Cervical cancer cells
My 21-year-old daughter is being monitored for cancerous changes to the cells in her cervix. A second colposcopy examination will confirm whether the situation has deteriorated - in which case, she will have to have a section removed. Can you advise on any supplements that might help?
An estimated 80% of all women are infected by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), within four years of becoming sexually active and while only some strains of this virus have been linked with cervical cancer, 90% of all cervical carcinomas are now believed to be caused by it.
Controlled clinical trials are underway in London testing the efficacy of a natural treatment combining folic acid with a little-known Asian mushroom supplement called Coriolus versicolor.
The theory, as yet unproven, is that this combination may not only help prevent cancerous changes to the cells of the cervix, it could even reverse them. As ever with such early trials, it follows highly encouraging preliminary findings, which, suggest these two remedies will work to trigger the body’s own immune system to eradicate the HPV.
Folic acid, of course, is better known as the supplement pregnant women take to help prevent neural tube defects in the developing embryo. It is present in foods, including broccoli, beans and meat, but in this natural form, it is 40% less bioavailable than when sourced from supplements.
The typical therapeutic dosage is 400mcg (micrograms) a day. You can mail order both Lamberts’ Folic Acid (£3.75 for 100 tablets) and JHS Coriolus (£49.95 for 60 capsules) from the Nutri Centre (0800-587 2290) but I want to stress, your daughter must go back for her second colposcopy and only use these remedies as an adjunct to conventional treatment.