Melatonin and Its Use in Cancer Treatment
How melatonin levels impact cancer treatment.
Melatonin Levels and Cancer
Melatonin is a neurohormone secreted at night by the pineal gland in the brain. It is important in the regulation of many hormones in the body. Among its key roles, melatonin controls the body's circadian rhythm, an internal 24-hour time-keeping system that plays an important role in our sleeping pattern.
Darkness stimulates the release of melatonin and light suppresses its activity. Normal melatonin cycles are disrupted when we are exposed to excessive light in the evening or too little light during the daytime.
How Melatonin Levels Impact Cancer Treatment
Melatonin also has strong antioxidant properties and improves immune system function. Research studies have found that melatonin levels in the body play an important role in cell mediated immunity.
Melatonin has been shown to stimulate the production of Interleukins, among them IL-2 which constitutes the main anti-tumoral cytokine in humans.
Several studies indicate that low levels of melatonin may be linked with an increased risk of various chronic degenerative diseases and cancer, especially breast and prostate cancer.
Laboratory experiments have found that low levels of melatonin stimulate the growth of certain types of breast cancer cells and adding melatonin to these cells inhibits their growth.
Laboratory and clinical evidence has shown that melatonin may enhance the effects of some chemotherapy drugs and reduce their toxic side effects. It improves quality of life, and in synergy with anti-cancer treatments it increases the chance of survival of cancer patients.
Melatonin is prescribed according to individual needs and is an important complementary component of the Issels comprehensive cancer treatment program.