Map showing worldwide incidence of aristolochic acid-related cancers. Courtesy of AWT Ng et al. Science Translational Medicine (2017)
Researchers have found widespread evidence of a link between traditional Chinese medicines and liver cancer across Asia, according to study results published Wednesday.
The findings suggest that stronger measures are needed to prevent the ingestion of a chemical called aristolochic acid (AA), which is extracted from woody vines in the Aristolochaceae family, the journal’s report said. Science Translational Medicine.
These acids are found in several traditional Chinese medicines administered at birth to prevent parasites and promote healing.
The researchers tested 98 liver tumours stored at a Taiwanese hospital and found that 78 percent contained a pattern of mutations “likely caused by exposure to chemicals”, the study said.
These acids produce a “clear mutation signature,” so the researchers also looked at 89 liver cancer samples from China and found that 47 percent were linked to the traditional medicine ingredient.
In Vietnam, 5 of 26 tumors studied (19%) were matched, compared with 5 of 9 (56%) in other Southeast Asian countries.
In North America, the association with traditional Chinese medicine was much less common (5% of 209 liver cancer cases studied) and in Europe it was 1.7% of 230 cases studied.
Taiwan banned some herbal medicines using aristolochic acid in 2003 after it was discovered that the plant could cause kidney failure and urinary tract cancer.
But there is no total ban in China or Taiwan, and “only certain plants are regulated, rather than all plants and products containing AA or its derivatives,” making it difficult for consumers to avoid them, the report said.
The researchers found that the incidence of AA-associated mutations in liver cancer in Taiwan did not decline after the ban was implemented.
This could be because cancer reductions take longer to become noticeable in the data, as was the case with the decline in tobacco-related cancers after it became clear that smoking causes lung tumors.
Alternatively, people may continue to be exposed to these acids through other products or herbal mixtures that still contain these acids.
For more information:
AWT Ng et al., “Aristolochic acid and its derivatives are widely implicated in liver cancer in Taiwan and throughout Asia.” Science Translational Medicine (2017). stm.sciencemag.org/lookup/doi/ … scitranslmed.aan6446
© 2017 AFP
Quote: Liver cancer linked to herbal therapy across Asia: Study (October 18, 2017) Retrieved June 10, 2024 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-10-asia-liver-cancer-linked-herbal.html
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