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Defeating Cancer Through Improved Immune System & Natural Killer Cell Function

"I've read practically every word you have published and it seems that you have a good handle on infectious disease and cancer but you don't have a lot of followers." "Many of my patients are living who would not otherwise be and I take tremendous satisfaction from that fact."

The world needs less cancer.  A great approach to treatment is embodied by Jesse Stoff MD, emphasizing immunology, who works in the New York City area at the Stoff-Linchitz Clinic in Westbury, NY.  Getting an appointment requires persistence.  The purpose of this page is to create a broader awareness of his methods and successes.

Jesse Stoff - bolo tie

His basic approach is to improve immune system function as the way to recover health in severe, chronic disease.  Stop. Consider.  Most doctors do not believe that improving immune system performance is within their power.  Dr. Stoff demonstrates that he does improve immune system performance by measuring NK cell activity and other immune system markers regularly as treatment progresses.

He is an integrative medicine practitioner using his broad knowledge of conventional and alternative medicine to solve cases.  Everything that might help is on the table.  If that involves meditation, imagery, prayer, massage, homeopathy (not too diluted, you can taste the ingredients), naturopathy, insulin potentiation + chemo, mistletoe, vaccines, daidzein, genistein, quercetin, amino acids, Co-Q10, vitamins, nutrition, FDA approved pharmaceuticals, etc., he is on board.  Chemo, radiation and surgery are options, but not always at the top of the list, since, in the end, health recovery requires a fully functioning immune system as well as an intact body.  Chemo, radiation, and surgery all reduce immune system function at the wrong time.

He uses tests to measure immune system effectiveness and to gauge progress toward remission.   The Natural Killer Cell Activity test mixes the patient's blood with K562 leukemia cells.  The number of leukemia cells killed by the patient's natural killer cells is counted by flow cytometry.  This test is a gauge of recovery.  If the number of leukemia cells destroyed (lysed) by your Natural Killer cells increases, you are recovering.  Symptom relief will follow.  The immune system must fail is some way to allow cancer to grow.  Helping the immune system's success is the route to health.

Few doctors work for free.  We understand that Dr. Stoff charged around $700 (in 2018) for the initial 2 hour consultation for cancer.  Required testing would be in addition to that figure.  He will want to receive your cancer pathology reports, especially the genetic makeup of the cancer, by fax before he sees you.

Although his work with cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome is noteworthy, his patent application for a way of creating a medicine for curing MRSA "super bug" infections may turn out to be his greatest accomplishment.  This invention created a new class of antibiotics without the side effects (it does not kill helpful bacteria) of those in use today.

Dr. Stoff's Story in his own words - videos 2015-2017

How did you get into medicine?  Origin Story?

Where did you see Homeopathy work?  No scientific explanation yet, but if it works...

When did you first start treating cancer and EBV together? How was Yale cancer surgeon Bernie Siegel involved? What did you learn from George Olson?

Tell us about your approach please.

How do you decide what treatment to use against cancer?

A Patient's Vlog

Janice Hansen raised money for treatment at Linchitz Medical Wellness for her B-cell lymphoma.  Then she bravely vlogged about it.

Before treatment, this is what lymphoma can look like.

Treatment at the clinic.

Three weeks into treatment.

One month checkup with Dr. Stoff.  

Over a year later. - cancer free.

Three Month Durable Metastatic Melanoma Cure-Interesting Case

In the March 2014 issue of Discover magazine, James Welch, an Illinois radiation oncologist describes an interesting, yet mystifying case. A patient in his mid thirties with malignant melanoma came to him. He had tried Alpha Interferon immunotherapy but it made him so ill that he refused further treatment.  The cancer had spread to his lymph nodes, lungs and liver, and he had lost 35 pounds but his main problem was hip pain as the cancer was attacking his bones. Dr. Welch radiated only that area in an effort to relieve pain that he was experiencing, leaving the rest alone. He did not really expect that patient to be back in person, but a week later, he showed up and said that his hip felt better. Dr.Welch scheduled him for a 3 month follow up.  He came in for that appointment as well.  The patient reported himself pain free, had stopped taking pain killers and he had gained about 10 pounds.  He was sent for a CT scan to check the cancer's status. When Dr. Welch went to view the scan, he thought that there had been a mixup, but then he noticed radiological scars, faint traces showing where the cancer had been. The patient came back for follow up checkups and scans for the next couple of years, but then declined to further consultations. Dr. Welch points in the right direction assuming that the immune system must have done the work but the case seems to be a singular experience in his career.

