The blogger is most grateful to Dr. Lim Ju Boo for
providing the following report of his recent talk on the above
topic to the CanSurvive Centre Malaysia Bhd on 23/05/2015 in such minute
details that reading it is as good as attending in person. Here we go:
Dr JB Lim started
his presentation without introducing himself (neither did the master of
ceremony) by asking 3
questions to the packed audience on:
1. How many of
them actually suffer from cancer
2. How many are
not sure, maybe but unable to say for sure
3. How many are
very sure they are completely and absolutely cancer free.
On the first two
questions there were a sizable numbers who put up their hands, but on the 3rd
question, no hand was raised.
He then told the
surprised audience that everyone in the hall, outside the hall, into the
streets, in the entire Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya, extending to the entire
country, outside the country and into the world, all of us do have some
stages of cancer, but
most of them are in microscopic cellular form completely undetectable through the
normal clinical, biochemical and imaging diagnostic examination procedures.
Cellular and Pre-Cancer Staging:
He then explained
how microscopic cellular cancers remain undetected in the body
for at least 20 – 40 years. He went on to explain why these microscopic cancers in their
pre-cancer and cellular form, unlike the normal tumour and clinical cancers
that are palpable that could be classified under different grading cancer
staging, remained undetected for decades.
Dr Lim elaborated
this by citing numerous autopsy studies world-wide that showed cancer cells are already present in the body of almost every one of
various ages and races around the world, especially those who were 30 years of
age and above, but
whose autopsies showed they died from other causes than cancers.
Dr Lim then
explained the incidence, distribution (epidemiology) of
cancer in various
countries including Malaysia
Histopathological
Examination:
He then showed a
number of histo-pathological slides how cancer tissues and cancer cells looked like under a
low and high power microscope, including several slides under an electron
microscope. He followed them up with illustrations and diagrams on comparative cytology (normal and cancer cells).
He explained what
is meant by a carcinoma what are well-differentiated and poorly
or undifferentiated cells during a histopathology examination. He
explained their differences and their prognosis (cancer outcome). A bit of illustrative
histopatholgy (study of diseased tissues) was taught by Dr Lim during his
presentation.
Immunology:
The next step was
to explain the working of the immunological system of the body and their surveillance
against infections, disease including cancer. He explained the different
defense network, and the fractions of the immune system especially natural killer cells, T-cells, T-helper cells, dendritic cells, CD4 T cells circulating in the body and the dynamics of how these cells
home in to attack the presence of cancer cells, thus keeping cancer
in check for many years of our lives until they become immuno-compromised as we
get older and older. He
explained this was one of the reasons why cancer is more common as we get older
and older.
He briefly
explained the dynamics and mode of action of immune bodies like lymphokines, interleukins (IL-4, IL-5, IL-6), antibody-dependent
cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), complement-mediated lysis, tumour necrosis
factor-alpha (TNFα) and
all those high molecular and cellular biochemistry stuff.
It was quite a mouthful to digest but probably Dr Lim
managed to get his explanation across to about 10-15 % of his bewildered
audience who listened in awe on this highly technical and complex subject on
immunology and molecular medicine.
A Highly Complex Subject Brought Down:
He told his elite audience he had to read and reviewed over
300 highly technical research papers published in complex technical language on
cancer biology, immunology, molecular medicine, cytology for this presentation,
and had to carry the heavy burden of bringing down all those highly technical
languages of research down to earth simple English language for his mixed
audience of doctors, scientists, researchers and to the ordinary people to loud
applause from the audience.
Preventable
Cancers:
He then eased off
by explaining in some detail how most cancers are preventable, and that
dietary factors contribute to at least 30 % or more of all cancers. People need not have cancer if only
they know how, and that preventive measures are the best way to keep cancer at
bay, explained and emphasized by Dr Lim.
Free Radicals:
Next, he climbed up a litter higher once again with simple
illustrative chemistry on free and singlet oxygen radicals, their biological and clinical effects
on the body, on the chromosomes, especially the DNA within. He used the hydrogen atom, the
simplest of all atoms as an example and how two hydrogen atoms that make up a
stable hydrogen molecule share a pair of electrons with one electron
contributed by each atom.
