Shrinkage of gastric cancer in an elderly patient who received Rhus verniciflua Stokes extract.
BACKGROUND
Many studies have suggested that the flavonoids from Rhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS) are anticancer agents, but a few clinical studies have reported on this topic.


METHODS
We present here the case of a female patient (82 years old) with an adenocarcinoma of the stomach that was first diagnosed via an abdomen computed tomography (CT) scan and endoscopic biopsy. Any conventional therapy such as surgical resection was not performed because of her advanced age. She wanted to receive alternative care, and so she was exclusively treated with standardized RVS extract. COURSE OF THERAPY AND RESULTS: Daily therapy with 900 mg of orally administered RVS extract was initiated on September 25, 2006. Five (5) months later, the gastroscopy and abdomen CT scan showed a marked decrease in the polypoid mass at the mid body and a slight decrease in the flat elevated lesion at the prepyloric antrum, as compared to tumor sizes on the first gastroscopy and abdomen CT scan. She is alive and doing well at the present time (April 2009).


CONCLUSIONS
We suggest that RVS extract could be a candidate for a natural agent that induces selective apoptosis and inhibits cell growth in gastric adenocarcinoma.
Lee
Sang-Hun
SH
Department of Internal Medicine, Mu Integrative Cancer Center, East-West Neo Medical Center, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Choi
Won-Cheol
WC
Kim
Kyung-Suk
KS
Park
Jae-Woo
JW
Lee
Sang-Hoon
SH
Yoon
Seong-Woo
SW
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D029045:Rhus; D013270:Stomach / Q000473:pathology; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
D005419:Flavonoids; D010936:Plant Extracts