I read this announcement in the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center "Kimmel Wire", an email newsletter that comes out several times a year. Seems as if Viagra and related drugs can have anti-cancer properties, as they increase the ability of the immune system's T-cells to locate and kill cancer cells. Of course, for men there is that "side effect" to deal with!

Note that at least in vitro (tissue studies) this worked with head and neck cancer as well as other types.

""ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION" DRUGS HEIGHTEN NATURAL ANTI-CANCER ACTIVITY

Sildenafil and other "impotence drugs" that boost the production of a gassy chemical messenger to dilate blood vessels and produce an erection now also show promise in unmasking cancer cells so that the immune system can recognize and attack them, say scientists at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center.

Tests at Hopkins on mice with implanted colon and breast tumors showed that tumor size decreased two- and threefold in sildenafil-treated animals, compared to mice that did not get the drug. In mice engineered to lack an immune system, tumors were unaffected, proof of principle, the scientists say, that the drug is abetting the immune system

Gail,

My wife will not be happy when I show her this. She kiddingly (?) told our ENT friend that she would run him down in her car if he did anything to increase my sex drive when I was being radiated. LOL

[quote=Gail Mac]I read this announcement in the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center "Kimmel Wire", an email newsletter that comes out several times a year. Seems as if Viagra and related drugs can have anti-cancer properties, as they increase the ability of the immune system's T-cells to locate and kill cancer cells. Of course, for men there is that "side effect" to deal with!

Note that at least in vitro (tissue studies) this worked with head and neck cancer as well as other types.

""ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION" DRUGS HEIGHTEN NATURAL ANTI-CANCER ACTIVITY

Sildenafil and other "impotence drugs" that boost the production of a gassy chemical messenger to dilate blood vessels and produce an erection now also show promise in unmasking cancer cells so that the immune system can recognize and attack them, say scientists at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center.

Tests at Hopkins on mice with implanted colon and breast tumors showed that tumor size decreased two- and threefold in sildenafil-treated animals, compared to mice that did not get the drug. In mice engineered to lack an immune system, tumors were unaffected, proof of principle, the scientists say, that the drug is abetting the immune system [/quote]

Thanks for sharing this important Post.
On generic Viagra Vs Cancer

Anything that promises to kill cancer cells, increase libido and even size of one's instrument is very suspect in my opinion - especially when there is a link to buying the product touted. Also, in the phrase - "Note that at least in vitro (tissue studies) this worked with head and neck cancer as well as other types" it appears that it has only been observed in vitro which seems to indicate it has not been tested in human trials. Before rushing out to buy Viagra for my Smoker Son in the hopes of killing any cancer cells he might be harboring in his body -I am going to wait for some more definitive study. JMO

I;m BACK early since I had to point out this was first announced in 2006 - FIVE YEARS AGO -
Read it at the official John Hopkins site and
OLD OLD news from John Hopkins

The obvious question is why has there not been any announcements in the last five years that this really works. Nothing comes up on the John Hopkins web site since 2006 yet the article says they are testing it. Hmm, maybe these doctors have wives like David CPA - a new conspiracy theory. Or maybe it just did not stand up (bad pun) when tested

Just teasing. Turns out Viagra does NOT WORK, - too short (no comments) a half life, but maybe Cialis - ah. the bathtub
Heres the 2009 update from John Hopkins
2009 bathtubs for cancer

Getting some this week.

MaineWill: I'm happy for you.

You're brave Anne-Marie - I wasn't going to touch Maxine's line!!!

Too funny

THe older you get, the braver you get. At least that's what happened to me. Took a while, tho'.

Will, I'm suprised. I thought your Manuka Honey would be enough.
charm

Are you guys making fun of me? Someone told me to "light all the candles". Everytime I ask a doctor about some new thing it seems like they always say "it can't hurt" I don't know tho...that disclaimer is pretty scary. you know the one... "seek imediate medical attention for an erection lasting more than four hours" I have enough on my mind as it is

With the honey... I swish it around in my mouth for 2 minutes like 4 times a day including right before and right after TX. I brush my teath right after because of the sugar. Today will be my 19th radiation treatment. Although my throat hurts like hell and yawning is the most painful thing I've ever experienced, I havn't had a single mouth sore yet. Thank God and knock on wood.

I'm glad that you have not had the mouth sores and I sure hope it continues that way for you. About the Manuka honey, do you brush your teeth after the Honey swishing and before Tx or just brush after Tx? I am wondering what/how the Manuka honey acts with the radiation? Also I've heard that some (not all) blood pressure medicines will cause the problem that prompts one to turn to the Viagara products.

I use the honey right before and right after TX and then brush. As well as a few other times throughout the day, wait half hour and brush. Brushing before TX gives me a burning toothpaste taste. Horrible. The honey doesn't seem to react to the rads at all but I'm always careful to get my lips nice and free of honey before TX because it can make the mask very uncomfortable and sticky.

I used to sell educational weightloss products and a lot of men who were on blood pressure meds needed Viagra. It makes sense... "blood-pressure". If you decrease it with meds you'll probably lose it in other places where it comes in handy.

Mainewill

Just making a pun on the double meaning of "honey" .
I swished with seltzer water and it also "prevented" mouth sores. A lot cheaper also than honey from New Zealand bees;) Plus it also cleared out my mucous, so it was the perfect oral hygiene product for my 40 radiation treatments. Going without mouth sores was one reason I had thought that mucositis was a term for mucous and not the medical term for mouth sores. Since most oral cancer patients need meticulous care of their teeth, , I hope you brush it off your teeth very well. I am glad your getting thru your treatments with such a good spirit and results.
Charm

Hey,

During the roughest part of my TX, mint mouth products were impossibly painful. I switched to Control RX berry flavored tooth paste (prescription) and ACT for kids "Bubblegum Blowout" which is higher in fluoride content if I recall.

Be mindful of the amount of fluoride you are ingesting.

Good luck!

UncleVern - With teeth!