Breast Milk as a Cancer Treatment
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Monday, May 21, 2007
There was a story that ran on CBS 5 in San Jose earlier this month that talked about Howard Cohen and his breast milk smoothies. Cohen drinks a fruit, yogurt and breast milk smoothie each day after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.His reasoning?
He read about a study that showed that breast milk kills cancer cells. He started off drinking the breast milk of a friend, but soon turned to the Mother's Milk Bank of San Jose with a prescription from a doctor in hand.
He's not the first to try it. The San Jose Milk bank has shipped breast milk to dozens of adult cancer patients. Our milk bank here in Columbus has done the same.
Not everyone is a fan of the idea though.
Dr. David Newberg, an associate professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, put is this way: "I do think that it's premature for adults to be drinking breast milk. It hasn't been fully tested yet and we like to be very careful not to use things in humans that we don't understand."
Umm...ok. Does anyone else think it's funny that Dr. Newberg speaks like breast milk is this mysterious unknown force that might hurt you if you drink it? I mean who knows for certain if it kills cancer, but I don't think anyone can argue that at worst, it will simply have no impact. Breast milk from a screened donor is not going to HARM anyone, no matter what the age. It just might not help them.
On the other hand, one of the other doctors interviewed makes a very good point.
Dr. Pamela Berens with the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine ... worries adults using donor milk will deplete the already limited supply, commenting that "right now we don't have enough breast milk for our donor milk banks for the premature infants who we have such wonderful data about the benefits."
Honestly? That's my primary concern.
We don't have enough breast milk now for the babies in the NICUs across the country that desperately need it. Babies for whom breast milk means the difference between life and death.
While I'm fascinated with the idea that breast milk could help fight, or even cure cancer, I have a hard time justifying using up the very limited supply when there are lots of other treatments available for adult cancer patients.
That's not to say that I wouldn't pump for an adult friend with cancer if they asked me to. I'm just not keep on using our limited screened donor milk for that purpose.
But the thing that I find strangest about the story?
Mr. Cohen's quote that says:
"It doesn't taste all that pleasant. It's a bit oily and there's an after-taste."
What? Oily?
I thought breast milk tasted like cantaloupe. (Anyone else remember that Friend's episode?)
Seriously though, I've tasted it...licking it off a finger, but I've never actually taken a gulp, so I have no idea what it tastes like. I just have a hard time believing that it's "oily."
It is pretty darn high in fat content though, so I suppose someone used to skim milk might find it to be a bit more fatty and could refer to that as oily...
That quote just really rubs me the wrong way though.
So how about you guys? Would you drink breast milk from a friend or milk bank if you were diagnosed with cancer? How far would you go to get it? Would you pump for a friend or family member? Do you support milk banks shipping breast milk to adults?
And seriously, is breastmilk "oily?"
Labels: Milk Banking and Sharing
i have also tasted my breast milk, but not drunk a portion of it. it's kinda sweet i guess. when i was nursing my firstborn, i often had leaks and squirting breasts (oh, the good old days) and i have to admit that it felt a bit oily. maybe the man in the article meant that it was fatty and had that consistency, not that it tasted oily.
I'd suckle it straight from the teat without a moments hesitation if I thought it would keep me alive or even heal me. Bring on the boobies!!!!
Would I pump? Hell yes, of course I would! My uncle's father and brother (and uncles) have all died of colon cancer and I am of course praying he doesn't get it too but with his existing history so far it's not looking like he'll avoid it either... if he ever asked me I'd be all over it, but frankly I think he'd rather die quietly in his sleep than consider drinking my breastmilk. And I'm not even joking about that...
He's weird.
:)
K
I actually did some research regarding this because my brother in law had been battling cancer for the last 12 years. There wasn't any definitive answers but I did see (in CA) where kids actually use breastmilk after chemotherapy. It is apparently gentle on the stomach and aids in in immunity rebuilding. Makes sense, huh?!
Sounds like there will be a breastmilk black market if it catches on in all the states!
I just asked Dr. Newman this question at a conference and he had a great point--anything that's pasteurized won't have the helpful live cells anyway. So, no unless there's an excess I think that banked milk should go only to premies. BUT--if his doing this gets more public exposure to the health benefits of breastmilk and milk banks, then that can only be good. Question: why is the cut-off for donation 1 year? There could be a lot more donors if that wasn't in place.
I wondered about the pasteurized milk and the killing cancer cells. Obviously donor milk is better than formula for babies, but it's still a big step down from mother's milk or even freshly expressed milk from a friend.
I'd think that he was probably better off getting milk from a friend. Less "taking" from babies and more health benefits to him.
