April 15, 2003 – Women being treated with chemotherapy for breast cancer may benefit from avoiding black cohosh, say American researchers.
Black cohosh is a dietary supplement often used to alleviate symptoms of PMS, dysmenorrhea (period pain), and menopause.1.
However, the researchers warn that in the laboratory, the plant increased the toxicity of two drugs commonly used in chemotherapy, doxorubicin (Adriamycin) and docetaxel (Taxotere). Black cohosh is believed to have no effect on a third substance studied, cisplatin.
Several questions now remain unanswered. First of all, the researchers want to know if black cohosh will have the same effect in the human body as in the laboratory. Then, they want to determine if black cohosh amplifies the potency of the drugs only in cancerous tumors or throughout the body. If the first scenario turns out to be correct, the plant could prove to be very useful in the fight against cancer.
In addition, another study suggests that the type of foods eaten during adolescence may have an effect on the risk of developing breast cancer. These results, taken from the Nurses’ Health Study, associate a high consumption of eggs, vegetables and plant fiber between the ages of 12 and 18 with a reduced risk of breast cancer. Conversely, a high consumption of butter has been linked to an increased risk.2.
Finally, hypothyroidism seems to protect some women against breast cancer. American researchers found that women with this cancer were 57% less likely to also suffer from hypothyroidism. The link between the two problems remains unclear, but could give rise to new therapies when it is better understood.
Jean-Benoit Legault – PasseportSanté.net
According to Reuters, April 7, 2003; Houston Chronicle, April 8, 2003.
1. Huntley A, Ernst E. A systematic review of the safety of black cohosh.Menopause 2003 Jan-Feb; 10 (1): 58-64. [Consulté le 15 avril 2003].
2. Frazier AL, Ryan CT, Rockett H, Willett WC, Colditz GA. Adolescent diet and risk of breast cancer.Breast Cancer Res 2003; 5 (2): R59-64. [Consulté le 15 avril 2003].
