title: Boswellic acids in the palliative therapy of children with progressive or relapsed brain tumors.
abstract: 19 children and adolescents with intracranial tumors received a palliative therapy with H 15 at a maximum dose of 126 mg/kg BW/day. All patients had previously been treated with conventional therapy. No side effects were observed during a median 9 months application. The recently reported antiedematous effect of H 15 was documented by MRI in one patient with a peritumoral edema, thus sparing steroid therapy with its typical side effects. Five/19 children reported an improvement of their general health status; this might be a psychological effect of hope for tumor response during palliative care. Three/17 patients with malignant tumors showed a mainly transient improvement of neurological symptoms such as pareses and ataxia. Three further patients showed an increased muscular strength and one cachectic patient achieved a weight gain. These improvements might be attributed to the antiedematous effect of H 15. Because of the palliative situation of these patients, H 15 application was performed without prior rebiopsy for histological evaluation. Overlapping effects with a previous radiotherapy or chemotherapy may have occurred. An antiproliferative effect cannot be stated. To prevent an uncritical use of H 15, further studies with prospective central documentation have to be initiated to evaluate the clinical indications for H 15 in palliative therapy, optimal dosage and duration of application.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Pädiatrische Hämatologie und Onkologie, Universität Düsseldorf.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Janssen
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Bode
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Breu
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dohrn
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Engelbrecht
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Göbel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005910:Glioma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012074:Remission Induction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014315:Triterpenes; C054625:boswellic acid