Evaluation of shark cartilage in patients with advanced cancer: a North Central Cancer Treatment Group trial.
BACKGROUND
Shark cartilage has been a popular complementary or alternative medicine intervention. The basis for this popularity is the claim that sharks rarely get cancer because of the high proportion of cartilage in the shark's body. However, early studies were equivocal. Therefore, a clinical trial was conducted to look at the impact of shark cartilage in patients with advanced cancer. The primary goal of this trial was to determine whether a shark cartilage product improved overall survival for patients with advanced cancer who were getting standard care. Secondary research goals were to evaluate toxicities, tolerability, and quality of life associated with this shark cartilage product.


METHODS
The study was a two-arm, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, clinical trial. Patients with incurable breast or colorectal carcinoma had to have good performance status and organ function. Patients could be receiving chemotherapy. Patients were all to receive standard care and then to be randomly selected to receive either a shark cartilage product or an identical-appearing and smelling placebo 3 to 4 times each day.


RESULTS
Data on a total of 83 evaluable patients were analyzed. There was no difference in overall survival between patients receiving standard care plus a shark cartilage product versus standard care plus placebo. Likewise, there was no suggestion of improvement in quality of life for patients receiving the shark cartilage, compared with those receiving placebo.


CONCLUSIONS
This trial was unable to demonstrate any suggestion of efficacy for this shark cartilage product in patients with advanced cancer.
Loprinzi
Charles L
CL
Department of Oncology, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation, Rochester, Minnesota 56301, USA. cloprinzi@mayo.edu
Levitt
Ralph
R
Barton
Debra L
DL
Sloan
Jeff A
JA
Atherton
Pam J
PJ
Smith
Denise J
DJ
Dakhil
Shaker R
SR
Moore
Dennis F
DF
Krook
James E
JE
Rowland
Kendrith M
KM
Mazurczak
Miroslaw A
MA
Berg
Alan R
AR
Kim
George P
GP
D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D002356:Cartilage / Q000737:chemistry*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D000529:Complementary Therapies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010919:Placebos; D011788:Quality of Life; D012754:Sharks; D015996:Survival Rate; D014020:Tissue Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D010919:Placebos; D014020:Tissue Extracts