Integrative Medicine > Boswellia

Abstract

Boswellic acids in the palliative therapy of children with progressive or relapsed brain tumors

Janssen G, Bode U, Breu H, Dohrn B, Engelbrecht V, Gobel U

Klinik fur Padiatrische Hamatologie und Onkologie, Universitat Dusseldorf

19 children and adolescents with intracranial tumors received a palliative therapy with H 15 at a maximum dose of 126 mg/kg BW/day.
All patients had previously been treated with conventional therapy.
No side effects were observed during a median 9 months application.
The recently reported antiedematous effect of H 15 was documented by MRI in one patient with a peritumoral edema, thus sparing steroid therapy with its typical side effects.
Five/19 children reported an improvement of their general health status; this might be a psychological effect of hope for tumor response during palliative care. Three/17 patients with malignant tumors showed a mainly transient improvement of neurological symptoms such as pareses and ataxia.
Three further patients showed an increased muscular strength and one cachectic patient achieved a weight gain.
These improvements might be attributed to the antiedematous effect of H 15.
Because of the palliative situation of these patients, H 15 application was performed without prior rebiopsy for histological evaluation.
Overlapping effects with a previous radiotherapy or chemotherapy may have occurred.
An antiproliferative effect cannot be stated.
To prevent an uncritical use of H 15, further studies with prospective central documentation have to be initiated to evaluate the clinical indications for H 15 in palliative therapy, optimal dosage and duration of application.

PMID: 10994549 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]