CANCER HERBAL EXTRACTS/PLANT PRODUCTS:

There are many herbal extracts and concoctions and plant products used to treat cancer. These include:

Artesimia, also known as wormwood is being researched as a safe, non-toxic, and inexpensive alternative for cancer patients.

Italian researchers have found that an extract from the chuchuhuasi tree fights tumors and reduces inflammation. (It is often used for arthritis.) We have not had time to research this product.

Essiac tea is an herbal concoction composed of Burdock, Indian Rhubarb, Sorrel, Slippery Elm and other ingredients. It was developed by a nurse in Canada, Rene Caisse (Essiac is Caisse spelled backward). Caisse gave the formula to a company in Canada who markets the product today. Indian Rhubarb contains benzaldehyde, one of the components of Amygdalin (Laetrile). Many alternative physicians use Essiac to help cleanse the blood, especially if a patient has been on chemotherapy or radiation. Note: Not all formulas being sold today are authentic. To read more about Essiac go to Rene Caisse's story.

Graviola is a product from a tree in the Rain Forests of the Amazon. Producers claim it is stronger at killing colon cancer cells than common chemotherapeutic drugs and that it hunts down and destroys prostate, lung, breast, colon, and pancreatic cancers, while leaving healthy cells alone. It is supposed to help one's immune system as well. Go to http://www.graviola.org/ for information. We have not heard from anyone that has successfully used this product. If you are aware of anyone that has, be sure to let our webmaster know.

Hoxsey is an herbal concoction composed of poke root, burdock root, barberry root, buckthorn bark, and stillinga root. It is administered in two forms. One is taken orally and the other is a salve (containing blood root) which, if the tumor is on or close to the surface of the skin, is applied topically. The formula was first used in 1924 by Harry M. Hoxsey, a controversial and colorful figure who said he obtained it from his grandfather. The elder Hoxsey was a farmer who observed one of his horses apparently cure itself of cancer by instinctively eating certain plants. Many plants which animals seek when they are ill contain nitrilosides. Amygdalin (Laetrile) is classified as a nitriloside. For more information on Hoxsey,

Pau D'Arco is an extract from the inner bark of a certain South American tree. Lapachol, the active ingredient, can produce strong biological responses against cancer. It is said that the pau d'arco tree yields lapachol and 20 other compounds that may be useful in treating cancer, lupus, diabetes and Hodgkin's Disease.

Radium weed, also known as petty spurge or Euphorbia peplus, may hold the key to treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer. It has been used as a folk treatment for skin conditions for hundreds of years. An Australian company Peplin Biotech has been studying the active compounds in the weed and finding very good results.

Red Clover - Used for centuries. The National Cancer Institute researched the herb and found 4 anti-tumor compounds in red clover.

Saw Palmetto is often used in the treatment of prostate cancer.

Tian Xian (pronounced "Dianne Sean") is a Chinese herbal supplement with ingredients that help control, inhibit and destroy cancer cells. Go to http://www.tianxian.com/english/index.shtml or http://www.cancer-herbs.com/contact/index.html for information.

Listed below are ten herbs from the Chinese and western herbal traditions which address this third treatment approach--tumor reduction itself, via their 'antineoplastic' action. Consider that different forms of malignanacy are treated with different substances, and each individual case may require entirely separate treatment principles, suggesting that anti-neoplastic herb choices must be chosen from appropriate categories of action. Obviously, there are more than 10 herbs with antineoplastic action in the Chinese and western pharmacopeia, but these can be considered a 'jumping off' point for further study; this is my personal intent. Information provided on these herbs is based on both empirical and clinical evidence gathered third-hand; verification of clinical and/or empirical findings is difficult to provide without access to the studies themselves, and no guarantees are made for these herbs’ effectiveness. References for all information is provided below.

Chinese Herbs:

Common Name: Oldenlandia
Chinese Name: Bai He She She Cao
Latin: Herba Hedyotidis Diffusae/Oldenlandia Diffusae
Family: Rubiaceae
TCM Category: Clear Heat/Relieve Toxicity
Antineoplastic Action(s):
--Used in treatment of stomach, esophageal and colon cancer;
--Activates reticuloendothelial system and increases phagocytosis by lymphocytes. Also, in high concentrations shows inhibitory affect in vitro on cells from acute lymphocytic and granulocytic leukemia.

