The overwhelming curiosity regarding sharks led to scientific studies which have led to a widely acknowledged medical finding lauded by many as the health discovery of the century – the shark cartilage as medication for cancer. Today, there are approximately 25,000 patients using shark cartilage as therapeutic supplement for cancer prevention.
Dr. Judah Folkman, a medical researcher from Harvard University, laid the framework for the shark cartilage study in his investigation into the process for the prevention of cancer formation known as antiangiogenesis – or inhibition of blood vessel formation.
Cancer, in its simplest form, starts with a single cell. It then undergoes changes or mutation and develops into an abnormal cell. The cancer cells multiply exponentially and develop a blood network essential for their rapid growth.
"Thus, tumors cannot grow without a network of blood vessels to nourish them," said Folkman. He explained that inhibition of the development of blood vessels might be a potential anti-cancer therapy.
Because the shark cartilage contains active anti-cancer ingredients, it is regarded as a useful food supplement that inhibits blood vessel formation and prevents various types of cancer. Its efficacy has been documented and proven by various studies worldwide.
Shark cartilage was first used on humans in a clinical study conducted in Mexico. Here, seven out of eight terminal cancer patients showed positive response to the shark cartilage therapy and showed a decrease of tumor sizes from 40 to 100 percent in just two months. Three months later, three were tumor-free, one had withdrawn from the therapy, and three had attained a 60 percent reduction in tumor size.
In 1993, Dr. William Lane, a leading biochemist and nutritionist from the United States, collaborated with Caribbean medical experts and spearheaded another clinical study in Cuba on the effect of shark cartilage for cancer prevention. Three and a half years later, the study showed a remarkable outcome – 14 of the original 20 terminally ill patients were alive and most of them enjoyed a satisfactory quality of life. Normally, a terminal cancer patient lives only for six months.
The most striking case in the Cuban study was that of Frankie, a middle-aged woman who had an inoperable 30-pound ovarian tumor. Because the tumor had grown very large, it spread to the bones of her pelvis. But after she was given shark cartilage supplement for 23 weeks, Frankie was able to undergo surgery. The operation revealed that the tumor had shrunk by 23 percent. It weighed 24 pounds and was already composed of dead tissues based on biopsy.
"The shark is beginning to look like a veritable medicine cabinet. As we learn about the shark’s success as a species, perhaps humanity will become a healthier and longer-lived species," commented Lane.
These favorable studies convinced the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to give shark cartilage an IND (investigational new drug) status. This allowed the development of a high-quality food supplement necessary for the prevention of cancer formation.
In the Philippines, environmental pollution is one of the major reasons of a steady growth of cancer-related cases. Metro Manila is dubbed as one of the most polluted cities in the world. Thus, it may be ideal for Metro Manilans and the rest of the populace to take food supplements for cancer prevention.
Shark cartilage is recommended by many Filipino doctors to help prevent cancer in those with strong family history of cancer, smokers, and those constantly exposed to polluted environments.
Trianon shark cartilage, a leading brand of shark cartilage supplement, is exclusively distributed by Trianon International Inc. and is now available at all Mercury Drug Store outlets. Recommended dose for cancer prevention is two to three capsules daily.