title: [Medicinal plants in cancer patients: current practices and evaluation data].
abstract: Many complementary and alternatives medicines are offered to patients with cancer. Among them, herbal medicines have a substantial place. These plants are mainly used to reduce adverse effects of anticancer treatments and for specific anticancer properties. Our review shows that only few clinical data support medicinal plants effectiveness in cancer patients. Arguments rely mainly on usual indications and pharmacological data for minimization of treatments toxicity while for the anticancer properties, on epidemiological and preclinical data. To inform and counsel patients and people around, healthcare professionals need to evaluate benefit-risk balance on evidence-based information. Because the medical decision should be shared with the patient, his beliefs and preferences have to be considered. When no adverse effect or drug interaction is associated with herbal medicine, we state that their use is acceptable. This paper discuss of potential risk and benefit of the most used medicinal plants by cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Faculté des sciences pharmaceutiques et biologiques, 2, avenue du Professeur-Léon-Bernard, 35043 Rennes cedex, France. matthieuhuet29@gmail.com
authors.forename: Matthieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huet
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D004347:Drug Interactions; D041743:Herb-Drug Interactions; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000009:adverse effects; D018570:Risk Assessment
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D000975:Antioxidants
keywords: cancer; complementary and alternative medicines; herbal medicine; medicinal plants; phytotherapy