As for the one year cut-off, I seem to remember that it has something to do with the change in composition of breast milk. Toddler milk is different than infant milk...more fatty, different properties, etc... Toddlers have different nutritional needs from infants and milk changes accordingly.
Thus, I think that rather than try to keep it all separate (you know, milk from after a year marked for use in toddlers and adults) they just don't accept it.
Kind of a bummer.
So this doctor isn't grossed out by the fact that most of America drinks milk from (gasp) COW BOOBS? I've had it straight from cow boobs, and I gotta tell you, not being a farm girl, I choked. As for the breast milk banks, I'm with you - it should go to the preemies first and foremost.
let me tell you, i was not picturing Howard the Smoothie Guy as i was pumping for the SJ milk bank!
I do think the milk should go to babies first.
I'm actually considering relactation right now for a variety of reasons. I don't think a milk bank will take relactated milk either.
I would turn to breastmilk in a heartbeat for myself or a close family member in any situation where I thought it may help.
I donated to the San Jose milk bank! I wonder if this guy got some of my milk. LOL!
But I donated milk when my son was 15 months old, so some of the milk was from before 1 year (I had a huge frozen backlog that I needed to get rid of) but most of it was after. I was candid about this, of course, when filling out my questionnaire. So I don't know where this rule came from but it certainly didn't apply in may case.
I have a real issue with the bad science here... The article on breast milk killing cancer cells applies to the case where the raw milk is poured directly on the cells. How could that be anything like drinking it in a smoothie? The milk is digested and the nutrients filtered into the blood. There is never any contact between the cells and the milk. Unless you have throat cancer, I suppose.
I always found this logic to be flawed in "holistic" medicine. Take, for example, all these "extracts" that you see in the health food store, even if the main ingredient is beneficial somehow, surely the processing and method of ingestion have an impact on the effectiveness - no?
Eilat,
Excellent point re raw milk poured on cancer cells verses pasteurized milk being digested.
I think people just hear "breast milk fights cancer" and they fill in the rest...
I mean again, if you've got ready access, it's certainly not going to hurt you, but I don't know that I can get behind the idea of drinking it to "cure" cancer when so many NICU babies so desperately need it.
So, I actually can't stand the taste of my own milk. I suspect this has to do with my milk having excess lipase - even my fresh milk seems to carry a faint undercurrent of vomit when I taste it, so I doubt that the donated mmilk would have this issue. My milk does taste creamy, too (I wouldn't say "oily"). My babies love my milk more than cow's milk, good for them, they can have it as long as they want - just don't make me drink it!
My sister and her DH would use the extra pumped milk on cereal rather than waste the antibodies or freeze more into an already ample freezer stash, and loved the flavor - she never had a lipase issue, and both reported it tasted like normal milk, but sweeter. Sadly, I was too icked out from my own milk to taste hers and never got a chance to compare.
Oh, you got me to open my books again! I'm blaming you for me not getting my work done today...
The component of breastmilk that kills cancer cells is called alpha lactalbumin (or Human Alphalactalbumin Made Lethal to Tumor cells, or HAMLET - cute, huh?). I can't find anything on what happens during pasteurization to alphalactalbumin specifically, but it's a protein, and many of the proteins do survive pasteurization, so I wouldn't assume that it's not active.
I just went to a presentation on this topic and lots of important immunological components of milk survive pasteurization - like the fatty acids, some immunoglobulins, bifidus factor, oligosaccharides, etc. The live cells, like the leukocytes, do die, but so many critical components are there in the same % or close to it.
As far as effectiveness goes, researchers think that HAMLET is the reason why breastfed babies have lower rates of childhood cancers, and some think that it's related to the lowered risk of breast cancer in moms, too.
So, if there is enough to go around (I know that this is the issue), I think it's a great idea for cancer patients. I actually know someone who was in a prostate cancer trial using breastmilk as a therapy.
And the pharmaceutical companies are only a few steps behind. Saw an article last year on manufactured alphalactalbumin being used in a bladder cancer trial...
Sorry for the biology lecture, but, breastfeeding geek that I am, I can't help myself!
My milk is undoubtedly oily. Not when it's fresh, but when I refrigerate it and the cream separates, it leaves an oily sheen on the bottles that's quite difficult to get off. :p
Also, it tastes VERY different refrigerated than it does fresh from the nipple, and tastes different pumped than it does fresh from the nipple. I know because I'm .. err.. a curious person who is able to get her nipple into her own mouth. :p
I like the way it tastes fresh out of the nipple, not a fan of it in the bottle, and DO NOT like it after it's been frozen.
My son agrees. :)
If there was a chance it would help treat/cure cancer, heck ya.
