Woops! Study Accidentally Finds Chemotherapy Makes Cancer Far Worse

[Tenet Nosce]

Interesting article! I found this in the comments:

Tim Shannon, ND 112 days ago

For those who are interested, this appears to be the citation for this article: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22863786
The only SHOCK of this study is in the article. There are numerous studies that show that chemo induces more cancer, nothing new here. This is mostly a sensationalist article to get readers, nothing more. The multibillion dollar cancer industry won't bat an eye, never do when studies come out that show problems with chemo/radiation. In addition, this study cites one type of cancer - prostate. The article makes it appear as if the study talks about ALL chemotherapy and ALL cancers, it doesn't. It's exclusively about prostate cancer and some of the common chemotherapies related to prostate cancer.
Of course, this type of article will bring out the chemo lovers and the chemo haters. But it won't even make a ripple. Don't now what ever really will as long as there is SO much $ to be made by this industry.

So, I went and looked at the actual abstract of the study:

Nat Med. 2012 Sep;18(9):1359-68. Treatment-induced damage to the tumor microenvironment promotes prostate cancer therapy resistance through WNT16B. Sun Y, Campisi J, Higano C, Beer TM, Porter P, Coleman I, True L, Nelson PS.

Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA.

Acquired resistance to anticancer treatments is a substantial barrier to reducing the morbidity and mortality that is attributable to malignant tumors. Components of tissue microenvironments are recognized to profoundly influence cellular phenotypes, including susceptibilities to toxic insults. Using a genome-wide analysis of transcriptional responses to genotoxic stress induced by cancer therapeutics, we identified a spectrum of secreted proteins derived from the tumor microenvironment that includes the Wnt family member wingless-type MMTV integration site family member 16B (WNT16B). We determined that WNT16B expression is regulated by nuclear factor of κ light polypeptide gene enhancer in B cells 1 (NF-κB) after DNA damage and subsequently signals in a paracrine manner to activate the canonical Wnt program in tumor cells. The expression of WNT16B in the prostate tumor microenvironment attenuated the effects of cytotoxic chemotherapy in vivo, promoting tumor cell survival and disease progression. These results delineate a mechanism by which genotoxic therapies given in a cyclical manner can enhance subsequent treatment resistance through cell nonautonomous effects that are contributed by the tumor microenvironment.

What they are talking about here is an already existing tumor gaining resistance to the chemo. Kind of like when a microbial colony gains resistance to an antibiotic.

I would mostly agree with the commenter. Especially in pointing out that all cancers are not the same. And neither are all forms of chemo the same.

The article is overblown. It borders on misinformation. I think this guy has been reading too much Mike Adams, The Health Ranger!

But that isn't to deny that there are many crackpots in the mainstream cancer field. And yes, even some frauds.