Natural supplements can be a helpful addition to cancer therapy. For example, they can act as supportive agents that make tumor cells more sensitive to chemotherapy drug, a process known as chemosensitization. Integrating therapies through a scientific approach may lead to substantially improved results. I’ve created a visual guide highlighting synergistic interactions, key pathways, and processes between various compounds. These represent some of the most effective natural substances and repurposed drugs that impair cancer growth and metastatic potential through multiple mechanisms. However, while many compounds demonstrate potent anti-cancer effects in laboratory settings or animal models, they often prove ineffective due to poor bioavailability, unreliable because of hormesis, or even unsafe because of the difficulty in dosing. Understanding these hurdles is key to evaluating complementary treatments. Synergistic combinations could potentially overcome these limitations. This is the core focus of this blog. That said, a critical point to highlight is that supplements, herbs, and repurposed drugs can interfere with cancer treatments. Always consult your healthcare provider or oncologist before taking supplements, as they can interfere with treatment efficacy, increase bleeding, or cause immune impairment from high doses, and therefore should be avoided during active cancer treatment, unless otherwise directed by a licensed medical professional. Refer to the 'Safe Use' page for more critical safety information.
- Artemisinin 🛈 ⓟ🟥CT FER ST3 HIF → ↓ DHA docosahexaenoic acid 🛈 ST3 FER
- → Citric acid 🛈 Gi RL RA → Melatonin 🛈 E⏷ ↘ → Shikonin 🛈 Ⓟ → Myricetin 🛈 Ⓟ
- → Honokiol 🛈 LDHAi RMDR → Orlistat 🟪 FAS FER → EGCg 🛈 FAS AA → IP6 *🛈🟩
- → LD Metformin 🟪 → ↓ Shikonin 🛈 → Luteolin ↑ 🛈 FER ↗ → ↖ Curcumin 🛈
- → Ivermectin 🟪 β-CAT ↑
- → ↓ Diclofenac 🟪 Ⓟ MCT1/4 → D-limonene 🛈 p53 Bcl2
- → ↓ Caffeine → Piperlongumine 🛈 ↓
- → Curcumin → Andrographis 🛈 → Melatonin ↓
- → Apigenin 🛈 → Curcumin 🛈 → Thymoquinone 🛈 AA HIF
- → Baicalein 🛈 HIF AA ST3 hsp90 → Silibinin 🛈 ↑ Jak2 β-CAT
- → Oroxylin-A Gi → Chrysin 🛈 ↑ HK2
- → γ-Tocotrienol HIF ST3
- → Aspirin 🟪 Bcl2 FAS ↑→Vitamin D 🛈 → Lactoferrin RA
- → Phenylbutyrate ↓ 🟪 Ⓟ ↑ RA
- → Mebendazole 🟪 → Melatonin 🛈 E⏷
- → Modified Citrus Pectin 🛈 G3 → Ursolic acid 🛈 FAS E⏷→ Luteolin ↓ ST3
- → Magnolol 🛈 β-CAT + Ai 🛈 ↗ Piperine ↑10x → Curcumin↑→ I3C 🛈 * E⏷
- → ↓ Curcumin 🛈 ↓ RMDR → Luteolin 🛈 TGF-β → Silibinin 🛈
- → Butyrate 🛈 CT → DHA ↓ docosahexaenoic acid 🛈
- → Aspirin 🟪 PDK
- → Piperlongumine 🛈 CT FER ST3 → Sanguinarine 🛈 → Berberine 🛈 → Caffeine
- → Allicin 🛈 FER RMDR → Ginger/6-Shogaol 🛈 ICD NO▼ → Anthocyanin 🛈 AM▼
- + HDACi 🛈 → Melatonin 🛈 → Curcumin ↓ → Cannabidiol 🛈 → Magnolol
- → Rosmarinic acid 🛈
- → Ivermectin 🟪 P-gp β-CAT
- → Ursolic acid 🛈 FAS E⏷
- → 1:2 Resveratrol 🛈 nrf2▲!
