Cancer Cell Makeup

In 1974, Dr. Samuel Bogash (MD, Ph.D.) discovered a new antigen located on all cancer cells. He and his researcher / wife, Eleanor Bogash, MD, founded Oncolab to do this test for research and later clinical purposes. Dr. Bogash is a Harvard-trained research neurochemist. He discovered that the outer coating on cancer cells contain sugar molecules over an inner layer of protein (glycoproteins). Cancer cells bump into each other and the  outer layer is ground off—exposing the inner protein layer and the malignin antigen.

It took Drs. Bogash seven years to determine that the antigen was on all cancer cells, not just brain cancer which they were originally studying. Due to cell recognition, our immune system spots Malignin. When it sees this foreign protein it produces antibodies to destroy it—Anti-malignin antibodies. This is what is measured in the study; it is our body's defense against cancer. By 1988, Dr. Bogash showed that the anti-malignin antibody killed cancer cells in the test tube.

Greater than 95% of patients with cancer have AMAS levels above 135. AMAS levels below 135 are seen in normal individuals who do not have cancer. Sometimes there is doubt about the test (borderline numbers) and at these times the test needs to be repeated and followed up at certain intervals. Normal levels of AMAS are seen in successfully treated cancer patients and  in patients who never had cancer. Cases of advanced or terminal cancer may  also have normal levels or even very low normal. The clinical status of the  patient must be correlated with the AMAS test result. The test is patented and the FDA has approved it. The test is available for  use in several areas related to cancer:

1. Cancer Screening Test. Today a check-up in your physician's office includes a history, a physical examination and selected laboratory tests aimed at detecting potential problems including cancer. It will now include an AMAS test, and thus might defer using a chest X-ray, proctoscope, CT scan, pap smear, and even mammography. These cancer screens will not be needed unless the AMAS test is abnormal.

2. A Cancer Monitoring Test. After cancer has been treated both the patient and the doctor want to know if the cancer has been cured or if some malignant cells are still in the body. The AMAS test can answer this dilemma. If there is cancer present, the AMAS test remains elevated.

3. In Differential Diagnosis. At times a shadow on a chest X-ray or a spot in the liver or kidney on a CT scan are suspicious for cancer and only a biopsy can tell. That is an invasive procedure. The AMAS test can tell you if the tissue is malignant. If the AMAS is normal, the lesion in question is not a cancer.

To date, over 1000 patients with breast cancer have been studied using the AMAS test. It has been used to tell if the cancer has been cured. New data suggests that the breast cancer cannot be said to be in remission unless the AMAS test returns to normal. AMAS has found breast cancer as small as a pencil dot long before a mammogram can show it. The AMAS detects all common cancers and the uncommon ones too. Studies on more than 6000 patients show the sensitivity of AMAS to be greater than 95%. The false positive rate and false negative rates are about 1% of the total, making the specificity about 99%.  Dr. Bogash will probably receive the Nobel Prize for this unique discovery that will save hundreds of thousands of lives.

© 1995 Stephen B. Edelson, M.D., F.A.A.F.P., F.A.A.E.M. 
NOTICE: This information is provided for educational purposes. Any medical  procedures, dietary changes, or nutritional supplements discussed herein should only be undertaken on the advice of a qualified physician.