I am still travelling and meeting with people related to collaborations and support for the Metarobic Institute, so I am posting a section from the chapter on cancer from my book “Tai Chi Therapy: The Science of Metarobics,” in honor of National Cancer Awareness Month. I begin with an overview of the work of Dr. Otto Warburg, who received the Nobel Prize in medicine for his work on cancer and hypoxia. His work was later discredited as “irrelevant,” and then some decades later doctors realized he was on the right track, and hypoxia and cancer is now a major focus of research. Considering the difficulty I have had in getting my work recognized by the medical community, I relate to Dr. Warburg’s frustrations. In any event, below is a section from chapter three, “Metarobics and Cancer.” For the entire chapter and additional supporting research, as well as over 50 case stories, please see my book, available on Amazon.com.
During my research, I came across the works of Nobel Prize winner Otto Warburg (1). He found that among the primary types of cancer, affecting over 70% of cancer patients, oxygen restriction seemed to play a critical role. He observed that cancer grew in areas deprived of oxygen, documenting that tumor cells develop a modified sugar based metabolism (glycolysis), rather than oxygen based metabolism, with hypoxic (oxygen deficient) areas surrounding the tumor site. It is not known why cancer cells do this, but current research is offering support that beneficial effects occur from boosting oxygen levels around tumors, which may permit more efficient delivery of chemotherapy and the body’s own healing agents.
___________________________________
Tai Chi and Qi Gong Helped Me Battle Lymphoma
Helen Liu had a rare and aggressive form of lymphoma. Chemotherapy failed to eliminate the cancer, and her doctor felt she had only about two weeks left to live. Her father, a famous Kung Fu master (Liang Shou-yu) began Helen on an intensive practice of Qi Gong, Tai Chi, meditation, and alternative forms of Chinese and Western medicine. Helen states: “I was more relaxed, and I was doing Qi Gong and Tai Chi with my dad every day. We’d go out and do all kinds of Qi Gong because it’s good for you to stay outside and get a lot of oxygen. That’s supposed to kill cancer cells.” With all the practices she engaged in, it would be hard to single out Tai Chi and Qi Gong, but for a long time it was a focus of her practice, and is still a regular part of her life 17 years later.
(From Martha Burr, Kung Fu Tai Chi Magazine).
___________________________________________________
Part of this research is the work being done at the Birck Nanotechnology Center at Purdue University (2). Dr. Maleki and colleagues developed a device based on the idea of enhancing tumor oxygenation. The team created an ultrasonically powered micro oxygen generator (IMOG) which can be implanted at the site of the tumor. The IMOG device generates oxygen at the site of the tumor, boosting the cancer fighting power of radiation and chemotherapy. The IMOG device has been used with significant effects in pancreatic tumors in mice, generating oxygen and shrinking tumors faster than without the device.
That enhanced tumor oxygenation resulted in tumor shrinkage, even if only through assisting the effectiveness of radiation and chemotherapy, demonstrates promise for Tai Chi as a cancer preventive and cancer therapy adjunct (keeping in mind to use it in conjunction with prescribed therapies). It is possible that Tai Chi may generate a similar effect, by increasing blood oxygen saturation and diffusion, and maximizing the body’s own natural cancer fighting ability.
Other studies conducted at the University of Texas Anderson Cancer Center noted that the bone marrow microenvironment contains hypoxic areas which inhibit anti-leukemia drugs (3). Acute lympho-blastic leukemia cells result in marked expansion of hypoxic bone marrow areas, which results in chemoresistance. The authors noted that under conditions of normal oxygen saturation, effectiveness of various forms of chemotherapy was tied to oxygen level, and effectiveness dropped in direct relation to low oxygen levels. Researchers suggest that drugs which target hypoxia may help eliminate leukemia cells within hypoxic areas, and may significantly improve leukemia therapy.
Although Metarobic exercises may not have a target specific effect on lymphoblastic leukemia cells, benefits for cancer care reported in the case stories in this book, as well as theoretical elements related to enhanced blood oxygen saturation, diffusion and enhanced oxygen based metabolism, suggests that these exercises may have a general overall effect on the cancer fighting ability of the body, and may enhance chemo and radiation therapy, at least at a general level (also supported by the uniform reports of benefits for pain management reported by cancer and other patients who practice Tai Chi).
Indeed, it has been further noted that with the central role hypoxia plays in tumor development and resistance to therapy, that tumor hypoxia may be most valuable and most effective area to target in combating cancer (4). This suggests that exercises which focus on enhancing oxygen saturation and diffusion throughout the entire body may have at least some effect on combating cancer and other chronic conditions. Needless to say, this would need extensive research to validate and determine exact effects. Of the dozen people in the case stories in this book who reported significant benefits during their cancer treatment, it must be asked, if you had 100 patients with the same form of cancer, who all practiced specific user friendly forms of Tai Chi, Qi Gong or other Metarobic exercises (and addressing dosage, in the form of frequency and duration of practice), what percentage would benefit and to what degree?
