Positive Health Online

Summary/Abstract

A male patient aged 74 years, diagnosed in January 2001 with a well differentiated adenocarcinoma of the rectum, staged as T3 N1 MO, with surgical removal of tumour followed by Chemotherapy, reported with recurrence in August 2003. The patient was put on an indigenously developed herbal therapy after he refused conventional radiotherapy and chemotherapy for the recurrence. Since the recurrence in August 2003 till January 2005, there has been a steady improvement in the quality of life, normalization of the CEA levels and disappearance of the recurrent tumour on CT scan. Since the patient has not been receiving any other therapy concomitantly since the recurrence, the therapeutic efficacy of the herbal medicine appears to be encouraging. These observations, however, need to be validated by studying the effects of the herbal therapy on a larger number of cases in a well-designed clinical trial.

Introduction

Adenocarcinoma of the Colon and Rectum are common malignancies around the world. Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy are the cornerstones of therapy after surgical resection of the tumour mass. However, tumour recurrence is almost a forgone conclusion in every case despite the patient undergoing the complete course of Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy.

Generally, patients turn to alternative and complementary therapies after exhausting their conventional therapeutic options, one of the more popular ones being herbal medicines.

The patient in this case, however, voluntarily refused Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy for recurrence, three years after primary diagnosis, surgery and Chemotherapy.

Herbal therapies have, in the past, been useful in stalling the pace of the disease and improving the quality of life in such patients.

However, it was noted that the size of the tumour reduced progressively, along with a concomitant fall in serum CEA levels after the patient was put on herbal therapy. There was also an overall improvement in the quality of life.

This case focuses on the fact that herbal therapies can be useful in some types of cancers, and also stresses the need to set up a more elaborate and planned clinical trial in a larger cohort of patients in order to validate the findings in this case.

Case Description

A male patient aged 74 years presented with a mass in the rectum along with dragging pain and general debility in January 2001. After detailed clinical examination, laboratory and radiological evaluation, a biopsy was taken from the mass revealing a well-differentiated Adenocarcinoma of the Rectum. (See Figure 3). Serum CEA levels prior to surgery was 80.2 U/L. An abdomino-perineal resection was performed in February 2001 followed by three cycles of 5-flurouracil and Leucovarin. The well-differentiated Adenocarcinoma of Rectum was staged as T3 N1 Mo with a Duke¡¦s stage ¡V C. Serum CEA levels returned to a normal level of 5.1 after completion of all the modalities of therapy.

The patient was apparently free of disease until he returned in August 2003. He was re-operated and advised post-surgery Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy.

The patient refused both for the recurrence. The indigenous herbal therapy was initiated in August 2003 and is continuing to-date.

The patient is asymptomatic clinically, has a serum CEA of 3.1 U/L as of January 28, 2005 and the CT scan of abdominopelvic region showed no tumour mass. (See Figure 6). There has also been a marked improvement in the quality of his life ¡V with an increase in weight and an improvement in appetite as well as in the Karnofsky performance scale from 70 to 90.

Approach to Treatment

A novel approach was developed and proved highly successful in dealing with terminal cases of Cancer. In advanced malignancies, a holistically multilevel treatment approach is more beneficiary, such as:

1. Improving the immunity of patient;
2. Improving psychological status, feeling of wellbeing;
3. Providing dietary guidelines about macronutrients and micronutrients;
4. The use of organically cultivated plant extract;
5. Advice about lifestyle changes to suit the disease process;
6. Inhibiting primary disease ¡V mitigation of disease;
7. Planning treatment offensively and defensively with phyto medicine;
8. Avoiding synthetic dyes, pesticides.

Findings

1. Most of the malignancies were detected in the advanced stage; only palliative management appears more helpful;
2. Improvement of Immunity;
3. Herbal palliative oncology therapy stimulates endocrine systems;
4. Herbal-Natural therapy shows no adverse effect. Free from hazards;
5. Therapy shows mitigation and inhibitor to primary disease;
6. Patient is cheerful with a feeling of wellbeing;
7. Holistic approach helpful in reducing social trauma;
8. Therapy found friendly in all terms;
9. Improvement in quality of life and life expectancy.

Discussion

Adenocarcinoma of the Rectum is a common malignancy for which a definitive cure is not in view. The results in this solitary case have been very encouraging and present hope when all the other therapeutic options fail.

The herbal therapy used is basically a mixture of several extracts which work synergistically to produce the desired anti-cancer and immunomodulator effects.

Literature searches show anti-cancer properties in several herbal products like vincristine, paclitaxel, etc., which further strengthen the concept of the presence of several bioactive anti-cancer molecules in the plant kingdom.

This case seems to present a useful lead for further research, especially in view of the adequately prolonged period of complete remission from August 2003 to January 2005 and also an improved quality of life.

Keeping in mind the benefits experienced by the patient, it is suggested that a larger clinical trial be designed in order to validate the results of this case study.

References

Charak S. Old textbook of Indian Systems of Medicine.
Own Clinical Outcome.

There are a number of documents and items not reproduced here although they are in the printed magazine (issue 119).