The sun is at its strongest this time of year, and many worry about getting skin cancer.

 

Below are two articles about an topical extract from the nightshade family ( which includes eggplant, tomato, potato,”bell” peppers and tobacco), that can cure skin cancers without surgery.

 

From Nutrition and Healing http://www.wrightnewsletter.com

 

The Researchers find a groundbreaking skin cancer cure By Jonathan V. Wright, M.D.

 

Would you believe that studies have shown that an extract from eggplant can cure —that’s cure, not just improve—the majority of skin cancers, usually in two to three months or less? This may seem like groundbreaking information, but researchers have known about it for nearly 20 years.

 

Actually, extracts from plants of the Solanaceae family ( which includes eggplant, tomato, potato,”bell” peppers and tobacco), were reported effective for treating cancer as long ago as 1825.1 But scientific investigation of these anti-cancer effects didn’t happen until the second half of the 20th century, and the first few years of the 21st.

 

Results in no-time flat

 

The first reported study compared the effects of a topical eggplant extract called BEC with a placebo on two different types of skin cancer—basal cell and squamous cell—and actinic keratosis, a condition characterized by small, rough, yellow or brownish patches of skin that almost always occur on sun-exposed skin of individuals over 50.2

Thirty individuals had basal cell cancers, usually a form that spreads locally if untreated. All 28 of the patients using BEC had complete regression of all of their basal cell cancers (some had more than one) in three to 13 weeks. None of the patients using placebo had improvement after 14 weeks.

 

Twenty of the volunteers had squamous cell cancers, a form which starts and spreads locally but can metastasize. Again, all of the patients using BEC (20 this time) had complete regression of their squamous cell cancers in three to 11 weeks. There were no placebo treatments in this group.

 

The actinic keratosis group experienced the same effects: Of the 24 in the BEC-treated group, 100 percent had complete regression, this time in just one week to a month. None of the 12 patients using placebo had any improvement at all in 14 weeks.

In another small study, which used a slightly different version of BEC called BEC2, 13 individuals with 24 basal cancers had 83 percent of those cancers comletely regress in less than two months. Five people with squamous cell cancers also had 83 percent of their cancers completely regress within one to three months. And eight individuals with actinic keratoses had 100 percent regression in just two to six weeks.

 

Cost-effective and non-invasive

 

In a letter dated April 23, 2002, Drs. Rino Cerio and Sangeeta Punjabi of the Dermatology Department of the Royal London Hospital describe their experience participating in trials using a form of the extract called BEC5 to treat both invasive and non-invasive forms of basal cell carcinoma. The first was a placebo-controlled, double-blind, multi-centered study of 94 patients. The second trial with 41 individuals was done only at Royal London Hospital, and was mostly to assess safety, so no placebo was used. The doctors reported that in both trials, approximately 78 percent experienced complete regression within eight weeks.

 

The doctors noted that with twice daily use, only a few patients reported skin irritation and redness. They pointed out that the cosmetic outcome is “comparable to that resulting from surgical excision.”

 

The doctors concluded: “In our view and experience BEC5 is a topical preparation which is safe and effective, ideal therapy for outpatient treatment… It is a cost-effective treatment for both primary and secondary skin cancer care.”

 

And follow-up research on patients who have used BEC shows that once their cancer or actinic keratosis goes away, it doesn’t recur.

 

The “backdoor approach” to cancer treatment

 

BEC5 is a name for a mixture of 1/3 solasonine and 1/3 solamargine in the “triglycoside” form, and 1/3 “diglycosides and monoglycosides” of these two basic molecules.

Solasonine and solamargine themselves are actually very similar (but not identical to) human cholesterol and steroid molecules.

 

By themselves, solasonine and solamargine don’t have anti-cancer activity because they can’t penetrate into cells, cancerous or normal. That’s why just eating the foods that contain these compounds won’t eliminate your skin cancer or even reduce your risk of getting it. In order for them to be effective, they need to be able to get into the cells. That’s where the glycosides come in.

 

Glycoside is a term used to describe molecules with various simple sugars attached to them. One of these simple sugars, called rhamnose, selectively latches on to receptors present only in skin cancer cell membranes and in actinic keratosis. When you combine the solasonine and solamargine with rhamnose, they can get into the cells where they cause cancer cell death by destroying cell components called lysosomes.

Normal cells escape any harm, since the BEC5 can’t get into them.

 

80,000 success stories

 

According to Dr. Bill Cham, who has developed BEC since the 1980s, BEC5 is effective at extremely low-doses and is safe to use even very frequently.

 

Dr. Cham writes: “BEC5 is applied at least twice daily to the skin and may be applied much more frequently if rapid regression of the tumor is required. Some patients apply [it] up to 10 times daily. The cosmetic results after using BEC5 are very impressive and over 80,000 patients have now used BEC5 successfully.”

 

Also, please note that BEC5 does not contain the part of the eggplant that can cause “nightshade sensitivity” in arthritis sufferers.

 

You can get BEC5 on-line from International Anti-aging Systems – http://www.antiaging-systems.com/scripts/iasrefer.cgi?SOURCE=WAY1&DESTINATION=bec5curaderm

 

Remember: What’s reported here are preliminary research results concerning BEC5 and squamous cell cancer, basal cell cancer, and actinic keratosis. Even though these results are very good, they may not apply to you.

