Does Baking Soda Function as a Magic Bullet for Patients With Cancer? A Mini Review

Sodium bicarbonate, commonly known as baking soda, is widely used in the clinic as an antacid for treating gastric hyperacidity, among other conditions. Chao et al have reported a clinical trial about targeting intratumor lactic acidosis–transarterial chemoembolization. Based on conventional transarterial chemoembolization, the authors added a 5% sodium bicarbonate solution to cytotoxic drugs, resulting in a high local control rate. The explanation for the antitumor effects of sodium bicarbonate is related to acidosis in the tumor microenvironment. In this review, we summarize the findings from studies administering sodium bicarbonate alone or in combination with other anticancer therapies as cancer treatments, and discuss methods for safe and effective use of sodium bicarbonate in the clinic.

Brief report of the effects of seven human drugs studied on ants as models

Since 2012, we used ants as models for examining the effects of products used by humans. Here, we summarize our seven last studies which concerned green clay, glucosamine, sildenafil, a homeopathic drug, as well as diclofenac, meloxicam and etoricoxib, three anti–inflammatory drugs. Green clay appeared to be an excellent product without adverse effects. In humans, it allows reducing gastric hyperacidity and should thus be used instead of aluminum hydroxide or calcium + magnesium carbonates which present adverse effects. Glucosamine was also safe. It only increased the ants’ locomotion and this effect might explain, at least partly, its efficiency. Sildenafil has many adverse effects, the cause of which being probably a decrease of sensitive perception. Such an impact may result from the activity of sildenafil: it inhibits phosphodiesterases and increases amounts of cGMP and cAMP. The homeopathic drug Ignatia amara, used for decreasing stress symptoms, had no adverse effects and unexpectedly reduced the ants’ state of stress. Even if its functioning stays unknown, this drug could help stressed persons. Diclofenac had several adverse effects and may lead to dependence; meloxicam had far less adverse effects and did not lead to dependence; etoricoxib had some adverse effects and did not lead to dependence. Obviously, meloxicam was the safest of the three anti–inflammatory drugs. Experimentation on ants can thus inform practitioners and pharmacists on potential harmful effects of products before providing them to humans.

Hyperprealbuminemia, euthyroid hyperthyroxinemia, Zollinger-Ellison-like syndrome and hypercorticism in a pancreatic endocrine tumour

Prealbumin, one of the main thyroxine transport proteins, has recently been shown to be a valuable immunohistochemical marker of neuroendocrine tumours. We report the case of a multisecretory pancreatic endocrine tumour whose prealbumin secretion was so high that it produced a peak on routine serum protein electrophoresis and induced a euthyroid hyperthyroxinemia. The maximal binding capacity of prealbumin for thyroxine was indeed markedly increased, whereas its affinity for this hormone was normal. The tumour was associated with gastric hyperacidity and hypergastrinemia thereby evoking a Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. The secretin stimulation test and gastrin tumoural immunohistochemistry were, however, negative. We suggest that the concomitant tumoural production of gastrin-releasing peptide was responsible for the gastric hyperacidity and hypergastrinemia. This hormone probably also accounted for a moderate hypercorticism.