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Toad Venom May Help Treat Cancer
Cancer Newsline - Fall 2009
Traditional Chinese Medicine Well Tolerated
Huachansu, a Chinese medicine that comes from venom secreted by the skin glands of toads, may slow the growth of cancer in some patients and do so without significant side effects.
Researchers at M. D. Anderson and Fudan University Cancer Hospital in Shanghai, China, reported their Phase I clinical trial findings Aug. 21 in the online Early View feature of the journal Cancer.
Significance of study
The study marks the first time that a formal clinical trial has examined the relationship between the dose and toxicity levels of huachansu, although the drug is common in China and approved by the Chinese Food and Drug Administration.
Huachansu is widely used at oncology clinics in China to treat cancers of the:
- Liver
- Lung
- Colon
- Pancreas
Chinese clinical trials conducted since the 1970s have demonstrated the anti-cancer properties of the medicine.
"Studying traditional Chinese medicine such as huachansu is new to American research institutions, which have been skeptical and slow to adopt these types of non-conventional treatments,” says Lorenzo Cohen, Ph.D., one of the paper's authors, professor in the departments of Behavioral Science and General Oncology, and director of the Integrative Medicine Program at M. D. Anderson.
"We wanted to apply a Western medicine-based approach to explore the role of the toad venom compound in cancer patients and conduct a conventional dose escalation study to test for toxicities or side effects."
Research methods
In the study, 15 people with stage III or IV hepatocellular (liver) carcinoma, non-small cell lung cancer or pancreatic cancer received one of five dose levels from January 2005 through July 2006.
The treatment was repeated daily for 14 days, followed by seven days off (one cycle). After two cycles, most patients received other treatments.
Primary results
While the dose was up to eight times higher than conventional doses used in China, researchers observed only low toxicities or side effects. They found:
- Eleven (73%) patients had no toxicities greater than the lowest grade measured
- No significant cardiac toxicity
- No significant changes in cancer-related symptoms
Of the 15 people who completed the treatment:
- Six hepatocellular carcinoma patients (40%) had no disease growth for a median of six months
- One patient had a 20% reduction in tumor mass that lasted for more than 11 months
"Even though we saw no complete or partial response (reduction of disease by 30% or more), it’s encouraging that the cancer did not progress in a large set of the hepatocellular carcinoma patients," says Zhiqiang Meng, M.D., principal investigator on the trial and associate professor and deputy chair of the Department of Integrative Oncology at Fudan University Cancer Hospital.
Additional results
Observations from previous studies in China showed that huachansu can decrease tumor cell growth and improve immunologic function. Coupled with that knowledge, the latest findings demonstrate the need for further clinical trials, Meng says.
What’s next?
A Phase II clinical trial is under way for pancreatic cancer patients. It compares the effects of:
- Huachansu combined with Gemzar® (gemcitabine)
- Gemcitabine and a placebo
Both trials are part of the International Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Cancer, funded by the National Cancer Institute.
Adapted by David Berkowitz from an M. D. Anderson news release.
M. D. Anderson resources:
Additional resources:
Huachansu (National Cancer Institute)
Traditional Chinese medicine (National Cancer Institute)