Chelation therapy is a medical treatment that aims to remove heavy metals and toxic levels of minerals from the bloodstream. These substances can enter the body by way of diet, drinking water, cigarette smoke, or pollution. While they’re essential to various biological processes, they can be harmful and even poisonous in excess.
The treatment process involves the administration of chelating agents (water-soluble chemical compounds) that bind to the toxins, then pass through the body via urination. Chelation may also help immunocompromised cancer patients by inhibiting microbial growth that attacks the immune system. Chelating drugs can be given through intravenous (IV) infusion or oral supplementation.
Chelation is one of many alternative treatments offered to prostate cancer patients at Immunity Therapy Center. If you or a loved one are interested in chelation therapy benefits, you’ve come to the right place. Find a detailed breakdown of the approach below, including how it can treat prostate cancer. We’ve also written in detail about chelation therapy for breast cancer.
Chelation Therapy for Prostate Cancer: What to Know
The prostate sits below the bladder and in front of the rectum. Located just behind it are the seminal vesicles, a pair of glands that create semen fluid. Prostate cancer occurs when cells in these glands proliferate out of control.
Most types of prostate cancer are adenocarcinomas, which develop from gland cells. Other types include small cell carcinomas, neuroendocrine tumors, transitional cell carcinomas, and sarcomas, all of which are notably rare. Read on to learn how chelation is used to treat the condition.
Cadmium Toxicity
Prostate issues can result from bacterial infections, mineral deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, and cadmium toxicity. While the latter is often overlooked when discussing potential causes and treatments for prostate cancer, it’s associated with improper prostate function.
Cadmium is a highly toxic heavy metal. The silvery-gray substance occurs naturally, but it can also be a byproduct of zinc refinement, plastic production, and power generation. Humans can be exposed to cadmium in a number of ways, including diet, work environment, general pollution, and cigarette smoke. Smoking is believed to be a leading cause of prostate cancer.
Lifestyle changes, like quitting smoking and eating a healthy diet, may help reduce cadmium levels in the body. But when the effect is cancerous, medical treatment such as chelation therapy may be necessary.
EDTA Chelation to Remove Cadmium
Thanks to the liver, lymphatic system, kidneys, and the body’s ability to produce an antioxidant called glutathione, the detoxification process happens naturally and without effort for most people. However, bodily systems don’t always work properly. When heavy metals and other potentially harmful substances build up in the organs, soft tissues, and circulatory system, the effect can be toxic.
EDTA (short for ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid) is one of the most widely used chelating agents. The water-soluble substance has been shown to bind to and ultimately remove iron, lead, copper, mercury, aluminum, and cadmium from the bloodstream. With that latter, EDTA IV chelation therapy is believed to be the most effective method of removal.
Iron Overload
Normal iron levels are considered important for overall health, playing a critical role in various metabolic pathways, such as DNA synthesis and oxygen transport. Though low iron levels can have adverse health effects, an excess of the metal is associated with numerous diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
According to research published in the journal Frontiers in Oncology, hemochromatosis is associated with prostate cancer. Also called iron overload or dysmetabolic iron overload syndrome (DIOS), hemochromatosis is a genetic condition in which the body stores too much iron.
Iron overload can increase reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can damage healthy cell structures. Additionally, different types of cancer cells (including prostate cancer cells) have mechanisms to safeguard against this oxidative damage. In other words, a rich supply of iron may aid the growth of cancerous cells, whereas iron starvation inhibits it.
Iron Chelation Therapy for Prostate Cancer
Iron overload is characterized by abnormally high levels of iron-related proteins. These proteins determine whether toxic metal ions can leave prostate tumor cells and distribute them throughout the body, which is where chelation therapy comes in.
Some experts believe chelation of iron to be an effective alternative cancer treatment, as it may reduce tumor growth by limiting iron bioavailability to cancerous cells. Iron chelators can effectively bind to the metal and help facilitate its exit from the bloodstream.
Deferasirox is a chelating agent thought to help the body rid itself of copper, lead, and iron with minimal side effects. It has been shown to have significant effects on curbing tumor growth in both in-vitro and in-vivo clinical studies. When used as an anti-cancer agent, the chemical compound is typically administered by mouth with oral supplements.
Prostate-Specific Antigen
Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a glycoprotein enzyme found in humans carrying the protein-coding KLK3 gene. Among those with the gene, PSA is secreted by both normal and cancerous cells in the prostate gland.
PSA is measured by a blood analysis called the PSA test. Prostate-specific antigen blood levels are often checked in men diagnosed with prostate cancer as a way of monitoring the condition.
Bear in mind, though, that high PSA levels aren’t always associated with cancer. Excess prostate-specific antigens in the bloodstream could also be caused by an inflamed or enlarged prostate. Both of these conditions are benign, but it’s possible to have one in addition to prostate cancer.
Targeting PSA with Chelation Therapy
According to a report published in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine, chelation may be effective in targeting free PSA. Free PSA are prostate-specific antigens that haven’t bound to proteins and thus aren’t secreted by the body.
A high PSA-to-antibody ratio is associated with prostate cancer. Since chelating agents bind to blood proteins, the therapy is believed to help lower PSA-to-antibody ratio.
Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Castration-resistant prostate cancer means the disease can’t be stopped or slowed by lowering testosterone levels. It’s more common among those with rising PSA, iron overload, cadmium toxicity, and high levels of the radioactive metal thorium.
Targeted Alpha Therapy for Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Targeted alpha therapy is a treatment that uses selective radiation to target cancerous cells while minimizing the toxic effects. Chelators can be used in targeted alpha therapy for those suffering from castration-resistant prostate cancer.