On the taste note, I haven't tasted it but my husband says it tastes sweet. Similar to evaporated milk. He also says it doesn't have an after taste, that he's noticed.(and no he wasn't intentionally trying to taste it...just sort of happens I guess);)
This one made me really think- My grandpa was diagnosed w/ prostate cancer almost 7 years ago and was given about 1-2 years at the most. Then after 5 years, he was given 6 months or less- Now, still alive and semi- healthy (it has since spread to his bladder), he believes and the rest of us tend to agree that the reason he is still alive is a strict regimen of whole foods, vitamins and all kinds of herbal supplements that he researches and takes in a timely manner. He has always been the "weirdo" in the family that believed in organics, complained about hormones and pesticides and was against most vaccinations- even 40 and 50 years ago. I wonder if he's heard of this sort of thing b/c I def wouldn't mind giving him some milk if it could help him live a little longer-
Hey if it's good enough for my baby it's good enough for his great-grandpa:-)
Fascinating, Tanya.
So a lot of the nutrients survive pasteurization, but what about digestion?
I think people who have cancer and want to try to drink breastmilk should get it from a family member or friend. However I can't blame them for wanting to get some from the milk bank if they don't have anyone else to get it from.
I've pumped my milk before for a family friend who was suffering from stomach ulcers. It helped him a great deal.
I was curious-I put some on my finger and tried it. Very sweet. I read somewhere that it tastes like the leftover milk in a bowl of captain crunch. My husband agrees that description is acurate.
Eliat,
Oh, absolutely. That's what makes breastmilk work - the nutrients get absorbed from the baby's gut. And there are also components of milk (IGA) that line the intestine to prevent bad stuff from entering in.
Tanya
The proteins in breast milk survive the stomach of an infant, but it is likely that these same components would not survive the stomach of an adult. Much of the IgA remains in the digestive tract of the infant to protect from any pathogens that are eaten. From what I've seen, it seems as if the infant's stomach is specially adapted to leave many of these proteins in tact. I'm skeptical that the same thing would happen in an adult, so that makes me wonder whether just drinking breast milk would have any effect in an adult cancer patient. Kids may be different. But I'm interested to hear about new research on this topic. In the meantime, leave it for the premies.
I don't know what I would have done when I was all engorged and baby wouldn't drink - had my husband not been there! (Hey it was a long time ago and I'd never heard of a lactation consultant - they certainly didn't have any at the hospital - so I didn't know much about warm compresses.) I'd be, um, omg I'm going to explode and it huuuuurts!! Do something! Of course it never hurt him; just put him to sleep. Between him and a friend of mine who had no qualms about taking a swig of her own (I never could but I've always hated milk) they agreed on "melted ice cream" as being very close (which come to think of it is rich - or fatty if you must - but that's not a bad thing!) I'm sure everyone's different. Now see, thank goodness for a place like this because if someone else hadn't said her sister poured it on cereal I'd just never be able to share these things.
I do remember reading at one point that calves solely fed pasteurized cow's milk die (can not verify this, anyone know for sure?), so I always figured so many good things are killed in pasteurization...I'm still sure that's true but if they've found it more helpful for premies than chemical formula, I'm thrilled there are such things as milk banks now for them, pasteurized or not. Though I sort of hope there's some wave of the future where there is no pasteurization needed and they can get all the benefits. Seems to me adults ought to find nursing friends who might be willing to share though, than taking it from the babies. First off it won't be pasteurized and then it also won't take away from the babies who need it. Isn't it possible that as breastfeeding becomes the norm and people start to TRULY accept nursing in this culture and eventually get the word out, that there will be plenty for all though? Sounds like a nicer world.
Do NOT get the Dr's first comment at all - how could it *possibly* hurt anything? It's, um, HUMAN milk? It is, you know, tested on humans? Since we became mammals? The worst that it seems that could ever possibly happen is that the person gets extra protein, vitamins and nutrition in a far more digestible form than cow's milk. And maybe he'll get sleepy. Maybe he'll even throw off an impending cold, if it's fresh. It might not help cancer (though it may), but if it's good for people to drink cow's milk, it's got to be even better for them to drink human milk. Nothing else makes sense. Also lactivist - "mysterious force" hehe. I actually think it is, kind of the "elixir of the Gods" as Hathor puts it. But in a good way, of course. I've known people going through chemo who were suffering and couldn't eat - they had to drink those horrid "ensure" things which are basically adult formula - can you imagine how much more life-giving and nutritious it would be if they could get more human milk instead of just that stuff? Makes perfect sense they're using it to help kids undergoing chemo; I hope someday there's enough for others to get some too. Can't hurt, CAN help. :) Peace!
