Posted on 08/19/2010 11:17:42 PM PDT by neverdem
An ancient Chinese medicine might ease side effects of cancer treatments.
An age-old mixture of four herbs could spare patients with cancer some of the side effects of chemotherapy.
The cocktail comprises Chinese peonies, Chinese liquorice, the fruit of the Chinese date tree and flowers of the Chinese skullcap plant. In China, they call it 'Huang Qin Tang' and have used it to treat gastrointestinal problems for about 1,800 years.
A start-up pharmaceutical company called PhytoCeutica has dubbed its proprietary pill of the blend 'PHY906', and shown in early clinical trials that the mix can combat the severe diarrhoea caused by many chemotherapy drugs, which destroy fast-dividing gut cells in addition to tumour cells.
Now, researchers at PhytoCeutica and Yale University School of Medicine, both in New Haven, Connecticut, have some early leads on how PHY906 does this, despite the fact that most of its individual chemical components remain unknown.
PHY906 still needs to prove itself in larger clinical trials. In 2004, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) eased regulations on herbal mixtures, allowing the approval of medicines that have been proved to be safe and effective, even if their individual components aren't known.
A green-tea extract produced by the German firm MediGene in Martinsried, and used against genital warts, was the first such medicine to be approved by the FDA under these rules...
(Excerpt) Read more at nature.com ...
Well, I certainly think it’s worth a look. I’m a bit wary of PhytoCeutica’s own research (they do, after all, have a vested interest in proving the drug works), but if the compound proves effective in clinical trials, I’m all for it. Chemo is a nasty business, and if there is something that can safely mitigate or reverse the side effects, great!
I'd rather use something I can grow myself than take ANYTHING from China. Even if this stuff works, what else is in it? There's no quality control.
I have a good friend who lost his wife to cancer. Pot was the ONLY thing that helped with her chemo side effects.
Some more info from Medigene
About Polyphenon® E Ointment: The active substance in Polyphenon® E Ointment is a concentrate of catechines with a defined composition, extracted from green tea leaves. For the indication genital warts, MediGene estimates the annual peak sales potential of this drug in Europe to be about 30 million EUR.
About genital warts: Genital warts are one of the most common and fastest spreading venereal diseases worldwide. Genital warts are benign, but disfiguring and contagious skin tumors in the genital and anal areas, which are mostly difficult to treat. Approximately 14 million people in North America and 15 million people in Europe are infected by human papilloma viruses (HPV type 6 or 11), which cause genital warts.
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements contained herein represent the judgment of MediGene as of the date of this release. These forward-looking statements are no guarantees for future performance, and the forward-looking events discussed in this press release may not occur. MediGene disclaims any intent or obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements. MediGeneTM is a trademark of MediGene AG, Polyphenon® E is a trademark of Mitsui Norin, Oracea® is a trademarks of CollaGenex Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
YMMV.
Not all of that info is true, the human papilloma virus can cause cancer. Medigene needs to correct this bs asap. Not all genital warts are benign. At least they said they were contagious & a venereal disease. Shaking my head & thinking I am never going to believe anything Medigene says.
I'd rather use something I can grow myself than take ANYTHING from China. Even if this stuff works, what else is in it? There's no quality control.
I have a good friend who lost his wife to cancer. Pot was the ONLY thing that helped with her chemo side effects.
At least in the hospital where I work, marijuana extracts are stocked in the pharmacy. Since this is an Army hospital, I'm guessing that the government is perfectly okay with the use of marijuana extracts, as long as they're made by a company that exercises quality control. The pills are called Marinol or Dranabinol (one is a generic, the other is brand-name).
Typically, the papillomaviruses that cause cancer do not cause warts. The most highly cancerous HPV types are 16 and 18.
This isn't to say that a person infected with warts doesn't also have the HPV type(s) that lead to cancer; the same behavior spreads them all.
HPV type 6 or 11 only cause a minority of genital warts, IMHO. I'd like to see more data.
Just to avoid confusion with the use of the word 'extract.'
Any female I know with HPV has to be checked at least a few times a year. I have friends who have had HPV go into cancer. That is why so many drs push that GARDASIL. When my 10 yr old daughter’s doctor suggested we think about getting it for Sassy when she turned 11 yrs old it was the final reason to change drs. Her new doctor said he wants to see more data on it & would not even suggest it until she was in her late teens. I think HPV is more serious then people think & that info will lead them to believe it isn’t.
