FRIDAY, March 30, 2012 — Imagine a non-toxic, botanical treatment that can stop the spread of cancer with none of the unwanted side effects common to chemotherapy or radiation. It sounds too good to be true, we know — but researchers say it’s not out of the realm of possibility.
In fact, they’ve been studying such a treatment for prostate cancer — a formula made of botanical extracts, phytonutrients, botanically enhanced medicinal mushrooms, and antioxidants. And though testing is still in the early stages, the findings thus far have been promising.
According to a new study published in The International Journal of Oncology, the formula could help control hard-to-treat prostate tumors — for example, those that are aggressive and androgen-independent, or resistant to hormone-deprivation therapy. Researchers at Indiana University’s Methodist Research Institute implanted such tumors into mice and then orally administered the formula to the rodents at various doses. They found that it successfully suppressed tumor growth and spread without any toxic side effects, even when given in large amounts. More specifically, it limited growth by 27 percent and helped prevent metastasis by blocking some of the genes responsible for the spread of cancer.
These results support earlier data from Indiana University, as well as research from Columbia University, which found that the mixture could inhibit the growth of abnormal cells and even stimulate cell death in aggressive prostate tumors.
“This dietary supplement is a natural compound for the possible therapy of human hormone refractory (independent) prostate cancer,” lead scientist Daniel Silva, MD, said in a press release, adding that other research had demonstrated the formula’s effectiveness as well. Unlike those previous trials, however, which were done in vitro (meaning in glass, or in test tubes and petri dishes), Silva’s involved living organisms and was able to show the treatment’s impact in a more complex biological environment.
“This study is a milestone in the research of this formula, demonstrating its safety and effectiveness in treating human prostate cancer in an animal model,” added Isaac Eliaz, MD, the integrative medicine expert who invented the formula. “These positive results offer a significant contribution to prostate cancer research and add to the growing body of published data substantiating the role of natural compounds in the treatment of prostate cancer.”