Black Raspberries v. Carcinoid Cancer

A few weeks ago, I attended the Carcinoid Cancer Foundation's Symposium on Neuroendocrine Tumor Management at Mount Sinai Hospital. It was excellent; in particular, I was extremely impressed with Dr. Eugene Woltering from the New Orleans Neuroendocrine Tumor Specialists (NOLA NETS).

Dr. Woltering presented a radically different view and approach to carcinoid cancer treatment. Firstly, he considers carcinoid - whether a patient presents syndrome symptoms or not - to be a chronic disease because of its long term devastating effects on the body. He used the "hypothetical case" of a patient with a midgut carcinoid tumor (without noid or liver metastasization) to lay out what he considered to be the "standard of care" for carcinoid treatment following removal of the primary site tumor:

1. MRI and ecocardiogram every 6 months for the first three years following surgery;
2. Sandostatin monthly injections for a minimum of one year following surgery;
3. Octreoscan within the first year following surgery;
4. long term daily dose: 40 grams of black raspberry powder. (45 grams of freeze-dried powder is equal to 1 pound of fresh berries)

He also presented specialized target chemotherapy for recurrences... which he set at a much, much higher rate than Sloan Kettering does.

In short, he presented a more aggressive approach following surgery. Personally, I trust Dr. Nash, and prefer the "let's wait and see" approach rather than sandostatin injections and more screenings. I will, however, add the black raspberry powder to my diet.

The medical research (funded by the American Cancer Institute) Dr. Woltering presented on the benefits of black raspberries was overwhelming. The reason why it's such a "natural wonder drug" is that the antioxidant level in black raspberry powder exceeds all berry types - with anthocyanin (antioxidant) equaling 5 to 7 percent dry weight. Also, it is a COX2 inhibitor - reducing inflammation as well as slowing the growth of pre-malignant and malignant tumors.

The only problem is the cost (about 7$ a day). I have heard that some insurance companies will cover it with a prescription... I guess that's something worth investigating with my own insurance carrier (United Health Care). I'm not holding my breath.

Resources on Black Raspberry

Research about Black Raspberries and Cancer:
Science Daily Article: Black Raspberries Slow Cancer by Altering Hundreds of Genes
Ohio State Research: Black Raspberries Show Multiple Defenses in Thwarting Cancer
MSNBC: Black Raspberries Prevent Colorectal Cancer in Mice
Cancer Prevention Research: Black Raspberries Inhibit Intestinal Tumorigenesis Apc1638+ / - and MUC2-/- Mouse Models of Colorectal Cancer

Purchasing Black Raspberry Powder:
Note: you need to purchase 100% black raspberry powder - do not get tricked by products that advertise "black powder" made with blue raspberries! Also black raspberries are not the same fruit as the "blackberries" you buy in the store.

NutriFruit - $24.95 for 142 grams (most expensive)
Stokes Berry Farm - not accepting internet orders
Sturms Berry Farm - $79.20 for 5lbs of frozen berries (not powder)
BerriHealth - $340.50 for 3000 gram bulk powder
Acai Berry Pure Bulk - $325 for 5 lb bag (approximately 2267 grams)