herbs and hormones and cancer

[Guest guest]

the following information came from the research group below. It caught

my eye because and I have been talking about the possible

ramifications of using chinese herbs on patients at risk for estrogen

dependent tumors. Subhuti Dharmananda seems to suggest in an article

posted at itmonline.org that chinese herbs should never be used when

concerns about adverse hormonal effects are a concern. To take this to

its logical point of absurdity, this would mean no men or women over 50

should use chinese herbs due to risk of prostate or breast or uterine

cancers that are all hormone sensitive. SD also suggests that since qi

gong may also alter blood hormones that it also is risky in such cases.

the abstracts below suggest that the herbs in question may indeed cause

proliferative changes in endometrial cells, but offer protection in

breast cancer. An article at the life extension foundation at lef.org

has gathered a lot of research that suggests that prostate cancer is

more common in men with low testosterone, but once the cancer is in

place, testosterone becomes a risk factor for growth and metastasis.

this suggest to me that tonic herbs may be preventive when no evil is

present, but one should be careful about using tonics in those who show

signs of evil, such as TCM s/s, high PSA or recent hx of cancer.

thoughts?

 

 

 

The Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Center for Complementary & Alternative

Medicine

Columbia University, College of Physicians & Surgeons

630 W. 168th Street, Box 75

New York, NY 10032, U.S.A.

 

Tel: 212-543-9542 (vm) Fax: 212-543-2845

 

Menopausal Hot Flashes: Effect of a Chinese Herbal Preparation

A double-blind, randomized, cross-over, placebo-controlled trial

 

Many women with hot flashes cannot or choose not to take

estrogen therapy. They seek alternative treatments and

herbal therapies are high on their list. Very little

research

has been conducted on any of these therapies. This study

examines the effectiveness of a classical Chinese herbal

formula on menopausal hot flashes. Effects on sex

hormones, plasma lipid levels, and other physiological

indices of estrogenic activity will also be examined. This

study is being conducted in collaboration with the

Women's Health Research Center in Laurel, MD in

consultation with the Taoist Health Institute in Washington,

 

D.C.

 

Estrogenic Effects and Mechanisms of Estrogenic Action of a Chinese

Herbal

Preparation

 

Menopausal women with or at high risk for breast cancer

are concerned about taking estrogen therapy. This pilot

study is designed to collect preliminary data examining the

biological activity and mechanism of action of a Chinese

herbal formula used for menopausal problems (that we have

in clinical trial), on breast cancer cells in vitro. Thus

far,

assays have been conducted with a whole formula extract

and the individual herbs to determine estrogenic and

anti-estrogenic actions on a variety of breast cancer cell

lines. The herbal mixture has been shown to induce

estrogenic activity in endometrial carcinoma cells. The

extract has also been demonstrated to modulate estrogen

and progesterone receptor expression. Studies to further

understand the mechanism of action of the composite

extract and the individual components will continue.

 

An Examination of the Effects of a Chinese Herbal Preparation on Cell

Growth,

Cell Cycle Progression, and Apoptosis in Human Breast Cancer Cells

 

This study examines the effect of our Chinese herbal

formula (same as above) on cell growth and differentiation,

cell cycle progression, apoptosis (programmed cell death)

in estrogen dependent and/or estrogen independent human

breast cancer cell lines. Preliminary data suggest that

there

is some inhibitory activity of the Chinese formula on breast

 

cancer cells. Studies continue to determine the mechanism

of this inhibitory activity. This and the preceding study

are

designed to help us better understand the actions of the

whole, complex formula

 

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Chinese Herbal Medicine

 

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