THIS WEEK'S QUESTION

Q. What ever happened to betulinic acid, which seemed like such a promising agent for treating melanoma and other kinds of cancer?

A. Betulinic acid (BA) was the "rage" of 1995, with reported activity against HIV and melanoma (skin cancer) cells. At the time, it seemed as if a less toxic form of chemotherapy was emerging. But research money for BA was not forthcoming, probably because it is a substance in the public domain that cannot be patented. Human studies have never taken place.

In the meantime, animal and cell line studies continue to be exciting. Scientists at the Children's Hospital in Ulm, Germany have shown that BA is active against cell lines of almost all the pediatric solid tumors.

ACTIVE AGAINST RESTING TUMORS

Most anticancer agents kill dividing cells. But BA is very unusual in that it actively kills cancer cells in their resting phase. It thus seems like a natural companion to the more usual chemo drugs. It also functions best in a low pH environment, which is also good since the interior of tumor tissue is generally lower in pH than normal tissue.

I am often asked where one can get betulinic acid. I am trying to track down a supplier. However, betulinic acid is found in certain herbs and foods. It was isolated from white (paper) birch bark. Penn Herbs sells this at $8.25 per pound. Although you could make a tea from this, it is difficult to specify the dose. (They also sell it in the form of capsules.)

Herbalist David Winston believes that since the chaga mushroom grows almost exclusively on birch trees, it contains betulinic acid. One could augment this chaga extract (or chaga tea) with some white birch bark. Another herb that contains betulinic acid is the bark of the Chinese jujube date tree.

Other herbs that contain betulinic acid are uva-ursi, or bearberry (the leaves are available from Penn for $8.00 per pound); rosemary leaves; and ordinary grapes (yet another health benefit from vitis vinifera).

The Moss Reports contain detailed recommendations on herbs and herbal formulas. Please see my book Herbs Against Cancer for a discussion of herbal controversies.

If you wish to obtain a Moss Report for melanoma or any particular kind of cancer, you can call our office at 718-636-4433 or order BY CLICKING HERE via our secure order form,.

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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