PALLIATIVE TREATMENT OF LATE STAGES OF CANCER WITH RADIOTHERAPY AND THAI HERBAL MEDICINE AS SUPPORTIVE REMEDY. (PRIMARY REPORT OF 4 CASES)

Abstract

Palliative radiotherapy in late stages of cancer in different sites and different pathology using Thai herbal medicine as an adjuvant remedy in 100 cases showing varying degree of synergistic palliative values which will be analysed and reported after a longer period of follow up.

4 cases with a dramatic immediate response are reported in this paper as a primary report.

In advanced cancer cases, palliative radiotherapy alone or in combination with the appropriate combination of chemotherapeutic agents are the available method of treatment with not fully satisfactory results especially in solid tumours. In this report, the 4 cases having been suffering from different radioresistant tumours with generalized distant metastases showed a dramatic response to the combined treatment with partial to complete regression of the tumours not only in the irradiated areas, but also in areas outside the irradiated field. No undesirable side effects and the patients have returned to spend normal life at home.

In advanced cancer, radiotherapy alone or in combination with chemotherpy are the only available methods of treatment. The disadvantage side effects, poor quality of life and the very expensive chemotherpeutic agents are still undesirable for the poor patients.

We are presenting a primary report of 4 cases of advanced cancers from one hundred suffering cancer patients entered in this clinical trial using palliative radiation with herbal tonic batch G716/45 (Ganoderma Lucidum, Houttuynia cordata Thunb, Boesenbergia rotunda) as a supportive remedy. The results of treatment reveal partial to complete regression of the tumours, improved quality of life, less side effect than the standard treatment which served as acontrol result for the trial.