点击显示 收起
17170 Vailletti Drive Sonoma, CA 95476 E-mail: atborchers{at}ucdavis.edu
An increasing number of cancer patients are interested in adding natural remedies to their treatment but are faced with an overwhelming amount of information regarding possible choices. This book is intended for patients, physicians, and researchers and has 3 purposes: 1) to summarize the existing research, 2) to present a hypothesis as to how natural compounds may be integrated into cancer treatment, and 3) to indicate possible future research directions.
The book's 23 chapters are organized into 3 major sections that discuss the cellular events in cancer development and progression, the concomitant events at the level of the whole organism, and individual compounds that have shown some promise in the treatment of cancer. The first 2 sections provide a concise and well-referenced summary of the events leading to cancer development and progression. In each subsection, examples are presented of how these events can be influenced by one or more specific natural compounds. The result is a well-constructed argument for integrating such compounds into a mechanism-based approach to cancer treatment. The text also supports the argument that combinations of substances, each acting on 1 or 2 different events in tumorigenesis or carcinogenesis, are likely to give the best results. Another reason Boik gives for the need to combine natural compounds is that the plasma concentrations achieved after their consumption are often many-fold lower than the concentrations found to be effective in vitro.
One of the underlying assumptions throughout the book is that there will be "synergism" (rather inaccurately used to describe mostly additive effects) not only among natural compounds but also between them and chemotherapeutic agents. A few examples are cited to illustrate that additive or synergistic effects can, indeed, occur. Unfortunately, the potential for serious adverse effects resulting from interactions of natural compounds with each other and with pharmaceuticals are not taken into account. Yet, such interactions are currently the focus of intense research.
In the third section of the book, Boik discusses 38 individual natural compounds. The term natural compound, never actually defined in the book, includes a few plant extracts, but mostly a variety of isolated substances, such as flavonoids, terpenes, polysaccharides, vitamins, lipids, enzymes, and hormones. It is not entirely clear what the criteria for choosing a particular compound were because the level of evidence ranges from 1 or 2 in vitro studies for some substances to 12 animal studies along with some data from human trials for others.
Readers should be aware that the information presented is incomplete and lacks detail. For example, Boik does not discuss that some of the compounds (eg, quercetin) not only inhibit some tumors but enhance others in certain animal models. It is also not mentioned that some substances (eg, certain mushroom polysaccharides) must be given intravenously and are ineffective when taken orally. Although the book contains some valuable information and interesting hypotheses, I am concerned that it represents an oversimplified outlook on natural compounds in cancer treatment and urge great caution in interpreting and using the information presented.