Determining the best way of treating cancer remains highly controversial, even among mainstream
oncologists. What may surprise the reader is the large number of documented therapies that have been
overlooked by establishment medicine.

The fundamental objective of this book is to encourage the expedient transfer of published scientific
findings from the research bench to the clinical setting where the patient may benefit. This is the concept
of translational medicine, which means translating knowledge from the laboratory side of medicine to the
front lines of patient care.

Physicians who practice translational medicine react uniquely when informed about a novel therapy. Their curiosity first motivates them to evaluate the new approach in order to reaffirm safety and efficacy in the context of treatment that is appropriate to the patient's condition. The dedicated translational physician uses novel therapeutics based on:

• That which has been established to be effective,
• That which has a good chance of being effective, and
• That which will do no harm or, in the context of the patient's condition, that which is worth taking an appropriate risk.

Once satisfied that a novel therapy has merit, enlightened physicians then integrate this new finding into individual treatment regimens. These physicians, in essence, are translating the results from promising studies directly into life-saving treatments.

As simple as this approach may seem, few physicians practice translational medicine. For instance, the scientific literature documents that if a cancer patient is anemic, the odds of survival are greatly reduced. Regrettably, few oncologists are aggressive in their evaluation and treatment of anemia in everyday practice even though anemia directly correlates with increased mortality.

Oncologists learn about new discoveries at scientific conferences, in medical journals, and on the Internet. Only a fraction of these doctors, however, translate this knowledge into enhanced treatments that would benefit their patients. In fact, many of the outstanding established medical advances are not utilized routinely by large numbers of physicians treating cancer patients.

The lay public is often surprised to learn how seldom breakthrough discoveries are used to save human lives. The facts are that managed care and bureaucratic overregulation have relegated most oncologists to the practice of assembly line medicine. Sadly, in the most advanced medical system in the world today, we have seen a move away from translational medicine and into "fast-food medicine" or, as some would call it, "McMedicine. " In this book, we emphasize the need for physicians to return to real medicine and apply what they have learned, making translational medicine a cornerstone of their treatment philosophy so that medical care can evolve.

It is difficult for most cancer patients to locate an oncologist who routinely translates new findings into clinical practice. This protocol reveals overlooked conventional research findings in order to provide the patient and their oncologist with the latest scientific information.

Cancer patients should become educated about the treatment options discussed in this protocol, so they can better discuss them with their oncologist. The objective is to include as many different therapies as is practical and affordable. Cancer is an extremely difficult disease to treat, and a multimodality therapy is therefore highly recommended.

Once you understand how many therapy options already exist in the conventional setting, you should feel more confident of a positive long-term outcome.

In this protocol, we discuss the following eight critical steps that may significantly improve a successful outcome when considered in the treatment of most cancers:

• Evaluating the molecular biology of the tumor cell population
• Analyzing the patient's living tumor cells to determine sensitivity or resistance to chemotherapy
• Protecting against anemia
• Inhibiting the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzyme
• Suppressing r R as oncogene expression
• Correcting coagulation abnormalities
• Maintaining bone integrity
• Inhibiting angiogenesis