Cell hydration as the primary factor in carcinogenesis: A unifying concept
The paper discusses the unifying concept that cell hydration is the primary factor in the mechanism of carcinogenesis. The concept includes the following hypotheses:
(1) Increased cell hydration causes cancer not only by promoting cell division and oncogene expression, but also by inactivating genes inducing cell differentiation, and by preventing apoptosis. Conversely, factors that reduce cell hydration prevent cancer by inhibiting cell division and oncogene expression, while activating genes inducing cell differentiation, and by promoting apoptosis. The unique ability of cell hydration to have these opposite effects on cell behavior and gene expression can account for its postulated role as the primary factor in both the promotion and prevention of cancer.
(2) A progressive increase in cell hydration, induced by successive mutations and/or epigenetic changes, is the basic mechanism of multi-step carcinogenesis, the degree of malignancy increasing with the degree of cell hydration.
(3) The increased hydration of cancer cells accelerates their respiration rate, thereby enhancing their ability to compete for nutrients with their normal counterparts. This effect may play a major role in promoting tumor growth and in the postulated mechanism of multi-step carcinogenesis.
(4) Increased cell hydration is also proposed as an alternative or additional explanation of the carcinogenetic effect of inflammatory agents and of hormones.
A survey of the literature provides evidence consistent with these hypotheses, but suggestions are included for further investigations to test their validity and their implications. From a clinical perspective, the abnormally high water content of cancer cells permits the use of microwave technology for tumor detection and treatment. Also of considerable therapeutic significance is the increased sensitivity if cancer cells to desiccation, postulated to result from genetic changes induced by increased hydration. This may well be the achilles heel of cancer, and recent investigations indicate that it may be exploited very effectively in the treatment of the disease. In conclusion, I suggest that the need for studies on the molecular biology of cancer to be supplemented by more information on environmental effects on gene expression and on the biochemical and physiological factors that mediate genetic effects at the cellular level. This approach might also be used to assess the validity of the postulated role of cell hydration as a factor of particular significance.
https://sci-hub.se/10.1016/j.mehy.2005.09.022
Increased cell hydration promotes both tumor growth and metastasis: a biochemical mechanism consistent with genetic signatures
It was postulated previously that a progressive increase in cell hydration, induced by successive genetic or epigenetic changes, is the basic mechanism of multistep carcinogenesis, and also that the degree of malignancy increases with the degree of cell hydration. These hypotheses implied that increased cell hydration is a common factor promoting both tumor growth and metastasis, and that metastatic potential increases with the degree of cell hydration. This paper discusses these implications in relation to current concepts of genetic mechanisms determining the acquisition of metastatic potential. It was also postulated previously that the enhancement of metabolic activity by increased cell hydration will increase the ability of tumor cells to compete for nutrients with their normal counterparts. This effect may favor the preferential selection of cells whose genotypes confer the greatest increase in cell hydration and which, on the present hypothesis, would be those with the greatest capacity for metastasis. An important feature of this "common factor" hypothesis is that it suggests a biochemical explanation for DNA-microarray data showing a similarity between the gene expression patterns associated with both tumor growth and metastasis, while the postulated role of genes causing increased cell hydration might explain the apparent acquisition of metastatic potential at an early stage of tumorigenesis. Previous investigations were consistent with the hypothesis that various factors promoting carcinogenesis may do so by increasing cell hydration. A survey of the literature showed that all of these factors also promote cell motility, migration or metastasis, and provided evidence that these effects could be attributed to the associated increase in cell hydration. Methods are suggested for testing the hypothesis, and the paper concludes by emphasizing the need for more research on the biochemistry of cancer, and on the role of water as a biochemical factor of particular importance, not only in carcinogenesis, but in many other aspects of cell biology.
https://sci-hub.se/10.1016/j.mehy.2007.01.080
One of the characteristics of cancer cells is their water content similar to embryonic tissue of the same origin that is high. In fact, the cancer cells have consistently water content higher than the normal cells of the same origin (Winzler-1959).
Effect of Salt Solution Immersion Bath on Cancer in Vivo
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04210726
Additional Information:
I have a book by David Brownstein, MD "Salt Your Way to Health" and I know he's convinced, because of his own clinical experience, that high salt intake is very useful in the treatment of cancer. I think @daniel was planning an article on this topic and I hope he finds the time to do this, as it is an important topic and as treatment of course it is accessible to everyone.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14347972/
SKIN CANCER; TREATMENT BY CURETTAGE AND DESICCATION
Abstract
Treatment of 104 skin cancers (75 basal cell carcinomas and 29 squamous cell carcinomas) by curettage and desiccation resulted in a 96 per cent five-year cure rate. Similar cure rates have been reported by other investigators. Cure rates less than 95 per cent may be attributable to insufficient skill or to the type of technique. Best results are associated with carrying out both the curettage and the desiccation twice for each lesion.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/279812
CANCER, DESICCATION AND CHEMISTRY
JAMA. 1938
Abstract
Heat used in the treatment of cancer was never satisfactorily effective until the introduction of the modern diathermy machine. There is now available for desiccation purposes 3,500 (F.) degrees of controlled heat. It is of historical interest to note that Hippocrates used hot irons in the treatment of cancer of the breast 2,000 years ago; Percy's work with the cautery is of contributory value; so was Crookall's1 work with diathermy, reported in 1926. Strauss and his associates2 appear to have taken the use of "surgical diathermy" more seriously and report several years of favorable and interesting experience.
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Are these techniques still in use?
Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors such as acetazolamide also cause dehydration and desiccation. Inhibition of these enzymes reduces blood pH and mild acidosis, which has a diuretic effect.