Annie
When my husband was dying of metastasised lung cancer, I did a lot of research into this idea of drinking breast milk in order to try and fight cancer (mainly by going to pubmed.com and searching for "Svanborg Hamlet"). From this research, I'm under the impression that the cancer-fighting HAMLET molecule will be formed in the adult stomach of a person who drinks unpasteurised human milk, but will not survive well in the blood. I understand that clinical cancer trials of the bovine form of this HAMLET (called BAMLET) will start this year at www.natimmune.com.
The lady next to my husband in hospital died from her stomach metastases, so I am thinking that she might have lived longer and her suffering would have started later if she could have drunken human milk. I was absolutely desperate to get human milk for my husband, especially after he became too weak to take any more chemotherapy and the doctor had basically written him off. He died before I could get him human milk.
tanya - thank you for the biology lesson! ;)
lil - LOL! I could get my nipple into my mouth but I'm not *that* curious!
My mother was diagnosed with rectal cancer just before my sister gave birth to her 4th child. After coming across some encouraging info online, my sister began pumping a bottle every day for my mother. Since then, my mom has endured radiation, surgery and chemotherapy. She is finishing up her treatments and just today, he doctor told her he has never had a patient tolerate chemotherapy as well as she has. Her blood counts have actually come up during the treatment and this is virtually unheard of. She is waiting until the treatments are over to tell him of her special "supplement". Even if the milk is not able to actually fight the cancer, it has made a tangible difference in her health. She has gotten through almost 9 months of chemo without a single cold or infection.
My mother-in-law, whom I'm very close to, has just been diagnosed with a very lethal form of breast cancer (inflammatory breast cancer). I'm nursing my 8-month old, and just read the information about potential cancer-killing benefits for adults...I'm going to pump a bag for her daily and record detailed results over the next few months. She starts a very intense round of chemo this week so we hope the milk could at least protect her from some other infections. I'll keep you updated.
well i heard about breast milk and cancer on the new. and if it helps why not do it. if i knew someone with cancer and they needed my breast milk i would do it. i produce alot of milk. i pump at least 4 4onces bottles per day and still have enough to breastfeed my baby. some people can't produce and some produce too much.
Any idea of how bith control, such as orto-tri-cyclin gets "passed" into breast milk? I wouldn't want to do anything that may hurt my husband. I would most definately let him have my breast milk for therapy. Is there any research to show that It could prevent cancer (i.e. if he drinks a little each day?) If so, I may just try and continue lactation indefinately. I love him and see nothing wrong with it If my breast can benefit him, well in more that just the obvious!
shouldn't be an issue with hbc for something like that...
But to note, there's no evidence anywhere that breast milk prevents cancer, only some evidence that direct contact between breast milk and cancer cells can kill the cancer cells.
People above asked if HAMLET would survive the stomach acid. HAMLET is created in the stomach when it comes in contact with the acid.
"But the compound becomes lethal only when exposed to acid, as it is in a stomach and was in the lab. The acid unfolds the alpha lactalbumin protein into a havoc-wreaking form." http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20061209/bob8.asp
Orthotricyclen contains the hormone estrogen, and it dries up breast milk. You would be better off taking the mini pill without estrogen if you wanted to nurse. Any medication that is safe to take while nursing a baby would likely be safe to take while expressing for an adult.
To the original author, my breast milk is not oily!
It is true that they have associated breastfeeding with reduced breast cancer, but their theory was due to suppression of estrogen during lactaction – not that HAMLET protected the breast tissue. Now their theory is that HAMLET protects the breast tissue from cancer, because HAMLET kills cancer cells.
Ummm...yeah, I have started drinking my own milk because I have so much of it. I need to get calcium in my diet, so why not just drink my own and avoid the wasteful "pump and dump"...that's my reasoning anyway.
I do think I should look into donating it, though. I have enough to drink it myself, breatsfeed my infant, give it to my toddler, freeze some and probably still have some left to donate. I pump like 40-50 ounces a day. It's kind of getting crazy.
I have breast cancer and am having a mastectomy but all my fellow breastfeeding nazi friends are pumping their milk for me. It does taste nasty to me, but I am not a milk drinker. I just chug it down with fruit juice. I was not breastfed as a child, so I figure, better late than never!
I'm sure that if they'd proove that it works, every single lactating woman in the world would pump all day long for a cure for cancer!
I sure would!
My husband was just diagnosed with prostate cancer. Rather conveniently, I was already in the process of relactating. The milk came in right around the time his second blood test showed his PSA to be rising. He's been getting increasing quatities of my milk since. He gets in his coffee and oatmeal but prefers it directly from the source ;-) Happily that has been a comfort to him as these past few days have been rather rough.
