ABSTRACT
Botanical therapies are of particular interest in the prevention and treatment of cancer. Available data is limited to small, randomized controlled trials and case-control, cross-sectional, or cohort studies. The most robust information comes from meta-analyses comprised of similarly designed trials. Several therapies described herein have promising data, however health care professionals should exercise caution when evaluating whether a botanical is appropriate for patient use. Of note, many of these agents lack the most commonly accepted long-term efficacy data, such as progression-free survival and overall survival. The provider should follow a calculated approach and consider potential efficacy and side effects, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic drug interactions, impact on pill burden, and cost. A systematic review of all available literature was conducted on botanical therapies and cancer. Turmeric, soy isoflavones, green tea, guarana, maitake, pomegranate, mistletoe, and reishi were identified to have the most data available. Each agent is discussed in detail herein.
