A BRIEF OVERVIEW AND INFORMATION ABOUT CANCER AND NEW RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THERAPY FOR CANCER BY THE USE OF PLANTS.

1. R E C E N T D E V E L O P M E N T S
I N C A N C E R
P H Y T O T H E R A P Y.
P R E S E N T E D B Y -
V A R S H A . R . W A D N E R E
( P D 3 2 8 )

2. B A C K G R O U N D
• Human beings and other animals have had cancer throughout recorded history. So it’s no surprise that from the
dawn of history people have written about cancer. Some of the earliest evidence of cancer is found among fossilized
bone tumors, human mummies in ancient Egypt, and ancient manuscripts. Growths suggestive of the bone cancer
called osteosarcoma have been seen in mummies. Bony skull destruction as seen in cancer of the head and neck has
been found, too.
• Our oldest description of cancer (although the word cancer was not used) was discovered in Egypt and dates back to
about 3000 BC. It’s called the Edwin Smith Papyrus and is a copy of part of an ancient Egyptian textbook on trauma
surgery. It describes 8 cases of tumors or ulcers of the breast that were removed by cauterization with a tool called
the fire drill. The writing says about the disease, “There is no treatment.”

3. • Origin of the word cancer
• The origin of the word cancer is credited to the Greek physician Hippocrates (460-370 BC), who is considered the
“Father of Medicine.” Hippocrates used the terms carcinos and carcinoma to describe non-ulcer forming and ulcer-
forming tumors. In Greek, these words refer to a crab, most likely applied to the disease because the finger-like
spreading projections from a cancer called to mind the shape of a crab. The Roman physician, Celsus (28-50 BC),
later translated the Greek term into cancer, the Latin word for crab. Galen (130-200 AD), another Greek physician,
used the word oncos (Greek for swelling) to describe tumors. Although the crab analogy of Hippocrates and Celsus
is still used to describe malignant tumors, Galen’s term is now used as a part of the name for cancer specialists –
oncologists.

4. • Normal cells are under direct supervision and their growth, proliferation and cell division are supervised through
signal transduction. However cancer cells develop autonomous mechanism for its growth and proliferation.
• Cancer is diseases which turns the normal cell into cancer cell by the process called carcinogenesis.
• Clinically, there are many types of cancer, but biologically, the origin of cancer is similar, which is due to defect in
gene expression.
• There are some factors which are responsible for change of normal cell into cancer cell. Those factors or agents are
known as carcinogens.
• It is believed that all cells carry certain cancer producing oncogenes.
• Oncogenes are the genes that are responsible for induction of tumors. Under certain conditions these genes are
triggered to multiply rapidly into malignant neoplasm.

5. E P I D E M I O L O G Y

6. D E F I N I T I O N
 Group of different diseases that are characterized by uncontrolled cellular growth, local tissue invasion and distant
metastases (Metastatic Neoplasms).
 Tumor or Neoplasm?
o Uncontrolled growth of cells → Tissue Mass.
o Benign = Localized, No/less harm.
o Metastatic = Moving/Invading/harmful.

7. PAT H O P H Y S I O L O G Y
• Regardless of difference in types of cancer histologically and physiologically, there is existence of a common
pathophysiological process of malignant tumors or cancer development in the organism.
• The commonly accepted basis of the pathogenesis of cancer is the damage to the genetic apparatus of cells (such as
mutation, disturbance of gene expression, activation of tumor promoter gene, inactivation of tumor suppressor
genes, etc.)
• It is believed that damage to the genetic apparatus of the cell along with inactivation of anti-tumor genes takes place
and is essential for the development of malignant tumors. But it should be noted that the inactivation of tumor
suppressor gene is one of the natural physiological reactions of the organism, and when this reaction becomes
pathophysiological condition of an organism it results in cancer development.
• At the cellular level, the development of cancer is viewed as a multi-step process involving mutation and selection
for cells with progressively increasing capacity for proliferation, survival, invasion, and metastasis.

