IGF causing cancer overrated if used short term? Any thoughts?

[CanadianGear]

I hate to bring up negatives but it's a legitimate concern for us all.

IGF-I has potentiating cancer effects...right? Well maybe not right away and especially not if we limits its use.

I tried doing a search on this after reading a tiff between ********s and this chemist "scooty" on MuscleTalk. I know the dangers of IGF but somehow after visiting so many sites it doesn't feel like it's such a big deal. But it is of course. So I did some researching and basically got the following... which I was happy to learn (last point anyway):

1. IGF-I does cause cancer
2. IGF-I speeds up cancer process
3. IGF-I NOT recommended for those who have or have had cancer
4. IGF-I causes cancer during highly elevated levels over a long period of time

"Long period of time" being subjective (and the small amounts we use -- although I'm not sure just what "small" is in comparison to a medical study) I gather if we use it sparingly and follow most protocols listed out there (ie. 1 month on, 1 month off, or better yet, during PCT only), then it's not such a bad thing in the short term? Long term...? hmm.. well maybe something's started.."possibly".

Couple of the links that I came across:
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/522728_3
http://www.oncolink.org/resources/ar...h=07&year=2002
http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=17567100

So far I'm feeling pretty good on its use as a short term solution.

Please comment or add any constructive feedback as I'm curious to see what other positive reports you guys might know of that most other may not know.

Thanks!

[CCWS]

Thanks for posting this info, good stuff.

[CanadianGear]

ya too bad more people (or at least the experts) aren't providing more feedback on this. With all the knowledge everyone possesses about IGF-1 and HGH you'd think there would be more input on this since it is a legitimate concern and a reality.

whatever, I guess I'll just have to remain content with my findings.

[NewBreed]

Ok, one link is only with pw, th others prove, your 1. statement to be wrong!

IGF doesn´t cuase cancer, there´a higher risk of cancer in women mammacarzinome linked to IGF -that´s why Tamoxifen is given to block Estradiol and lower IGF ... and guess what -cow milk is a major risk-factor for breast cancer in middel aged women! - as stated by Havard University of Medicine ( I think it was linked to a higher IGF in breast tissue due to the milk )

The GH/IGF axis is linked to many things, but in long term, high dose gh-studies, no real concern about cancer is arising
from the world.

It´s very much lifestyle, also at least imho... a rat with induced cancer given IGF LR3 on a protein rich diet and with excercise, led the IGFto decreasing the tumor by shuttling the proteins to the muscles, also does it activate the super-oxidase activity of lymphocytes killer cells (i´ll get that right, when I have found the link), that especially go against cancer cells.

And cancer still is killer No. 1 so many things might be linkes to cancer.

[CanadianGear]

Ok, one link is only with pw, th others prove, your 1. statement to be wrong!

IGF doesn´t cuase cancer, there´a higher risk of cancer in women mammacarzinome linked to IGF -that´s why Tamoxifen is given to block Estradiol and lower IGF ... and guess what -cow milk is a major risk-factor for breast cancer in middel aged women! - as stated by Havard University of Medicine ( I think it was linked to a higher IGF in breast tissue due to the milk )

The GH/IGF axis is linked to many things, but in long term, high dose gh-studies, no real concern about cancer is arising
from the world.

It´s very much lifestyle, also at least imho... a rat with induced cancer given IGF LR3 on a protein rich diet and with excercise, led the IGFto decreasing the tumor by shuttling the proteins to the muscles, also does it activate the super-oxidase activity of lymphocytes killer cells (i´ll get that right, when I have found the link), that especially go against cancer cells.

And cancer still is killer No. 1 so many things might be linkes to cancer.

Ya medline is difficult to link to. You can google most pages on their sites and actually read them but you can't get to it directly! So I've made it easier for the readers to login to that page. Registration is FREE on that site so I just made one up real quick. To view the entire article on medline here is the login info:

LOGIN: anabolicreview
P/W: anabolic

The ability of GH, via its mediator peptide IGF-1, to influence regulation of cellular growth has been the focus of much interest in recent years. In this review, we will explore the association between GH and cancer. Available experimental data support the suggestion that GH/IGF-1 status may influence neoplastic tissue growth. Extensive epidemiological data exist that also support a link between GH/IGF-1 status and cancer risk. Epidemiological studies of patients with acr*****ly indicate an increased risk of colorectal cancer, although risk of other cancers is unproven, and a long-term follow-up study of children deficient in GH treated with pituitary-derived GH has indicated an increased risk of colorectal cancer. Conversely, extensive studies of the outcome of GH replacement in childhood cancer survivors show no evidence of an excess of de novo cancers, and more recent surveillance of children and adults treated with GH has revealed no increase in observed cancer risk. However, given the experimental evidence that indicates GH/IGF-1 provides an anti-apoptotic environment that may favour survival of genetically damaged cells, longer-term surveillance is necessary; over many years, even a subtle alteration in the environmental milieu in this direction, although not inducing cancer, could result in acceleration of carcinogenesis. Finally, even if GH/IGF-1 therapy does result in a small increase in cancer risk compared to untreated patients with GH deficiency, it is likely that the eventual risk will be the same as the general population. Such a restoration to normality will need to be balanced against the known morbidity of untreated GH deficiency.

Also, on medline, they state the following:

The end results of these opposing effects of IGF-1 may be several-fold. First, there is increased proliferation and thus epithelial cell turnover within tissues. Second, the antiapoptotic effects cause an imbalance in the usual tight control between proliferation and cell death and result in hyperproliferation. This is the first stage in the development of many cancers and has been particularly well demonstrated in colorectal tumorigenesis in which it precedes the formation of colonic adenomas. Third, such an imbalance between cell proliferation and death would favour, even slightly, survival of stem cells that had undergone early genetic 'hits'.[4] This would increase the pool of damaged cells available for second and subsequent hits. Higher levels of IGF-1 would be expected to activate survival pathways that would make programmed cell death of damaged cells slightly less probable. When applied overall to a large number of 'at risk' cells over many years, even a small influence in favour of survival of such cells could accelerate carcinogenesis, although not initiate cancer development per se.

So you're right newbreed. My bad, IGF has not been proven to CAUSE cancer yet but it does mimic that behaviour (hyperproliferation where the damaged cells don't die -- read above). Basically, "Cancer Risk" vs "Cancer Development" is what's being stated here. I mixed the two up.

Now, I'm not in the medical field so I can't speak too much on this except for what I can understand from what I read but it does look pretty safe.

This was one side effect that I was most afraid of and since I've never seen it being discussed on ANY bodybuilding forum (those I've visited anyway) it does calm my fears. Kind of like when you first hear about anabolic steroids and you think it shrinks your member! LOL (not sure about deca tho). But that's why I was asking for anyone in the "know" to provide more input if they have any.

THANKS NEWBREED

(The way we use it now seems like a safe bet)

[jdavis2007]

I think anything that causes acceleratted growth (HGH/AS/IGF-Lr3) can be a possible problem for cancer (considering cancer is an acceleratted growth of cells). I think if you decide to duelve into the life of pharma-use then you must make up where you are lagging, which would be a very healthy diet of plenty of protein along with plenty of nutrients and fiber, etc.

We all are going to die one day, but I'd like not to die in tons of pain cause I was a moron.