24 January 2021 - Curing Cancer - Part 6 - Key systemic network issues

My sixth essay about curing cancer based on the principles of complexity theory has now been posted at https://natpernickshealthblog.wordpress.com, which has new essays every 1-2 weeks. You can follow my blog at https://natpernickshealthblog.wordpress.com by entering your email address and clicking on the Follow button on the left hand side.

These essays are technical but I will highlight the major findings in a conversational style here. If there is interest, I can expand on this discussion. I am happy to answer questions about cancer in general or about my theories. Unfortunately, as a pathologist who no longer provides patient care, I do not have the training or expertise to answer “What should I do” questions, which may be more appropriate for oncologists.

Complexity theory analyzes systems with strongly interacting parts. This includes not only the human body but earthquakes, the stock market and the economy.

The predominant framework for understanding disease is reductionism - the behavior of the whole equals the behavior of the sum of the parts. Thus, treatment is about finding the “bad part” and fixing it. In contrast, complexity theory states that the interactions between the parts, in the form of networks, are vital to understanding how nature works. Human life is composed of thousands of biologic pathways that interact in a complex web. On their own, each pathway may perform a limited function, but together, they provide more sophisticated functions that enable life. They also change their overall patterns of behavior over time, starting as a fertilized egg that focuses on constant cell division, then forming a general body plan in the embryo, then differentiating into cells that provide the functions we are familiar with in our organ systems. As we enter childhood and adulthood, different pathways are shut down because their activation would be harmful.

My theory is that cancer is due to dysfunction in networks affecting not only the primary (main) tumor, but also in systemic networks that nurture and maintain the malignancy. Thus, curative cancer treatment must attack the dysfunction in these systemic networks as well as targeting the primary tumor. Many of these dysfunctional systemic networks involve the inflammatory system, which protects us against microorganisms and emerging cancer cells, and also repairs damage due to various types of trauma. The inflammatory system, similar to embryogenesis, is relatively unstable due to its ability to quickly “ramp up” when triggered by foreign substances or trauma. These triggers also start the process of resolving the inflammatory process - both occur simultaneously, so as the triggers are effectively countered, the inflammatory process is also diminished. However, cancer risk factors trigger inflammation through other processes that do not simultaneously initiate the resolution process. This means the inflammation persists indefinitely; its instability propagates (spreads) to other networks over years to decades, which ultimately promotes malignancy.

This essay discusses systemic networks that must be “normalized” and monitored to provide curative treatment.