Scientific overview of the Revici Method

The origins of Dr. Revici's method dates back about 70 years ago, when Dr. Revici observed that patients with cancer exhibited unique and consistent patterns of pain expression. Some patients had pain at night , some during the day while others experienced pain either before or after eating. Dr. Revici did not relegate these observations to the status of a mere anomaly but understood that within these observations was the key to a deeper understanding of the pathophysiology; the underlying mechanisms that perpetuated the disease process.  A possible explanation for these observations was that variations in the acid base balance throughout the day may contribute to the manifested pain pattern. To test this hypotheses, Dr. Revici administered an acidic or alkaline chemical to patients and observed the effect on the painful lesion. In some patients the consumption of an acid would make the pain worse while in others the pain would get better. Conversely an alkaline substance would have the opposite effect. If an acid was observed to make  pain worse, it was called an acidic pain. If on the other hand the pain became aggravated with the administration of an alkaline substance,  this was called an alkaline pain. It appeared that circadian changes in the pH balance through out the day was in part responsible for the variations in pain pattern that different patients experienced. Although acidic and basic compounds were capable of modifying the level of pain they did not seem to have much impact on the actual disease process. 

        Dr. Revici would have to probe deeper to discover what was behind the acid or alkaline pain pattern. On analyzing tumors, Dr. Revici found that there were differences in the chemical composition as compared to normal tissue. Tumors have a predominance of a type of lipid categorized as a sterol. In experiments in tissue culture and animals sterols, it appeared to stimulate growth and was  called anabolic. The sterols produced an acidic environment in the tissues because sterols would incorporate into the cell membrane and block the passage of oxygen. When this happened, the cells became more anaerobic, relying less on oxygen and more on glucose for energy. When cells utilize glucose as their energy source they produce lactic acid. This lactic acid accumulates in the tissues causing the acid pain pattern. In contrast to sterols free fatty acids are catabolic,  having the opposite effect of the anabolic sterols, causing slowed growth and break down. In order for the body to be healthy there must be a balance between the anabolic and catabolic lipids. A disequillibrium in the metabolism predisposed the organism to various pathologies including cancer. 

        The discovery of anabolic and catabolic lipids opened the way for a new therapeutic approach that addressed the metabolic off balance state . With the understanding that the acidic or alkaline pain was a result of deeper processes relating to opposing lipids, Dr. Revici began to use various lipids therapeutically. Cancer being a process of unregulated growth falls primarily into the anabolic category and most often responds to catabolic lipids. At first, Dr. Revici separated lipids from organs into an acid soluble fraction, which was catabolic and  alkaline soluble fraction that was anabolic. When he administered the acid soluble fraction to patients with cancer, he found that there was often a positive response with reduction in pain. In some cases, stabilization of tumors and  reported regressions in some instances. When he analyzed the chemical structure of metabolically active lipids he noticed that there were similarities in the molecular structures of the more active compounds. For instance, the highly conjugated lipids were more active than less conjugated ones. In general molecules that have structures with higher energy states were the most active. 

        Dr. Revici also recognized that there was great variation in the metabolism of individual patients and in order to have the maximum effect it was necessary to individualize treatment. Dr. Revici employed a variety of physiological parameters such as urine pH, sedimentation rate, potassium level, and other test to assess the metabolic  activity of an individual patient. This information was then used to determine the relative anabolic/catabolic activity and make corresponding changes in the treatment. For example, in a wide sample of the population with out chronic disease, the urine pH will fluctuate around a median of 6.2. However, if there is a metabolic imbalance the urine pH may still fluctuate but will have a tendency to stay higher than 6.2 in the anabolic state, and under 6.2 in the catabolic.  

        It is therefore possible to use urine pH to make corresponding changes in the treatment adjusting the relative amount of anabolic and catabolic compounds to achieve a more balanced metabolism. 

        On further analysis of tumors, Dr. Revici found that there were often differences in the mineral content of cancerous lesions as compared to normal tissue. In particular, he found that there were deficiencies in elements such as selenium, copper and sulfur. He was also able to demonstrate that certain elements were promoting of growth and hence anabolic while others were retarding growth and catabolic. Remarkably,  an elements metabolic influence could be determined according to its position on the periodic chart. In addition to the metabolic activity, it was also apparent that the level at which an element was positioned on the periodic chart  influenced the level in the organism it would be most active. As such, some elements seemed to concentrate in the cellular cytoplasm, others in the extra cellular space and some more systemically. For example, potassium is an anabolic element that tends to accumulate in the cellular cytoplasm while selenium is a catabolic element that is also most active at the cellular level. On the other hand, sodium is an anabolic element that is most active at the extra cellular level while sulfur is also active at the extra cellular level but, is catabolic. With this observation, it was now possible to direct the therapy at a particular level of the organism that was metabolically off balance. For example, if there was a anabolic disturbance at the cellular level  as evidenced by dysplasia or cancer in situ, selenium could be used to help balance this state as it was catabolic at the cellular level.

        In a major therapeutic advance, Dr. Revici found that chemically combining lipids with elements gave a synergistic advantage. Through a novel method Dr. Revici was able to integrate elements such as selenium into the double bond structure of lipids.  This allowed the lipid to act as a vehicle to transport the elements into a wide range of tissues. In experiments in mice with cancer, Dr. Revici found that the selenium bound to free fatty acids had a tendency to concentrate in the tumors as opposed to normal tissue. In addition, it took longer for the mice with cancer to dissipate the selenium. These experiments demonstrated that the lipid bound elements preferentially could concentrate in tumors. It is of interest that it is only recently that pharmaceutical companies are investigating the use of lipids as a delivery system for medications including chemotherapy.

        Although there is no cure for cancer many, patients that have been treated with  the Revici method have faired much better than would have been statistically expected. 

        Click here for a discussion of the clinical efficacy of the Revici method.