987, it was found that I-3-C was especially good at activating enzymes of the liver. Savoy cabbage had twice as many active ingredients as white cabbage, but long-term cooking, especially boiling, reduced their benefits 34 to 44%. Chopping and fermenting the cabbage maintained its active ingredients. (5) Freezing or freeze-drying maintained the medicinal properties and stir-frying was the least damaging form of cooking. (2)

In 1987, it was also discovered that stomach acid was necessary to activate I-3-C. (6) Later it was found that the ideal stomach pH was 4 to 4.5 and that an alkaline stomach of 4.5 or higher would not activate the anticancer properties of the cabbage family. (7)

In 1991, it was shown that when mice and rats were given I-3-C, the incidence of colon, lung and other cancers was decreased by increasing the C-2 hormone breakdown pathway by the liver. Men and women also showed improved C-2 breakdown of hormones within 7 days of taking I-3-C. Low body fat, aerobic exercise and low-fat diets also increased the beneficial C-2 hormones. (8)

I-3-C was shown to also inhibit cancer of the tongue in rats. (9) Another 1992 study using rats showed that I-3-C activated enzymes in the liver and small intestine that helped breakdown testosterone within two days, as long as the stomach processed it first. (10)

Another study, in which I-3-C was given to trout, showed positive anticancer results, indicating that this supplement works in species other than rodents and humans. (11)

Pesticides were shown to increase the production of cancer-enhancing 16-alpha hormones, but I-3-C was shown to reduce this. (12) The pesticide propoxur has been shown to induce bone marrow cancer in mice; however, if the mice were given I-3-C before exposure, the cancer was inhibited. (13) Another study also found that I-3-C provided protection against bone marrow cancer in mice. (14)

NNK, a chemical produced in cigarette smoke, is known to induce lung cancer in mice. When I-3-C was given to mice that had NNK-induced lung cancer, the cancer was inhibited. I-3-C given to human smokers cleared NNK from their bodies faster than in controls, likely reducing their chances of cancer. (15)

Using I-3-C, green tea, and soy extracts in the diet reduced cancer incidence 44 to 65%. (16)

Broccoli seeds sprouted for 3 days contained as much anticancer properties as full-grown broccoli. (17)

The minimum daily dose of I-3-C required to increase the beneficial C-2 hormones, regardless of age or menopausal status, was found to be 300 mg per day. (18)

The ability of I-3-C to suppress and kill cancer cells was due to its activation by stomach acid to a compound called DIM. (19)

I-3-C, when acidified and administered to mice that had cancer that was resistant to chemotherapy drugs, gave these mice a much better response than controls and no side-effects were seen. (20)

I-3-C inhibits breast cancer even if the cancer is not estrogen responsive. If the cancer is estrogen responsive, then the cancer cells respond to I-3-C with tamoxifen better than when either is taken alone. I-3-C works on different pathways than tamoxifen. (21)

The anti-estrogen effects of I-3-C were shown to improve cells of the cervix, even inhibiting the human papilloma virus which is thought to be the cause of cervical cancer. (22)

A study was done involving 27 women with early-stage cancer of the cervix, 80 percent of whom cultured positive for human papilloma virus. Eight women received 200 mg of I-3-C per day, another nine received 400 mg per day and ten control patients received a placebo. Those on placebo showed no improvement in C-2 hormone breakdown and no improvement in the cervical symptoms. However, those on the I-3-C showed increased production of C-2 hormones and 47% had complete disappearance of their cervical symptoms, regardless of whether they cultured positive for human papilloma virus. Those taking 400 mg of I-3-C per day had greater results than those taking 200 mg per day. (23)

These studies clearly show that eating more cruciferous vegetables, especially broccoli (sprouted, raw or stir-fried) and cabbage (raw as in coleslaw or fermented as in sauerkraut), should reduce a person’s chance of developing cancers of the breast, cervix, colon, lung, prostate, tongue and bone marrow.

Avoiding pesticides and cigarette smoke would further reduce cancer risk, as would adding green tea, soy products and aerobic exercise. Taking 300 to 400 mg of I-3-C per day may dramatically reduce the odds of getting these cancers (with no side-effects), and may also help those who already have these cancers (with no interference with their other medications). Those who have questionable digestion should take hydrochloric acid capsules with the I-3-C to make sure it gets activated.

Another anti-cancer substance that works with I-3-C to reduce cancer risk is selenium.

Did you know: The sea cabbage—a small, wild plant native to the Western European coast—was likely spread throughout Europe by the Celts thousands of years ago. It is the ancestor of cabbage, brussels sprouts, kale, collards, kohlrabi, cauliflower and broccoli. These plants contain at least 100 sulfur compounds in varying degrees which in turn activate various parts of the body.

References
(1) National Cancer Institute Monographs, 44:1976; 23-26
(2) American Chemical Society, Symposium Series, No 546, 1993:181-196
(3) Cancer Research, Volume 38, May 1978:1410-1413
(4) Molecular Interrelations of Nutrition and Cancer, 1982:43-56
(5) Fd. Chem. Toxic., Vol 25, No 5, 1987:363-68
(6) J Toxicol Eviron Heatlh, 1987, 21 (3):311-23
(7) Chem Biol Interact, 1991, 80(3):303-15
(8) Nutrition and Cancer, Vol. 16, No. 1, 1991:59-64
(9) Jpn J Cancer Res, 83, August 1992:835-842
(10) Food Chem Toxicol, 1992 July, 30(7):589-99
(11) J Biochem Toxicol, 1996 August, 10(4):191-201
(12) Environ Health Perspective, 1995 October, 103, Suppl 7:147-50
(13) Food Chem Toxicol, 1997 Oct-Nov, 35(10-11):1081-4
(14) Food Chem Toxicol,1998 Nov, 36(11):975-7
(15) Proc Annual Meeting Am Assoc Cancer Res,
1997, 38:1413
(16) Oncol Rep, 1998, May-June, 19(3A):1673-80
(17) Proceed Nat Acad Sciences, 1997, 94:10367-72
(18) J Cell Biochem Suppl, 1999, 28-29:111-6
(19) Anticancer Res,
1999 July-Aug, 19(4B):3199-203
(20) Cancer Research, 1996 Feb 01, 56 (3):574-81
(21) Cancer Research, 1999 Mar 15, 59(6):1244-51
(22) Anticancer Research,
1999 May-June, 19(3A):1673-80) and Cancer Research, 1999 Aug 15, 59(16):3991-7
(23) Gynecologic Oncology, 2000 August, 78(2):123-9