_______________________________
The Amazing Results of Qi Gong
“Five years ago, I was found to have cancer. I had a tumor on my larynx and throughout the five weeks of super-voltage radiation, I practiced The Eight Precious Sets of Exercises known to the Chinese as Ba Duan Jin. This was not only a great source of physical and mental wellbeing, but it produced tangible and somewhat amazing results. Exposure to intense radiation is expected to have its negative side effects…weight loss, loss of appetite, loss of sleep and a general downturn in spirit are the most typical. I am glad to say that at no time did I experience any of these. Even case hardened doctors and nurses were impressed and asked me to demonstrate the Precious Set of Eight. Today at 50 I am fit, healthy and a great believer in these exercises. I have no way of proving how much their daily practice had to do with my recovery, but I do know that they have given me a new outlook and renewed vitality.”
– Geoff Pike (From “The Power of Qi”).
_______________________________________
The literature on cancer research abounds with studies related to the effects, impact, or implications of hypoxia (oxygen deficiency) and cancer. Research has documented that tumors result in hypoxic areas, due to growth distancing tumor cells from the surrounding capillaries (5,6). Solid tumors often have large areas of acute and chronic hypoxia, which is associated with aggressive tumor expansion and poor outcomes for radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Re-oxygenation is an important aspect of tumor therapy and positive response to therapy (5). Metarobic theory suggests that enhanced blood diffusion may decrease levels of hypoxia around tumor sites, and increase oxygen levels in hypoxic areas.
For more research, including research on Tai Chi, see: “Tai Chi Therapy: The Science of Metarobics,” available on Amazon.com. To order the book, click the above links, or click HERE.
References
1. Pederson PL. Warburg, me and hexokinase 2: multiple discoveries of key molecular events underlying one of cancers’ most common phenotypes, the “Warburg effect”. i.e. Elevated glycolysis in the presence of oxygen. Journal of Bioenergetics and Biomembranes 2007;39:211-222.
2. Maleki T, Cao N, Song S, Kao C, Ko SC, Ziaie B. An ultrasonically-powered implantable micro oxygen generator (IMOG). IEEE Transactions Biomedical Engineering Journal; 2011; 58(11): 3104-3111.
3. Benito J, Shi Y, Szymanska B, Carol H, Boehm I, et al. (2011) Pronounced Hypoxia in Models of Murine and Human Leukemia: High Efficacy of Hypoxia-Activated Prodrug PR-104. PLoS ONE 6(8): e23108. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0023108
4. Wilson WR1, Hay MP. Targeting hypoxia in cancer therapy. Nat Rev Cancer. 2011 Jun;11(6):393-410. doi: 10.1038/nrc3064
5. Brahimi-Horn MC, Chiche J, Pouyssegur J. Hypoxia and cancer. Journal of Molecular Medicine; 2007; 85:1301-1307
6. Xue M, Kong, FM, Yu, J. Implementation of hypoxia measurement into lung cancer therapy. Lung Cancer;2012; 75: 146-150.
During my research, I came across the works of Nobel Prize winner Otto Warburg (1). He found that among the primary types of cancer, affecting over 70% of cancer patients, oxygen restriction seemed to play a critical role. He observed that cancer grew in areas deprived of oxygen, documenting that tumor cells develop a modified sugar based metabolism (glycolysis), rather than oxygen based metabolism, with hypoxic (oxygen deficient) areas surrounding the tumor site. It is not known why cancer cells do this, but current research is offering support that beneficial effects occur from boosting oxygen levels around tumors, which may permit more efficient delivery of chemotherapy and the body’s own healing agents.
___________________________________
Tai Chi and Qi Gong Helped Me Battle Lymphoma
Helen Liu had a rare and aggressive form of lymphoma. Chemotherapy failed to eliminate the cancer, and her doctor felt she had only about two weeks left to live. Her father, a famous Kung Fu master (Liang Shou-yu) began Helen on an intensive practice of Qi Gong, Tai Chi, meditation, and alternative forms of Chinese and Western medicine. Helen states: “I was more relaxed, and I was doing Qi Gong and Tai Chi with my dad every day. We’d go out and do all kinds of Qi Gong because it’s good for you to stay outside and get a lot of oxygen. That’s supposed to kill cancer cells.” With all the practices she engaged in, it would be hard to single out Tai Chi and Qi Gong, but for a long time it was a focus of her practice, and is still a regular part of her life 17 years later.
(From Martha Burr, Kung Fu Tai Chi Magazine).
___________________________________________________
Part of this research is the work being done at the Birck Nanotechnology Center at Purdue University (2). Dr. Maleki and colleagues developed a device based on the idea of enhancing tumor oxygenation. The team created an ultrasonically powered micro oxygen generator (IMOG) which can be implanted at the site of the tumor. The IMOG device generates oxygen at the site of the tumor, boosting the cancer fighting power of radiation and chemotherapy. The IMOG device has been used with significant effects in pancreatic tumors in mice, generating oxygen and shrinking tumors faster than without the device.
