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Clinical Medicine Insights 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.52845/CMI/2022-3-3-1 

CMI 03 (03), 318−321 (2022) ISSN (O) 2694-4626

Case  Report          Open Access Journal

 Treatment of Cancers with a Novel Combination of  Re-Purposed 

Pharmaceuticals and Some Nutriceuticals. 

Reginald Marsh
1
, Tinte Itinteang

2
 

Corresponding Author: Reginald Marsh

 
1
MA, PhD, FSS. Retired, 

Honorary Associate Professor 

Auckland University, School  

of  Medical and Health 

Sciences. 480C Devonport 

Road Tauranga,  New 

Zealand. 

2
MB BS, PhD. Minister, 

Ministry of Health, Kiribati

Introduction

In 2014 a 63 year old woman diagnosed with CLL 

leukaemia (lymphocyte count 6.6) approached our 

centre. Aware of the limited and non-curative 

treatment already available for CLL she felt there 

was nothing to lose by trying, through her family 

doctor, any other reasonable approach we might 

suggest. 

We were then at the Gillies-McIndoe Research 

Institute (GMRI)  which had successfully treated 

infants with Infantile Haemangiomas using low 

dose beta-blockers to inhibit the

renin-angiotensin system (RAS) [1,2].  The basic 

idea was that the renin-angiotensin system might 

also be central in the growth of tumours which 

might be responsive to similar treatment. As the 

patient was already taking a beta-blocker, 

Propranolol was easily substituted and titered up 

to a total of 80mg once daily. While Propranolol 

had a significant effect on the leukocyte count 

something extra was needed and  Aliskiren - a 

renin blocker was added. After the Propranolol 

and Aliskiren administration there was a decline 
in the lymphocyte count but gradually it returned 
to around its previous value. Our laboratory studies 

showed that when the ‘classical’ RAS pathway is 

inhibited, bypass loops such as Cathepsins B D & 

G, and COX2 take over its role. A  wave-like 

response pattern in the lymphocyte counts 

appeared, that is common in CLL, averaging 

around eight [3]. To deal with the Cathepsins we 

added Curcumin (with piperine to increase its 

solubility and uptake) titered up to a dose of  

300mg od.  as a Cathepsin B blocker[4,5] and 

aspirin enteric coated 100mg bd.. Curcumin and 

Aspirin are both Cox2 inhibitors, aspirin also 

inhibits Cox1.   Our data below ( Table 1) of the 

earlier interventions over the first half of the study 

showed that there was a correlation of  r =  0.773 

Abstract 

A 63 year old woman with CLL Leukaemia offered to try a novel  

treatment being developed at our centre. Beginning with Propranolol and 

Aliskiren several additional compounds were tried over time, Aspirin, 

Curcumin and Bromelain were retained. Over the succeeding eight years 

her lymphocyte count has risen slowly and was presently stable around 

35,000.  A few weeks ago when Bromelain was increased to 500mg pd  the 

Lymphocytes dropped to 32.1.  The patient still continues to lead a normal 

life with no side effects, the only complaint being tiredness. This treatment 

we infer to inhibit cancer growth at least. 

Key words : Cancer treatment,  repurposed pharmaceuticals plus 

nutriceuticals. 

Copyright : © 2021 The Authors. Published by Medical Editor and 

Educational Research Publishers Ltd. This is an open access article under 

the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/lic enses/by-nc-

nd/4.0/). 

https://creativecommons.org/lic%20enses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
https://creativecommons.org/lic%20enses/by-nc-nd/4.0/


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(p = 0.009) (60% of  the total variance) between 

our interventions (increasing dosages) and 

declines in the lymphocyte numbers. The mean of 

post-intervention values is significantly lower than 

the pre-intervention mean (t = 2.94,  P = 

0.016).(Used SPSS v.22) And the second-to-last 

entry arose from a brief withdrawal of Aliskiren 

leading to a lymphocyte increase from 9.6 to 10.8  

declining to 8.5 when the Aliskiren was restarted. 

Table1: Patient’s Lymphocyte Count (per 1,000) by Treatments added or removed over time. 

    Date  Treatments 

 (Mg per day) 

Lymphocytes       Date Treatments 

 (Mg per day) 

Lymphocytes 

2014 2016 

 06/27 Propranolol  30        6.1 01/02         6.8 

 07/02 Propranolol  60        6.8 02/03         8.1 

 08/27          6.4 03/06 Doxycycline         7.7 

 09/10         7.4                                    03/12 Doxycycline 

WD* 

      10.8 

 09/17        6.9 03/22         9.6 

          10/17 

       7.9 04/18         8.4 

  11/18 Enalapril 60 

Propranolol 30 

       8.4 05/16         9.2 

          12/01         7.4          06/23         8.6 

          12/26          Enalapril WD*        8.9 07/19         9.5 

 2015        07/25 Metformin 500 

01/14 Aspirin 300 08/08 Metformin,1000 

01/29         7.6 08/19         9.4 

03/10          8.0 09/15         9.6 

03/21 Propranolol  60 10/13 Aliskiren WD* 

04/09        7.8 10/31 Metformin 

WD* 

      11.6 

05/17        7.4 11/05 Aliskiren 130 

06/09        8.1 11/22         8.5 

06/19 Propranolol 90 12/31       10.7 

       07/06        6.6 2017 

08/07        8.2 01/31         9.9 

09/07 Propranolol 120       7.6 03/14       10.7 

09/21 Propranolol 80 

Aliskiren 150 

      8.0 04/13       11.9 

10/20       7.8 06/20  14.2 

12/01        8.0 07/27       15.0 

12/19  Curcumin 600 08/31 Curcumin 1500       13.0 

10/10  Celebrex          8.6 

11/17 Celebrex WD *  

Aspirin 400 

       17.2    

*WD=Withdrawn 2018 

01/05    15.1 

Unexpected outcomes sometimes followed the 

introduction of  new possible treatment regimes 

which were purportedly related to cancer decline. 