9. First step: Mutation and tumor initiation
• Genetic alteration leads to mutation in a single cell which results into abnormal proliferation of that cell known as tumor cell.
Second step: Cell proliferation and Tumor progression
• Tumor progression continues as additional mutations occur within cells of the tumor population.
• The mutated cells have some selective advantage over normal cell as such cells shows rapid growth and division. The descendants of a cell bearing such additional
mutation will consequently become dominant within the tumor population
Third step: Clonal selection and malignancy
• Cell proliferation of tumor then leads to new clone of tumor cells with increased growth rate or other properties (such as survival, invasion, or metastasis) that confer
a selective advantage. The process is called clonal selection.
• Clonal selection continues throughout tumor development, so tumors continuously become more rapid-growing and increasingly malignant.
• For example: In colon cancer, the earliest stage in tumor development is increased proliferation of colon epithelial cells. A clonal selection occurs in which, a single
cell within these proliferative cell population give rise to a small benign neoplasm. Further rounds of clonal selection lead to the growth of benign neoplasm with
increase in size and proliferative potential resulting in malignant carcinoma. The cancer cells then continue to proliferate and spread through the connective tissues of
the colon wall. Eventually the cancer cells penetrate the wall of the colon and invade other abdominal organs, such as the bladder or small intestine. In addition, the
cancer cells invade blood and lymphatic vessels, allowing them to metastasize throughout the body.
Fourth step: Metastasis
• Metastasis is a complex process in which cancer cells break away from the primary tumor and circulate through the bloodstream or lymphatic system to other sites in
the body.
• At new sites, the cells continue to multiply and eventually form additional tumors comprised of cells that reflect the tissue of origin.
• The ability of tumors, such as pancreatic cancer and uveal (iris, ciliary body, or choroid of eye) cancers, to metastasize contributes greatly to their lethality.
• Many fundamental questions remain about the clonal structures of metastatic tumors, phylogenetic relationships among metastases, the scale of ongoing parallel
evolution in metastatic and primary sites, how the tumor disseminates, and the role that the tumor micro-environment plays in the determination of the metastatic site.

10. C L I N I C A L P R E S E N TAT I O N

11. Etiological agents that induce cancer:
1. Environmental factors:
tobacco, smokes, diets, environmental pollutants etc
Heavy smoking cause lung, oral cavity and oesophagus cancer.
Excessive intake of alcohol cause liver cancer.
2. Chemical carcinogen:
Nickel compounds, cadmium, arsenic, nitrosamines, trichloroethylene, arylamines, benzopyrene, aflatoxins, reactive oxygen radicals etc
3. Physical carcinogen:
UV rays (ultraviolet), ionizing radiation (x-rays and gamma rays)
4. Biological carcinogen:
Virus:
Virus has also been associated with various types of cancers. These viruses are called oncoviruses .
Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) is the first discovered retro-virus causing cancer.
(Oncovirus); Human papilloma virus (HPV), Epstein-Barr Virus, (EBV), Hepatitis B virus, Herpes virus
Hepatitis B and C virus is casually related with hepato-cellular carcinoma.
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is associated with Kaposi's sarcoma.
Human papilloma virus (HPV) is a chief suspect of cervix cancer.
Bacteria; Helicobacter pylori,
5. Endogenous factors:
Mutations, change in DNA replication, metabolic reactions generating, reactive oxygen radicals, Immune system defects, Ageing

12. C L I N I C A L D I A G N O S I S
• Laboratory tests:
1. Blood tests
2. Complete blood count (CBC)
3. Urinalysis
4. Tumor markers
• Diagnostic Imaging:
1. Transmission imaging.
2. X-ray
3. Computed tomography scan (also called a CT scan or computed axial tomography or CAT scan)
4. Bone scan
5. Lymphangiogram (LAG)
6. Mammogram
7. Reflection imaging- ultrasound
8. Emission imaging-Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
9. PET Scan

13. • Endoscopies:
1. Cystoscopy (also called cystourethroscopy)
2. Colonoscopy
3. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)
4. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (also called EGD or upper endoscopy)
5. Sigmoidoscopy
• Biopsies:
1. Endoscopic biopsy
2. Bone marrow biopsy
3. Excisional or incisional biopsy
4. Fine needle aspiration biopsy
5. Punch biopsy
6. Shave biopsy
7. Skin biopsy
• Gene testing:

14. S TA G I N G
O F
C A N C E R

15. G O A L S O F T H E R A P Y
• CURE-
Patient will be diseased free and live normal expectancy.
• CONTROL-
Patient's cancer is not cured but controlled by therapy over long periods of time.
• PALLATIVE-
Maintain as high as quality for the patient when cure and control are not possible.
• PROPHYLACTIC-
Provide treatment when no tumor is detectable but when patient is known to be at risk for tumor development, spread,
no reoccurrence.

16. T R E AT M E N T
• Surgery-When used to treat cancer, surgery is a procedure in which a surgeon removes cancer from your body.
• Radiation Therapy- Type of cancer treatment that uses high doses of radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink
tumors.
• Chemotherapy-Chemotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses drugs to kill cancer cells.
• Immunotherapy to Treat Cancer- Type of cancer treatment that helps your immune system fight cancer.
• Targeted Therapy- Type of cancer treatment that targets the changes in cancer cells that help them grow, divide,
and spread.
• Hormone Therapy-Treatment that slows or stops the growth of breast and prostate cancers that use hormones to
grow.
• Stem Cell Transplant-Procedures that restore blood-forming stem cells in cancer patients who have had theirs
destroyed by very high doses of chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
• Precision Medicine- Precision medicine helps doctors select treatments that are most likely to help patients based
on a genetic understanding of their disease.

