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The Eggplant Cancer Cure

A Treatment for Skin Cancer and
New Hope for Other Cancers
From Natures Pharmacy

by Dr. Bill E. Cham, Ph.D.
$24.95 - 132 pages, hardcover

• Table of Contents
• Previous Section - Prologue
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CHAPTER 1:

Introduction

The inspiration of the “Mutilated Man,” in part, has guided me to present this book that describes results of over a quarter of a century’s research.

The main theme is focused on the execution of research that meets the world standard for producing a drug for a specific indication. In this case the indications were actinic keratoses and true malignant non melanoma skin cancers, basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

The fruit of the Devil’s Apple plant (Solanum linnaeanum) has long been suspected in stockman’s folklore as a treatment of eye cancer in Hereford cattle. It was this folklore that brought the plant to my attention.

I then set out to identify the possible active compounds of the plant. My discoveries led to the patenting of a purified glycoalkaloid mixture which is now known as BEC. I subsequently established that BEC was also present in edible fruit such as the eggplant or aubergine (Solanum melongena).

Eggplants are members of the Solanaceae (Night shade) family, classing them as relatives to tomato, green pepper and tobacco. The species name melongena means “soothing mad apple”, as it once had a reputation, wrongly so, of inducing insanity. It has been reported that eating eggplant lowers blood cholesterol, helps counteract detrimental blood effects of fatty foods and clears toxic heat from the body. Eggplant is used to relieve pain, hypertension, stomach ulcers, colitis, constipation, bleeding hemorrhoids, swellings, and tumours. Eggplant is reported to have an adverse effect on people suffering with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. No controlled studies have been done to substantiate the above claims of the eggplant.

This book is the first to describe, substantiated by many years of studies, that the eggplant contains solasodine glycosides that are now used for the treatment of skin cancers.

Twenty five years of basic research, pre-clinical research and clinical research have established that BEC, at lower concentrations than is present in the eggplant, in a cream formulation now available to the public known as Curaderm BEC5, is effective for treating non melanoma skin cancers. The glycoalkaloids in BEC are currently undergoing clinical trials in humans suffering from terminal internal cancers.

The objective of this book is to describe the scientific development of an anticancer drug that is extracted from an edible fruit, the eggplant.

In this book the words cancer cure has the medical definition of “a cancer is considered to be cured if it disappears and does not recur within five years.” As you will read, patients were made healthy again by the eggplant treatment and were followed-up for over a decade after they were healed of their cancer and there were no recurrences.

When reading this book you will appreciate that no experimental short cuts were taken and the development of Curaderm BEC5 followed the necessary stringent pathways and time requirements which are essential before any new drug, natural or synthetic, can be safely marketed for certain indications.

This communication briefly describes in summarized form only, the essence of the 25 years of investigations. For more elaborate published scientific information please see the bibliography section in this book.

The photographic figures of treated lesions have not been modified or tampered with. They are all original.

Before the research and new treatments are described, a guide to cancer in general and skin cancer in particular are presented.

Cancer

Cancer develops when cells in a part of the body begin to grow out of control. Although there are many kinds of cancer, they all start because of out-of-control growth of abnormal cells which develop into malignant growths or tumours.

Normal body cells grow, divide, and die in an orderly fashion. During the early years of life, normal cells divide more rapidly until adulthood. After that, cells in most parts of the body divide only to replace worn-out or dying cells and to repair injuries.

Because cancer cells continue to grow and divide, they are different from normal cells. Instead of dying, they outlive normal cells and continue to form new abnormal cells.

Cancer cells often travel to other parts of the body where they begin to grow and replace normal tissue. This process, called metastasis, occurs as the cancer cells get into the bloodstream or lymph vessels of our body.

Cancer cells develop because of damage to DNA. This substance is in every cell and directs all its activities. Most of the time when DNA becomes damaged the body is able to repair it. In cancer cells, the damaged DNA is not repaired. People can inherit damaged DNA, which accounts for inherited cancers. Many times though, a person’s DNA becomes damaged by exposure to something in the environment, like smoking or over-exposure of UV radiation.

