Common herb helps fight against cancer

LONDON, May 10, 2000 - It's been used for medicinal purposes for more than 700 years. Now the starflower, a common herb, is helping scientists fight cancer.

Commonly known as borage, the starflower carries a compound called gamma linolenic acid (GLA). This has been shown to kill brain and prostate cancer cells and arrests the spread of malignant tumours by limiting blood vessel growth.

British scientists found that a combination of GLA and the anti-cancer drug Tamoxifen accelerated patients' response rates.

The study appears in the International Journal of Cancer.

Researchers gave 38 breast cancer patients a cocktail of GLA and Tamoxifen. They then compared these test subjects with a control group of women who took just Tamoxifen.

The group who took the GLA/Tamoxifen mixture had a faster clinical response than the women in the control group. From this finding, scientists suggest that GLA could be a useful addition to Tamoxifen in women with a specific type of breast cancer - endocrine-sensitive breast cancer.

The starflower contains the strongest natural concentration of GLA. Oil from the plant is 24 per cent GLA. The substance is also found in evening primrose oil, which is used to treat premenstrual problems.

Scientists say it used to be a popular cooking herb in the Middle Ages - but it's now grown for its flowers and for cancer research and treatment. Best of all, researchers say GLA has little or no side effects. But researchers caution that patients should consult their doctors and not self-prescribe.

- Source: International Journal of Cancer, 85, 643-648, 2000

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