He then explained what molecular lesions are all about, and
how the body is being attacked and injured by an estimated 10,000 to
1,000,000 molecular lesions per cell per day. This works out to the
tune of one hundred thousand million, million molecular damages on the body
every 24 hours in a human body consisting of about 100,000 million cells.
Repair Mechanisms:
Dr Lim next explained what happens when a cell suffers a molecular lesion (damage). He detailed cellular events on the repair
mechanisms within the DNA, spoke about apoptosis (programmed cell-death), and
what happens when a cell is beyond repair and refused to self-destruct as
“cellular suicide” or apoptosis. He explained how cells undergo irreversible
random mutation, leading them to become mutant as immortal cancer cells.
He illustrated how cells are repeatedly damaged beyond
repair, using an analogy about his shirt being roughly worn, sewed and
repaired, many, many times over, until it can no longer be repaired (sewed back
again and again) and how this needs to be replaced with a new shirt (organ
transplant). It was quite illustrative.
Mutations:
The next step Dr Lim took was to explain about gene mutation and its control. He spoke about onogenes and
onco-suppressor genes
and about a powerful protein called P-53 that will trigger tumor suppression. If a damage is
detected at the checkpoint it arrests a potential cancer to stop dead in its
tracks.
Prior to that, he explained what gene expression is all
about, and how important it is to understand molecular biology in order to
understand expression of proteins that carry molecular signals that helps
cancer cells to communicate with each other at cellular levels. He underpinned
the various types of molecular signaling.
He explained not only how molecular signals are important
for communications among cancer cells, but also how they expressed protein
bio-molecules to jam up similar molecular signals from the immunological system
that seeks to destroy cancer cells. This knowledge was not just new, but was
very interesting to everybody, and was very well-illustrated by Dr Lim.
He then went on to enlighten his audience about telomeres and telomerase, the two protein regulators that determines the
number of times a cell divides until telomere shortens and die.
He mentioned these two enzymes sit at the end
of both normal and cancer chromosomes, and that regulates the fate of these
cell divisions, and how
scientists are now trying to regulate these two proteins in turn
to force cancer cells to become mortal and die. It was very interesting to learn
about this from Dr Lim bringing new hope to cancer sufferers that one day
scientists would be able to control telomerase activities. He showed a few
slides how they look like under a florescence microscope.
Pathology of Metastasis:
Next, Dr Lim talked about the pathogenesis of cancer and
its pathology. He gave
a fairly detailed account how they are spread (metastasis), the mechanisms how they enter a
distant organ (extravasation), about vascular injection and invasion
by new blood vessels into a malignant neoplasm and the dynamics of their
malignant progression. It was quite an illustrative account of their
invasive scenarios.
The next stop in his presentation was all about angiogenesis,
their stimulators and inhibitors, meaning how cancer growth is stimulated by
the development of new blood vessels drawn in by protein-molecular signaling,
and various angiogenesis stimulators and inhibitors that try to block them in a
tug-a-war within the body to keep cancer from progressing further once it
has been initiated within days, to promotion which takes 10 -40 years, and
its ultimate progression into sub-clinical or clinical cancers which may take
just over a year to develop fully.
Dr Lim’s next stop was all about oncogenic foods (cancer-causing foods). He showed a lot of photos and
illustration about these foods, and explained the mechanisms behind their
oncogenecity (cancer initiation and promotion).
It is at this stage when the immune system is not yet overwhelmed by too many cancer cells. It is the stage where there is a fighting chance where the immune system can take over in the attack and win.
This is when a second chance given to the body after surgery because surgery would have removed almost all the mass of malignant cells.
A metronomic regimen of broad spectrum anti-angiogenesis diet of fresh fruits and assorted vegetables would block off isolated cancer cells lurking, floating here and there from acquiring fresh blood supply to nourish it before it can grow and re-colonize once again.
Smart Molecules
and Bio-molecules
Dr Lim spoke about molecular signals
expressed by malignant cells that are able to jam and silence the immunological
surveillance seeking them out. These are
able to evade or block attacks by immune bodies such as NK and T-cells. He
described them as smart bio-molecules from a living body programmed to invade
and destroy the body itself.
