RESUMO
Humans when exposed to harmful ionising radiations suffer from various pathophysiological disorders including cancer. Radiotherapy is a treatment where these cancerous cells within a tumor aretargeted and killed by means of high energy waves. This therapy is very expensive and involves highly sophisticated instruments. In addition to this, most synthetic radioprotectors including Amifostine have been found to possess toxicity. This led researchers to develop a novel, economically viable, and efficient therapeutic alternative to radiation therapy. The last two decades have observed a major shift towards investigating natural products as radioprotectors, as these are immensely effective in terms of their potential bioequivalence relative to many of the established synthetic compounds available. Taking into account the limitations of radiation therapy, an approach 'Integrative Oncology' that involves a combination of both traditional and conventional medical treatment are used nowadays to treat patients suffering from cancer and associated mental and psychological disorders.
Los seres humanos, cuando se exponen a radiaciones ionizantes nocivas, sufren diversos trastornos fisiopatológicos, incluido el cáncer. La radioterapia es un tratamiento en el que estas células cancerosas dentro de un tumor son atacadas y destruidas por medio de ondas de alta energía. Esta terapia es muy cara e implica instrumentos muy sofisticados. Además de esto, se ha descubierto que la mayoría de los radioprotectores sintéticos, incluida la amifostina, poseen toxicidad. Esto llevó a los investigadores a desarrollar una novedosa, económicamente viable y eficiente alternativa terapéutica a la radioterapia. En las dos últimas décadas se ha observado un cambio importante hacia la investigación de productos naturales como radioprotectores, ya que son inmensamente eficaces en términos de su potencial bioequivalencia en relación con muchos de los compuestos sintéticos establecidos disponibles. Teniendo en cuenta las limitaciones de la radioterapia, hoy en día se utiliza un enfoque de "Oncología Integrativa" que implica una combinación de tratamiento médico tradicional y convencional para tratar a pacientes que padecen cáncer y trastornos mentales y psicológicos asociados.
Assuntos
Humanos , Plantas/química , Protetores contra Radiação , Produtos Biológicos , Oncologia Integrativa/métodos , Radioterapia/métodos , Dano ao DNA , Radioterapia (Especialidade)/métodos , Instabilidade GenômicaRESUMO
RATIONALE: The highest burden of liver cancer occurs in developing countries, where the use of herbal medicine (HM) is still widespread. Despite this trend, few studies have been conducted to report HM practices of patients with a hepatic tumor in the developing world. Hence, this study aimed to document the use of HM among patients with liver cancer in Peru. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A comparative behavioral epidemiological survey was conducted among liver cancer patients attending the National Cancer Institute of Peru. Information was obtained by direct interviews based on a semistructured questionnaire. The use of HM in Peruvian liver cancer patients was reported, first, regarding general consumption prior to the onset of disease, and second, after the appearance of symptoms that patients would relate to their tumor. In parallel, general consumption of HM in noncancerous people was assessed as a comparative figure. A correspondence analysis was performed to reveal potential associations between the symptoms of cancer and the specific use of HM. RESULTS: Eighty-eight patients and 117 noncancerous individuals participated in the survey. Overall, 68.3% of the people interviewed claimed to use HM on a regular basis for general health preservation. Furthermore, 56.8% of the patients turned to plants first to treat the disorders for which they later came to the cancer care center. When compared with the number of plant species used routinely (n = 78), a selection of plants was made by patients in response to the symptoms of cancer (n = 46). At least 2 plant species, Aloe vera and Morinda citrifolia, were significantly associated with the treatment of liver cancer-related symptoms in the patient group. CONCLUSIONS: The present study is the first survey on the HM practices of patients with liver cancer in Latin America and, more broadly, in the developing world. Our findings confirm that HM remains one of the principal primary health care resources in Peru, even for a severe disease like liver cancer. These traditional, complementary and alternative medicine practices should be taken into consideration in Peruvian health programs aiming to educate the population in cancer prevention and treatment, as well as integrative cancer management.