- → ↓ Apigenin 🛈 CCAA ↓ → Salvia miltiorrhiza 🛈 FER → ↓ Astragalus 🛈 T ˃
- Curcumin 🛈 ST3 G3 MT → Emodin → Celecoxib 🟪 COX-2 → Luteolin 🛈 → Apigenin 🛈
- → 2:3 Docosahexaenoic acid 🛈 → Butyrate 🛈 → Citric acid🛈 Gi RL RA → Graviola 🛈
- → Melatonin → Andrographis 🛈
- → Gallic acid 🛈 FER → Chlorogenic acid 🛈
- → Taurine RA ↓
- ⇒ EGCg ↓ +24h ♻ 🛈 FAS Bcl2 → Quercetin → Grapeseed extract 🛈 AA E⏷ → P. linteus
- → ↓ Honokiol 🛈 CSC
- → Baicalin 🛈 → Magnolol 🛈 Ⓟ
- → ↓ Luteolin 🛈 nrf2▼ TGFβi → Celecoxib 🟪 nrf2▲ → Berbamine 🛈 ST3
- → Curcumin ↑ → Chrysin HIF → Silibinin 🛈
- → IP6 & Inositol 🛈
- → Ginger / 6-Shogaol 🛈 AM▼ → Licorice → Boswellia CCAA Ⓟ
- → Chlorogenic acid 🛈 RAS → Theobromine 🛈 Ⓟ AA E⏷
- → Cinnamon RA
- →↓ Thymoquinone 🛈 AA HIF NFi
- →↓ Silibinin 🛈 → Baicalein 🛈 HIF AA ST3 → Salvia miltiorrhiza 🛈 AM▼
- → Nigella Sativa ↓ ↓ Thymoquinone 🛈 AA HIF NFi → Emodin
- → Vitamin C 🛈 HIF LDHAi → Vitamin K2 🛈 E⏷* ↑
- → Bicarbonate 🛈 LDHAi
- → Magnesium RL
- → Juglone CCAA → Selenium (selenite)
- → Vitamin K3
- → Quercetin 🛈 → Piperlongumine
- → Thymoquinone Bcl2/BAX
- → Ashwagandha/Withaferin A 🛈 → CAPE/Propolis 🛈
- → ↓ Vitamin D 🛈 → Lactoferrin RA → Linolenic acid 🛈
- → Sulforaphane 🛈 HIF ST5 nrf2▲! ↑ → Dihydrocaffeic Acid
- → Galangal → Tulsi → Piper nigrum
- → ↓ Berberine 🛈 MT CT HIF RMDR → Zinc
- → Oligomeric proanthocyanidins
- → Garcinol 🛈
- → Lactoferrin
- → Carnosic acid↓ → Fisetin 🛈 → Quercetin → Caffeic acid → Coumaric acid 🛈
- Mistletoe AA → Chaga 🛈 → Rosmarinic acid 🛈 RMDR EGFR → Cinnamon RA → Berberine
Explanation of symbols & colors
→ anticancer synergy with Artemisinin
→ ↑ ↘ ↗ additive or synergistic anticancer effect (at a minimum, evidence from preclinical studies) ⇒ sequential
→ ferroptosis
→ combination may offer hepatoprotective effects
→ likely to be a good anticancer combination (mechanistically, or closely related to similar synergies)
→ offset IL-8 upregulation
🟥 ROS Classification of Natural Compounds in Cancer Therapy
🟪 I've included a few non-oncology drugs that could enhance their anti-cancer action if combined with specific supplements. Repurposing non-oncology drugs is a promising approach to enhancing cancer therapy.
Ⓟ Link to blog or forum post
🛈 Information about the substance
LD: Low dose
See Key Pathways and Processes below
Enhancing Absorption and Bioavailability
Consuming fat-soluble supplements alongside dietary fats, such as ghee or coconut oil, can enhance their absorption and utilization in the body. The ideal dosage for the compounds discussed in this blog is uncertain and would vary based on the type of cancer, the specific target, and the individual patient's response to the treatment.