The inclusion of  Doxycycline produced a rise in 

Lymphocytes from 7.7 to 10.8 in a month 

(2016/03/12) returning to 8.4 two months after its 

withdrawal. Aliskiren was withdrawn at 8.6  to 

allow Metformin 500mg pd to be introduced 



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(2016/16/06). This caused a rise to 9.6  in a 

month, 2 months later the dose was increased to 

1000 producing in a month an increase to11.6 

which upon withdrawal of all metformin and 

reintroduction of Aliskiren returned to 8.5 

(2016/11/22).    

After about three years of treatment Celebrex was 

substituted for aspirin as a Cox2 inhibitor. (The 

belief then was that Cox1 was not involved in 

cancer.)  The result was that lymphocytes rose 

from a count of 8.6 to 13.9 in about three weeks 

so the Celebrex was withdrawn and replaced with 

aspirin.  

At about that time (2017/10/10) Lymphocyte 

count became 8,600 and her Matutes score was 4. 

Her doubling time of  51 months compared well 

with a common doubling time of 12 months for 

typical lymphocyte counts for this cancer. Her 

karyotype shows 13q14.3 x 2 (homozygous) 

deletion. Extrapolating the likely trajectory for  

the progress of her condition shows a much more 

optimistic position than those with 13q deletions 

who have already been treated conventionally or 

are awaiting it [6].   

Since then there has been a gradual rise in her 

lymphocyte count to a  level of 35,000 after  eight 

years of treatment. This increase in level may be 

related to unforeseen misadventures from a triple 

vaccination (Boostrix dTpa), taking melatonin (a 

propranolol inhibitor) for sleep regulation and a 

probable bite from a white tailed spider requiring 

steroid treatment. After each of  these disruptions 

there was difficulty in reducing lymphocyte 

counts, suggesting  some cancer resistance to 

apoptosis, thus the lymphocyte count may have 

been inflated by senescent cells. This was 

responded to using Co-Enzyme Q10 [7]
 

(Ubiqinone then the more soluble Ubiquinol).  

Recently, (18/2/2022) we substituted Quercetin 

(with Bromelain for solubility) for Co-Enzyme 

Q10 assuming, given Quercetin’s reputation as an 

apoptosis promoter, that it might reduce the White 

Blood Cells (WBC) as well as the Lymphocyte 

count. Over nine weeks WBC remained around 

42.2 but Lymphocytes declined from 35.9 to 35.0.   

After leaving the GMRI we have continued 

treatment for another four years. With doses 

gradually augmented, her levels for the last five 

months have been around Lymphocytes 35.0, WBC 

42.3, GGT 37. About the level traditionally used 

to start regular monitoring, and half  the  usual 

level to trigger chemotherapy intervention. 

However , three weeks ago we withdrew 

Quercetin because of patient’s headaches and 

increased the Bromelain from 156mg pd to 500mg 

pd. Her latest levels are  Lymphocytes 32.1, WBC 

39.1 and GGT 28.0. Presumably the purported  

apoptosis effect of Bromelain is reducing both the 

senescent cells and the cancer activity [8].    

Discussion 

The level of GGT (28) suggests little cancer 

activity at present [9]
 
(at diagnosis it was 215). 

The present treatment is: Aliskiren 150mg od., 

Propranolol 40mg tid, Curcumin (with Piperine) 

500mg tid, Aspirin (enteric) 100mg tid,  

Bromelain 500mg od..  

Now aged 71 the patient lives alone, enjoys a 

normal life, the main complaint being tiredness, 

but she does her garden, does some voluntary 

work, and takes extended solo camping trips 

driving for up to two months throughout the 

country.  

While this regime may or may not cure CLL, at 

least, it seems to  inhibit the progress of the cancer 

with practically no side effects. From our 

laboratory studies we were aware that the above 

approach to treatment may also apply to other 

forms of cancer. The results by Tan et.al.[10].
 

helps to support this and the two studies 

complement each other, namely that the similar 

treatments used probably inhibit the progress of 

cancers. While other people have tried using some 

of  these medications by themselves we are 

unaware of other attempts to use these 

pharmaceuticals and nutriceuticals together to 

treat cancer.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Acknowledgements:  

The study was begun when both authors were 

working at the Gillies-McIndoe Cancer Research 

Centre (GMRI) in Wellington, NZ. RM from the 

Faculty of Medicine, Auckland University and TI 

was the Chief Scientific Officer at the GMRI. 

Thanks to patient Christine and her original GP Dr 

Pat Scarlett for their forbearance and cooperation; 

also to Dr Swee Tan (Director of the GMRI) for 

his participation in the earlier stages of  this 

venture.                       



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Sources of Support: 

The research did not receive a specific grant from 

funding agencies in the public, commercial or not 

for profit sector . 

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How to Cite:  Marsh, R., & Itinteang, T. . 
(2022). Treatment of cancers with a novel 
combination of re-purposed  pharmaceutic -
als and nutriceuticals. Clinical Medicine 
Insights, 3(3), 318–321. https://doi.org/10.52 
845/CMI/2022-3-3-1 


