The Salgi Esophageal Cancer Research Foundation

Have you ever wondered why we share so much information regarding balanced nutrition, regular fitness and the importance of reducing weight in individuals who are overweight or obese?

The reason is because being overweight or obese is directly linked to an increased risk of both Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and esophageal cancer.  

Now, research from Case Western Reserve University have found that “obesity has shifted certain cancers to younger age groups, and intensified cellular mechanisms promoting the diseases.” Among these cancers affecting younger age groups is esophageal cancer.

The research explains that “acid reflux in obese individuals damages their swallowing tubes and heightens risk of esophageal cancer.”

Esophageal Cancer Increase & Mortality

In the past several years, we have encountered so many people who didn’t “fit the mold” when it comes to esophageal cancer. Esophageal cancer was previously thought to be a cancer that affected “older Caucasian males.” 

Unfortunately, esophageal cancer has become the fastest growing cancer in the United States, as it has increased over 600% in the past three decades.   That means that it is affecting more and more people, all age groups, young and old and all races and genders.  

Esophageal cancer has also become one of the deadliest cancers, as patients are typically diagnosed in later stages.  Stage IV has a survival rate of less than 4%. 

These factors have contributed to the great increase and poor survival rate: lack of awareness or risk factors and symptoms; no routine/standard screening; late occurrence of symptoms, leading to late diagnosis and lack of research funding for improved detection techniques and treatment options.

The Salgi Esophageal Cancer Research Foundation’s mission to raise awareness, encourage early detection and to fund research is fueled by donations, fundraisers and volunteers.  We rely 100% on the generosity of our supporters to achieve this mission.

There are many ways to get involved and make a difference. To learn more about how you can join this great community of supporters, click here. Thank you!

Story Source:

Young Adult Cancer: Influence of the Obesity Pandemic, Obesity, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/oby.22137 

Disclaimer

This post contains information from an article regarding recently published research and reflects the content of that research.  It does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of The Salgi Esophageal Cancer Research Foundation who cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the data.

To read more esophageal cancer news, please visit: SALGI.org/news

Follow The Salgi Esophageal Cancer Research Foundation on Facebook: Facebook.com/SalgiFoundation

The Salgi Esophageal Cancer Research Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) non profit organization as recognized by the Internal Revenue Service.

Content found on Salgi.org is for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

“A new family of very promising silver-based anti-cancer drugs has been discovered by researchers in South Africa. The most promising silver thiocyanate phosphine complex among these, called UJ3 for short, has been successfully tested in rats and in human cancer cells in the laboratory.

In research published in BioMetals, UJ3 is shown to be as effective against human esophageal cancer cells, as a widely-used chemotherapy drug in use today. Esophageal cancer cells are known to become resistant to current forms of chemotherapy.

“The UJ3 complex is as effective as the industry-standard drug Cisplatin in killing cancer cells in laboratory tests done on human breast cancer and melanoma, a very dangerous form of skin cancer, as well,” says Professor Marianne Cronjé, Head of the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Johannesburg.

“However, UJ3 requires a 10 times lower dose to kill cancer cells. It also focuses more narrowly on cancer cells, so that far fewer healthy cells are killed,” she says.

Fewer side effects

Apart from needing a much lower dose than an industry standard, UJ3 is also much less toxic.

“In rat studies, we see that up to 3 grams of UJ3 can be tolerated per 1 kilogram of bodyweight. This makes UJ3 and other silver phosphine complexes we have tested about as toxic as Vitamin C,” says Professor Reinout Meijboom, Head of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Johannesburg.

If UJ3 becomes a chemotherapy drug in future, the lower dose required, lower toxicity and greater focus on cancer cells will mean fewer side effects from cancer treatment.

Powerhouse pathway to neat cancer cell death

UJ3 appears to target the mitochondria, resulting in programmed cell death to kill cancer cells – a process called apoptosis. When a cancer cell dies by apoptosis, the result is a neat and tidy process where the dead cell’s remains are “recycled”, not contaminating healthy cells around them, and not inducing inflammation.

