Lung Cancer

Efficacy of Alternative and Other Treatments According to GRADE* Ranking:

Vitamin C [1, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56]:

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help in preventing some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present. Please note, this acts as a PREVENTATIVE treatment, and not necessarily symptomatic relief.

Recommendation: No recommendation (Observational and clinical trials have not shown any evidence that vitamin C has a protective or treatment effect on cancer or chronic diseases)

Grade of Evidence: moderate quality of evidence

Vitamin A [1, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49. 50]:

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help in preventing some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present. Please note, this acts as a PREVENTATIVE treatment, and not necessarily symptomatic relief.

Recommendation: weakly against (Clinical trials have shown that not only do vitamin A supplements not lower the risk of lung cancer in smokeers, it actually increases the risk of death from lung cancer and heart disease.)

Grade of Evidence: high quality of evidence

Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda, Simoncini Cancer Therapy) [1, 42, 43]:

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.

Recommendation: No recommendation (Available evidence does not support claims that baking soda helps to treat cancer in any way.)

Grade of Evidence: low quality of evidence

Selenium Supplement [1, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41]:

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present. IMPORTANT: Selenium is toxic in high doses. Massive overdoses can cause kidney failure, breathing difficulty and death. Selenium should only be taken at healthy levels which the body is able to tolerate.

Recommendation: Weakly in favor (Observational studies have shown that taking adequate daily amounts of selenium can help prevent lung cancer. However, these are very unreliable studies, and more research is needed.)

Grade of Evidence: very low of evidence

Pau D'Arco (Lapachol, Tabebuia Impetiginosa, Tabebuia Heptaphylla) [1, 32]:

Please note, this treatment has potentially serious side effects. Some of the chemicals in the plant are known to be toxic. High doses are known to cause liver and kidney. Even at low doses, chemicals in the plant may interfere with blood clotting, causing excess bleeding and anaemia. Pau D'Arco should be avoided, especially by pregnant or breastfeeding women.

Recommendation: Strongly against (Laboratory tests have shown that Pau D'arco can be effective in the treatment of lung cancer. However, further studies are needed on its effect in humans. This, combined with its potentially harmful side effects if taken without supervision from a doctor or pharmacist gives enough reason to avoid this treatment.)

Grade of Evidence: very low quality of evidence

Megavitamin Therapy (Multivitamin, Vitamin Supplements) [1, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31]:

Please Note that while supplements are effective in correcting deficiencies in the body, their long-term usage is not helpful in preventing diseases like cancer and heart disease. To prevent these illnesses one should eat the natural foods which these vitamins and minerals come from. Replacing natural sources with artificial supplements actually increases the risk of heart disease, cancer, and other diseases. Supplements should be taken only as a balanced multivitamin supplement that contains no more than 100% of the recommended daily allowance. It would be most helpful in people with restricted food intakes, pregnant women and women of childbearing age.

Recommendation: Weakly against. (There is no evidence that Megavitamin therapy can prevent or treat lung cancer. In fact, long term therapy can lead to increased risk)

Grade of Evidence: moderate quality of evidence

Mistletoe (Iscador, Viscum Album) [1, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25]:

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present. WARNING: The mistletoe plant should NOT be eaten because it is poisonous. May cause seizures, coma and death. It should only be taken as a purified mistletoe extract, and only in recommended doses.

Recommendation: No recommendation (Studies on the effect of Mistletoe on Lung Cancer have yielded mixed, conflicting results. More research is needed.)

Grade of Evidence: low quality of evidence

Kampo [1, 21, 22]:

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.

Recommendation: Weakly in favor (Initial studies indicate a possible slowing of cancer growth in lung cancer when using Kampo. However, more studies are needed, and the side effects of the treatment are relatively unknown.)

Grade of Evidence: moderate of evidence

Hoxsey Herbal Treatment[1, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18]:

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.

Recommendation: No recommendation (There is no reliable evidence to support claims that Hoxsey Herbal Treatment can help treat or prevent lung cancer in any way. Available evidence has yielded mixed or unreliable results.)

Grade of Evidence: low quality of evidence

Green Tea [1, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13]:

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.

Recommendation: Weakly in favor (Laboratory studies have shown promise with regards to the prevention of lung cancer with green tea, but very few reliable clinical trials have been done. More research is needed.)

Grade of Evidence: low quality of evidence

Germanium (Germanium Sesquioxide, Vitamin O) [1, 6, 7, 8]:

WARNING: Germanium may cause permanent Kidney failure. Even organic supplements, though less toxic than inorganic supplements, have caused kidney and liver damage. NOT TO BE USED.

