DHEA has been shown to improve the immune system and have significant anti-cancer and anti-tumor effects.
DHEA owes its beneficial anti-cancer properties to its ability to inhibit an enzyme called glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD). The cardio-protective properties of DHEA are also partly linked to this ability.
Cervical cancer
Preliminary research indicates that the use of DHEA intravaginally is safe and promotes the regression of minor cervical lesions. However, patients should not substitute DHEA for more established therapies, and should consult a healthcare professional before considering this method.
Clinical studies
In a long-term study of 5,000 women, DHEA levels were found to drop dramatically, up to nine years before the development of breast cancer. The highest risk factor for this cancer was low DHEA levels. DHEA has been shown to boost the immune system, prevent cancer and prolong life in laboratory animals.
In another study, nine healthy older men with an average age of 64 took 50 mg DHEA at night for 20 weeks. This treatment significantly increased the number of T (killer) cells. It is the lymphocytes that are involved in finding and destroying not only viruses, but also abnormal cells that are on the verge of becoming cancerous. Although the number of T cells was not affected, their activity was increased (as measured by a greater proliferative response to phytohemagglutinin, a chemical that normally stimulates T cells). B cell activity was also increased.
In a study conducted on mice and rats, it was shown that DHEA can inhibit the development of experimental tumors of the liver, chest, lung, colon, lymphatic tissues of the epidermis, as well as other parts of the body. Among pregnant rats implanted with a carcinogenic agent, 96 % developed breast tumors.
The mice which received the same carcinogen but which were given a dose of DHEA, only 35 % showed tumors in the udders. Japanese researcher Dr. Inano concluded, “This finding suggests that DHEA has preventive potential against the promotion/progression phase of radiation-induced breast tumors. »DHEA decreases the carcinogenic enzyme Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehyrogenase (G6PD). British women who had 10% less DHEA than normal for their age group developed breast cancer and died from it, as was predicted 9 years earlier in a test measuring low DHEA present in their urine. DHEA protects against cancerous tumors caused by urethane and dimethylbenz-anthracene 1 and 2, against skin cancer (at 100 mg of DHEA per day), blocks colon tumors in mice exposed to the carcinogen dimethylhydrazine 1and 2, prevents prostate cancer and testicular cancer in rodents.
One study showed that subjects with T-cell leukemia (ATL) had significantly lower DHEA levels than average healthy people. This led doctors to believe that DHEA could be beneficial in the treatment of this form of leukemia.
Other cancer studies show that DHEA inhibits the uptake of thymidine by cells, which is necessary for cell propagation, and interrupts the oxidative effect of cancer-causing chemicals. Scientists note that DHEA does not work as an antioxidant, but as a moderator of the effects of cancer-causing chemicals on cells.
A clinical study of 127 subjects with advanced cancer, who were given 40 mg of DHEA daily, showed that although there was no significant cancer regression, 2 subjects with kidney, stabilized their condition and tolerated DHEA therapy for 2.5 years without side effects. So, according to Drs. Regelson and Kalimi, DHEA may be our best agent for blocking the growth of stress-related tumors.
