Natural Remedies for Skin Cancer

Natural Remedies for Skin Cancer

From Alternatives Newsletter Fall 2008

The effects of the sun and environmental pollutants make skin cancer the most common form of cancer in the United States, according to The Skin Cancer Foundation.  More than one million skin cancers are diagnosed annually.

Interesting research reveals that the summer sun isn’t always a toxic source of cancer, though.  For instance, when ultraviolet light in sunlight strikes the skin, it creates vitamin D.  Professor Johan Moan, from the Department of Physics at the University of Oslo, found in repeated studies that people diagnosed with skin cancer in the summer live longer.  “Interestingly, that was the case not only with skin cancer, but cancer of the breast, colon, prostate, lung or lymphoma,” said Dr. Patricia Ryan, founder of Alternatives: A Center for Conscious Health.

“A recent English study confirmed these findings,” she added.  “Perhaps the summer climate has a treatment effect on cancer.”  Dr. Ying Zhou, a research fellow at Harvard, took the concept a step further.  He looked at total Vitamin D input from sunlight and diet.  Zhou found that early stage lung cancer patients with the highest Vitamin D input (from the summer season as well as diet) lived almost three times longer than patients with the lowest input (winter season and low diet intake.)¹.

Furthermore, Marion Berwick and her colleagues at the New Mexico Cancer Institute found malignant melanoma patients with evidence of continued sun exposure had a 60 percent mortality reduction compared with patients who did not.²

“How, when and how much Vitamin D we should take remains to be seen,” Dr. Ryan noted.  “I suppose the best answer will turn out to depend on your genes.  Look at your ancestors.  How much fish did they likely eat?  Fish is a natural source of Vitamin D, and fatty fishes (like Tuna or Salmon) contain the highest levels.  If your ancestors were from a coastal region, integrate fish into your diet.  For landlocked people, foods such as Butter, Sweet Potatoes, and Eggs; or herbs like Alfalfa, Parsley, Horsetail, and Nettle are sources of Vitamin D. 

“Seasonal dosing for Vitamin D will likely make the most sense, as opposed to a consistent dose.  Much higher doses can be tolerated well in spring and summer – especially if you spend a lot of time indoors.  Since our bodies evolved to compensate for less light in winter, lower doses in fall and winter will probably be the most beneficial.  Levels should not exceed what would be natural given your genetics, skin color (darker skin converts less Vitamin D from given amount of sunlight), and diet.  Megadosing may create unwanted imbalances due to Vitamin D’s hormone-like properties.  More needs to be studied, but so far Vitamin D is powerful, not only for building bones but for treating cancer,” she said.  Dr. Ryan can guide patients on proper dosing of Vitamin D.

Also, Dr. Ryan explained that evening primrose oil, black currant oil and borage oil are the best sources of gamma linolenic acids, an Omega 6 fatty acid found in healthy skin cell membranes.

Another natural remedy that has been developed to fight skin cancer is BEC-5, a treatment that contains a specially purified plant extract from the Solanum Sodomaeum, the so-called Devil’s apple, which is found in the Australasia region. The extract, known as Solasodine Glycosides is also found in smaller quantities in the eggplant and aubergine.

After two decades of research and clinical trials, biochemist, Dr. Bill E. Cham, has discovered that BEC-5 when applied topically can eradicate non-melanoma skin cancers, specifically basal cell carcinomas (BCC) and squamous cell carcinomas (SCC).  This cream also has been found effective on benign conditions such as Keratoses, Keratoacanthomas, Sun spots and Age spots.

“Dr. Cham has reported that about 70,000 Australians have cured their skin cancers with BEC-5,” Dr. Ryan noted.