Combination of traditional herbal medicine for the treatment of cancer-induced Anorexia/Cachexia: A pilot, randomized, double-blinded and placebo-controlled clinical trial

Abstract

Purpose: Many therapeutic approaches have been studied for the treatment of cancer-induced cachexia; however, except megestrol acetate, there is still no documented modality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible protective effect of several traditional herbal medicines, including Cichorium intybus, Trigonella foenum graecum, Daucus carotta, Hordeum vulgare, Foeniculum vulgare, Soya beans, peas in the management of cancer-induced cachexia/anorexia in patients with solid tumors. Methods: Adult patients suffering from advanced solid tumors with weight loss equal or greater than 5 within two previous months, during the intake of a high dose of megestrol (160 mg/day) as a routine treatment for cancer-induced cachexia, were included. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either one sachet of herbal combination or placebo, three times per day for 4 weeks, orally. Weight changes, anthropometric indices, and scores such as Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS), Functional Assessment of Anorexia/Cachexinorexia/Cachexia Therapy (FAACT), and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 version 3.0 were assessed before and after the intervention. Results: Fifty-five patients completed the 4-week follow-up. Patients who had received herbal combination gained 0.9 kg weight, in comparison with a weight loss of 0.53 kg in the placebo group (P 0.001). Improvement in quality of life and FAACT scores were not significant in each group (P 0.05). The ESAS questionnaire assessment indicated that there was a significant improvement in two indices, including appetite (P < .001) and fatigue (P = .008), in the intervention group. Conclusion: This study has demonstrated that the traditional herbal combination is safe and effective in the prevention of weight loss, improvement of appetite and fatigue, in advanced cancer patients.