What Happened?

From an immunological perspective, it seems clear what happened. The radiation killed a large number of cancer cells. The dead cells and cell fragments were recognized by the patient's immune system. Likely the earlier immunotherapy helped.  His immune system did the rest. You might even call the treatment a cancer vaccine, since vaccines expose us to the antigens of dead, damaged or inactivated organisms. The reason that this is not more common is likely due to the fact that the cancer patient's immunity is often weak. This is why Dr. Stoff talks of a strong counter attack when large numbers of dead cancer cells are circulating in the blood. If the immune system is not assisted, the desired reaction will not take place in most cases.  He wrote a recent article on how he wakes up the immune system using Pneumovax 23, Aldara, and GcMAF.

Resources

Dr. Stoff's Powerpoint presentation from perhaps 15 years ago.  Test results show 'Tim's' PSA going from 1066 to 1.4 over about 3 months and 'Gwen's' Hepatitis C counts going from over 3.7 million to basically zero over about 5 months.  He cites the large scientific studies showing the importance of NK cell function to lifespan.

Supplements - which ones modify immune response?      Compares Ai/E10 with arabinogalactan, lactoferrin, beta glucan, Astragalus, Maitake, whey isolate, Echinacia, reishi, goldenseal and colostrum.

1998 Summary of 107 of Dr.Stoff's patient results.  Many chronic diseases including psoriasis, myalgic encephalopathy, chronic fatigue syndrome, (#mecfs), hepatitis C, severe allergies, colon polyps, colon cancer, leukemias, myelodysplasia, myeloma, lupus, parotid cancer, Epstein-Barr virus (mononucleosis), cytomegalovirus, prostate cancer, breast cancer, similar approach, nice results.

1998 Article on 107 patients.   50% of patients presented with cancer, 30% presented with chronic fatigue syndrome.  Average initial NK cell activity 18 lytic units.  Average 'final' NK cell activity 246 lytic units, a 1200% improvement.

Double Blind Study on Ai/E10, a central part of the treatment program.

90 Day Study of Ai/E10 administered to healthy subjects.  Immune system marker changes.  See discussion on how island vacations may help your immune system and how life changing shocks may harm it.

Ai/E10 - Immune Transfer Factor - Least expensive source of which we are aware.

Laughter Therapy  You'll have to laugh a lot for it to improve your NK cell activity.  But it is worth the effort ;-)

Enzymes and Cancer - Exploration of this field will likely collapse when Linda Isaacs, MD retires from medicine, but pancreatic enzymes extracted from pigs have provided some interesting and durable results.  The basic premise is that normal cells have good defenses against digestive enzymes, but cancer cells don't.  Sounds a bit like chemo and radiation doesn't it?  What's missing from Nicholas Gonzalez and Linda Isaac's regime is immune system repair treatments.  The pancreas makes a large proportion of the enzymes used by the body.  Could this be why pancreatic cancer is one of the most deadly cancers?

Cancer Statistics, emotional cancer care advertising versus case studies.  Which are more valuable?

Flu shot the day before cancer surgery. Why you should seriously consider getting one, since surgery depresses immune function, while the flu shot stimulates immune function.

Book List

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.  Jesse Stoff  and Charles Pellegrino (childhood friends).  Dr. Stoff's friend came down with a severe case of Chronic Fatigue due to a viral infection that overwhelmed his immune system.  It's worth reading just for a description of his symptoms and test results.  Written long ago when it was commonly referred to as Yuppie Flu.  Dr. Stoff reports that he effectively treats this disease (now known as myalgic encephalomyelitis or ME/CFS) by improving immune function, much in the same way as he treats other immune related diseases.  See the '107 patient' summary above.  Note that recovery times for most of his ME/CFS patients range between 3 months and a year.

Darwin's Universe. Charles Pellegrino and Jesse Stoff.  On the probability of life on other planets and moons in our solar system.  Dr. Stoff contributed the chapter on amino acids as a precursor to life.

