An in-office evaluation of four dietary supplements on natural killer cell activity

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, Feb-March, 2005 by James Belanger

Table 1: 1995-2000 5-Year Survival Rates (%) of Conventionally-Treated
Cancer Patients

Type of Cancer                 Localized      Regional      Distant

Melanoma                         97.6           60.3          16.2
Breast                           97.5           80.4          25.5
Bladder                          94.1           48.8           5.5
Ovarian                          93.5           68.8          28.5
Kidney                           91.1           59.1           9.3
Colorectal                       89.9           67.3           9.6
Oral Cavity & Pharynx            81.0           50.7          29.5
Non Small Cell Lung Cancer       51.3           17.0           2.2
Small Cell Lung Cancer           21.4           10.8           2.1
Pancreas                         15.2            6.8           1.8

Table 2: Effects of Modified Arabinoxylane on NK Cell Activity in Cancer
Patients (Group A)

                                             Concurrent
Age   Sex       Cancer Type & Stage          Chemotherapy  Before  After

48    [female]  Breast Cancer, Stage IV          Yes         8.0    5.6
58    [female]  Hodgkins Disease, Stage IIA      Yes        26.9   11
49    [female]  Breast Cancer, Stage I           No          8.2    4
41    [female]  Breast Cancer, Stage 0           No         14.6   13.4
47    [female]  Breast Cancer, Stage I           No         24.2   27.9
48    [male]    CLL, Stage I                     No          7.3    9.5
37    [male]    NSCLC, Stage IIIA                Yes         5.5   15.1
71    [male]    Prostate Cancer, Stage IV        No         21.2   24
75    [female]  ALL w/ Brain Metastases          Yes         9.2   20
64    [female]  Breast Cancer, Stage I           No         10.6   11
39    [male]    Liposarcoma, Stage IV            Yes         5.0    5.7
75    [male]    Glioblastoma multiforme          Yes         2.6   13.2
49    [female]  Breast Cancer, Stage IIB         Yes         8.0   29.6
50    [female]  Ovarian Cancer, Stage IV         Yes         4.2   22.2
47    [female]  Breast Cancer, Stage IIB         Yes         5.0   20.1
Mean                                                        10.70  15.49
SD                                                           7.58   8.12

Age   Sex       Cancer Type & Stage           Difference    # of Weeks

48    [female]  Breast Cancer, Stage IV          -2.4           28
58    [female]  Hodgkins Disease, Stage IIA     -15.9            5
49    [female]  Breast Cancer, Stage I           -4.2           50
41    [female]  Breast Cancer, Stage 0           -1.2            4
47    [female]  Breast Cancer, Stage I            3.7            8
48    [male]    CLL, Stage I                      2.2           25
37    [male]    NSCLC, Stage IIIA                 9.6           14
71    [male]    Prostate Cancer, Stage IV         2.8           35
75    [female]  ALL w/ Brain Metastases          10.8            5.5
64    [female]  Breast Cancer, Stage I            0.4            8
39    [male]    Liposarcoma, Stage IV             0.7            8
75    [male]    Glioblastoma multiforme          10.6            6
49    [female]  Breast Cancer, Stage IIB         21.6           14
50    [female]  Ovarian Cancer, Stage IV         18              8
47    [female]  Breast Cancer, Stage IIB         15.1            6
Mean                                              4.79*         15
SD                                                9.64

*P<0.10

Table 3: Effects of Coriolus Mushroom on NK Cell Activity in Cancer
Patients (Group B)

                   Cancer Type          Concurrent
Age   Sex            & Stage           Chemotherapy    Before    After

52    [female]     Breast Cancer,          No           11.8      8.8
                   Stage IIB
72    [female]     Breast Cancer,          No           22.6     18.4
                   Stage I
47    [female]     Breast Cancer,          No            6.5      5.0
                   Stage IIB
55    [male]       Bladder                 No           17.7     12.1
                   Cancer, Stage II
49    [female]     Breast Cancer,          No            9.2     12.7
                   Stage I
41    [female]     Breast Cancer,          No           13.8     14.6
                   Stage 0
72    [female]     Non-Hodgkins,           No           14.2     17.1
                   Stage I
47    [female]     Breast Cancer,          No            8.2      9.7
                   Stage I
Mean                                                    13.00    12.30
SD                                                       5.31     4.44

