Milk Thistle & Breast Cancer

In today's medicine, doctors are seeking out alternatives for treating disease. Milk thistle helps decrease breast cancer cell proliferation as well as help with side effects from certain cancer therapies. Milk thistle, like other alternative medicines, has not been approved by the Federal Drug Administration; there are few regulations on content or distribution for this herb. Caution should be used when using milk thistle as it is unknown how it can interact with other medications. Please consult a doctor before taking any additional medications.

Features

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine states that the active substance in milk thistle is silymarin. The National Cancer Institute describes silymarin as comprised of silybinin, isosilybin, silychristin and silydianin. These substances are extracted from the seeds of the plant, made into silymarin and converted into a pill or liquid.

Treatment: Cancer

For breast cancer, milk thistle is used as an alternative medicine to treat cancer cell growth. A study published in "Cancer Letters" in 1999 by Neehar Bhatia and colleagues studied its effects on carcinoma cell growth. This study found that silybinin, the primary ingredient in milk thistle, was responsible for decreased cancer cell growth. Another study published in "Pharmaceutical Research" in 2004 by Shuzhong Zhang and colleagues, found that milk thistle was useful in combating breast cancer cell proteins.

Treatment: Side Effects

According to the National Cancer Institute, milk thistle may help alleviate side effects from chemotherapy. A study published in the "Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine" in 2004 by Elena J. Ladas and colleagues describes the negative effects of chemotherapy on the liver. This study ruled that milk thistle can be useful in treating liver disease that may result from cancer-fighting therapies.

Potential Side Effects

There are little to no side effects associated with milk thistle. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine states that some individuals have experienced gastrointestinal discomfort. Others, have experienced an allergic reaction to the herb. Milk thistle can also potentially lower blood glucose. If you are diabetic or tend to have low blood sugar, be cautious when using this herb.

Dosage

According to the website Drugs, the dosage of milk thistle should be followed as directed. If you are suffering from cancer, it is recommended that you follow your doctor's guidelines on dosing for milk thistle. It should be taken in either pill or liquid form. The two forms should not be taken together, unless under your doctor's orders, as this could lead to an overdose.