Alternative Medicine-Definitive Guide to Cancer. W.John Diamond, W.Lee Cowden, Robert C. Atkins,...Jesse Stoff...There are a few gems here, but not very many.

The Prostate Miracle. Jesse Stoff. This is his first (and last?) book where he outlines his use of the immune transfer factor marketed as Ai/E10.  The flow chart in the Appendix is the place to start.  To get the most out of it, cycle between the flow chart, the index and then the text.

Prescription to Nutritional Healing. Phyllis Balch. Like an encyclopedia for nutritional supplements, vitamins, amino acids, etc.

Beating Cancer with Nutrition by Patrick Quillan.

Reversing Diabetes, Julian Whitaker. On keeping blood sugar low.

The Compatibility Gene, Daniel M. Davis. A well written book that covers immunology research, discoveries and how we understand that our immune system functions.  Professor Davis' group has created the most beautiful images of NK cells in action.  His Scientific American article from 2006 is inspiring as it provides detailed images of actual immune cells and their synapses.  If you believe that visualization can help immune function, you need to see these images.

Why Stomach Acid is Good For You by Dr. Jonathan Wright.  Completely the opposite of conventional wisdom - and correct.  230 Amazon reviewers rate the book an average 4.5 out of 5.  The big takeaways are betaine hydrochloride (Betaine HCl) and Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice (DGL).

Supplements, vitamins and antioxidants

The strongest modulator of the immune system is an extract made from immune stimulated cow colostrum called Ai/E10 and is made by Quantum Research Inc. Very ill patients take around 800mg a day, say a pill (85mg) every 2 waking hours. Sometimes this material causes flu-like symptoms as the immune system wakes up and starts to do its job. The symptoms can be alleviated by taking a greater or smaller dosage, or by waiting for the symptoms to pass. Ai/E10 in 85mg pills is available from Jigsaw Health. The product is called Cyto-Ess.  In his writing, Dr. Stoff refers to Ai/E10 in other ways; refined lacteal complex (RLC), antigen infused dialyzable bovine colostrum/whey extract (AIDBCWE).  In medical literature, it would be classed as a transfer factor.

The second most effective immune stimulator mentioned in his book on prostate cancer is Iscador , an extract of mistletoe, but it is injected and may have toxic effects, since the mistletoe plant has many toxic parts. Worth exploring with a health care practitioner.

The third strongest immune modulator is Ukrain. This a made from a combination of clendine (Chelidonium majus) and thiophosphoric acid, one of the original chemo agents. It has restricted availability so is now rarely used. One can read more at Ukrain

The next strongest immune modulator is astragalus and is commonly used in Chinese medicine. It is the most powerful known immune modulator in the vegetable world as a whole herb. It is easily available in most health food stores and inexpensive. Useful on its own, but better when used with Ai/E10.

Care and feeding of the immune system

Jesse Stoff talks in The Prostate Cancer Miracle about supporting the immune system with nutrition.  He identifies two enzyme systems used by NK cells that allow them to be effective.  

The first is Myeloperoxidase (MPO), which produces two acids HOCl (hypohalous) and HOSCN (hypotothiocyanous).  

The second is  Nitric Oxide Synthase whose major product is Nitrous Oxide.

 With both of these ingredients, the NK cell can destroy tumour and virus infected cells.  To support them nutritionally, he advises 1500+ mg Vitamin C per day as a start along with Arginine (an Amino Acid that is processed by the body to produce citrulline and NO). The problem with Arginine is that it also stimulates growth of herpes viruses that reside in the body (leading to chicken pox, shingles,mono, cold sores). To counteract this problem, he recommends taking equal amounts (by weight) of Arginine and Lysine. Amino acids are supposed to be taken on an empty stomach so that they can be absorbed directly.  Other authors favour Citrulline over Arginine as Arginine often causes stomach upset and has not proven very effective in increasing the levels of NO in the blood.  Citrulline is converted into Arginine by argininosuccinate synthetase (ASS - pardon the language;) and argininosuccinate lyase (ASL), so may be a better choice. Another necessity for the immune system is adequate iron. Too much can increase inflammation, but adequate iron levels are required for immune system function.  With nitrous oxide provided by arginine, these cells can kill cancer cells and virus infected cells directly.