Timing: Optimizing Supplement Intake for Enhanced Efficacy
It might be beneficial to take anticancer supplements late at night and to include a time during the night in your supplementation schedule, e.g., 3AM "study suggests that nighttime is the right time for cancer to grow and spread in the body and that administering certain treatments in time with the body's day-night cycle could boost their efficiency" {ref|ref}.
Synergistic Combinations
A natural substance may show potential against cancer. Still, its effectiveness is often limited by the need for excessively high concentrations to achieve significant benefits (in vitro concentrations not achievable in vivo). However, if synergies exist, those same substances may become significantly more effective at lower concentrations. Such combinations of nutraceuticals can also be used to overcome drug resistance or to sensitize cancer cells to therapeutic agents. While some combinations work through additive rather than truly synergistic mechanisms, they deliver meaningful therapeutic benefits through multi-pathway targeting.
Citric acid-mediated ferroptosis strategy
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| Click to expand the diagram |
For more information on this ferroptosis model, please refer to the forum post.
Key Pathways and Processes
| Code | Description | Code | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICD | Immunogenic cell death | ST3 | STAT3 inhibition |
| Gi | Inhibitor of glycolysis | ST5 | STAT5 inhibition |
| CT | Cytotoxic | PDK | PDK inhibition |
| RMDR | Reversing/sensitizing multidrug resistance | RA | Reduces ammonia |
| MT | Multiple targets | HDACi | HDAC inhibition |
| CCAA | Cell cycle arrest and apoptosis | MiR | Modulate immune response |
| FAS | Fatty acid synthase inhibition | E⏷ | Reduces estrogen |
| AA | Anti-angiogenic | RAS | Reducing Ras activity |
| EGFR | Epidermal growth factor receptor Inhibition | TGFβi | Inhibition of TGF-β |
| LR | Lactate reduction | LDHAi | Inhibition of LDHA |
| FER | Ferroptosis induction, avoid co-administration of FER inhibitors: Vitamin K, and other substances. * don't use in a ferroptosis strategy | NK | Stimulates the production of NK cells |
| AMPK | AMPK activator | G3 | Galectin 3 inhibition: MCP, curcumin, spiraeoside (red onions), QiShenYiQi, formic acid (apples, strawberries, raspberries, honey, nettles) |
| COX-2 | COX-2 inhibitor | T | Activation of T cells |
| AI | Anti-inflammatory | β-CAT | Inhibition of β-catenin protein |
| FAK | Focal adhesion kinase downregulation | hsp90 | Inhibition of HSP90 |
| SERM | Selective estrogen receptor modulator | Jak2 | JAK2 inhibition |
| HIF | Hypoxia-inducible factor inhibition drug resistance▼ | nrf2 | Nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor. The transcription factor NRF2 exhibits a dual role in cancer. Its impact can vary depending on conditions such as cancer stage, cancer type, mutations, and cancer therapy. |
| AM ▼▲ | Autophagy modulation | E! | Caution in hormonal cancers |
| NO▼ | Nitric Oxide | EMT | Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Inhibition |
| ROSI | Reduces oxidative stress and inflammation | TGF-β | TGF-β inhibition |
| NFi | NF-κβ inhibition | TMA | Target the metabolic adaptability of cancer cells |
⚠️Safe and responsible use of natural supplements and repurposed medications
Supplements should only be taken under the supervision of your healthcare provider or oncologist. Supplements or herbal preparations shouldn't be combined with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, or any other cancer treatment unless the safety and efficacy of such combinations are established. It's vital to ensure that any additions to the standard treatment further improve its effectiveness.
Drug interactions
Always verify potential interactions between your supplements and any medications you are taking. Be aware of how different nutrients interact with each other. Some supplements enhance the absorption of other nutrients, while others may compete. Supplements, herbs, and repurposed drugs can interfere with cancer treatments. Supplements may reduce treatment efficacy, increase bleeding, or cause immune impairment from high doses, and should be avoided during active cancer treatment unless recommended by a doctor.
For informational and research purposes only, none of my writing should be considered medical advice.
Moved Piperlongumine back to #1 since it's now available as a supplement and should be a good combination with Artemisinin because of overlapping anti-cancer mechanisms (CT,FER,ST3). A good spot right under curcumin.
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