Ginseng is well known among Chinese communities but now the traditional tonic has emerged as an effective, complementary alternative medicine for treating cancer, the Chairman of the Hong Kong Registered Chinese Medical Practitioners Association declared Wednesday.

Feng Jiu pointed out that Chinese medical practitioners have been using ginseng to treat cancer for nearly 2,000 years because ginseng strengthens the immune system's ability to fight rogue cells.

Previous ginseng studies have suggested the herb might help fight fatigue, a common issue among people with cancer. On this basis, it is common for Chinese medical practitioners to include ginseng in their prescriptions for cancer patients to combat weakness and to restore health.

The School of Chinese Medicine (SCM) at Hong Kong Baptist University recently conducted research into the cancer fighting properties of ginseng. The results showed an optimal dosage of ginseng revealed a significant anti-tumor effect in mice. The study also showed that ginseng was not toxic to normal cells.

Asian ginseng is known to contain a chemical called ginsenosides, already proven to be an effective treatment for cancer. However, the research led by Professor Liu Liang, dean of the SCM, focused on the efficacy of ethanol extract of Asian ginseng (EAG). It is believed the EAG is more closely related to what is used in clinics because it contains total ginsenosides instead of individual ones.

The study involved different groups of LLC-1 carcinoma bearing-mice. They were treated with various dosages of the EAG for one month while a control group was not dosed with the EAG.

The results indicated that treatment with lower dosages of EAG showed mild anti-cancer effects, while treatment with an optimal EAG dosage (1 gram per kilogram per day) demonstrated a significant suppression of tumor volume (from 1,400 mm3 to 1,000 mm3) and tumor mass (from 1.2 grams to 0.9 grams). The EAG treatment showed no toxicity in mice as there was no drop in their body weight.

Speaking at a press conference Wednesday, Liu revealed the breakthrough based on reports that EAG could activate two tumor suppressor proteins - p53 and p21. "Both p53 and p21 are strong anti-tumor proteins which could effectively reduce tumor development," Liu said.

Moreover, the research has found that the percentage of apoptosis in tumors would increase while expanding the EAG dosages in anti-cancer treatment.

Liu emphasized the importance of studying herbal extracts rather than single compounds, because Chinese medicine is normally combinations of numerous substances. Therefore, research on single compounds could not fully indicate their effects.

Cancer sufferers account for one third of total deaths in Hong Kong, latest official figures show. In the future, as Liu stated, the team would research other cancerous animal models to estimate the therapeutic value of using ginseng.

Although ginseng is regarded as an effective anti-cancer medicine, patients are mindful of the use of ginseng in their prescriptions because not every one can benefit from the treatment. "Patients with yin deficiency should not consume ginseng. Taking the wrong medicine is the same as taking poison. Patients are advised to consult Chinese medical practitioners before carrying out any treatments," Feng said.

China Daily

(HK Edition 09/30/2010 page1)