Hess, David J. Can Bacteria Cause Cancer? Politics and Evaluation of Alternative Medicine. New York, NYU Press: 1997.
David Hess, a professor at Science and Technology Studies
at Rensselaer, has undertaken to publish a series of books dealing with alternatives in cancer and the political and cultural issues surrounding them. He is particularly interested
in the problems of evaluation. This book focuses on one stream
of thought that has been relegated to (and beyond) the margins of the mainstream theory and research -- that microorganisms are
implicated in the genesis of human cancers, and that treatments ought to be developed with this possibility in view.
This is an academic but readable book which takes a special place among works attempting to bring the integrative perspective
to cancer. Enlightening, infuriating, recommended.
Coley WB. The treatment of malignant tumors by repeated inoculations of Erysipelas, with a report of ten original cases. Am J Med Sci 1893;105:487-511.
Gresser I. A. Chekhov, M.D., and Coley's toxins. N Engl J Med. 1987 Aug 13;317(7):457.
Hayasaka K. Immunochemotherapy of malignant melanoma by Picibanil. Tokyo, Congr Int Dermatol, 1982, abstr. 175; p.170.
A bacterial lysate from the family of Streptococcus pyogenes has been approved in Japan for cancer treatment under the name of Picibanil (called OK 432 in research studies). This study of 125 patients compared metastatic melanoma treatment using chemotherapy alone vs chemo plus Picibanil. Survival rate at 3 years was 36% for patients treated with both, while only 20% treated with chemo alone.
Kempin S, Cirrencione C, Myers J, et al. Combined modality therapy of advanced nodular lymphomas (NL): The role of nonspecific immunotherapy (MBV) as an important determinant of responses and survival. Proc Am Soc Clin Oncol; 1983;24:56.
Kölmel KF, Vehmeyer K et al. Treatment of Advanced Malignant Melanoma by a Pyrogenic Bacterial Lysate. A pilot study. Onkologie 1991; 14:411-417.
This study focused on 15 patients with advanced melanoma; most had skin tumors, some had metastases into other organs of the body. The treatment consisted of 12 or more weekly intravenous injections of a Coley’s toxins preparation sold under the trade name of Vaccineurin (made by Südmedica, Munich). The aim was to reach a temperature of 39° C or higher. Vaccineurin was packaged so that stepwise increasing concentrations could be administered (1-10 mill./ml). All but 2 patients eventually reached the desired temperature.
The patients were admitted to the hospital and given the injection at 8 am. Peak temperatures were reached between noon and 3 pm. No antipyretic medication or alcohol were allowed during treatment. The patients rested in bed, and blood pressure, pulse, and temperature were taken every half hour. Drinks were allowed after temperature peaked, and light dinner followed later. Patients were discharged next morning. Metoclopramid was given against nausea, and tramadol-HCL against pain, if needed.
During peak temperature, TNF levels were elevated. A marked increase of monocytes was noted 24-48 hrs after administration. Soluble fibrin doubled 24 hours post injection. The researchers concluded that the treatment activated the coagulation system.
Side effects were fever, nausea, headache, back pain, and occasionally, herpes labialis. Some hypotonia was noted in most patients, and a few experienced diarrhea. None of the side effects were lasting. No treatment was interrupted because of side effects. (The study notes that it may be a good idea to demand a "normal AT III and protein C activity" in prospective patients, and also to exclude those who have had "thromboembolic events" in their history.)
The treatment resulted in 3 total and lasting remissions. One achieved a period of stability before the disease progressed. All three patients with complete regressions were still disease free at time of writing this article (32, 21, 15 months). The regressions were achieved after 6, 12, and 24 injections. (One of the authors of the article, Dr. E. Göhring, used this therapy prior to the study and achieved a complete regression of stage IV melanoma with lung and liver metastases.)
In conclusion, the authors note that "the constellation of lymphocytes in blood flow promoting an immunological tumor defense is unknown up to now. In this trial the responders did not differ from the other patients."
Mizuno D, et al. Oral or percutaneous administration of lipopolysaccharide of small molecular size may cure various intractable diseases: a new version of Coley's toxin. Mol Biother. 1992 Dec;4(4):166-9. Review.
Nauts, HC. Immunotherapy of cancer by microbial products. Proceedings 5th international Symposium of the Princess Takematsu Cancer Research Fund on Host Defense against Cancer and it Potentiation. January 28-30, 1975. D. Mizuno, et al Ed Univ of Tokyo Press, Tokyo 1975:337-351. Published in Proceedings S Karger, Basel and New York 1978.
Nauts HC, Fowler GA. End results in lymphosarcoma treated by toxin therapy alone or combined with surgery and/or radiation or with concurrent bacterial infection. New York Cancer Research Institute, Inc. 1969;Monograph #6.
Nauts HC, et al. Coley toxins--the first century. Adv Exp Med Biol. 1990;267:483-500.
Pardoll DM. Cancer vaccines. Immunol Today. 1993 Jun;14(6):310-6. Review.
Starnes, C.O. (1992). Coley's toxins in perspective. Nature, 357(6373), 11-12.
This is a two page article which provides a positive recent overview of the toxins. It points out that Coley's toxins could provide hope to many of the soft-tissue sarcoma patients whose current treatments leave much to be desired. After a summary of the history of Dr. Coley's bacterial vaccine, as well as some more recent experiments with the Tumor Necrosis Factor, Dr. Starnes conjectures that all tumors that originate in what are originally mesodermal embryonic tissues are immunogenic and potentially responsive to the toxins. He recommends "a return to an aggressive use of the vaccine in the appropriately selected patients, the optimal profile being a patient with inoperable soft-tissue sarcoma or lymphoma and no prior therapy; treatable patients may also include those with ovarian and other mesodermally derived carcinomas." Furthermore, "laboratory efforts should be concentrated on a search for the identification of a factor oe factors made in response to Coley's vaccine which would have more therapeutic relevance than those that we currently possess...". And he adds: "In the light of the predominantly disappointing results with chemotherapy in the treatment of the advanced stages of cancer, such an approach is certainly a reasonable place to concentrate our efforts."
Waisbren BA. Point of View: Observations on the combined systemic administration of mixed bacterial vaccine, bacillus calmette-guerin, transfer factor, and lymphoblastoid lymphocytes to patients with cancer, 1974-85. J Biol Resp Mod, 1987. 6:1-19.
Wiemann B, Starnes CO. Coley's toxins, tumor necrosis factor and cancer research: a historical perspective. Pharmacol Ther 1994; 64:529-64.
Zhao YT, et al. Preliminary result of mixed bacterial vaccine as adjuvant treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Med Oncol & Tumor Pharmacother. 1991;8:23-28.
Researched by Vera Bradova © 1998
Updated 12-1-1998
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