Copper may cause cancer and resistance to chemotherapy.
Researchers found copper blood levels were lower in patients without cancer. They state copper is involved in the development of cancer. Analysis of patients with breast cancer, colon cancer and lung cancer showed that serum copper was higher in patients not responding to chemotherapy compared to patients whose tumors responded to chemotherapy treatment. Additional research has identified the cellular ATP7A and ATP7B related drug transport systems as the source of copper induced cancer resistance to chemotherapy.
An extreme deficiency or excess of any nutrient in our body, including water will cause a health problem. The essential nutrient copper is not any different. It is required for many processes in the body. A deficiency in copper is life threatening. An excess amount of copper increases the risk of cancer, atherosclerosis, oxidative damage, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and a host of other diseases.
Sources of high amounts of copper include dietary supplements, drinking water, bath water and shower water. A person with cancer should test their urine and blood for copper. A Heavy Metal Screening Test and Comprehensive Urine Element Profile tests are available for home urine testing. It’s difficult to get a doctor to order and find a lab that can do a copper, ionized (free) copper and copper bound to ceruloplasmin. The ionized copper is the most difficult test to find.
Oral copper chelation reduces the body’s production of tumor blood vessel growth factors (angiogenesis) and reduces tumor growth and small blood vessel density in animal studies. Human studies of oral chelation drugs are currently underway.
Chelation should be done with caution under guidance of a health care professional. I know of one person that went into atrial fibrillation due to magnesium deficiency caused by unsupervised daily oral chelation. Chelation products will bind and remove toxic metals and essential minerals from your body, food and supplements. You should monitor copper and mineral levels and adjust dosages as indicated.
References:
The role of copper in drug-resistant murine and human tumors. Majumder S, Chatterjee S, Pal S, Biswas J, Efferth T, Choudhuri SK. Biometals. 2008 Oct 28.
Copper transport systems are involved in multidrug resistance and drug transport. Furukawa T, Komatsu M, Ikeda R, Tsujikawa K, Akiyama S. Curr Med Chem. 2008;15(30):3268-78.
Pancytopenia complicated with peripheral neuropathy due to copper deficiency: clinical diagnostic review. Imataki O, Ohnishi H, Kitanaka A, Kubota Y, Ishida T, Tanaka T. Intern Med. 2008;47(23):2063-5
Induction of tumor cell apoptosis by taurine Schiff base copper complex is associated with the inhibition of proteasomal activity. Zhang X, Bi C, Fan Y, Cui Q, Chen D, Xiao Y, Dou QP. Int J Mol Med. 2008 Nov;22(5):677-82.
Serum zinc and copper status in dyslipidaemic patients with and without established coronary artery disease. Ghayour-Mobarhan M, Taylor A, Kazemi-Bajestani SM, Lanham-New S, Lamb DJ, Vaidya N, Livingstone C, Wang T, Ferns GA. Clin Lab. 2008;54(9-10):321-9.
Mechanism of the antioxidant to pro-oxidant switch in the behavior of dehydroascorbate during LDL oxidation by copper(II) ions. Horsley ET, Burkitt MJ, Jones CM, Patterson RA, Harris LK, Moss NJ, del Rio JD, Leake DS. Arch Biochem Biophys. 2007 Sep 15;465(2):303-14.
Cellular lipid metabolism is influenced by the coordination environment of copper. Kennedy DC, Lyn RK, Pezacki JP. J Am Chem Soc. 2009 Feb 25;131(7):2444-5.
Copper(II) binding to alpha-synuclein, the Parkinson's protein. Lee JC, Gray HB, Winkler JR. J Am Chem Soc. 2008 Jun 4;130(22):6898-9.
New strategy of antiangiogenic therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma. Wu XZ. Neoplasma. 2008;55(6):472-81
Phase I study of copper-binding agent ATN-224 in patients with advanced solid tumors. Lowndes SA, Adams A, Timms A, Fisher N, Smythe J, Watt SM, Joel S, Donate F, Hayward C, Reich S, Middleton M, Mazar A, Harris AL. Clin Cancer Res. 2008 Nov 15;14(22):7526-34.
Keith D. Bishop
Clinical Nutritionist
FirstLine Therapy Provider
B.Sc. Pharmacy
Health Coach©
I became a pharmacist in 1982 after attending and graduating from the University of Oklahoma. I owned a pharmacy in Mustang Oklahoma for 15 years, helping my patients to get the most out of their prescription medications, non-prescription medications, asthma treatments, diabetes care, natural treatments, self-care, vitamins, minerals, herbs and natural products.
I was the first recipient of the Oklahoma Pharmacist Association/Dupont Pharma “Innovative Pharmacy Practice Award” in 1995. I have received additional training and certification in "FirstLine Therapy", “Phytomedicinals and Alternative Therapies”, “Applied Clinical Nutrition”, “Pharmaceutical Patient Care”, “Asthma Management”, and “Respiratory Disease Management”. I'm also a member of the Association of Natural Medicine Pharmacists and Pharmacy Compounding Centers of America.
After selling my pharmacy in December 1997, I opened HEALTH NUT RX™, Natural Care Solution, in March of 1998. After starting special reports on cancer I discovered the issue of copper toxicity and cancer.
I tested and found toxic amounts of copper in my home water, office water and my wife's and my body in July of 2008. Convinced of the need for world wide public education, economical home water test kits, and effective water filters and shower filters I established ToxicWaterSolution.com in December of 2008.