 

As always, consult with a physician skilled and knowledgeable in nutritional and natural medicine if you’d like to try BEC5. And since skin cancer (especially squamous cell cancer) can be very dangerous if neglected, it’s always wisest to consult a dermatologist, too.

 

Citations available upon request and on the Nutrition & Healing website: www.wrightnewsletter.com

 

 

An Editorial From the Townsend Letter http://www.townsendletter.com/

 

Non-melanoma skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, with more than one million new cases diagnosed each year. Approximately 75% of non-melanoma skin cancers are basal cell carcinomas (BCC), and 25% are squamous cell carcinomas (SCC). The main risk factors for these cancers are excessive sun exposure (particularly a history of frequent sunburns) and the use of tanning beds. While non-melanoma skin cancers are usually not life-threatening, both types can extend to and damage adjacent tissue, and SCC can metastasize. Solar keratoses (also called actinic keratoses) are common precancerous lesions that progress in some cases to SCC.

 

The main treatment modalities for non-melanoma skin cancers are surgery and application of liquid nitrogen (cryotherapy). Radiation therapy is used in some cases, and chemotherapy may be administered in cases of metastatic SCC. Treatments for solar keratoses include topical application of 5-fluorouracil, liquid nitrogen, and electrocautery. While these treatments are usually effective in early cases, they can be costly ($600-$2,500), and the cosmetic result is not always optimal.

 

Solasodine glycosides, which are found in plants of the nightshade family, have also been shown to be effective as a topical treatment for non-melanoma skin cancers and solar keratoses. These compounds have been reported to kill cancer cells selectively, without harming normal cells. A cream containing a mixture of solasodine glycosides has been licensed in Australia since 1991 and is marketed under the name Curaderm. This product contains 0.005% solasodine glycosides, 10% salicylic acid, 5% urea, and 0.1% tea tree oil in a cream base. In an uncontrolled clinical trial, Curaderm treatment was successful in 100% of cases of BCC, SCC, and solar keratosis.

 

Eighty-six patients (aged 38-74 years) with a total of 138 histologically confirmed skin lesions (39 BCC, 29 SCC, and 56 keratoses), all of which were at least 5 mm in diameter, applied Curaderm to the lesions twice a day, after which the area was covered with a plastic dressing. Treatment was continued until clinical regression was seen (one to 13 weeks). In patients with BCC, the lesions rapidly became swollen, and erythema developed in the surrounding tissue. The lesions ulcerated after about two days, and this process continued until all cancerous cells were destroyed and healthy tissue grew in. SCC lesions also showed rapid regression, and solar keratoses responded similarly. All of the 138 lesions completely regressed (this was confirmed histologically) after mean treatment periods of 5.2 weeks for BCC, 5.6 weeks for SCC, and 2.9 weeks for solar keratoses.

 

The cosmetic result was generally good – in many cases, better than what might have been expected with surgery or liquid nitrogen. Curaderm treatment caused itching and burning around the lesions in most cases, but no other adverse effects occurred, and standard laboratory tests (hematology, chemistry, and urinalysis) remained normal. No recurrences were seen during follow-up periods of one to three years.1

 

These findings were confirmed recently in a double-blind trial that included patients with BCC. The product used in that study was Zycure, which is similar to Curaderm but is not commercially available. It contains 0.005% solasodine glycosides, 10% salicylic acid, 5% urea, and 5% propylene glycol. Ninety-four patients (mean age, 69 years) with histologically confirmed BCC were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive, in double-blind fashion, Zycure cream (n = 62) or placebo (the vehicle without the solasodine glycosides; n=32). The cream was applied twice a day under an occlusive dressing for eight weeks. At the end of the treatment period, biopsies revealed complete resolution of the lesions in 66% of the patients in the active-treatment group and in 25% of those in the placebo group (p < 0.001). The positive responses in the placebo group were attributed to the presence of keratolytic agents in the vehicle (i.e., salicylic acid, urea, and propylene glycol). Ninety percent of the patients in the Zycure group who were successfully treated returned for follow-up at six months and one year. Of those who returned, 85% were free of recurrences after six months and 78% were free of recurrences after one year. Of the eight patients whose lesions resolved during placebo treatment, 63% were free of recurrences after six months and 50% were free of recurrences after one year. No serious adverse effects were reported.2

 

Proponents of the use of solasodine glycosides have suggested that the results in the study described above might have been even better if the treatment had been continued for an additional four weeks (i.e., a total of 12 weeks). That possibility is supported by the results of the earlier uncontrolled trial, in which the maximal response was not seen until week 13 in some cases.

 

The available evidence suggests that products containing solasodine glycosides are an effective alternative to conventional treatments for the most common malignant and precancerous skin lesions. Curaderm is available for purchase online at a cost of $120 for a 20-ml bottle. A typical course of treatment requires an average of three bottles. Instructions and precautions regarding the use of this product are available at
http://www.antiaging-systems.com/scripts/iasrefer.cgi?SOURCE=WAY1&DESTINATION=bec5curaderm
Because of the potentially serious nature of skin cancer, the treatment should be monitored by a physician.