Integrating Traditional Medicine into Modern Inflammatory Diseases Care: Multitargeting by Rhus verniciflua Stokes
Table 4
Biological activities of Rhus verniciflua Stokes as shown in clinical studies.
Type
Effect
Anticancer
Colon
Ten among 36 patients were alive after treatment with 2.7 months (95% confidence interval, 1.9–3.5) median administration period, 10.9 months (95% confidence interval, 5.6–16.1) median overall survival, and 44.4% 1-year survival rate [50].
Gastric
Case study: decreased the polypoid mass at the mid body and a slight decrease in the flat elevated lesion at the prepyloric antrum at 5 months after starting daily therapy with 900 mg of orally administered [51].
Liver
Case study: patient with recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma after liver transplantation refractory to doxorubicin exhibited shrinkage of the lung metastasis, nonhematologic toxicity at 5 months after receiving 3 times in a day with 450 mg orally administered [52].
Renal
(i) Case study I: exhibited a complete response in all pulmonary metastases including resolution of right pulmonary artery thrombosis when given at 450 mg capsules with three times a day for 4 months [53]. (ii) Case study II: showed reduction in the size of the metastatic masses in both adrenal glands at 9 months after receiving 3 times in a day with 450 mg capsules orally [53].
Pancreatic
Three among 42 patients were alive with 3.86 months (95% confidence interval 2.52–5.20) mean administration period, 7.87 months (95% confidence interval 5.14–10.59) median overall survival, and 26.2% 1-year survival rate [54].
Pulmonary
(i) Case study: maintained good performance status with ECOG performance status of 0 for 2 years after treating daily therapy with 1,350 mg of orally administered remedy without orthodox therapies and no significant adverse effects [55]. (ii) Reviewed the medical records of 33 patients with advanced NSCLC, who treated this remedy after completion of four or six cycles of induction chemotherapy for 6 years. A 6- and 12-month PFS rate was 40.6% and 12.9%, respectively. The DCR was 93.9% and the median OS was 34.8 months with 12, 24, and 36 months of overall survival rates which were 84.2%, 76.7%, and 49.9%, respectively. No hematologic toxicity, nephrotoxicity, or hepatotoxicity [56].
DCR: disease control rate; ECOG: European Cooperative Oncology Group; NSCLC: non-small-cell lung carcinoma; OS: overall survival; PFS: progression-free survival.
