I would be cautious with resveratrol use in melanoma, because I can remember at least one in vivo study where it does have only one effect: enhancing the metastasis to the lung. Topical use is probably not something he wants, because the primary tumor is probably already removed but metastasis has occured.
Melanoma is a very dangerous cancer with few medication options. There was an interesting study done with an old medication,
mebendazole. It is used usually in worm infection and is a kind of mitotic spindle poison, that means it disrupts the mitosis.
Mebendazole works selective against dividing cells of worms, but does not work in mammalian cells. The researchers have screened 2000 compounds already used in medicine for the their action on melanoma and
mebendazole was the one medication with the strongest effect. It killed P53 independent, that means it was toxic for cells with and without P53 (M-14 and SK-Mel-19 cell lines). Here it works through the Bax pathway, phosphorylation of Bcl-2 occurs and prevents its binding to the apoptic Bax. (1)
It was highly selective for melanoma cells and what is very interesting, is that it worked in a concentration of 0.32 µM. I have read several claims for the average blood plasma concentration reached with oral
mebendazole, some are claiming even the exceed of more then 1 µM but I am sceptic to this one, so a high intake of 1,5 g
mebendazole together with 400mg cimetidine and a fatty meal or oil (for
mebendazole) daily would probably be necessary to be partly sure reaching a high plasma concentration. The problem with this drug is that the plasma concentrations vary strong between individuals. I would start with a lower dosage for the beginning and observe side effects and then raise the dosage. Cimetidine has some effects on cancer on its own and it does slow down the degradation of
mebendazole in the liver. (2, 3, 4)
Curcumin would perhaps also do some effects but only at several g intake and oily solution.
Elesclomol together with chemotherapy shows enhanced oxidative damage to melanoma. Don`t know if his doc can get this for him as kind of compassionate use.
I would try
mebendazole, it was already used 2002 In a study to show some great effects against lung cancer and other in vitro and vivo. (5)
(1)
Mebendazole induces apoptosis via Bcl-2 inactivation in chemoresistant melanoma cells.
Doudican N, Rodriguez A, Osman I, Orlow SJ.
Mol Cancer Res. 2008 Aug;6(8):1308-15. Epub 2008 Jul 30.
(2)
Clinical pharmacokinetics of high dose
mebendazole in patients treated for cystic hydatid disease.
Braithwaite PA, Roberts MS, Allan RJ, Watson TR.
Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 1982;22(2):161-9.
(3)
Plasma concentrations of
mebendazole during treatment of echinococcosis: preliminary results.
Münst GJ, Karlaganis G, Bircher J.
(4)
Cimetidine increases serum
mebendazole concentrations. Implications for treatment of hepatic hydatid cysts.
Bekhti A, Pirotte J.
Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1987 Sep;24(3):390-2.
(5)
Mebendazole elicits a potent antitumor effect on human cancer cell lines both in vitro and in vivo.
Mukhopadhyay T, Sasaki J, Ramesh R, Roth JA.
Clin Cancer Res. 2002 Sep;8(9):2963-9.
http://clincancerres...eprint/8/9/2963
Edited by aidanpryde, 30 December 2008 - 01:23 PM.
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