Can Low-Dose Naltrexone (LDN) Improve Cancer Treatment?
Source: Joanne Zamora, compoundingcenter.com
Low-dose naltrexone or LDN has shown a number of benefits for different diseases including cancer. Cancer is a disease that has a major impact on all societies worldwide. In 2018, an estimated 1.7 million new cases of cancer were diagnosed in the United States. The number of new cases of cancer is 439 per 100,000 people per year.
What is Cancer?
Cancer is the uncontrolled growth and replication of abnormal cells in the body. These abnormal cells outnumber the normal cells, hindering the body’s normal functioning. Normal cells replicate in an orderly way and die when they are worn out or get damaged. Cancer cells don’t die, they just increase in number uncontrollably. Cancer has many different types and it can develop almost anywhere in the body.
Available cancer treatments
Chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery are the common medical interventions done to suppress the growth or kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy uses chemicals or drugs to kill cancer cells. Unfortunately, chemotherapy also kills the good cells, especially those that increase fast like the hair and the lining of the stomach. Hence, the side effects like hair loss and vomiting, respectively. That is the result of taking these drugs orally or intravenously (injected directly into the veins),
Radiation therapy uses high doses of radio waves to target specific areas so only the cancer cells are affected. Similarly, surgical procedures are used to remove only the cancerous growths. Other methods are also being introduced like immunotherapy, to help the immune system to fight off cancer and stem cell therapy to help replace the good cells damaged by either cancer or its treatment.
What is Low-dose Naltrexone (LDN)?
Naltrexone was first approved by the FDA in 1984 to treat opioid addiction. Later on, it was discovered that low-dose naltrexone (LDN)---low dose being one-tenth of naltrexone’s usual dose---shows anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating effects. LDN appears to be safe with few side effects and no abuse potential. It is also cost-effective because only a small amount is needed. Research on LDN also demonstrated improvements in other diseases.
How can LDN help cancer patients?
The International Journal of Oncology reported the ability of LDN to reduce tumor growth by cellular communication and immune system modification. This allows the body to react intelligently to the cancer cells. Additionally, LDN also enhanced the killing of cancer cells. Another study stated LDN’s capability to inhibit tumor growth. This case of successful cancer treatment showcases LDN as a promising anti-cancer therapy without the crippling side effects of conventional treatment methods.
Dr Jones comments
We use Naltrexone in veterinary practice to help speed up recovery from anesthesia- it is used after an animal has been given a narcotic such as Hydromorphone- they go from being sedated/non responsive to alert and awake.
It has been used in millions of dogs/cats and is very safe.
I had yet to even hear of this drug as a cancer treatment option- I do need to thank a subscriber/member of the Inner Circle for asking me about it :-)
I see this as a very safe option for animals with cancer, and it should be considered as a legitimate additional treatment for some of the metastatic cancers ( ie lymphoma, mast cell tumors, osteosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma)
