Research Discredits Italian Cancer ‘Cure’
An alternative form of cancer therapy that became so popular in Italy that the government began paying for it is actually worthless, researchers announced Nov. 15. Known as Di Bella Multitherapy, the treatment was conceived by Dr. Luigi Di Bella of Modena, Italy, who is now 85. Over the course of two decades, Di Bella has included nearly 100 chemicals in the formula at one time or another, but the current regimen features 10, including somatostatin, melatonin, bromocriptin, beta-carotene, vitamin D and ascorbic acid. Despite Di Bella’s efforts, the therapy has not made significant inroads in North America.
Di Bella has claimed that the treatment, which costs $5,000 a month, is 100% effective against all types of cancer. He has repeatedly claimed that pharmaceutical companies are suppressing his treatment to protect their profits.
Two separate groups of Italian researchers report their findings in today’s edition of Cancer. One group used historical records to track some of Di Bella’s patients. They found that, on average, those who took Di Bella Multitherapy either alone or in conjunction with conventional therapy survived only half as long as those who received only conventional cancer therapy.
A second team performed a clinical trial on Di Bella Multitherapy and found that less than 1% of patients showed any response to the treatment, and none showed a significant response. The Italian government no longer pays for the therapy.
Irritable Bowel Drug Passes Key Hurdle
A Food and Drug Administration advisory committee on Tuesday recommended approval of the first drug designed to treat irritable bowel syndrome. The FDA usually follows the recommendation of such committees and should make a decision within the next two months.
Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a term that covers a broad variety of symptoms for which there is no obvious explanation, including diarrhea, abdominal pain and constipation. The disorder is often called spastic colon, spastic bowel or functional bowel disease, and is thought to affect as many as 20 million Americans. Some researchers believe that people with IBS have nerves in the lining of their colons that are sensitive to bowel contractions and the passage of gas and fluid, triggering spasms and pain.
The new drug, called Lotronex, is designed to block the receptors that receive messages in these nerves. In clinical trials with 1,273 female IBS patients with diarrhea, the majority of those receiving the drug reported pain relief within two to four weeks of beginning therapy. The primary side effects were constipation, headache and nausea.
Adenosine May Lessen Heart Attack Damage
Administering adenosine--a nucleoside that is a major component of DNA--during treatment for a heart attack can substantially reduce damage to the heart, according to researchers from Duke University. Opening up a blocked artery that caused a heart attack using clot-busting drugs such as tPA can be life-saving, but the sudden rush of fresh blood into the area of the heart previously cut off from nutrients can cause damage, a phenomenon called reperfusion injury. Adenosine can apparently block such injury.
Dr. Kenneth W. Mahaffey and his Duke colleagues studied 236 heart attack patients who received clot-dissolving drugs. Half received adenosine within six hours of their heart attack, while the rest received a placebo.
Mahaffey reported in the Nov. 15 Journal of the American College of Cardiology that patients who received adenosine suffered 33% less damage to their hearts. The protection was particularly impressive when the attack involved the anterior--or front--part of the heart.
Olive Oil, Veggies May Shield Against Arthritis
Cooked vegetables and olive oil protect against rheumatoid arthritis, according to Greek researchers. Researchers from the University of Athens Medical School studied the links between diet and the disease in a southern Mediterranean population, which normally eats a diet high in cooked and raw vegetables, olive oil and fish oil.
The team reports in today’s American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that people who had the lowest consumption of olive oil had 2 1/2 times the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis as people with the highest consumption. Furthermore, those who ate the highest amount of cooked vegetables had a 75% lower risk of developing the disease. Researchers believe the olive oil somehow moderates the immune response.
Tests Find Wrist Gauge for Diabetics Accurate
A wristwatch-like device called the GlucoWatch provides accurate measurement of blood glucose levels for diabetics, according to a study in Wednesday’s Journal of the American Medical Assn. The device uses a technique called iontophoresis, in which a low-level electrical current is passed through the skin. The electrical field that’s generated causes glucose to leak through the skin to the surface, where its concentration can be measured.
Researchers from Cygnus Inc. in Redwood City, Calif., studied 92 insulin-requiring patients with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Blood sugar levels were measured twice an hour using conventional pin-prick techniques. The levels were also measured three times an hour with the Cygnus device.
The team found that the device gave an accurate reading of glucose levels and that the frequency of measurements should help users maintain tight control of blood glucose levels. An FDA advisory committee is scheduled to discuss the device Dec. 6. More information is available at https://www.cygn.com.
FDA Warns Against HIV Tests Sold Via Web
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cautioned Wednesday that many kits used for home testing for HIV infection are inaccurate and users are risking their lives. Only one kit for at-home use has been approved, manufactured by Home Access Health Corp. Users take their blood sample at home and send it to a laboratory for testing.
The FDA said several other companies have been offering kits, often over the Internet, which promise results within 15 minutes. The agency said the kits do not give accurate results and should not be used. A spokesman for the FDA said it ordered several kits anonymously and had an HIV expert test them on blood samples known to contain the virus. All the kits indicated that no virus was present.
Medical writer Thomas H. Maugh II can be reached at thomas.maugh@latimes.com.
