Frankincense Could Be Remedy For Bladder Cancer
Scientists Say Findings Would Lead To Cheaper Treatment
Mar 18, 2009
H.K. Lin, Ph.D., associate professor of urology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and his team of researchers report their findings in the March 18, 2009 edition of BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine
“Frankincense has been used for centuries as an alternative treatment for many ailments in India and the Middle East, but without scientific proof of its effectiveness or safety,” Lin said, in an interview. “We have produced the first scientific data that shows frankincense as a possible treatment for cancer.”
Frankincense is known as one of the gifts carried by the three wise men in the Bible's nativity story.
Research on Anti-Tumor Activity of Frankincense
The researchers used an enriched extract of the Somalian Frankincense herb, Boswellia carteri. They set out to evaluate frankincense oil for its anti-tumor activity in bladder cancer cells.
Lin said the team investigated the effects of the oil in human bladder cancer cells and normal cancer cells.
The oil was tested on laboratory cultures of both human bladder cancer cells and normal bladder cells.
Frankincense appeared to have the ability to discriminate between the two, and targeted only the cancer cells. A genetic analysis found the oil suppressed cancer growth and activated multiple biological pathways to kill the dangerous cancer cells.
“In our studies, we found that frankincense killed bladder cancer cells, but left the normal cells unharmed,” Lin said. “This finding makes possible an inexpensive alternative or addition to current cancer therapies.”
Bladder Cancer
According to the National Cancer Institute, bladder cancer is the sixth most common type of cancer in the United States.
Bladder cancer is twice as common in males as it is in females. In the United States, bladder cancer is the fourth most common type of cancer in men.
Symptoms include blood in the urine, a frequent urge to urinate, pain when urinating and low back pain.
Smoking and exposure to certain chemicals in the workplace are major risk factors for the disease. People with a family history of bladder cancer or who are older, white or male have a higher risk.
Possible Future Bladder Cancer Treatments
Scientists are excited about the recent findings, but it’s at least five to 10 years before people can find a frankincense cure in their pharmacy.
Lin said the next step is to study the effects of the frankincense oil on research models before beginning clinical trials in humans.
“We are very excited to finally produce evidence of the medicinal qualities of frankincense,” Lin said.
Current treatments for bladder cancer include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and biologic therapy. Biologic therapy, also called immunotherapy, boosts a body's own ability to fight cancer.
The use of frankincense would create a much more affordable alternative medicine treatment for bladder cancer .
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