Off Label Use of Pharmaceuticals

Cancer research reveals that the "off-label" use of certain common drugs can combat cancer. The following is a small sample of the types of drugs that are often used on an "off-label" basis at ICT:

1. Metformin, a drug typically used to treat diabetes, has been shown to selectively target cancer stem cells. In addition, because metformin lowers blood sugar, it may be very helpful in glycolytic cancers, especially if the individual is insulin resistant or is overweight.
2. Clarithromycin, a macrolide antibiotic commonly used to treat infection, has shown to inhibit cachexia (wasting process associated with progressive cancer), and improve survival in lung cancer and multiple myeloma.
3. Ammonium tetrathiomolybdate, a drug used to treat Wilson’s Disease (copper storage disorder), inhibits the development of new blood vessels for the cancer by lowering copper levels.
4. DCA (dichloroacetate), a drug used to treat rare metabolic disorders, inhibits the glycolytic cancer’s ability to make lactic acid, forcing the cancer cell to generate energy through use of the mitochondria, like normal tissue.
5. Sodium phenylbutyrate, a drug used to treat urea cycle disorders, inhibits cancers by binding glutamine and forcing its excretion. It is well known that many cancers feed avidly on glutamine.