The agents inhibit tumor growth by binding to thorium and other toxic heavy metals, helping the body pass them through urination or secretion and ultimately inhibiting tumor growth. Further, clinical studies have shown that chelation therapy reduces prostate-specific antigen levels in patients with castration-resistant cancer.
Copper Chelation Therapy for Metastatic Prostate Cancer
High levels of copper can aid in tumor growth and contribute to free radical damage. In clinical trials, chelation therapy has been shown to slow the progression of metastatic cancers (meaning the cancerous cells have spread to other parts of the body), including advanced prostate cancer and breast cancer.
In some cases, cancer cells develop a resistance to chemotherapy drugs, an effect often associated with excess copper levels in the body. By removing excess copper from cancer cells, chelation therapy may improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy for metastasis in the late stages of prostate cancer.
Alternative Cancer Treatment Programs from ITC
The compassionate team at Immunity Therapy Center understands that extensive research is often a necessary first step of starting a new treatment. We offer a range of alternative therapies for prostate cancer and other severe illnesses, and we’re here to answer all your questions along the way.
Our patient advocates are available to chat over the phone Monday through Saturday. You can also fill out our online form, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Contact Immunity Therapy Center today if you are interested in learning more about your options for natural prostate cancer treatments.
Written By: Dr. Adolfo Carrillo
Dr. Adolfo Carrillo is a Board Certified Medical Doctor from Universidad Autónoma de Baja California.
Dr. Carrillo has been collaborating with Dr. Bautista for over 5 years as a treating physician at the Immunity the Immunity Therapy Center. Dr. Carrillo is a charismatic Doctor whose knowledge and commitment to patient care and bringing healing to patients is a valuable asset to our center.
External Sources:
- Kim JJ, Kim YS, Kumar V. Heavy metal toxicity: An update of chelating therapeutic strategies. J Trace Elem Med Biol. 2019;54:226-231. https://www.doi.org/10.1016/j.jtemb.2019.05.003
- American Canceer Society. What Is Prostate Cancer? https://www.cancer.org/cancer/prostate-cancer/about/what-is-prostate-cancer.html
- CDC. Cadmium Factsheet. https://www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/Cadmium_FactSheet.html
- Leftin A, Zhao H, Turkekul M, de Stanchina E, Manova K, Koutcher JA. Iron deposition is associated with differential macrophage infiltration and therapeutic response to iron chelation in prostate cancer. Sci Rep. 2017;7(1):11632. Published 2017 Sep 14. https://www.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-11899-2
- Joanna Strand, Anders Orbom, Wahed Zedan, Sven-Erik Strand and Mohamed Altai. Assessing the impact of chelation and conjugation chemistry on the therapy effect of 177Lu-labeled antibody targeting uncomplexed PSA in tumor bearing mice. The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. https://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/61/supplement_1/93
- NIH. Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Test. https://www.cancer.gov/types/prostate/psa-fact-sheet
- Nelson BJB, Andersson JD, Wuest F. Targeted Alpha Therapy: Progress in Radionuclide Production, Radiochemistry, and Applications. Pharmaceutics. 2020;13(1):49. Published 2020 Dec 31. https://www.doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics13010049
- Baldari S, Di Rocco G, Toietta G. Current Biomedical Use of Copper Chelation Therapy. Int J Mol Sci. 2020;21(3):1069. Published 2020 Feb 6. https://www.doi.org/10.3390/ijms21031069
- Bedford MR, Ford SJ, Horniblow RD, Iqbal TH, Tselepis C. Iron chelation in the treatment of cancer: a new role for deferasirox?. J Clin Pharmacol. 2013;53(9):885-891. https://www.doi.org/10.1002/jcph.113
- Kontoghiorghes GJ. Advances on Chelation and Chelator Metal Complexes in Medicine. Int J Mol Sci. 2020;21(7):2499. Published 2020 Apr 3. https://www.doi.org/10.3390/ijms21072499
- Kontoghiorghes GJ, Efstathiou A, Ioannou-Loucaides S, Kolnagou A. Chelators controlling metal metabolism and toxicity pathways: applications in cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Hemoglobin. 2008;32(1-2):217-227. https://www.doi.org/10.1080/03630260701727119
- Pizzorno J. Glutathione!. Integr Med (Encinitas). 2014;13(1):8-12. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4684116/
- Mohammadi Z, Shalavi S, Jafarzadeh H. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid in endodontics. Eur J Dent. 2013;7(Suppl 1):S135-S142. https://www.doi.org/10.4103/1305-7456.119091
- Lim JT, Tan YQ, Valeri L, et al. Association between serum heavy metals and prostate cancer risk – A multiple metal analysis. Environ Int. 2019;132:105109. https://www.doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2019.105109
- Vela D. Iron Metabolism in Prostate Cancer; From Basic Science to New Therapeutic Strategies. Front Oncol. 2018;8:547. Published 2018 Nov 27. https://www.doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2018.00547
- CDC. Hereditary Hemochromatosis. https://www.cdc.gov/genomics/disease/hemochromatosis.htm
- Ferrier MG, Li Y, Chyan MK, et al. Thorium chelators for targeted alpha therapy: Rapid chelation of thorium-226. J Labelled Comp Radiopharm. 2020;63(12):502-516. https://www.doi.org/10.1002/jlcr.3875
At Immunity Therapy Center, our goal is to provide objective, updated, and research-based information on all health-related topics. This article is based on scientific research and/or other scientific articles. All information has been fact-checked and reviewed by Dr. Carlos Bautista, a Board Certified Medical Doctor at Immunity Therapy Center. All information published on the site must undergo an extensive review process to ensure accuracy. This article contains trusted sources with all references hyperlinked for the reader's visibility.