As I read this article, what caught my attention was the "after five years of treatment." Plus the treatment did not consist entirely or exclusively of turmeric. It involved other medicines, "A woman diagnosed with blood cancer has beaten the disease with the "help" of turmeric," meaning not exclusively with turmeric. Which makes one wonder--what percentage of the cure was achieved by turmeric, and which percentage of the cure was due to her other prescribed medicine?
The article headlines nicely, "SPICE UP YOUR LIFE." It sounds good. Followed by this upbeat piece
Dieneke Ferguson took eight grams of curcumin each night for five years and her cancer has remained stable.Again, not too bad. But one must read on.
SPICE
UP YOUR LIFE
Eating curry is GOOD for you! Turmeric helped cancer
patient, 57, beat myeloma after five years of treatment.
Dieneke Ferguson took
eight grams of curcumin each night for five years and her cancer has remained
stable
By Andrea Downey, Digital
Health Reporter
25th July 2017, 12:04 pm
Updated: 25th July 2017,
12:04 pm
A WOMAN diagnosed with
blood cancer has beaten the disease with the help of turmeric.
Dieneke Ferguson, 57, was
diagnosed with myeloma in 2007 after complaining of high blood pressure,
according to a report in the British Medical Journal.
Dieneke took eight grams
of turmeric every night and her blood cancer stabilized
Within 15 months of
her diagnosis her cancer had progressed to
stage three.
Dieneke underwent several
rounds of chemotherapy and in October 2009 had stem cell transplant, but the
treatments didn't work.
In 2011 she began taking
daily doses of curcumin, a key component of the spice turmeric, after
another two rounds of stem cell therapy failed.
Dieneke took eight grams
each night on an empty stomach.
A few months later she
began a weekly course of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which involves
breathing pure oxygen in an enclosed chamber that mimics higher than
atmospheric pressures.
Over the last five years
her cancer has remained stable and her blood counts are within the normal
range.
GETTY
IMAGES
Myeloma is a cancer
that begins in the plasma cells, a type of white blood cell which is made in
the bone marrow
She has also maintained a
good quality of life during this period, according to the report.
Curcumin is a polyphenol
derived from the perennial herb turmeric and has been used as a traditional
Indian medicine for centuries.
Curcumin is a natural
antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and has analgesic properties,
according to the BMJ report.
More recently, it has
demonstrated an ability to slow or inhibit cell growth in a wide variety of
tumor cells, including myeloma.
It has also been found to
help alleviate a range of other health problems.
A 2016 review, published
in the Journal of Medicinal Food, found that turmeric extract could help
minimize the symptoms of arthritis.
Some research has even
shown turmeric could could help prevent Alzheimer's by stopping the
accumulation of proteins thought to cause the disease.
A 2008 study also found
that turmeric can help lower cholesterol, therefore helping to prevent serious
health problems like heart disease and stroke.
Myeloma is a cancer
that begins in the plasma cells, a type of white blood cell which is made in
the bone marrow.
Plasma cells form part of
your immune system.
Normal plasma cells
produce antibodies, also called immunoglobulins, to help fight infection.
In myeloma, plasma cells
become abnormal, multiply uncontrollably and release only one type of antibody
known as paraprotein, which has no useful function.
Unlike many cancers,
myeloma does not exist as a lump or tumour.
Most of the complications
arise from a build-up of abnormal plasma cells in the bone marrow.
Treatment is often aimed
at controlling the symptoms of myeloma with a combination of drugs.
Since she began taking
the curcumin, Dieneke has maintained her daily dose.
She told The Mail: "I have been on all sorts
of toxic drugs and the side-effects were terrifying.
"I told my
oncologist I was taking it and he was very interested, especially when it
apparently made such a difference."
About 5,500 people are
diagnosed with myeloma every year in the UK.
It is the second most
common form of blood cancer, but only represents about two per cent of all
cancers.
It is a cancer that
begins in the plasma cells, a type of white blood cell which is made in the
bone marrow.
Plasma cells form part of
your immune system.
Normal plasma cells
produce antibodies, also called immunoglobulins, to help fight infection.
Dieneke took her turmeric
extract orally each night.
In myeloma, plasma cells
become abnormal, multiply uncontrollably and release only one type of antibody
known as paraprotein, which has no useful function.
Unlike many cancers,
myeloma does not exist as a lump or tumour.
Most of the complications
arise from a build-up of abnormal plasma cells in the bone marrow.
Treatment is often aimed
at controlling the symptoms of myeloma with a combination of drugs.
In Dieneke's case
doctors said more research is needed to determine if curcumin could be a future
treatment for the disease.
The report said:
"Whether such effects are observed in patients with active disease remains
to be seen.
"The fact that our
patient, who had advanced stage disease and was effectively salvaged while
exclusively on curcumin, suggests a potential antimyeloma effect of curcumin.
"She continues to
take daily curcumin and remains in a very satisfactory condition with good
quality of life.
"This case provides
further evidence of the potential benefit for curcumin in myeloma.
"We would recommend
further evaluation of curcumin in myeloma patients in the context of a clinical
trial."
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