Cancer usually forms as a tumour. Some cancers, like leukemia, do not form tumours. Instead, these cancer cells involve the blood and blood-forming organs, and circulate through other tissues where they grow.
Not all tumours are cancerous. Benign (noncancerous) tumours do not spread to other parts of the body (metastasize) and, with very rare exceptions, are not life-threatening.

Different types of cancer can behave very differently. For example, lung cancer and skin cancer are very different diseases. They grow at different rates and respond to different treatments. That is why people with cancer need treatment that is aimed at their particular kind of cancer.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. Half of all men and one-third of all women in the US will develop cancer during their lifetimes. Today, millions of people are living with cancer or have had cancer. The risk of developing most types of cancer can be reduced by changes in a person's lifestyle, for example, by quitting smoking, protecting against UV damage and eating a better diet. The sooner a cancer is found and treatment begins, the better are the chances for living for many years.

Lesions of the Skin

Actinic Keratosis and Other Precancers

A number of abnormal but relatively harmless skin growths constitute the early warning signs of skin cancer. These may be precancerous lesions, benign tumours that mask or mimic more serious ones, or malignant tumours that are at the moment just on the topmost layer of the skin. They are important to recognize, because they are a warning sign of potential skin cancer.

Precancerous Growths

Skin in a precancerous state is abnormal but not malignant. The term "precancerous" is used because these abnormal areas of skin are more likely to turn malignant than healthy skin. Precancerous growths are visible to the naked eye, and they look different from normal cells when they are examined under a microscope.

Early Cancer

When malignant changes occur to the skin, but haven't spread beyond the top layer of the skin, they are called early cancers, or cancers in situ. A barrier called the basement membrane helps delay invasion by malignant cells deeper into the skin.

Types of Precancer

Actinic Keratosis

Actinic keratosis (AK), also known as solar keratosis, is the result of prolonged exposure to sunlight. It is a small crusty, scaly or crumbly bump or horn that arises on the skin surface. The base may be light or dark, tan, pink, red, or a combination of these lesions or the same colour as your skin. The scale or crust is horny, dry, and rough, and is often recognized by touch rather than sight. Occasionally it itches or produces a pricking or tender sensation. It can also become inflamed and surrounded by redness. In rare instances, actinic keratoses can bleed.

The skin abnormality or lesion develops slowly and usually reaches a size from an eighth to a quarter of an inch (2mm to 4mm) but can sometimes be as large as one inch. Early on, it may disappear only to reappear later. It is not unusual to see several AKs at a time. AKs most likely appear on the face, lips, ears, scalp, neck, backs of the hands and forearms, shoulders and back — the parts of the body most often exposed to sunshine. The growths may be flat and pink or raised and rough.

Fig.1-1: Actinic Keratosis

Actinic Cheilitis

Actinic cheilitis is a type of actinic keratosis occurring on the lips. It causes them to become dry, cracked, scaly and pale or white. It mainly affects the lower lip, which typically receives more sun exposure than the upper lip.

Arsenical Keratosis

Far less common, arsenical keratosis is an accumulation of keratinized tissue that at first resembles numerous small, yellowish corns. These arise most often on the palms, soles, and inner surfaces of the finger and toes, and then enlarge and thicken, sometimes increasing in number. Although rarely seen today, arsenical keratoses usually occur on patients who were at some time in their lives exposed to arsenic, either contained in medication or from an industrial or environmental source.

Leukoplakia

Leukoplakia is a disease of the mucous membrane. White patches or plaques develop on the tongue or inside of the mouth, and have the ability to develop into SCC. It is caused by sources of continuous irritation, including smoking or other tobacco use, rough teeth or rough edges on dentures and fillings. Leukoplakia on the lips is mainly caused by sun damage.

