Copper: A Risk for Cancer and Tumor Chemo Resistance

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:
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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.
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Cellular lipid metabolism is influenced by the coordination environment of copper. Kennedy DC, Lyn RK, Pezacki JP. J Am Chem Soc.
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Copper(II) binding to alpha-synuclein, the Parkinson's protein. Lee JC, Gray HB, Winkler JR. J Am Chem Soc.
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