According to preliminary findings of case study of 4 patients in a Mayo Clinic (published online in Leukemia Research), a green tea extract called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) may be advantageous to people with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The study revealed that after starting taking over-the-counter products that contained EGCG, the patients had an improvement in the clinical state of their disease. 3 of the 4 patients met the standard criteria used to define treatment response in clinical trials.
According to preliminary findings of case study of 4 patients in a Mayo Clinic (published online in Leukemia Research), a green tea extract called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) may be advantageous to people with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The study revealed that after starting taking over-the-counter products that contained EGCG, the patients had an improvement in the clinical state of their disease. 3 of the 4 patients met the standard criteria used to define treatment response in clinical trials.
Formerly, in the research published in Blood in 2004, the same Mayo Clinic scientists revealed that, in test tubes, EGCG kills leukemia cells taken from patients with CLL by interrupting the communication signals the leukemia cells need in order to survive. “The experience of these individuals provides some suggestion that our previously published laboratory findings may actually translate into clinical effects for patients with the disease,” study author and hematologist Dr. Tait Shanafelt said in a prepared statement.
But he encouraged carefulness in interpreting the seemingly promising preliminary findings from this latest research. “We do not know how many patients were taking similar products and failed to have any benefit. We also do not yet know the optimal dose that should be used, the frequency with which patients should take the medication, and what side effects will be observed with long-term administration,” Shanafelt stated.
But these questions will not be answered without further studies. Shanafelt is lead researcher in an ongoing clinical trial investigating doses of EGCG in pill form for CLL patients. The research is sponsored by the U.S. National Cancer Institute.
The cure for CLL is still not known.