He compared them with inanimate
electrons programmed for the many features and functions in smart phones, but
these “living” bio-molecules expressed by cancer cells are programmed with more
malignant features than man-made smart phones.
Surgery is the
Best:
He suggested that the best
way of arresting further progression of cancer is to opt for surgery as the
first and most important line of managing cancer even if it has metastasized. This is
because surgery itself Dr Lim explained would have removed over 95 -99 % of the
nest of cancer cells, and even if just a few hundred cancerous cells have
escaped, that itself would have brought the patient back to his cellular or at
least into his preclinical stage.
This stage will give any patient already
diagnosed with clinical cancer a tremendous fighting chance for many years more
as it would have brought back the patient to the pre-clinical cancer stage where cancer
cells are already lurking undetected in his body for many years.
It is at this stage when the immune system is not yet overwhelmed by too many cancer cells. It is the stage where there is a fighting chance where the immune system can take over in the attack and win.
This is where a drastic change in the dietary pattern abundantly rich in fresh
fruits and fresh vegetables rich in anti-oxidants, cancer inhibitors, and
anti-angiogenesis is much needed. This is where the immune system is given reinforcement.
This is when a second chance given to the body after surgery because surgery would have removed almost all the mass of malignant cells.
A metronomic regimen of broad spectrum anti-angiogenesis diet of fresh fruits and assorted vegetables would block off isolated cancer cells lurking, floating here and there from acquiring fresh blood supply to nourish it before it can grow and re-colonize once again.
In short, Dr Lim advised blocking the acquisition of angiogenesis straight away to arrest the induction
of new blood vessels that support their growth.
That, to Dr Lim mind, would the best therapeutic approach immediately
after surgery whether or not it has metastasized. That may drastically delay
reoccurrence that may take many, many more years to come.
Natural Cancer Blockers and Inhibitors:
Next he spoke about anti cancer compounds in foods (carcinogen blockers) that are cheaply available in fruits, vegetables,
plants and herbs which are so cheaply and readily available in morning and
night markets in Malaysia
Anti-cancer Principles in A Plant-Based Diet:
He identified the specific anti-cancer, anti-angiogenesis
principles inside these plants, fruits and vegetables, and explained in some
detail how they arrest cancer cells from acquiring stimulators towards angiogenesis.
In short, Dr Lim explained how the right food is able
to block, and arrest cellular cancers from developing for at least 10 – 40
years later until our immunological defenses are compromised through aging.
This information was a very enlightening to all the
audience present, including many nutritionists, dieticians and medical doctors
who were also there to listen and to learn.
Dr Lim not only gave a specific list of these fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs and berries that does this wonderful job, but also
identified the active principles in them, the chemistry how they work
specifically, in short their pharmaco-nutraceutical dynamics and
kinetics in a
cancer-ravaged body.
What a wonder piece of news it was to everybody! It
was an enlightenment and new knowledge for all – academicians, scientists,
doctors, professors, researchers and to the ordinary people who were present.
He then projected a nutraceutical product called “28 Plus Mangosteen” consisting 28 combinations of anti-angiogenesis properties from
fruits and berry extracts.
He managed to get DNG group of pharmaceutical company that
manufactures them to donate 45 boxes worth nearly RM 10,000 to CanSurvive
Centre Malaysia Berhad to support their charitable, non-profit organization.
The company also paid for the rental of the auditorium at MAB.
Let Food Be Your Medicine:
He then clearly explained the advice from Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine that “Let Food be Your Medicine” has already been there for millions of
years since the dawn of human civilization, which scientists only
“recently” know about the anti-angiogenesis and anti-cancer properties of
a plant-based diet. Why didn’t food scientists, nutritionists, molecular
biologists, medical scientists know about this earlier? He emphasized
that Hippocrates never said “let medicine be your food” which modern doctors
and drug companies added in, but it has always been “Let Medicine Be Your Food”.
He explained why in detail.
He then projected to the audience a list of these foods that
inherit these cancer-arrestors and inhibitors, which attracted several members
in the audience photographing them with their smart phones.
New Generation of Anti-Cancer Drugs:
Dr Lim then showed a list of entirely new generations of
anti-cancer drugs now called “angiostatins” in their final phrases of clinical
trials in the United States ,
in the UK
Why didn’t modern scientists, nutritionists,
pharmacologists, food scientists, and biomedical researchers knew about this,
but only in the last 25 years?
