Sayer Ji – A new medical model is fast emerging in line with ancient wisdom: one that aims to strike to the root cause of disease and resolve it permanently, and which some call “functional medicine.” In cancer treatment, this highly rational approach involves targeting the cancer stem cells (CSCs) at the root of cancer malignancy. Because we now know that CSCs are resistant to chemotherapy and radiation treatment, and may even increase in number and invasiveness when exposed to these outdated therapies, it is no longer ethical to continue with the conventional oncologist’s “standard of care.” Clearly, unless a cancer treatment is capable of selectively killing and/or inducing suicide programs (apoptosis) within cancer cells without harming non-cancerous cells, it is not going to produce a cure.

In light of this, we are excited to report on a review published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences titled, “Phytochemicals as Innovative Therapeutic Tools against Cancer Stem Cells,” which evaluated the evidence for what natural compounds within various foods and spices make for the most compelling treatments for targeting CSCs. (Download the review here.) Continue reading →