DCA

[Elliot43]

Just heard something on TV re DCA IIn regards to helping to cure cancer !! Helping the drugs to work better and not damage healthy cells. Anyone know about this?

7:20 WST Australia

Sheila from Fremantle

[AussieNeil Partner Administrator]

Sheila, I presume DCA is Dichloroacetic acid, in which case this somewhat dated Wikipedia article may prove of interest:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dichl...

This ABC News item probably covers what you saw on WST TV:

abc.net.au/news/2014-10-27/...

Note that this trial is for a blood cancer (myeloma), and there is mention of the likely use of DCA with regular drugs. If this trial has very good results, perhaps it might eventually extend to trials with CLL, but don't hold your breath. While I suspect that DCA might have some therapeutic use for some cancers, finding which may prove difficult given "DCA is not a novel substance so a composition of matter patent cannot be granted". That will no doubt feed into conspiracy theories about "Big Pharma" holding back a cure for cancer.

Sure enough, from The Globe and Mail a year ago:

theglobeandmail.com/life/he...

Note the references in Wikipedia and "The Globe and Mail" about the risk of nerve damage from DCA, plus the report that it enhanced growth of the colorectal cancer in mice in a 2010 trial. While you might find mention of a breakthrough on cancer treatment on TV, you really need to find the additional detail provided in 'print' media for more a detailed and hopefully more balanced coverage. Sadly, I doubt DCA will prove a miracle cure for CLL, but I'd love to be proved wrong!

Neil

[Elliot43 in reply to AussieNeil]

Thanks Neil… I think I somewhat eagerly jumped the gun. i should know by now that News reports only give snippets of the story. I don't like the sound of nerve damage as already have that!

Sheila

[AussieNeil Partner Administrator in reply to Elliot43]

Who doesn't wish that a low cost and effective treatment could soon be available? I agree with you about the nerve damage risk, but we could hope that it is less than the current treatments that can cause this - or better still, hope that the new non-chemo treatments continue to improve in effectiveness, while reducing in side effects yet be affordable.

At least we know that there are researchers out there that believe this too and are working towards it - though the affordability issue is a real concern.

Neil

[Cllcanada Top Poster CURE Hero in reply to AussieNeil]

Speaking of nerve damage risk...Yes the day the wonderful blossom of Madagascar Periwinkle, Catharanthus roseus, is laid to rest as a chemotherapy, the better we will all be...

Google Vincristine...

[PureDCA in reply to Elliot43]

dca reveals a shortage of thiamin in the cells so is NOT nerve damage - the therapy protocol includes thiamin which both treats and prevents neuropathy which is what they are talking about... Pure DCA gives the thiamin capsules to their patients to prevent this and there has not been a single case of neuropathy since 2008

[AussieNeil Partner Administrator in reply to PureDCA]

Having just joined us, would you care to share more about your personal journey with CLL/SLL and in what ways the use of DCA has helped you with your CLL/SLL? More importantly, are you able to advise of any specific studies of the use of DCA to help CLL/SLL patients? The list of possible side effects listed by the DCA website are rather daunting.

Thanks,

Neil

[PureDCA in reply to AussieNeil]

Thanks for your reply, the post has been temporarily deleted pending discussion with admin off forum, [ admin 28/01/2015]

[AussieNeil Partner Administrator in reply to PureDCA]

It doesn't support your case when you claim that the two websites you mention, one of which is supportive of the use of DCA, have errors that would concern those investigating DCA. Wikipedia at least can be publicly corrected.

Many with CLL/SLL are already struggling with fatigue/drowsiness and would be very concerned at that getting worse!

Finally, you haven't answered my two questions about your interest in CLL/SLL and relevant studies that will be of interest to our community.

I draw your attention to the HU Community Guidelines:

support.healthunlocked.com/...

where it states: "When you publish information from third party sources, such as information about new treatments, you are asked to provide references and links wherever possible."

Also be informed that this community strongly follows the following HU directive:

support.healthunlocked.com/...

Thanks

[shazie]

I posted the same question a while back. I suggest you read that post too. There are places in Canada and US that sell DCA in pill form or liquid form.

healthunlocked.com/cllsuppo...

[AussieNeil Partner Administrator]

If you Google 'DCA CLL leukemia' (you need to include leukemia to filter out much of the noise), it looks to me that most of the hits relate to preliminary studies of DCA with another agent.

The side effects Mijoed referenced on the DCA site was last updated in 2008!

thedcasite.com/dca_safety.html

Seems to me that anyone using DCA to help with their CLL will definitely be sailing into unchartered waters.

Neil

[Cllcanada Top Poster CURE Hero in reply to AussieNeil]

I recall a lab study a few months ago, combining DCA with Nutlin-3, using different CLL cell lines...

It has never been tried in CLL patients to my knowledge...

~chris

[PureDCA]

PureDCA has been curing cancer since 2007 - look them up !

[AngelWingsJimmy]

DCA can be used a monotherapy or in a combination with other treatments.

Look up DcaGuide.org .

They are known to post new information every now and then as well as other great info on usage, dosing and other things.

What can I say regarding the information on DCA at this very moment. It has potential. There are ongoing researches, the period in which SodiumDichloroacetate was suppressed from the public eye is over. It is an old orphan drug which was used for decades on children for congenital mitochondrial diseases, it's safety and side effects ARE WELL KNOWN before the cancer treatment. One out of two cases - it will cause you to develop polineuropathy in a time scale of a year or two. This can be prevented with Tiamine (Vitamin B1) supplements. You can also take Alpha-lipolic acid.

For top notch legitimate information you should visit this link oicc.ca/uploads/dca-health-...

It has doctors making an abstract on DCA in 2017.