Dr Lim then talked about the role of traditional medicine, naturopathic and natural medicine in the
management of cancers,
and how doctors in these systems of medicine treat cancer based on
·
Natural drugs that block blood vessel growth factor
·
Natural drugs that block signaling within the cell
·
Natural drugs that affect malicious signaling between cells
He then advised that surgery is the best way to
treat a cancer initially
because it removes the whole chuck of a tumour containing a nest of billions of
cancer cells, and any malignant cells that may have leaked out, would render a
patient in the same status as in its pre-clinical stage, and then allow the immune system to take over with a drastic change of
dietary lifestyle from
that of meat diet to a vegetarian or a pure plant-based one. That will also
allow the anti-angiogenesis dynamics to help and take over the steering wheel against cancer
progression.
There were a lot more Dr Lim Ju Boo presented in the
sequence of his presentations in point form below:
Sequence of
Presentation:
1.
The Three
Questions
2.
Epidemiology
of Cancer
3.
Causes of
Cancer and Prevention
4.
Staging and
Cellular Cancers in Early Stages
5.
Why then
does cancer manifestation takes so long?
6. Immunology
and Cancer and Cancer vs. The Immune System
7.
Free
Radicals, Cellular Events and Biological Effects
8.
Molecular
Lesions
9.
DNA Repair
Mechanisms
10.
Apoptosis
and Cellular Events
11.
Gene
Mutation and Control
12.
DNA and Gene
Expression
13.
Telomere and
Telomerase
14.
Tiny
Dormant Cancers
15.
Free
Radicals and Repair Mechanisms
16.
Mutations
17.
Pathology of
Metastasis
18.
Smart
Molecules and Bio-molecules
19.
Surgery is
the Best:
20.
Pathogenesis
of Cancers
21.
Angiogenesis
and Metastasis
22.
Molecular
Signaling
23.
Oncogenic
Foods
24.
Cancer
Protective and Anti-angiogenesis Foods
25.
List of
fruits, vegetables, spices, and herbs that are anti-cancer available in morning
and night markets in Malaysia
26.
Anti-vitamins
and anti-nutrients – “key and lock” theory of anti-folates
27.
28
Mangosteen Plus Mixture (A Cocktail of 28 Anti-Angiogenesis Natural Medicines)
28.
Traditional
Medicines : Dynamics, Mode of Action and Kinetics
29.
Cytotoxic Drugs or Chemotherapy (Old
Lamps)
30.
New
Generation of Angiogenesis Blockers in Foods and in New Anti-Cancer Drugs (New Lamps )
31.
Future
Strategies in Cancer Mx
32.
Do Plants
and Vegetarians Suffer from Cancers?
33.
New Lamps
for Old: More Hope than A Dream
34.
Let Food Be
Your Medicine
35.
Cancer
against Nutrition in Reverse
36.
The Finale
when Death Comes
Introduction Left to the Last:
Loud, long applause and standing ovation were accorded to
Dr Lim from an oversubscribed and over-filled auditorium at the Malaysian
Association for the Blind, and only when his nearly 3-hour lively presentation
did he introduce himself after he has “delivered the goods” with his long
string of academic and professional credentials which drew a standing ovation
of long and loud applause.
Photo Sessions:
The session ended with so many participants taking pictures
with Dr JB Lim and with their endless questions. Many asked Dr Lim for
his phone number and e-mail address but a few e-mailed him for further advice,
but none phoned him after that. What a pity!
The whole proceeding was professionally recorded in DVD and
is available from:
The Life Shop Sdn Bhd
No 27, Jalan OP
1/2,
One Puchong
Business Centre,
47160 Puchong,
Selangor Darul
Ehsan,
You may also phone or e-mail to Nutritionist Angel Kang for the DVD and 28 Plus Mangosteen at 017-5002274, or email her or the following enquiries for details:
Desmond Lee<
desmondleetc@gmail.com>,
Victor Liew
<dng.victor@gmail.com>,
Perry
Oi<proyoung.perry@gmail.com>,
DNG<dng.puimun@gmail.com>