Endorphins - A Novel Holistic Therapeutic Approach to Cancer

• T.G. Shrihari

  Department of Oral Medicine and Oral Oncology, Krishna Devaraya College of Dental Sciences and Hospital, Bangalore -562157, Karnataka, India

Endorphins are endogenous morphine, neuropeptides produced from pituitary gland in response to stress and pain. These are of three types- beta-endorphins, dynorphins, enkephalins, binds to mu, kappa, delta receptors found on immune cells and nervous system. Beta-endorphins is the most abundant endorphin synthesized and stored in the anterior pituitary gland. It has got various activities such as Immune stimulatory activity, anti-inflammatory activity, analgesic activity, stress buster, and anti-aging activity. Immune stimulatory activity by activation of NK cells, macrophages, T-lymphocytes, anti-inflammatory activity by production of cytokines, such as IL-18, 1L-10, analgesic activity by inhibiting substance-p, anti-ageing by suppressing ROS, RNS, free radicals and lengthening telomeres, stress buster activity by decreasing cortisol and nor-adrenaline, dopamine release involved in holistic, preventive, promotive, therapeutic and palliative treatment of cancer without any adverse affects and inexpensive. This article brief about the current concept of novel actions of endorphins in holistic treatment of cancer .

Louwman MW, Vriezen M, van Beek MW. Uncommon breast tumors in perspective: Incidence, treatment and survival in the Netherlands. Int J Cancer 2007; 121: 127-135. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijc.22625

Tavassoli FA, Devilee P, editors. Tumours of the Breast and Female Genital Organs. Lyon, France: IARC Press; 2003. World Health Organization Classification of Tumours. Pathology and Genetics; p. 1-433

Vu-Nishino H, Tavassoli FA, Ahrens WA, Haffty BG. Clinicopathologic features and long-term outcome of patients with medullary breast carcinoma managed with breast-conserving therapy (BCT). Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2005; 62(4): 1040-1047. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrobp.2005.01.008

Kim MJ, Ro JY, Ahn SH, Kim HH, Kim SB, Gong G. Clinicopathologic significance of the basal-like subtype of breast cancer: a comparison with hormone receptor and Her2/neu-overexpressing phenotypes. Hum Pathol 2006; 37(9): 1217-1226. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.humpath.2006.04.015

Behranwala KA, Nasiri N, Abdullah N: Squamous cell carcinoma of the breast: Clinico-pathologic implications and outcome. Eur J Surg Oncol 2003; 29: 386-389. https://doi.org/10.1053/ejso.2002.1422

Yerushalmi R, Hayes MM, Gelmon KA. Breast carcinoma—rare types: review of the literature Ann Oncol 2009; 20(11): 1763-1770. First published online July 14, 2009. https://doi.org/10.1093/annonc/mdp245

Tayeb K, Saadi I, Kharmash M, El Omari-Alaoui H, El Ghazi E, Mansouri A,: Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the breast: Report of three cases. Cancer Radiother 2002; 6: 366-368. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1278-3218(02)00258-5

Cardoso F, Leal C, Meira A, Azevedo R, Mauricio MJ, Leal da Silva JM, Lopes C, Pinto Ferreira E. Squamous cell carcinoma of the breast. Breast 2000; 9: 315-319. https://doi.org/10.1054/brst.1999.0145

Gupta G, Malani AK, Weigand RT, Rangenini G. Pure primary squamous cell carcinoma of the breast: A rare presentation and clinicopathologic comparison with usual ductal carcinoma of the breast. Pathol Res Pract 2006; 6: 465-69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prp.2006.01.006

Moisidis E, Ahmed S, Carmalt H, et al. Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the breast. ANZ J Surg 2002; 72: 65-67. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1445-2197.2002.02298.x

Murialdo R, Boy D, Musizzano Y, Tixi L, Murelli F, Ballestrero A. Squamous cell carcinoma of the breast: a case report. Cases Journal 2009; 2: 7336-7339.

Grenier J, Soria JC, Mathieu MC, Andre F, Abdelmoula S, Velasco V, Morat L, et al. Differential immunohistochemical and biological profile of squamous cell carcinoma of the breast. Anticancer Res 2007; 27(1B): 547-555.

Menes T, Schachter J, Morgenstern S: Primary squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC) of the breast. Am J Clin Oncol 2003; 26: 571-573. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.coc.0000045809.85995.3B

Hennessy BT, Krishnamurthy S, Giordano S, Buchholz TA, Kau SW, Duan Z, Valero V, Hortobagyi GN. Squamous cell carcinoma of the breast. J Clin Oncol 2005; 23: 7827-7835. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2004.00.9589

Geyer FC, Weigelt B, Natrajan R, Lambros MB, de Biase D, Vatcheva R, Savage K, et al. Molecular analysis reveals a genetic basis for the phenotypic diversity of metaplastic breast carcinomas. J Pathol 2010; 220(5): 562-573. https://doi.org/10.1002/path.2675

Banerjee S, Reis-Filho JS, Ashley S, Steele D, Ashworth A, Lakhani SR, Smith IE. Basal-like breast carcinomas: clinical outcome and response to chemotherapy. J Clin Pathol 2006; 59(7): 729-735. https://doi.org/10.1136/jcp.2005.033043

Yamaguchi R, Horii R, Maeda I, Suga S, Makita M, Iwase T, Oguchi M, et al. Clinicopathologic study of 53 metaplastic breast carcinomas: their elements and prognostic implications. Hum Pathol 2010; 41(5): 679-685. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.humpath.2009.10.009

Tsung S. Primary Pure Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Breast Might Be Sensitive to Cisplatin-Based Chemotherapy. Case Rep Oncol 2012; 5(3): 561-565. https://doi.org/10.1159/000343745

• PDF