A traditional Chinese herbal medicine known as Shu-Gan-Liang-Xue Decoction (SGLXD) may be used to treat ER positive breast cancer, a study in Journal of Ethnopharmacology suggests.
Shu-Gan-Liang-Xue Decoction (SGLXD) has been actually used to ameliorate hot flushes in breast cancer patients, but studies suggest this treatment also has an anticancer activity against breast cancer.
The study shows that the Chinese herbal preparation inhibits both aromatase and steroid sulfatase which are key estrogen synthesis enzymes. Estrogen is known to promote the development and progression of breast cancer.
The Chinese herbal medicine was both tested in vitro ER positive breast cancer cell lines and in mice with ovaries removed. The study suggests that the Chinese medicine may be used as adjunct therapy to treat ER positive breast cancer. (David Liu, PHD)
Zhou N, Han SY, Zhou F, Li PP., Anti-tumor effect of Shu-gan-Liang-Xue decoction in breast cancer is related to the inhibition of aromatase and steroid sulfatase expression. J Ethnopharmacol. 2014 May 6. pii: S0378-8741(14)00333-X. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2014.04.045.
Source: Foodconsumer.org
