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Dr. James Belanger uses a variety of complementary or naturopathic medicines to treat people with virtually every kind of cancer. A cancer survivor himself, Dr. Belanger has over 11 years of experience treating hundreds of people with all types of cancers and has spent countless hours sorting through the research on many cancer therapies (both conventional and natural).
His approach is unique, innovative and comprehensive. Utilizing his former background in laboratory medicine, Dr. Belanger frequently orders specialized blood tests which are supported by scientific research to identify cancer growth factors and immune imbalances in his patients. He then uses this information to construct an individualized treatment plan selecting various herbal and nutritional medicines with the help of laboratory tests to target elevated growth factors and immmune imbalances that he sees in the blood. He uses peer-reviewed animal and human studies obtained at the National Institute of Health’s website (www.pubmed.gov) and his clinical experience to select the herbs, vitamins and/or minerals and always considers drug interactions for those patients on chemotherapy. In his experience, patients in remission often remain in remission when the growth factor tests and immune system tests remain normal and patients with radiological evidence of cancer, stabilize or have some if not, complete regression.
Dr. Belanger continues to monitor patients’ blood for growth factors and immune imbalances approximately every 3 months to make sure resistance isn’t developing to either the naturopathic and/or conventional therapies. In many instances, the labs may change before CT/PET or MRI ’s show increased growth. By checking the lab tests frequently, Dr. Belanger makes changes to his treatment plan to help prevent any radiological signs of a recurrence or tumor progression.
Some of the blood tests Dr. Belanger recommends include:
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- Interleukin-8, serum
- MCP-1, serum
- Interleukin-6, serum
- Interleukin-1 beta, serum
- MIP-1, serum
- TNF-alpha, serum
- TGF-1, platelet poor plasma
- Thrombin-Antithrombin Complexes
- MMP-9, serum
- Serum VEGF w/ a concurrent platelet count
- Fibrinogen
- D-dimer
- T-cell activation profile
- Interleukin-12, serum
- PHA response test
- NK cell functional assay
- Insulin, serum
- IGF-1
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Interleukin-8 (IL8) is a substance produced by cancer cells to help them break down surrounding tissue so the cancer cells can get to a nearby blood vessel and spread. IL8 also causes blood vessels to migrate towards cancer cells and the infiltration of tumors with neutrophils, a type of white blood cell. MCP-1 is a protein produced by cancer cells to attract a white blood cell called a macrophage to the tumor. Macrophages and neutrophils release a collection of substances such as interleukin-6, interleukin-1 beta, MIP-1, TNF-alpha and TGF-beta 1. These can promote more blood vessel growth and metastasis while suppressing white blood cells, such as cytotoxic T-cells and natural killer cells, which reject tumors. In addition, these substances can activate the clotting cascade in the body. Activation of the clotting cascade causes platelets and a protein called fibrin to accumulate in tumors. Platelets and fibrin help tumors make more blood vessels. Platelets, in fact, are sources of many known blood vessel growth factors: VEGF, TGF, FGF, PDGF and angiopoietin. In simple terms, microscopic cancer cells send out signals to attract “team players”. Together, the cancer cells and it’s “team” build a “castle around themselves” (fibrin) and release other signals to keep out immune cells that will harm it. While in this process, the cancer cells and it’s “team” build “roads” (i.e blood vessels and lymph vessels) so they can travel and repeat this process elsewhere in the body.
There are many natural medicines which can prevent this cascade of reactions. Some of the natural medicines Dr. Belanger uses include curcumin, theaflavin, bilberry, andrographis, pancreatic enzymes, resveratrol, quercetin, stinging nettles leaf, Dan Shen, garlic, genistein, lumbrokinase, ginkgo, eleutherococcus, lactoferrin, AHCC, berberine and IP6. The supplemental protocol will vary from person to person and will change periodically based on the laboratory tests. After years of testing, Dr. Belanger has determined which nutritional supplements work best at correcting each growth factor and immune parameter and what doses are most effective. He tests for every supplement he recommends so he can track its effect and determine if, for example, it is really increasing one’s natural killer cell activity.
Dr. Belanger is not opposed to conventional medicines and works frequently with oncologists in Massachusetts , Connecticut and New Hampshire . He feels that conventional medicines have their place, but also recognizes their limitations. Various targeted drugs, for example, such as avastin or erbitux, are very effective at blocking certain cancer growth factors, but they do not address the large variety of growth factors utilized by cancer cells. Natural medicines combined with targeting therapies can address a larger variety of growth factors and immune imbalances for a more complete and comprehensive effect. Chemotherapy and radiation kill cancer cells directly, but cancer cells often gain resistance. Natural medicines in addition to chemotherapy and/or radiation, can prevent many resistance mechanisms from being acquired
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Lexington MA, 02421
