What Are the Benefits of Glucose in Cancer Treatment?
All cells get energy from glucose, a blood sugar. Cancer cells, however, use much more glucose than healthy cells. Administering glucose during chemotherapy, in a process called insulin potentiation targeted low dose therapy, has many benefits for the cancer patient.
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Glucose and Cancer
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If normal cells do not have enough glucose, they can draw on fat for energy. Cancerous cells can't use fat for energy; they must get all their energy from glucose. Doctors can use this to their advantage.
Glucose/Insulin Therapy
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Doctors begin by injecting insulin into the patient to lower the blood level of glucose and cause the cancer cells to become "hungry". Then, they give the patient a small amount of cancer-killing drugs, followed by an intravenous solution of glucose. The cancer cells, starved of glucose, ingest as much of it as they can.
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Reducing Chemotherapy Dosages
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When the cancer cells take in the glucose, they also take in large amounts of the cancer-killing drugs. Glucose therapy thus means the need for fewer drugs---in some cases up to 90 percent less. And because the cancer cells take in more than do the nearby healthy cells, this form of treatment targets cancerous cells specifically.
Fewer Side Effects
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Because the therapy reduces the amount of drugs needed and is gentle on healthy cells, it results in fewer of the traditional side effects of chemotherapy, such as hair loss or nausea.
Longer Treatments
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With the lower dosages and targeted treatment, the drugs don't build up as much toxicity in healthy cells. This means that chemotherapy can be used for longer periods of time, increasing the odds that the cancer will be eliminated.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Jenny Mealing