Here is a video of a human NK cell (red) in action. NK Cell (red) killing another cell (green) via a nanotube (the bungee of death). The NK cell forms these tubes to keep control of faster moving bad guys, first mashing into the other cell, then forming the tube as the other cell moves away. Nanotube forming. If the other cell is not right, the NK cell completes its judge, jury and executioner duties. No appeal.

Vitamin D

Proper levels of vitamin D are required for effective immune function and calcium metabolism. It was the first prevention in a pill recommended by the cancer establishment (in 2007) Canadian Cancer Society - Vitamin D. The study that prompted the recommendation indicated that Vitamin D plus calcium could drop cancer incidence by almost 75%. Cost is a penny per pill for 1000 IU at Costco. Doctors in Canada are doing many more vitamin D level blood tests, perhaps because of this recommendation. In Ontario in 2010, the cost of the tests reached $50 million, indicating 1,000,000 tests in a population of 10,000,000 people. This strongly indicates that medical doctors have become believers in the need for this supplement for many of their patients. Dr. Stoff pointed out vitamin D's role in prostate cancer (higher incidence in northern states and among dark skinned people) in 2000 in his prostate cancer book.

Antioxidants

Antioxidants do the job of quenching oxygen free radicals in the body. There are five essential antioxidants. They are Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Coenzyme Q10 and Glutathione.  Glutathione can be made by the body.  The best materials to encourage Glutathione production are Vitamin C and Alpha lipoic acid. There are other types of antoxidants, but they are not essential for life.  Blueberries are excellent as are most other berries. Grape seed extract is one of the most powerful available in pill form. Use of antioxidants during chemo or radiation treatment is likely to make the treatment ineffective, as these treatments generate massive quantities of free radicals that are supposed to damage cells, especially cancer cells, which should have weaker cell repair mechanisms than normal cells.

Alpha lipoic acid is the master antioxidant because it can resuscitate all of the other four essential antioxidants as well as itself. It also easily passes into the brain because it is a small molecule and is soluble in oils as well as water. It increases the efficiency of the mitochondria. With age the mitochondria (energy generating part of cells) become less efficient. Lipoic acid recharges energy levels, reversing reduction caused by aging by up to 50%. It also controls blood sugar and insulin levels. Careful when using this supplement. Even 25 mg can lower blood sugar so much in some people that they become unreasonable and crabby. Others can take large doses without noticing its effect. 10-50 mg per day is recommended, much more for those with type 2 diabetes tendencies.

Coenzyme Q10 facilitates electron transport in the mitochondria. This helps energy generation in the cells and is most needed in the heart and brain. Its use may slow Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's. An anti-aging dose is 5-10 mg per day. For serious heart or brain problems 100-200mg per day is recommended. Anti-cholesterol drugs ( Statins such as Mevacor and Zocor ) can lower Q10 levels. Should be eaten with meals containing fat for better absorption, but subligual forms are likely best, since they transfer directly to the blood. Q10 is said to improve oxygenation of cells, going against cancer’s anaerobic preference.

Selenium – An essential component of glutathione peroxidase . Helps make glutathione in the body. Has been shown to reduce cancer incidence. 200 micrograms per day are recommended. Over 1000 mcg per day can be toxic. Complements vitamin E. Cuts the occurrence of lung, colon and prostate cancers in men by 50%.

Vitamin E - Promotes vascular flexibility. Has been reported to accentuate bleeding when taken with blood thinners such as coumadin . Makes blood flow more easily (less sticky). Use natural (not synthetic) form of vitamin E. Should also be taken with a meal containing oil. Supplementing with vitamin E is now suspect due to recent studies on vitamin E showing negative effects on head and neck cancer patients at a level of 400IU per day, roughly doubling recurrence of cancer.