Common Name: Selaginaella
Chinese Name: Shi Shang Bai
Latin: Herba Selaginellae Doederleinii
Family: Selaginellaceae
TCM Category: Clear Heat/Relieve Toxicity
Antineoplastic Action(s):
--Mice inoculated with granuloma-180 and injected with Shi Shang Bai showed 40-50% tumor inhibition of tumors; Mice with hepatic cancer lived significantly longer than control group not treated with Shi Shang Bai.
--Helpful in treatment of lung and throat cancer, and malignant hydatidiform moles, with remission in 50% of patients. Commonly used in China in treatment of smaller body cancers in nose, throat, lung and liver. When used with chemotherapy and radiation shown to accelerate cancer remissions.

Common Name: Sophora Root
Chinese Name: Shan Dou Gen
Latin: Radix Sophorae Tonkinensis
Family: Leguminaceae
TCM Category: Clear Heat/Relieve Toxicity
Antineoplastic Action(s):
--In doses of 60g/kg had significant effect in treatment of cervical cancer in mice, and an inhibitory affect on sarcoma-180. Used in treatment of acute lymphocytic/granulocytic leukemia, inhibiting dehydrogenase activity and cellular respiration of malignant cells.

Common Name: Zedoania
Chinese Name: E Zhu
Latin: Rhizoma Curcumae Ezhu
Family: Zingeberaceae
TCM Category: Invigorate Blood
Antineoplastic Action(s):
--Inhibits granuloma-180, often combined with San Leng (Rhizoma Sparganii Stoloniferi).
–-In China, 80 cases of cervical cancer patients were treated with a solution of Zedoania, which was injected directly into the tumor sites. 30 patients were completely cured, while 15 were found to have a 50% size reduction.

Common Name: Rhubarb Root and Rhizome
Chinese Name: Da Huang
Latin: Radix et Rhizoma Rhei
Family: Polygonaceae
TCM Category: Clear Heat/Relieve Toxicity
Antineoplastic Action(s): --Injected subcutaneously had a killing effect on neoplastic granulomas in mice. Inhibited growth of melanoma, breast tumor cells and ascitic hepatic carcinoma in humans via the actions of emodin and rhein, major constituents of Da Huang.

Western Herbs

Common Name: Red Clover
Latin: Flos Trifolium pratense
Family: Papilionaceae
Antineoplastic Action(s):
--Red Clover contains isoflavone compounds, such as genistein, which have weak estrogen properties. Various laboratory studies show that these isoflavones may help prevent and combat malignant tumors, especially of the breast and prostate.

Common Name: Pau D’Arco, Lapacho, Taheebo
Latin: Tabebuia impestiginosa
Family: Rubiaceae
Antineoplastic Action(s):
--Lapachol and beta-lapachone (known collectively as naphthaquinones) are two primary active compounds in Pau D’Arco. These compounds have anti-cancer/anti-tumor properties, although the effective dosage is considered toxic; Pau D’Arco is commonly used in the treatment of cancer in Central and South America with good results.

Common Name: Mistletoe
Latin: Viscum alba
Family: Loranthaceae
Antineoplastic Action(s):
--Contains anti-tumor proteins, and has been shown by current cancer research in Germany to have antineoplastic activity.

Common Name: Cleavers
Latin: Galium aparine
Family: Rubiaceae
Antineoplastic Action(s):
--Cleavers is considered the best lymphatic tonic in the western herbal pharmacopoeia, and is both alterative and diuretic. It has a long tradition of use for tumor reduction and lymphatic drainage, especially indicated when cancer has nodal involvement.

Common Name: Sweet Violet
Latin: Flos Viola odorata
Family: Violaceae
Antineoplastic Action(s):
--Sweet Violet has a long tradition and reputation as an anti-cancer herb, used especially as a poultice for cancers of the skin. Current scientific research has yet to bear out this reputation in the clinical setting.