Many of these treatments should not be ignored. They often do work more than placebo trials.
Ther can be no harm in science by trying to find out why exactly it can works and why often it doesn’t.
Pure science can’t discredit or awknoledgle without ego, so I think it’s a good idea to test and work on these treatments *when* plausible.
None of the items in the Chinese formula sound like verboten herbage. Why couldn’t the plants be grown in the USA, even if they need tropical climes like that of Hawaii? The formula is certainly public domain after 1800 years. (The date has me making a wild surmise... I wonder if the formula could have had some connection to Dr. Luke of the gospel of Luke.)
I have a Chinese herbal doctor. Ten years ago, I had to walk with a cane, and couldn’t stand for more than a few minutes. Arthritis in my right knee. Western docs couldn’t seem to do anything that was effective except give me pills for the discomfort. Six bags of herbs made two weeks of tea. I don’t even know where I put my cane. No pain after just two weeks, and no further treatment required.
I'm interested for my self as well as some older relatives. Our doctors have failed us; their solution always involves more pharmaceuticals and painkillers.
There are around one hundred identified strains of HPV; Gardasil only protects against four. It won't protect against warts at all. While warts won't cause cancer, they *are* quite unsightly and uncomfortable. Other strains not covered by Gardasil also cause cancer; I expect to see those strains become more common as more people receive the vaccine. I'm not saying that your daughter shouldn't get the vaccine (being protected against 4 oncogenic strains is better than none), but don't get the idea that the vaccine is going to completely protect her against HPV. It won't.
BTW, HPV is responsible for more than just cervical cancer. It causes many other cancers. Also, one of its more tragic effects is that genital warts can be passed from a mother to a baby, and the baby gets warts on the vocal cords, which must be surgically removed periodically and are incurable. A gynecologist I work with told me that some children have to undergo over a hundred procedures to remove the warts while they are growing up.
I have no clue as to what the herbs were. I went to see the herbal doc. Talked to him about the problem. He performed some simple Chinese tests, and started writing the herbal prescription, in pictograph, not cursive, writing, As I recall there were about 20 symbols for herbs, with a notation of how many grams were to be used, next to each.
He then went to his cabinets and started getting the herbs, roots, stems, leaves, etc.. He divided them into three bags, and wrote the directions; “9 cups (of water) to 4 cups, 1 1/2 hour,” meaning add 9 cups of water, and boil 1 1/2 hours, down to 4 cups. “2 cups per day, between meals.”
It took two visits, 6 bags, with some adjustments to the second batch of three, to effect the “miraculous” cure. Nothing “miraculous” about it, as the Chinese have been using this style of medicine for a very long time.
I’m lucky to have found this guy through some Chines American friends. He was the head of an herbal hospital in Shanghai before he retired and emigrated here with his family. He’s a Christian, and a proud new American citizen. Interestingly enough, he thinks acupuncture is useless for long term solutions.
So,,, what you need to do is go to Chinatown, and ask around, or pick up a Chinese newspaper, as that’s about the only place they advertise. I know of at least three herbal practitioners in Cleveland’s Chinatown area.
Sorry I couldn’t be more specific as to which herbs he used, but the prescriptions are tailored to the individual anyway.
I’d be happy to answer, or attempt to answer any further questions.
BTW, I also have a very good “Western” doctor.
I should add that not all of these tonic teas are cures, as many only prevent a condition from worsening. Also, I was very skeptical about herbal meds, but my lady friend, born in Shanghai, basically forced me into going. If I hadn’t, the nagging would have never ended! And you haven’t been yelled at until you’ve been loudly excoriated in Mandarin! A most confusing situation to be in!
Thanks for the info. Sassy won’t be getting that vaccine for a long time. I want to see more data on it & I feel she is just too young. When she is older she can decide if she wants it. She has little time for boys now & in the future if she wants to keep her horses & show them. They take up all her spare time. We home school so I don’t worry too much about her hanging around many boys. Her life right now is horses & I hope it stays that way for many years.
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FReepmail me if you want on or off my health and science ping list.
P.S. The "1,800-year-old herbal mix" article was interesting from stem cell and immunologic points of views so I pinged you guys and gals too.
Or they could simply use Avemar and not need to use chemo at all.
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