RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 A Randomized Study of Chemotherapy <em>Versus</em> Biochemotherapy with Chemotherapy plus <em>Aloe arborescens</em> in Patients with Metastatic Cancer
JF In Vivo
JO In Vivo
FD International Institute of Anticancer Research
SP 171
OP 175
VO 23
IS 1
A1 PAOLO LISSONI
A1 FRANCO ROVELLI
A1 FERNANDO BRIVIO
A1 ROMANO ZAGO
A1 MASSIMO COLCIAGO
A1 GIUSEPPINA MESSINA
A1 ADELIO MORA
A1 GIORGIO PORRO
YR 2009
UL http://iv.iiarjournals.org/content/23/1/171.abstract
AB Background: The recent advances in the analysis of tumor immunobiology suggest the possibility of biologically manipulating the efficacy and toxicity of cancer chemotherapy by endogenous or exogenous immunomodulating substances. Aloe is one of the of the most important plants exhibiting anticancer activity and its antineoplastic property is due to at least three different mechanisms, based on antiproliferative, immunostimulatory and antioxidant effects. The anti-proliferative action is determined by anthracenic and antraquinonic molecules, while the immunostimulating activity is mainly due to acemannan. Patients and Methods: A study was planned to include 240 patients with metastatic solid tumor who were randomized to receive chemotherapy with or without Aloe. According to tumor histotype and clinical status, lung cancer patients were treated with cisplatin and etoposide or weekly vinorelbine, colorectal cancer patients received oxaliplatin plus 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), gastric cancer patients were treated with weekly 5-FU and pancreatic cancer patients received weekly gemcitabine. Aloe was given orally at 10 ml thrice/daily. Results: The percentage of both objective tumor regressions and disease control was significantly higher in patients concomitantly treated with Aloe than with chemotherapy alone, as well as the percent of 3-year survival patients. Conclusion: This study seems to suggest that Aloe may be successfully associated with chemotherapy to increase its efficacy in terms of both tumor regression rate and survival time.