THIS WEEK'S QUESTION

Q. In your book "Antioxidants Against Cancer," you mentioned a substance called 2-MPG. What is this and where is it available? Also, do you recommend using herbs with the antioxidants?

A. First, as to MPG-2. In Greece, scientists gave either low- or high-dose combinations of vitamins to rats with experimentally induced sarcomas. This was a mixture of vitamins C and E, selenium and a substance called 2-MPG. 2-MPG is short for 2-mercaptopropionyl glycine. It is a thiol compound known generically as tiopronin. In the United States it is marketed as the drug Thiola. It is generally used as a liver protector and an antidote to heavy metal poisoning. It seems to have some anticancer activity, although there is not enough data to recommend it at the present time.

As I noted in Antioxidants Against Cancer, the low-dose combination failed to exert any beneficial effect on the survival of the animals. But the high dose treatment led to a significant prolongation in survival. There was a complete remission of tumors in 16.8 percent ofthe animals. The authors concluded that megadoses of these substances are probably needed in to achieve "a sufficient prevention and treatment of malignant diseases" {Evangelou A, et al. Dose-related preventive and therapeutic effects of antioxidants-anticarcinogens on experimentally induced malignant tumors in Wistar rats. Cancer Lett. 1997 May 1;115(1):105-11}.

HERBS AND ANTIOXIDANTS

As to your second question, it is difficult to answer without knowing which herbs you have in mind. In general, I think medicinal herbs can frequently counteract the side effects of both cancer and its treatment. There should be few negative interactions between herbs and antioxidant supplements, although the specific combinations need to be checked by a knowledgeable practitioner.

We have a Moss Report on the topic of lung cancer as we have for most other types of cancer. Please see my forthcoming book Antioxidants Against Cancer for more on the supplement controversy.

ABOUT OUR Q & A SERVICE: Each week we answer a new question from a visitor to our website. Questions posted at this site are chosen based on their general relevance and become the property of Equinox Press. They may be edited for reasons of space.

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Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D. is director of the The Moss Reports for cancer patients. Dr. Moss is the author of eleven books and three documentaries on cancer-related topics. He is or has been an advisor on alternative cancer treatments to the National Institutes of Health, the National Cancer Institute, the American Urological Association, Columbia University, the University of Texas, the Susan G. Komen Foundation and the German Society of Oncology. He wrote the first article on alternative medicine for the Encyclopedia Britannica yearbook. He is listed in Marquis Who's Who in America, Who's Who in the World, Who's Who in the East, and Who's Who in Entertainment (as a film documentarian). This Web site does not advocate any particular treatment for cancer. We urge you to always seek competent medical advice for all health problems, especially cancer. Before consulting our site please read our full Disclaimer statement.

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