                     Cancer Type
Age   Sex              & Stage           Difference      # of Weeks

52    [female]      Breast Cancer,          -3.0             4
                    Stage IIB
72    [female]      Breast Cancer,          -4.2            12
                    Stage I
47    [female]      Breast Cancer,          -1.5             4
                    Stage IIB
55    [male]        Bladder                 -5.6             9
                    Cancer, Stage II
49    [female]      Breast Cancer,           3.5             9
                    Stage I
41    [female]      Breast Cancer,           0.8             8
                    Stage 0
72    [female]      Non-Hodgkins,            2.9            19
                    Stage I
47    [female]      Breast Cancer,           1.5             5
                    Stage I
Mean                                        -0.70*           9
SD                                           3.38

*Not significant

Table 4: Effects of Antigen-Infused Dialyzable Bovine Colostrum/Whey
Extract on NK Cell Activity in Cancer Patients (Group C)

                Cancer Type  Concurrent
Age  Sex          & Stage    Chemotherapy  Before  After  Difference

58   [female]   Hodgkins         Yes        11.0    70      -4.0
                Disease,
                Stage IIA
52   [female]   Breast           Yes         8.8    10.2     1.4
                Cancer,
                Stage IIB
47   [female]   Breast           No         13.1     6.5    -6.6
                Cancer,
                Stage IIB
Mean                                        10.97    7.90   -3.07*
SD                                           2.15    2.01    4.08

                Cancer Type
Age   Sex         & Stage    # of Weeks

58    [female]  Hodgkins         4
                Disease,
                Stage IIA
52    [female]  Breast          20
                Cancer,
                Stage IIB
47    [female]  Breast           7
                Cancer,
                Stage IIB
Mean                            10
SD

*Not significant

Table 5: Effects of AHCC on NK Cell Activity in Cancer Patients (Group
D)

                Cancer Type &            Concurrent
Age   Sex          Stage                 Chemotherapy  Before  After

41    [male]     NSCLC,                      Yes        2.9     13.6
                 Stage IV
 2    [female]   Rhabdomyosarcoma,           Yes        8.4     25.4
                 Stage IV
70    [female]   Breast Cancer, Stage I      No        14.7     57.6
47    [female]   Breast Cancer, Stage I      No         9.7     16.8
58    [female]   Hodgkins Disease,           Yes        7       14.4
                 Stage IIA
53    [female]   Desmoid Tumor,              Yes       22.3     41.8
                 Stage I
61    [male]     Leiomyosarcoma,             Yes       11.4     18.9
                 Stage IV
47    [female]   Breast Cancer, Stage        Yes       16.2     42.4
                 IV
Mean                                                   11.58    28.86
SD                                                      6.05    16.37

                  Cancer Type &
Age   Sex             Stage                Difference  # of Weeks

41    [male]      NSCLC,                      10.7           7
                  Stage IV
 2    [female]    Rhabdomyosarcoma,           17            14
                  Stage IV
70    [female]    Breast Cancer, Stage I      42.9           3
47    [female]    Breast Cancer, Stage I       7.1           4
58    [female]    Hodgkins Disease,            7.4           6
                  Stage IIA
53    [female]    Desmoid Tumor,              19.5           8
                  Stage I
61    [male]      Leiomyosarcoma,              7.5          11
                  Stage IV
47    [female]    Breast Cancer, Stage        26.2          11
                  IV
Mean                                          17.29*         8
SD                                            12.43

*P<0.01

Table 6: Average Monthly Retail Cost of Four Dietary Supplements for the
Immune System

                                          Antigen-Infused
                                          Dialyzable
             Modified                     Bovine Colostrum/
          Arabinogalactan    Coriolus     Whey Extract         AHCC

Dose:     1g/day: 208.50   6g/day: 99.80  400mg/day: 264     3g/day: 300
Cost ($)  3g/day: 625.50                                     6g/day: 600