Certain existing chemotherapy drugs are designed to induce apoptosis, rather than “septic” cell death which is called necrosis, for this reason.

Cancer cells grow much bigger and faster, and make copies of themselves much faster, than healthy cells do. In this way they create cancerous tumors. To do this, they need far more energy than healthy cells do.

UJ3 targets this need for energy, by shutting down the “powerhouses” of a cancer cell, the mitochondria. The complex then causes the release of the “executioner” protein, an enzyme called caspase-3, which goes to work to dismantle the cell’s command centre and structural supports, cutting it up for recycling in the last stages of apoptosis.

See microscope images of human esophageal cancer cells treated with the UJ3 complex.

Unusual compounds

UJ3 complex and the others in the family are based on silver. This makes the starter materials for synthesizing the complex far more economical than a number of industry-standard chemotherapy drugs based on platinum.

“These complexes can be synthesized with standard laboratory equipment, which shows good potential for large scale manufacture. The family of silver thiocyanate phosphine compounds is very large. We were very fortunate to test UJ3, with is unusually ‘flat’ chemical structure, early on in our exploration of this chemical family for cancer treatment,” says Prof Meijboom.

Research on UJ3 and other silver thiocyanate phosphine complexes at the University is ongoing.”

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Disclaimer

This post contains information from an article regarding recently published research and reflects the content of that research.  It does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of The Salgi Esophageal Cancer Research Foundation who cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the data.

To read more esophageal cancer news, please visit: SALGI.org/news

Follow The Salgi Esophageal Cancer Research Foundation on Facebook: Facebook.com/SalgiFoundation

The Salgi Esophageal Cancer Research Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) non profit organization as recognized by the Internal Revenue Service.

Content found on Salgi.org is for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

The fundraiser we are spotlighting in this post is in memory of Dale F., who was diagnosed at Stage IV and passed away after only one year of treatment. The Salgi Esophageal Cancer Research Foundation is honored to carry out this mission in memory of Dale and we welcome you to learn more about his story and support the fundraising campaign that his sister, Wendy, created.

Unfortunately, stories like Dale’s are all too common. In the past three decades, esophageal cancer has increased over 600% and has become the fastest growing cancer in the United States and western world. Esophageal cancer is also one of the deadliest cancers, as the majority of patients are diagnosed in later stages, with Stage IV, which only has a survival rate of less than 4%.

What has caused this dramatic increase and poor survival? It is due, in part, to four factors: lack of awareness or risk factors and symptoms; no routine/standard screening; late occurrence of symptoms, leading to late diagnosis and lack of research funding for improved detection techniques and treatment options.

Fundraiser: Wendy is Fundraising in Memory of Dale: Find a Cure and Raise Awareness for Esophageal Cancer

My brother Dale was diagnosed with esophageal cancer.  It was stage IV when he was diagnosed and he did a little more then a year of treatment.  Finding out that he had cancer just crushed us all but he was a fighter and didn’t give up because he has two young children that he wanted to watch growing older.  He was very sick from chemotherapy though  he was very strong and tried not to show it.  Then after a year of treatment he passed away on 2/23/2017, he was only 47 years old.  Please let’s raise awareness and find a cure to this very deadly cancer.  Thanks for you’re help. ~Wendy

To donate to Wendy’s fundraiser in memory of Dale, please click here.

Please follow The Salgi Esophageal Cancer Research Foundation on Facebook: Facebook.com/SalgiFoundation

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The Organic Gallery Pop Up Art Show and Fundraiser will take place on Sunday, April 29, 2018 at The White Butterfly Cafe in Jackson, New Jersey.

The show will feature local art and photography talent. 25% of all art sales will benefit The Salgi Esophageal Cancer Research Foundation in support of esophageal cancer awareness and research.

There will also be live acoustic music and refreshments will be served. Please come out and support local artists and this charity! For more information, please visit the event page on Facebook and please share!