Ben-Arye Eran, Mahajna Jamal, Aly Radi, Ali-Shtayeh Mohammed Saleem, Bentur Yedidia, Lev Efraim, Deng Gary, Samuels Noah
Integrative Oncology Program, Haifa and Western Galilee Oncology Service, Clalit Health Services, Haifa, Israel.
Lin Medical Center, Affiliated with the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
J Cancer Res Clin Oncol. 2016 Jul;142(7):1499-508. doi: 10.1007/s00432-016-2175-7. Epub 2016 May 7.
The unmonitored use of herbal medicinal remedies by patients with cancer presents a significant challenge to oncology healthcare professionals. We describe an increasingly popular herbal "wonder drug," Ephedra foeminea (Alanda in Arabic), whose use has spread from the Palestinian patient population throughout the Middle East. We conducted a multicentered and multidisciplinary collaborative research effort in order to understand the potential benefits and harms of this popular herbal remedy.
We conducted an in-depth search of the medical literature, both traditional and modern, for any mention of the clinical use of Alanda for the treatment of cancer. We then tested the remedy, first for toxic ephedra alkaloid components and then for anticancer effects, as well as effects on the cytotoxic activity of chemotherapy agents (cisplatin and carboplatin) on breast cancer cell cultures.
We found no mention in the literature, both conventional and traditional, on the use of Alanda for the treatment of cancer. Laboratory testing did not find any toxic components (i.e., ephedra alkaloids) in the preparation. However, in vitro exposure to Alanda led to a reduced cytotoxic effect of chemotherapy on breast cancer cell cultures.
The use of an integrative ethnobotanical, laboratory and clinical research-based approach can be extremely helpful when providing nonjudgmental and evidence-based guidance to patients with cancer, especially on the use of traditional herbal medicine. The effectiveness and safety of these products need to be examined by integrative physicians who are dually trained in both complementary medicine and supportive cancer care.
癌症患者在未受监测的情况下使用草药疗法，这给肿瘤医疗专业人员带来了重大挑战。我们描述了一种越来越受欢迎的草药“神药”——麻黄（阿拉伯语为阿兰达），其使用已从巴勒斯坦患者群体传播至整个中东地区。我们开展了一项多中心、多学科的合作研究，以了解这种流行草药疗法的潜在益处和危害。
我们对传统和现代医学文献进行了深入检索，查找任何关于阿兰达用于治疗癌症的临床应用的提及。然后我们对该疗法进行了测试，首先检测其有毒的麻黄生物碱成分，接着检测其抗癌效果，以及对化疗药物（顺铂和卡铂）对乳腺癌细胞培养物的细胞毒性活性的影响。
在传统和现代文献中，均未发现有关阿兰达用于治疗癌症的提及。实验室检测未在制剂中发现任何有毒成分（即麻黄生物碱）。然而，体外接触阿兰达导致化疗对乳腺癌细胞培养物的细胞毒性作用降低。
当为癌症患者提供不带偏见且基于证据的指导时，尤其是在传统草药的使用方面，采用基于民族植物学、实验室和临床研究的综合方法会非常有帮助。这些产品的有效性和安全性需要由在补充医学和支持性癌症护理方面均接受过双重培训的综合医生进行检查。