18. R E C E N T D E V E L O P M E N T I N C A N C E R
P H Y T O T H E R A P Y.
1. Seaweed extract found to have promising effects in brain cancer treatment.
• The compound’s promising effects were discovered by researchers in the EU-funded project GENIALG (GENetic diversity exploitation
for Innovative macro-ALGal biorefinery). The fucoxanthin compound is a type of carotenoid pigment found in brown seaweeds, such as
Saccharina latissima.
• Also known as sugar kelp, the seaweed is cultivated in Europe and is available commercially.
• Fucoxanthin is a bioactive compound previously found to have numerous health benefits including antioxidant, anticancer and anti-
obesity effects. GENIALG project partners IOTA Pharmaceuticals, a UK-based oncology SME, and the University of York (UK)
collaborated with the University of Cambridge (UK) to further our knowledge of fucoxanthin in this multi-million euro project.
• Dr David Bailey, Director of IOTA Pharmaceuticals explained: “We found that fucoxanthin not only inhibits cancer cell growth by
itself, but also improves the effectiveness of certain (antiproliferative) pharmaceutical drugs. This means that treatment of
human brain cancer cells with a combination of pharmaceutical drugs and a natural product extracted from seaweed could
provide a new, more effective treatment option in targeting this challenging disease in certain contexts”.
• The compound could provide an effective treatment against glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common and aggressive form
of malignant brain tumour, with an annual incidence of three to four cases per 100,000 people in Europe.

20. 2. WSU researchers use soy to improve post-operative treatment of bone cancer.
• Researchers in recent years have demonstrated the health benefits of soy, linking its consumption to reduced risk of
cardiovascular disease, obesity, cancer and improved bone health.
• As part of this study, the researchers used 3D printing to make patient-specific, bone-like scaffolds that included three soy
compounds and then slowly released the compounds into samples containing bone cancer as well as healthy bone cells.
• Soybeans contain isoflavones, plant-derived estrogens that have been shown to impede cancer cell growth for many types
of cancer without being toxic to normal cells. Isoflavones have also been shown to improve bone health and possibly
prevent osteoporosis.
• One of the soybean compounds caused a 90% reduction in bone cancer cell viability in their samples after 11 days. Two
other soy compounds, meanwhile, significantly improved the growth of healthy bone cells.
• Furthermore, using the soy compounds in animal models also reduced inflammation, which could benefit bone health as
well as overall recovery.
• "These results advance our understanding in providing therapeutic approaches in using synthetic bone grafts as a drug
delivery vehicle," Bose said.

22. 3. Marijuana in treatment of Cancer.
• Marijuana is the name given to the dried buds and leaves of varieties of the Cannabis sativa plant, which can grow
wild in warm and tropical climates throughout the world and be cultivated commercially. It goes by many names,
including pot, grass, cannabis, weed, hemp, hash, marihuana, ganja, and dozens of others.
• Marijuana has been used in herbal remedies for centuries. Scientists have identified many biologically active
components in marijuana. These are called cannabinoids. The two best studied components are the chemicals
delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (often referred to as THC), and cannabidiol (CBD).
• The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) lists marijuana and its cannabinoids as Schedule I controlled
substances. Dronabinol, a pharmaceutical form of THC, and a man-made cannabinoid drug called Nabilone are
approved by the FDA to treat some conditions.
• Different compounds in marijuana have different actions in the human body.
For example, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) seems to cause the "high" reported by marijuana users, and also
can help relieve pain and nausea, reduce inflammation, and can act as an antioxidant. Cannabidiol (CBD) can help
treat seizures, can reduce anxiety and paranoia, and can counteract the "high" caused by THC.

23. How can marijuana affect symptoms of cancer?
• A number of small studies of smoked marijuana found that it can be helpful in treating nausea and vomiting
from cancer chemotherapy.
• A few studies have found that inhaled (smoked or vaporized) marijuana can be helpful treatment of
neuropathic pain (pain caused by damaged nerves).
• Smoked marijuana has also helped improve food intake in HIV patients in studies.
• Studies have long shown that people who took marijuana extracts in clinical trials tended to need less pain
medicine.
• More recently, scientists reported that THC and other cannabinoids such as CBD slow growth and cause death
in certain types of cancer cells growing in lab dishes. Some animal studies also suggest certain cannabinoids
slow growth and reduce spread of some forms of cancer.

24. PLANTS AGAINST CANCER
• Achillea wilhelmsii.
• Allium sativum L
• Ammi majus
• Ammi visnaga
• Astragalus cytosus
• Astrodaucus orientalis
• Boswellia serrata
• Camellia sinensis
• Saffron (Crocus sativus L)
• Silybum marianum
• Curcuma longa

25. R E F E R E N C E S
• https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/423124-seaweed-extract-found-to-have-promising-effects-in-brain-cancer-
treatment
• http://www.isnff-jfb.com/tables/JFB-18-5t.htm#outF2
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213453013000438
• https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/complementary-and-alternative-
medicine/marijuana-and-cancer.html

27. THANK YOU.