We try not to use chemotherapy treatment unless we need to. However, if we do need to use chemotherapy treatment we prefer to use a method called “metronomic chemotherapy.”
This treatment concept has been referred to by many names including low dose chemotherapy and low dose continuous chemotherapy. However, the most popular title is likely metronomic chemotherapy. Just as a metronome is unvaryingly regular in its rhythm, so too is a metronomic chemotherapy schedule. This nickname has been applied to chemotherapy regimens with low doses scheduled at regular intervals. This way, patients receive equal or greater amounts of chemotherapy without the harsh side effects of standard high doses and the long recovery period. This treatment is very tolerable and allows our patients to continue enjoying their favorite activities such as hiking, traveling, dancing, and gardening. Some patients can even continue working if they choose.
Unlike in music, where the tempo may be altered in either direction, the goal with metronomic chemotherapy is to maintain the low dosing frequency at a much higher rate than exists in conventional protocols. Dr. Chue pioneered the use of metronomic chemotherapy in 1998, and has been a leader in treating many cancers with this method. Over the past 20 years, this type of chemotherapy treatment has shown excellent results and has been adopted by many leading cancer centers in several different cancer types such as breast and ovarian.
The metronomic dosing of certain chemotherapy agents, such as paclitaxel, are now an acceptable and standard practice of many oncologists. Still, many oncologists fail to grasp that the generally low cost, high convenience and acceptable side effect profiles of these protocols make them innovative and attractive for cancer treatment. One reason why metronomic chemotherapy is thought to be more effective is that low and continuous doses of chemotherapy appear to exhibit effects on the tumor environment in addition to directly killing the cancer cells. One of the most researched mechanisms is metronomic chemotherapy’s ability to limit the growth of tumors by preventing the formation of new blood vessels, also called angiogenesis. Metronomic chemotherapy is also thought to have effects on the protective layers that develop around tumors, called stromal layers, as well as improve the immune system’s ability to fight the cancer by affecting regulatory T cells. The more research that is done on metronomic chemotherapy, the more it looks like it will play a major role in the future of cancer treatment.
Our clinic has excellent results using this treatment method with a wide variety of cancers, and especially good results with difficult to treat cancers where outcomes are poor, such as pancreatic cancer, gastric cancer, triple-negative breast cancer, mesothelioma, cancers that have spread to the brain, and AML (acute myeloid leukemia). We also produce excellent results with more common cancers such as colon cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, and CLL (chronic lymphocytic leukemia). This method has also worked well in rare cancers with no standard of care.
Dr. Chue is striving to cure cancers that were previously not thought to be curable and results with some of our patients suggest that a cure possible. Even if we can’t cure a patient of their cancer, we have some of the longest survivors of cancer in the world. We invite you to schedule an appointment with us to discuss this treatment strategy and our exceptional results in more detail. He has published research on this interesting treatment strategy and continues to work with his team at Lifespring to publish more of this cutting-edge research.