Bowen's Disease

This is generally considered to be a superficial SCC that has not yet spread. It appears as a persistent red–brown, scaly patch which may resemble psoriasis or eczema. If untreated, it may invade deeper structures.

Skin Cancer

Skin cancer is a disease in which skin cells lose the ability to divide and grow normally. Healthy skin cells normally divide in an orderly way to replace dead cells and grow new skin. Abnormal cells can grow out of control and form a mass or 'tumour'. When abnormal cells originate in the skin, the mass is called a skin tumour.

A skin tumour is considered benign if it is limited to a few cell layers and does not invade surrounding tissues or organs. But if the tumour spreads to surrounding tissues it is considered malignant or cancerous.

Cancer cells crowd out and destroy nearby healthy cells forming growths called malignant tumours.

Most skin growths, however, are non-malignant, benign (not harmful) tumours.

• Some forms of skin cancer also metastasize. That is, they spread to other parts of the body and start new tumours.
• Skin cancer that spreads to vital organs like the brain or liver can be life threatening.

The skin, which is the human body's largest organ, has several functions. It prevents the body from losing water and other fluids, stores fat, cools the body when sweat evaporates, and makes vitamin D. The skin also protects the body from infection, light, and injury.

There are three layers of skin:

1. Epidermis - the outer layer of skin
2. Dermis - the middle layer of the skin; contains nerves, blood vessels, sweat glands, hair follicles, and oil-producing cells that keep the skin from drying out
3. Fatty layer - the deep layer of skin

Skin cancer begins in the epidermis, the outer layer of skin. The epidermis has three kinds of cells.

• Squamous cells are cells that progressively flatten and fill with protective keratin (a tough, insoluble protein that makes skin almost completely waterproof) to form the outmost surface of the skin.
• Basal cells are small cells located at the base of the
  epidermis that serve as a reservoir for squamous cells shed from the skin.
• Melanocytes are cells that produce a dark material, or pigment, that gives the skin its colour.

Each of these cells can suddenly start to divide abnormally and become cancerous. The main types of skin cancer are named after these cells.

Symptoms of Skin Cancer

Skin cancer first appears as a growth, or abnormal accumulation of cells. It sometimes takes the form of a sore or pimple that does not heal. The sore may bleed or ooze fluid, crust or scab over, and then ooze or bleed again. Cancer can occur on almost any area of the skin, but is most common on areas often exposed to the sun. Skin cancer usually is painless.

The most common symptoms are:

• A new growth on the skin.
• A change in an existing skin growth.
• A sore that does not heal.

Not all changes in the skin are symptoms of skin cancer.

Different Types of Skin Cancer

There are a number of different types of skin cancers depending on the type of skin cell from which they arise. Each kind of skin cancer has its own distinctive appearance. Certain skin cancers also tend to develop in specific areas of the body.

• Basal cell carcinoma.
• Squamous cell carcinoma.
• A third type, malignant melanoma, is relatively rare but can be very dangerous.

Basal Cell Carcinoma

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common form of cancer, with more than one million new cases estimated in the US each year. Basal cells are cells that line the deepest layer of the epidermis. An abnormal growth — a tumour — of this layer is known as basal cell carcinoma.

Basal cell carcinoma can usually be diagnosed with a simple biopsy and is fairly easy to treat when detected early. However, 5 to 10 percent of BCCs can be resistant to treatment or locally aggressive, eating away at the skin around them, sometimes even into bone and cartilage. When not treated quickly, they can be difficult to eliminate. Fortunately, however, this is a cancer that has an extremely low rate of metastasis, and although it can result in scars and disfigurement, it is not usually life-threatening.

There are five most typical characteristics of basal cell carcinoma which are shown below. Frequently, two or more features are present in one tumour. In addition, BCC sometimes resembles non-cancerous skin conditions such as psoriasis or eczema.

