Antitumor Effects of Lithium Carbonate 5(30mM) showed strong enhancement of non-apoptotic cell death. When either
chemotherapeutic agent was combined with lithium carbonate a significant
reduction in tumor volume was achieved. In addition, survival was
dramatically increased in the combination group (p < 0.0001), with >50% of
animals achieving long term cure without re-occurrence (> 1 year tumor free).
Metastasis is the main cause of mortality in cancer patients. Angiogenesis
and lymphangiogenesis are crucial for cancer progression; in particular,
lymphangiogenesis is pivotal for metastasis in cancer. The experimental
investigation has demonstrated a novel role of lithium carbonate in the
inhibition of colon cancer metastasis by blocking transforming growth factor-
β-induced protein (TGFBIp) expression, and thereby TGFBIp-induced
lymphangiogenesis, in primary tumors. Lithium reduces the expression of
TGFBIp in colon cancer cells by inhibiting Smad3 phosphorylation via
GSK3β inactivation [19]. Moreover, lithium carbonate inhibits lymphatic
endothelial cell migration, which is increased upon TGFBIp expression in
tumor cells. In tumor xenografts model, lithium was found to prevent
metastasis to the lungs, liver, and lymph nodes by inhibiting TGFBIp-induced
tumor lymphangiogenesis.
RESULTS OF CLINICAL STUDIES ON THE USE OF LITHIUM
CARBONATE FOR CANCER TREATMENT
1. An Enhancer Traditional Anticancer Therapy
The addition of lithium carbonate to treatment with 30 mCi^131 I in
thyroidectomized patients with low-risk differentiated thyroid carcinoma
improved the efficacy of thyroid remnant ablation and therefore might be a
better alternative than using higher doses of^131 I for remnant ablation in these
patients [20]. This was a randomized study with endpoint at one year. Sixty
one consecutive patients with follicular thyroid carcinoma or papillary thyroid
carcinoma were randomized into two groups: group A (n = 32) treated with 30
mCi^131 I; group B (n = 29) treated with 30 mCi^131 I plus an oral dose of lithium
900 mg/day, for 7 days.
It should be noted that the addition of lithium carbonate (1200mg/day) to
treatment with radioactive iodine did not have any beneficial effects on the
clinical course in 12 patients with metastatic differentiated thyroid carcinoma
[21]. Lithium carbonate enhanced the absorption of radioactive iodine thyroid