Sodium Bicarbonate: Potential Cancer Therapy
Abstract
This article aims to describe the application of sodium bicarbonate for cancer therapy. Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. The extracellular tumor microenvironment (TME) acidity of cancer cells is a defining characteristic. It affects the behavior of cancer cells in several ways, including tumor growth, invasion, metastasis, and resistance to treatment. These changes trigger metabolic changes in cancer cells, enhancing their ability to proliferate and survive. In addition, scientists have stated that the TME generates acidity. Researchers even went so far as to claim that tumor invasion did not occur in less acidic zones. Experts propose to focus on this acidity as a potential therapeutic target. A few scientists proposed sodium bicarbonate to eliminate TME acidity. Few studies have conducted several in vivo tests to investigate sodium bicarbonate's potential as an anticancer agent. The effects of adding sodium bicarbonate to various treatments for different types of tumors were expressed without going into additional detail about the stages of occurrence. In this study, we focused on employing sodium bicarbonate to remove acid from the TME, thereby inhibiting tumor growth, blocking local invasion, and inhibiting tumor metastasis. A high hydrogen ion concentration (H+) characterizes acidic solutions. When added to an aqueous solution, sodium bicarbonate breaks down into bicarbonate anions (HCO3−) and sodium ions (Na+). The bicarbonate anions consume hydrogen ions (H+) to produce carbonic acid (H2CO3). The carbonic acid then converts to carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). We propose conducting a clinical trial that focuses on pH as a measure of decreasing TME acidity and, as a result, inhibiting the development and proliferation of tumor cells.
Keywords: cancer, acidosis, tumor microenvironment, sodium bicarbonate, tumor growth.
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