Recommendation: strongly against (Evidence shows that Germanium is not effective in treating lung cancer in any way, and is also toxic, causing severe kidney and liver damage.)

Grade of Evidence: moderate quality of evidence

Cloves (Caryophyllum Aromaticum, Eugenia Caryophyllata) [2, 3, 4, 5]:

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.

Recommendation: weakly in favor  (evidence suggests that Cloves may help treat symptoms of lung cancer, but more research is needed)

Grade of Evidence: low quality of evidence

Celandine (Ukrain, Chelidonium Majus) [1]:

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It is proposed only as a weak supportive symptomatic support, and even then, has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.

Recommendation: Recommendation: Weakly against (There is insufficient evidence that Celandine helps to cure or treat lung cancer. In addition, the plant is mildly poisonous to humans. It may cause hepatitis as well as symptoms of pain, nausea, thirst, and fever.)

Grade of Evidence: very low quality of evidence

Astragalus (Astragalus Membranaceus):

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It is proposed only as a weak supportive symptomatic support, and even then, has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.

Recommendation: weakly in favor (A study has shown that Astragalus might help enhance the effects of some chemotherapy drugs when used in conjunction with them, but more studies need to be done)

Grade of Evidence: low quality of evidence

Ayurvedic Medicine (Ayurveda)

Recommendation: no recommendation (there is no evidence that Ayurveda helps to treat lung cancer in any way)

Grade of Evidence: very low quality of evidence

* www.gradeworkinggroup.org

 

Summary References

Treatments:

1. Ades T, Alteri R, Gansler T, Yeargin P, "Complete Guide to Complimentary & Alternative Cancer Therapies", American Cancer Society, Atlanta USA, 2009

2. Balch, Phyllis and Balch, James. Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 3rd ed., Avery Publishing, ©2000, pg. 94.

3. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, Third Edition by Dan Bensky, Steven Clavey, Erich Stoger, and Andrew Gamble 2004

4. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/cloves

5. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-clove.html

6. Baselt, R. (2008). Disposition of Toxic Drugs and Chemicals in Man (8 ed.). Foster City, CA: Biomedical Publications. pp. 693–694.

7. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9237323

8. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/germanium

9. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/green-tea

10. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16968850

11  http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_4326770

12. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-green_tea.html

13. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/greentea/index.htm

14. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/hoxsey-herbal-treatment

15. http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/OTA/ota04.html

16.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15695477

17. http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/69258.cfm

18. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/greentea/index.htm

19. Shibata, Yoshiharu and Jean Wu. "Kampo Treatment for Climacteric Disorders: A Handbook for Practitioners." Paradigm Publications, 1997

20. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/kampo

21. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/mistletoe

22. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/mistletoe/ataglance.htm

23. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002883.htm

24. http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/m/mistle40.html

25. http://www.bmj.com/content/333/7582/1293.full?ijkey=56e55886cc53e0c478801e74001edc3bea1c322e&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha

26. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/orthomolecular-medicine

27. http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/163/2/192.pdf

28. http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/ortho.html

29. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/72/5/707

30. http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/no-index/about-ama/13638.shtml

31. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17327526

32. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/pau-d-arco   

33. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/selenium?sitearea=ETO

34. http://www.cancer.gov/Templates/doc.aspx?viewid=ED8AD8E8-6AE5-458D-8091-393F4CB73F0D

35. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-selenium.html

36. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9290116

37. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9829869

38. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10335455

39. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2136228

40. http://www.springerlink.com/content/v0r644v4ju5153k2/

41. http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/101/5/283

42. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/sodium-bicarbonate

43. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a682001.html

44. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-vitamina.html

45. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/vitamina.html

46. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamina.asp

47. http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/vad/en/

48. Latham, Michael E. (1997). Human Nutrition in the Developing World (Fao Food and Nutrition Paper). Food & Agriculture Organization of the United. ISBN 92-5-103818-X.

49. Sommer, Alfred (1995). Vitamin a Deficiency and Its Consequences: A Field Guide to Detection and Control. Geneva: World Health Organization. ISBN 92-4-154478-3.

50. http://www.unicef.org/worldfitforchildren/files/A-RES-S27-2E.pdf

51. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/vitamin-c

52. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-vitaminc.html

53. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/vitaminc.html

54. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002145.htm

55. http://nccam.nih.gov/research/results/spotlight/070106.htm

56. http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec12/ch154/ch154i.html?qt=vitamin c&alt=sh