Spring 2012, Vol. 7 Issue 1

Alpha-Lipoic Acid Plus Low-Dose Naltrexone Reviewed for Cancer Treatment

NCI staff and invited guests listen to Drs. Berkson and Donahue discuss their research and treatments.

A panel of researchers and clinicians was convened by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) on March 19, 2012 for presentations and a roundtable discussion about “The State of the Science of Alpha-Lipoic Acid plus Low-Dose Naltrexone for the Treatment of Cancer.” The meeting was hosted by the NCI Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine (OCCAM) and the Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP), both part of the NCI Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis (DCTD).

The meeting provided an opportunity for NCI staff and outside experts to review and discuss case reports from Dr. Burton M. Berkson, an integrative medicine physician and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, and Adjunct Professor at New Mexico State University. Dr. Berkson presented on his experience treating patients with alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) plus low-dose naltrexone (LDN) for various cancers and autoimmune diseases. The group also heard from Dr. Renee N. Donahue, Research Fellow in the Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology at the NCI Center for Cancer Research, about her pre-clinical research on the efficacy and proposed mechanism of action of LDN for the treatment of cancer. Read More…

NCI CAM News is produced by the Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine (OCCAM). The Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine (OCCAM) was established in October 1998 to coordinate and support the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) activities related to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). OCCAM also serves as a focal point for NCI’s collaboration with other governmental and non-governmental organizations on cancer CAM issues.

For inquiries on CAM and cancer, call 1-800-4-CANCER or visit cam.cancer.gov.