I would drink breast milk in a heart beat.
6 years ago a friend came across the HAMLET literature. His wife was in her 'second' different cancer. He mixed breast milk with dilute HCl to induce the protein shape change and applied it as a poultice (sp?). The surface tumors turned grey and died, as did OTHER undiscovered tumors nearby.
The discovery is real. Breast Milk is a God-send.
I am considering pumping for a friend bwith cancer. Anyone any idea how much and how often?
My mother is slowly dying from cancer...I'm definitely considering relactating to donate her some (my breastfeeding days were unfortunately over a few months before I heard about Mr Cohen). Starting on Monday!
I believe the inside scoop on creating HAMLET from breast milk is concerned with two factors. First off, α-lactalbumin, the protein you are talking about also wants oleic acid to be present when it unfolds. There are varying amounts of oleic acid in breast milk already, but you can insure sufficient amounts by adding a few drops of virgin olive oil and mixing it in. Second, pH becomes critical. Breast milk is naturally slightly basic, or as you would say, alkaline. The protein unfolds when the pH of the milk reaches neutral which is a pH of 7. (Frankly, It is better to ere on the acid side, thus going to a pH in the acid range of 6 is fine.) I suggest using White Vinegar to lower the pH into the acidic range, rather than HCL. You can test pH with pH paper, it is cheap, or even better with a pH meter which will really show you exactly where you are. If you have no pH paper or meter, in a pinch you could just drop a tablespoon of White Vinegar into 6 ounces of breast milk (plus the olive oil drops) and use directly on the tumor if it is exposed, perhaps by soaking a cotton ball and taping or securing it in place, or pouring into an open surgical wound and plugging with gauze. (Vinegar has the added advantage of being a bacteria killer...)
While most mammal animals have this protein in their milk, it is actually very low, like only 1% to 3%, but in humans it is the highest of all, 25%! That should tell you something. I hope this has helped. The pH scale goes from 0 up to 7 for the acid range, with 7 as neither alkaline or acidic, and from 7 up to 14 for the alkaline range....just so you know which direction you are taking the milk when you want to move it into the acid range. Oh! Yeah! HAMLET only attacks cancer cells and bacteria, leaving healthy cells alone, as was demonstrated when a living rat's brain was infused with HAMLET and the tumour inside the rat's brain was eaten, leaving the rat happy and healthy and breathing just fine.....at least until the dissected the poor little guy a few days later to see what had happened. The tumour was gone. HAMLET has been shown to kill over 40 different kinds of lymphomas and cancers so far, and climbing. If you can get direct contact you have a great advantage.
I'm actually thinking about pumping for my mom right now. The doctors have said that they can't do anything further for her cancer. I brought it up to her a couple of days ago, but we hadn't done any research to know whether it was even a viable idea. I was actually thinking of the immunological benefits, rather than any cancer-killing effects, since her immune system is compromised. Now that I've done some reading, I think we should definitely go for it. It certainly can't hurt!
Sometimes I can't believe what I'm reading! If you have a loved one who is sick with cancer are you going to play "Captain May I?" with some self-proclaimed expert to get his permission to do what your throbbing heart knows what needs to be done? Rip open your shirt! Breastmilk is liquid love, and even if you had no milk yesterday, your loved one's NEED can start your lactation today. Get out of your head and into your heart. While you're at it, open your mind and get creative. If its colon cancer, try breastmilk enemas. For lung cancer, try breastmilk in a vaporiser. Try breastmilk mixed with DMSO and absorb it thru the feet or the skin on the back. Would you stand around talking when someone needed CPR? Would you ask if its acceptable to everyone nearby? If you won't share the body fluid from your breasts, perhaps you would rather share the body fluid from your tearducts?
I'm very interested in this - I have stage 4 stomach cancer. I don't want to take away from babies in need - but I think I'd have plenty of support in my local town - I'm going to discuss it with my GYN. I'm sure there are many new moms that wouldn't mind pumping an extra bottle for cancer!
Personaly, when i leak, I am not very oily. However, When my sister leaks, she stains her shirt with oil spots. So it is fair to say that it can be oily, but each woman is diffrent. Milk can also taste diffrent from day to day depending on what the mother ate before hand (so i have heard anyway.)
I do believe that it can be oily like he says. When my sister leaked she would stain shirt after shirt due to oil stains. Personally i never had that problem, but it does exist.
to the digestion questions... it wouldn't be "ruined" by digestion. Digestion is the process by which the body gets nutrients from the food/drinks ew ingest into our bloodstream and to organs. Digestion is normal.
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