	An Open Sore that bleeds, oozes, or crusts and remains open for three or more weeks. A persistent, non-healing sore is a very common sign of an early basal cell carcinoma.
	A Reddish Patch or irritated area, frequently occurring on the chest, shoulders, arms, or legs. Sometimes the patch crusts. It may also itch or hurt. At other times, it persists with no noticeable discomfort.
	A Shiny Bump or nodule that is pearly or translucent and is often pink, red, or white. The bump can also be tan, black, or brown, especially in dark-haired people, and can be confused with a mole.
	A Pink Growth with a slightly elevated rolled border and a crusted indentation in the center. As the growth slowly enlarges, tiny blood vessels may develop on the surface.
	A Scar-like Area which is white, yellow or waxy, and often has poorly defined borders. The skin itself appears shiny and taut. This warning sign can indicate the presence of an aggressive tumour.
Fig. 1-3: Various BCCs

Types of Basal Cell Carcinoma

Nodular. Nodular basal cell carcinoma is the most common type. This tumour usually resembles a smooth, round, waxy pimple, pale yellow or pearl gray, and may vary in size from a few millimeters to 1 centimeter. Often, the skin covering the nodule is so thin that the slightest injury will cause it to bleed. These tumours are often depressed in the middle and show ulceration. As the tumour grows, it destroys healthy structures in its path, including nerves, muscles, and blood vessels. Large tumours are easily diagnosed, but smaller ones are often difficult to tell from benign skin conditions, such as warts, seborrheic keratoses, moles, psoriasis, or fever sores.

Superficial. This is a less common type of BCC. It is a progressively spreading, slow growing cancer that differs greatly from other types of this disease. The tumour is red, with a slightly raised ulcerated or crusted surface, often bordered with pearly or threadlike formations. Tumours usually appear as patches on the torso, but can develop more extensively on the face and neck. This is often mistaken for other skin conditions such as fungal infections, eczema, or psoriasis.

Morpheoic, Sclerosing or Fibrosing. Fibrosing basal cell carcinoma is also called morphea-like carcinoma. This fibrosing type of tumour begins as a flat or slightly depressed, shiny, hard, yellow-white patch with an irregular border. Sometimes, it may be present for years without growing or changing or being recognized. Usually, though, the lesion grows quickly, reaching a diameter of several centimeters within a few months. This is a fairly uncommon type of skin cancer, and can be difficult to eradicate because of root-like extensions of the tumour that reach into the underlying tissue.

Pigmented. Pigmented basal cell carcinoma is similar to nodular basal cell carcinoma, but is more likely to appear in people with dark hair or dark eyes. As its name implies, this growth is almost black and can easily be mistaken for the more aggressive malignant melanoma.

Squamos Cell Carcinoma

Types of Squamous Cell Carcinoma

	A wart-like growth that crusts and occasionally bleeds.
	A persistent, scaly red patch with irregular borders that sometimes crusts or bleeds.
	An open sore that bleeds and crusts and persists for weeks.
	An elevated growth with a central depression that occasionally bleeds. A growth of this type may rapidly increase in size.
	A persistent, scaly red patch with irregular borders that sometimes crusts or bleeds.
	An open sore that bleeds and crusts and persists for weeks.
Fig. 1-4: Various SCCs

Likely Places Where Skin Cancers Develop

Basal cell carcinomas usually occur on parts of the body that are often exposed to the sun. These are the face, neck, V-shaped area of the chest, and upper back. They occur less often on the top sides of the arms and hands.

• These tumours sometimes look like a sore or pimple that does not heal.
• They may ooze yellowish fluid, crust over with a scab, and then break down and ooze again.
• When the surrounding skin is stretched, a basal cell carcinoma has a pearly gray look, with tiny blood vessels often visible inside the tumour.

Squamous cell carcinomas also appear most often on the face and neck, V-shaped area of the chest, and upper back. They are more likely than basal cell carcinomas to form on the top of the arms and hands.

• Squamous cell carcinomas look like an inflamed (pink ish or reddish), scaly growth that feels sore or tender.
• Some may repeatedly break open, bleed, and crust - never fully healing.