Pfeifer B L, Pirani J F, Hamann S R, Klippel K F
Division of Urology and the Department of Anaesthesiology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536-0084, USA.
BJU Int. 2000 Mar;85(4):481-5. doi: 10.1046/j.1464-410x.2000.00476.x.
To assess the effectiveness of PC-SPES, a dietary supplement containing eight herbal extracts, which is a popular alternative therapy among patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer; anecdotal reports claim that this agent provides relief of metastatic pain, improvements in quality of life and reduction of prostatic specific antigen (PSA) level.
Sixteen men treated for advanced metastatic prostate cancer (stage D3) with either orchidectomy or a luteinizing-hormone releasing hormone agonist, with or without anti-androgen, were enrolled into a prospective clinical trial to evaluate the possible toxic and beneficial effects of PC-SPES. After hormone-ablative therapy had failed, and with established disease progression, all patients received supplemental treatment with PC-SPES (2.88 g daily) for 5 months. Hormonal therapy was continued throughout the trial to avoid the known withdrawal effect of anti-androgen on PSA levels.
The supplemental intake of PC-SPES was associated with significant (P<0.05-0.01) improvements in quality-of-life measures, reductions in patient's pain ratings (P<0.05-0.01), and a decline in PSA levels (P<0.01), with no major side-effects.
These results support the anecdotal reports of the beneficial effects of PC-SPES as a comparable alternative to current management regimens in hormone-refractory prostate cancer. However, no conclusions can be drawn about the long-term effects of this new herbal therapy.
评估PC-SPES（一种含有八种草药提取物的膳食补充剂）的疗效，它在激素难治性前列腺癌患者中是一种流行的替代疗法；有传闻称该药物可缓解转移性疼痛、改善生活质量并降低前列腺特异性抗原（PSA）水平。
16名接受过睾丸切除术或促黄体激素释放激素激动剂治疗晚期转移性前列腺癌（D3期）的男性患者，无论是否接受抗雄激素治疗，均被纳入一项前瞻性临床试验，以评估PC-SPES可能的毒性和有益作用。在激素消融治疗失败且疾病进展确定后，所有患者接受PC-SPES补充治疗（每日2.88克），持续5个月。在整个试验过程中持续进行激素治疗，以避免抗雄激素对PSA水平产生已知的撤药效应。
补充PC-SPES与生活质量指标显著改善（P<0.05 - 0.01）、患者疼痛评分降低（P<0.05 - 0.01）以及PSA水平下降（P<0.01）相关，且无重大副作用。
这些结果支持了关于PC-SPES有益作用的传闻报道，表明其可作为激素难治性前列腺癌当前治疗方案的一种可比替代方法。然而，关于这种新的草药疗法的长期效果尚无定论。