That enhanced tumor oxygenation resulted in tumor shrinkage, even if only through assisting the effectiveness of radiation and chemotherapy, demonstrates promise for Tai Chi as a cancer preventive and cancer therapy adjunct (keeping in mind to use it in conjunction with prescribed therapies). It is possible that Tai Chi may generate a similar effect, by increasing blood oxygen saturation and diffusion, and maximizing the body’s own natural cancer fighting ability.
Other studies conducted at the University of Texas Anderson Cancer Center noted that the bone marrow microenvironment contains hypoxic areas which inhibit anti-leukemia drugs (3). Acute lympho-blastic leukemia cells result in marked expansion of hypoxic bone marrow areas, which results in chemoresistance. The authors noted that under conditions of normal oxygen saturation, effectiveness of various forms of chemotherapy was tied to oxygen level, and effectiveness dropped in direct relation to low oxygen levels. Researchers suggest that drugs which target hypoxia may help eliminate leukemia cells within hypoxic areas, and may significantly improve leukemia therapy.
Although Metarobic exercises may not have a target specific effect on lymphoblastic leukemia cells, benefits for cancer care reported in the case stories in this book, as well as theoretical elements related to enhanced blood oxygen saturation, diffusion and enhanced oxygen based metabolism, suggests that these exercises may have a general overall effect on the cancer fighting ability of the body, and may enhance chemo and radiation therapy, at least at a general level (also supported by the uniform reports of benefits for pain management reported by cancer and other patients who practice Tai Chi).
Indeed, it has been further noted that with the central role hypoxia plays in tumor development and resistance to therapy, that tumor hypoxia may be most valuable and most effective area to target in combating cancer (4). This suggests that exercises which focus on enhancing oxygen saturation and diffusion throughout the entire body may have at least some effect on combating cancer and other chronic conditions. Needless to say, this would need extensive research to validate and determine exact effects. Of the dozen people in the case stories in this book who reported significant benefits during their cancer treatment, it must be asked, if you had 100 patients with the same form of cancer, who all practiced specific user friendly forms of Tai Chi, Qi Gong or other Metarobic exercises (and addressing dosage, in the form of frequency and duration of practice), what percentage would benefit and to what degree?
_______________________________
The Amazing Results of Qi Gong
“Five years ago, I was found to have cancer. I had a tumor on my larynx and throughout the five weeks of super-voltage radiation, I practiced The Eight Precious Sets of Exercises known to the Chinese as Ba Duan Jin. This was not only a great source of physical and mental wellbeing, but it produced tangible and somewhat amazing results. Exposure to intense radiation is expected to have its negative side effects…weight loss, loss of appetite, loss of sleep and a general downturn in spirit are the most typical. I am glad to say that at no time did I experience any of these. Even case hardened doctors and nurses were impressed and asked me to demonstrate the Precious Set of Eight. Today at 50 I am fit, healthy and a great believer in these exercises. I have no way of proving how much their daily practice had to do with my recovery, but I do know that they have given me a new outlook and renewed vitality.”
– Geoff Pike (From “The Power of Qi”).
_______________________________________
The literature on cancer research abounds with studies related to the effects, impact, or implications of hypoxia (oxygen deficiency) and cancer. Research has documented that tumors result in hypoxic areas, due to growth distancing tumor cells from the surrounding capillaries (5,6). Solid tumors often have large areas of acute and chronic hypoxia, which is associated with aggressive tumor expansion and poor outcomes for radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Re-oxygenation is an important aspect of tumor therapy and positive response to therapy (5). Metarobic theory suggests that enhanced blood diffusion may decrease levels of hypoxia around tumor sites, and increase oxygen levels in hypoxic areas.
For more research, including research on Tai Chi, see: “Tai Chi Therapy: The Science of Metarobics,” available on Amazon.com. To order the book, click the above links, or click HERE.
References
1. Pederson PL. Warburg, me and hexokinase 2: multiple discoveries of key molecular events underlying one of cancers’ most common phenotypes, the “Warburg effect”. i.e. Elevated glycolysis in the presence of oxygen. Journal of Bioenergetics and Biomembranes 2007;39:211-222.
2. Maleki T, Cao N, Song S, Kao C, Ko SC, Ziaie B. An ultrasonically-powered implantable micro oxygen generator (IMOG). IEEE Transactions Biomedical Engineering Journal; 2011; 58(11): 3104-3111.
3. Benito J, Shi Y, Szymanska B, Carol H, Boehm I, et al. (2011) Pronounced Hypoxia in Models of Murine and Human Leukemia: High Efficacy of Hypoxia-Activated Prodrug PR-104. PLoS ONE 6(8): e23108. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0023108
4. Wilson WR1, Hay MP. Targeting hypoxia in cancer therapy. Nat Rev Cancer. 2011 Jun;11(6):393-410. doi: 10.1038/nrc3064
5. Brahimi-Horn MC, Chiche J, Pouyssegur J. Hypoxia and cancer. Journal of Molecular Medicine; 2007; 85:1301-1307
6. Xue M, Kong, FM, Yu, J. Implementation of hypoxia measurement into lung cancer therapy. Lung Cancer;2012; 75: 146-150.
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