HERBAL FOCUS IN CANCER TREATMENTS
(Posted 2010-11-11 20:53:00 by ArchPaladin)

I have recently come across this paper [
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/330/6005/827 ]
[sciencemag.org], which I would love to read but apparently can't, since
the paper is behind a paywall.  (Notably, I hate paywalls.)

I came across the paper by reading its review [
http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2010/11/normal-stromal-cells-mitigate-immune-response-to-tumor-cells.ars
] [arstechnica.org] at Ars Technica, which is about all the information I
have about its contents.

I believe this would be an interesting read, although it would probably
take a while to fully comprehend.  What I understand about it is that there
is a compound released in the environment surrounding a tumor site that
diminishes the immune response in the local area.  This compound is
apparently normally present in the body to inhibit the normal immune
response in a chronic wound (ie. inflammation) so that the wound can heal,
but at a tumor site its presence becomes more of a hindrance than a help to
the body.  The researchers of this paper created a strain of mouse where
they could stop the production of this compound, and when they did so the
mouse's immune system was able to halt tumor growth completely.

What I find interesting about this is one of the comments by the reviewers
stating that one of the newest approaches to cancer treatments is to
strengthen the immune system rather than look for compounds that
specifically kill tumor cells.  It represents a vastly different approach
to cancer treatment.

In classical Chinese medicine, tumors are regarded as a form of stagnation
in the body - usually blood or phlegm stagnation (note that these words
mean different things in Chinese medicine than in Western medicine).  If a
cancer patient receives an herbal treatment designed to destroy the tumor
growth (an uncommon occurrence), the herbs used most often come from the
category of herbs that have two primary actions: they are invigorating to
blood and nutrient circulation, and they have antipyretic and antibacterial
qualities ("resolve toxicity" in Chinese medical jargon).  The rationale
for using these herbs is that their invigorating qualities break up the
stagnation while the antibacterial qualities help regulate the immune
system response.

Looking at the latest research, I wonder if perhaps herbalists should be
looking at their herbal selection the other way around, where the primary
treatment concern should be to regulate the immune system, and move stasis
afterward.  This would involve looking in different sections of the materia
medica for herbs to use.

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