Time to Heal

August 9, 2006

 

ABC- Channel 7 News, Chicago - You've heard the saying "timing is everything," but could that be true when it comes to fighting disease? Healthbeat reporter Sylvia Perez has more on a specialized treatment that's called chronotherapy.
 

We all know about our body's biological clock that operates on a 24 hour cycle. It's called the circadian rhythm.

Over the years researchers have started to realize that these natural rhythms could play a role in fighting disease, everything from arthritis to asthma and cancer. Chronotherapy isn't something that's commonly practiced in the US but more and more doctors say it's about time.)
 

Fifty-eight-year old John Plass is working on mind body medicine with his yoga instructor. Seventeen months ago he was diagnosed with colon cancer. Surgery revealed his biggest fear: the cancer had spread. John was running out of time.
 

"They basically sent me home to die and I felt basically I'm losing the battle again," said Plass.

Determined not to give up, john did some research and flew from his home in California to Evanston, Illinois.

He came to the Block Center for integrative care to try a technique called chronotherapy.
 

"Normally chemo is given to patients and it will hit both healthy cells and cancer cells so you get toxicity. What chronotherapy will do is it will hit more of the cancer cells and it's softer on healthier cells so it reduces toxicity," said Dr. Keith Block, internist.
 

Dr. Block says he is able to do this based on timing. For instance, some research has shown certain cancer drugs work better at night when the healthy cells are at rest and the cancer cells are more active.
 

Most patients get traditional chemo in a medical setting in one straight dose. That's not the case with chronotherapy.

"It incrementally moves up to peak at the optimal time and then it incrementally moves down," said Dr. Block.

So, how do you get the treatments at odd hours of the day? John Plass uses a chemo pump he carries in a fanny pack. He can go about his business whether exercising or sleeping.
 

The pump is designed to precisely time the release of medication to the needs of the individual patient. Dr. Block says chronotherapy often reduces side effects of chemotherapy such as nausea, vomiting diarrhea and fatigue. He claims patients tolerate 40 percent more of the drug and it allows some patients who didn't respond to chemo previously to benefit.
 

"We were able to give them back the same identical drugs and rechallenge them, but this time with chronomodulation of drugs, and many of these patients will respond when they hadn't responded previously," said Dr. Block.
 

Chronotherapy is used in at least 40 centers in Europe now. But most American hospitals want more evidence before using this technique.
 

Dr. Al B. Benson III is a colon cancer specialist with Northwestern Memorial Hospital. "We cannot consider chronotherapy the standard approach, and part of it is because we just don't know enough. The clinical trials are intriguing. We just have to learn enough about the human biology to best use this technique," Dr. Benson said.

John Plass says it has made the difference for him. He is not having side effects and, except for a little fatigue, he feels pretty good. He believes chronotherapy has given him life and a sense of hope.
 

"I wanted to live. This was my best chance to live and survive the cancer longer," said Plass.
 

John's program is a holistic approach that combines proper diet, supplements and exercise. Dr. Block says insurance covers the cost of the chemo so there is no extra expense for the patient. He says this works on all types of cancer including breast, ovarian, lung and colon.
 

So why are so few doctors in the US doing this? Many physicians say there is just not enough proof it works, and more importantly, they don't want to present false hope.