Herpes Virus Trial Finds It Can Shrink Tumours by over 80%
Having the herpes simplex virus, or what we commonly refer to as a cold sore, could prove to be a lifesaver for patients with head and neck cancer according to a small clinical trial run by The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. Around 650,000 people are diagnosed with this particular form of cancer each year worldwide, and around 350,000 die from the disease every year.
The genetically modified virus has been treated so that it multiplies inside cancer cells but not healthy cells. It bursts and kills tumour cells and also helps stimulate patients’ immune systems. They injected the virus into 17 patients’ cancer-affected lymph nodes in up to four doses, and the patients were also given radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Head and neck tumours shrank on 14 patients (82.3%), while 93 per cent of patients had no trace of residual cancer in their lymph nodes during subsequent surgery to remove them. Also, after an average follow-up time of 29 months over 82% of patients had not succumbed to the disease. Only two of 13 patients given the virus treatment at a high dose relapsed, according to results published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research. These figures are certainly encouraging, but this was a very small trial but given that around 35 to 55 per cent of patients given the standard chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment typically relapse within two years, these results compare very favourably.
Side-effects were generally mild to moderate, and most – except fever and fatigue – were thought to be due to the chemotherapy or radiotherapy. I have mentioned before that many people find any homoeopathic remedy very helpful for the side-effects of treatment for cancer. If you do not have a dispensing homoeopathic in your area, then one I can recommend is the Galen Pharmacy who are extremely helpful on the telephone and make up and post remedies normally the same day. Their telephone number is 01305 263996 or, if you are in London, then you can call in to Ainsworth’s in new Cavendish Street or visit their website at www.Ainsworth’s.com
