English scientists have proven that the extract of the Fagonia cretica plant can help in the treatment of breast cancer. The results of the study are posted on the Aston University website.
Fagonia cretica infusion has long been used to treat breast cancer in rural Pakistan. Until now, herbal tea was considered only a folk medicine. However, Pakistani women treated with this plant reported improved health without the side effects characteristic of cancer therapy, such as alopecia, decreased blood cell production or diarrhea. This caught the attention of researchers.
Scientists from Aston University and Russells Hall Hospital (England) conducted tests in laboratories and concluded that the Fagonia cretica extract actually destroys cancer cells in the breast, while not affecting healthy tissue.
Now researchers plan to conduct a series of studies that would allow them to locate the parts of the plant that are responsible for fighting cancer cells. They also hope that in the near future they will be able to test the action of Fagonica cretica on cancer patients.
More research is needed to determine what role the extract plays in cancer treatment, and the most important goal remains to prove that the extract is effective against cancer cells in a living body, not just under laboratory conditions, says Professor Helen Griffith of Aston University. (PAP)
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