A 33-year-old member asked:
Could you suggest good herbal treatments for cancer that actually work?
2 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in
Dr. Peter Wiernikanswered
Hematology and Oncology 58 years experience
No.: And some can actually be harmful.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Pamela Pappasanswered
Psychiatry 44 years experience
Derivatives, yes: Some medications commonly used in modern cancer treatment are derived from plants. Paclitaxol comes from pacific yew tree bark; vincristine is an alkaloid coming from the madagascar periwinkle. This isn't the same as taking the plants for treatment by themselves though. These medicines have been taken through extensive studies, & shown to be effective in cancer. Not so with the herbs alone.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Similar questions
A 48-year-old member asked:
Could you suggest good herbal recipes that could help cancer?
1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in
Dr. Ed Friedlanderanswered
Pathology 46 years experience
No: A few botanicals such as the taxols (paclitaxel) and vinca alkaloids have made it into mainstream cancer rx. So far, the only evidence that any "herbals" you can buy touch any cancer come from junk cell culture or animal experiments with toxic levels of the stuff -- folks who peddle this stuff aren't obligated to tell the truth by the same laws that bind physicians. Some herbals may make folks comfortable.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Last updated Aug 22, 2013
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