Melanoma is a common form of skin cancer. It’s considered to be the most dangerous variety of skin malignancy. This cancer is often characterized by changes in the appearance and feel of a mole. Below, I’ll post a chart to offer visual examples of warning signs to look out for. It’s vitally important that we perform regular skin exams in order to detect such skin changes before they have the chance to spread.

The Cruciferous Crew

There was some encouraging news presented about melanoma in this month’s issue of the journal Clinical Cancer Research. Scientists from Penn State College of Medicine found a nutritional approach to combating this form of skin cancer at its earliest stage.

At Penn State, Dr. Gavin Robertson led the search for a safe and natural compound to battle a specific protein called Akt3. Prior research indicates that inhibiting this protein could prevent the development of melanoma. That same research pointed to a class of phytochemicals (chemicals found in plants) that are extracted from cruciferous vegetables. But there was a catch. Extremely high dosages of phytochemicals were required to provoke the intended effect.

In order to get around this apparent road block, the researchers took their project into the lab. There, they chemically altered the natural plant chemicals. Normally these substances are bound to sulfur. But the researchers “rewired” them by replacing their sulfur bonds with selenium (a naturally occurring mineral). Selenium is known to have certain anti-cancer properties of its own. The combination of selenium with the phytochemicals was theorized to be even more powerful.

Research-based theories are a good starting point. But these scientists now had to determine whether their newly invented compound was actually effective. The only way to find out for sure was to perform a trial on a living model of melanoma.

A group of mice with tumors were split up and given two different types of medicines: One group was given the original phytochemicals found in the cruciferous vegetables. The second group of mice were medicated with the selenium-bonded compound. The results of this initial study were dramatic:

• The mice receiving the selenium-based medication showed a 60% reduction in their tumor sizes.
• When the same amount of the sulfur-bound phytochemicals were given, no effect was found.
• There was also a drastic reduction in the production and activity of Akt3 (the protein that makes melanoma grow) in the selenium group.
• The mice did not show any signs of damage to their hearts, kidneys or liver. Their body weight remained stable as well. This indicates a good safety profile.

The researchers then attempted another test. They exposed human melanoma cells (in a laboratory setting) to the selenium-compound. A significant cancer fighting effect was found, ranging from 30 to 70 percent activity.

Dr. Robertson later commented about their preliminary findings, “We have harnessed something found in nature to target melanoma. And since we only need tiny amounts to kill the cancer cells, it means even less toxic side-effects for the patient.”

But what if we want to harness the power of nature right now? We can start by eating foods that are plentiful in the very same phytochemicals used in this study - called isothiocyanates. We can also make sure that our diet is rich in selenium.

The best sources of isothiocyanates are: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, kale, radish, turnip and watercress.

The foods richest in selenium include: beef, Brazil nuts, chicken, eggs, fish, mushrooms, pork and turkey.

The incidence of melanoma is growing at an alarming rate. It is in our best interest to do whatever we can to protect ourselves. We can best do that by staying informed and putting into effect what we learn.

Be well!

JP

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• The Phytochemical Diet