Vitamin C - Passes through the blood-brain barrier. Boosts blood levels of glutathione. 1500+ mg per day is the minimum recommended to “provide food” for the immune system. Whether taking more than 3 or 4 grams per day is useful is a valid question. (Vitamin C mega dosing is done by increasing intake by perhaps 2000 mg per day until one has loose stool. Then cut back to a level that doesn’t cause this problem. Typically 10 000 to 15 000 mg per day.) One study done on cancer patients found that taking 10 g of Vitamin C per day doubled survival times. Ascorbyl palmitate is another form of Vitamin C. It is fat soluble, and normal vitamin C is not. Buffered forms such as Ester C will minimize stomach pain often caused by normal vitamin C tablets ( ascorbic acid ).

Other factors

Ways to counter cancer’s affinity for acid, anaerobic, high sugar environments.

First, alpha lipoic acid. It lowers blood sugar and improves tissue oxygenation. Find out how much you can take without lowering blood sugar too much (crabbiness is a symptom) during the day.

Second, Coenzyme Q10. This also improves tissue oxygenation. It may seem obvious, but exercise also tends to improve tissue oxygenation and lymphatic function, since movement is the only lymphatic “pump”. Ensure that you are getting adequate calcium and magnesium in your diet. It is reasonable to take a calcium/magnesium supplement or two per day. Chelated forms or Citrate forms are easier to absorb than calcium carbonate and Magnesium oxide, which require lots of stomach acid to process. If you have heartburn, it is possible that you have low stomach acid. A good book to read on this is "Why Stomach Acid is Good For You" by Dr. Jonathan Wright.

Milk. In the prostate cancer book, Jesse Stoff is quite negative on most milk products because they contain or stimulate insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). This growth factor encourages tissue growth, including cancer tissue growth. All men he treats for prostate cancer are switched from milk products to soy products. High IGF-1 levels are known to predict higher levels of breast, prostate and colon cancers. Roughly 65% of a person’s IGF-1 level depends on genetics and the rest on diet. People with high IGF-1 levels tend to be big (tall) people, and this is suspected as the reason that taller people are at higher risk for some types of cancer. Dr. Stoff is positive on using whey protein for cancer patients. Often weight loss during cancer is associated with low serum albumin (protein) levels. Whey protein is usually considered a body building supplement because it is easily digested protein (similar to raw eggs) which provides amino acids necessary for the immune system and tissue repair. It has also been stripped of lactose, fats and hard to digest casein protein.

Blood sugar is affected in a big way by the foods that are eaten. How much food increases blood sugar is quantified by its glycemic index. Basically, the finer a carbohydrate is ground, and the less fiber it has, the higher the blood sugar spike it produces. One of the highest is corn flakes, some low ones are cherries. Almost all vegetables do not increase blood sugar with the exceptions being potatoes and other starchy foods. Proteins and fats mixed with high glycemic index foods lower the blood sugar spike. The Zone Diet is mostly based on avoiding high blood sugar levels by controlling the types and mix of foods in a meal. Another book that talks a lot about keeping blood sugar under control is Julian Whitaker’s “Reversing Diabetes”. Good – fiber , protein, vegetables, apples, pears, slightly green bananas, omega 3 oils (fish oil, flax seed oil), large flake oatmeal. Bad – highly processed food like crackers, white bread, many breakfast cereals, tropical fruits (very sweet),sugar, hydrogenated and saturated fats, most cheeses, pickled food. Another useful book to read is Beating Cancer with Nutrition by Patrick Quillan .

The last categories to mention are plant source chemicals (phytochemicals) that are reported to fight cancer. The two most mentioned are (bio) flavinoids and isoflavones . Flavinoids are chemicals that give colour to vegetables and fruits. There are thousands that have been identified. The most important for fighting (prostate at least) cancer is Quercetin. It apparently works by encouraging apoptosis (programmed cell death) in cancer cells. This is widely available in health food stores. It is recommended that it be taken with bromelain (pineapple enzyme) to aid in its digestion. Quercetin is also found in onions, apples, black tea, garlic, peppers, berries, grapes and tomatoes. A product made with Quercetin is Sisu’s Nature's Defense which combines Quercetin and grape seed extract. It works well as an anti-histamine on people who swell up after getting mosquito bites, flattening the bumps if two or three are taken soon after the bites are noticed.

Some Isoflavones are weakly estrogenic chemicals. The best known are daidzein and genistein found in soy products. Because they are weak estrogens, they are not recommended for people with estrogen receptive breast cancer. They are recommended for prostate cancer.