Question

Do you have any idea or think of any promising compounds or new cancer drugs that cannot currently exist to treat lung or breast cancer metastasis. Please explain logical, Machanism behind that. It can be involved natural, chemical, or practical products or drug.

Answer 1

Cancer, in general, refers to the uncontrolled proliferation of cells anywhere in a body. These can form tumors in certain cases like mammary carcinoma and in other cases, as in leukaemia, they increase or decrease the blood viscousity hindering the normal blood supply. The cells from the tumor can break from the main tumor, enter the blood and lymphatic system to travel to different parts of the body, settle at other parts and grow to form new tumors resulting in metastasis.

Since cancer is caused by uncontrolled division of cell, specific drugs that inhibit the mitosis, cell division are used in chemotherapy(treatment by the use of anti-cancerous drugs). Traditional anti-cancerous drugs are cytotoxic and they stimulate apoptosis(programmes cell death). Since these drugs damage the cells, they are sensitive to rapidly dividing cells of the hair follicles, bone marrow etc resulting in side effects.

Some natural herbs, as mentioned in the Ayurveda of Indian Origin, are known to posses cytotoxic potential like Withania somnifera, Achyranthes aspera, Allium sativum, Bolbostemma paniculatum, Cannabis sativa, Annona muricata. A recent review comprisingly explains the chemo- and radio-sensitizing activities of some of these ayurvedic plants(withaferin-A).

Drugs like methotrexate used in the treatment of breast cancer, inhibit the synthesis of folic acid required for DNA synthesis. Thus when DNA synthesis is inhibited new cells are unable to form thus controlling cancer growth.