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New York - New studies suggest that a
herbal preparation known to reduce prostate specific antigen
(PSA) levels in men with prostate cancer may have tumor-preventing
properties as well. PSA levels are known to rise sharply in
men with prostate cancer, but PSA's actual role in cancer
progression remains unknown. It is not yet clear whether or
not a drop in PSA directly correlates to a reduction in size
or spread of prostate tumours.
This herbal formula is a mixture of herbs including ginseng
and saw palmetto. Clinicians began noticing several years
ago that some prostate cancer patients who took the compound
had reductions in PSA levels as well as some weight gain.
Researchers led by Dr. Jan Geliebter, of New York Medical
College in Valhalla, New York, studied whether this herbal
formulacould inhibit tumour growth in laboratory animals.
Rats were fed diets containing either 0.05% or 0.025% of
this herbal formula by weight, or a normal diet. They were
then injected with rapidly growing prostate cancer cells.
The studies were described at the annual meeting of the
American Institute for Cancer Research.
Three weeks later, all of the untreated animals developed
tumours, but only 60% of rats who ate 0.05% This herbal
formulahad tumours.
However, treated rats who did get tumors developed as many as the untreated animals, the researchers point out, and their tumours grew just as quickly.
"The animals are either protected or they are not protected," Geliebter said.
The exact mechanisms of this herbal formula's action remain unknown, though some estrogen-mediated actions are suspected. Estrogen is one of the oldest proven treatments for prostate tumours. While the preparation contains no estrogen, it does "have some estrogen-like activity," Geliebter said.
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