מתוך medicontext.co.il
WESTPORT, CT (Reuters Health) – Doctors in Seattle report a case of severe bleeding that developed in a man who was taking twice the recommended daily dose of an over-the-counter herbal supplement to treat prostate cancer. The case is described in a letter published in the October 18th issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.
The findings do not mean that patients should not use the supplement, an herbal combination called PC-SPES, according to one of the physicians who treated the man. However, patients should only use PC-SPES under the supervision of a medical professional, according to Dr. Bruce Montgomery of the University of Washington.
"Herbal medications have unique and interesting biologic properties, and PC-SPES is potentially useful in the treatment of prostate cancer," Dr. Montgomery told Reuters Health.
Some research has shown that PC-SPES–a combination of eight different herbs including saw palmetto–lowers prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels. The supplement, which contains phytoestrogens, has also been shown to shrink prostate tumors in animals.
Despite the promise of PC-SPES, however, Dr. Montgomery pointed out that previous research has linked PC-SPES to an increased risk of blood clots in the lungs, legs and other parts of the body.
Dr. Montgomery and a colleague, Dr. Mark C. Weinrobe, describe the case of a 62-year-old man with hormone-refractory prostate cancer with nodal metastases who developed retroperitoneal hemorrhaging while taking PC-SPES. According to the authors, the herbal combination has not been linked previously to hemorrhage.
Besides multivitamins, the patient was not taking any medications other than PC-SPES when he was hospitalized for bleeding. However, he was taking 12 capsules of PC-SPES each day, which is twice the daily dose recommended by the supplement's manufacturer.
The physicians were able to successfully treat the man's bleeding with blood transfusions and vitamin K.
The risk of blood clots and hemorrhage "make it necessary for patients to use PC-SPES under the supervision of a healthcare provider who can monitor for side effects," DR. Montgomery said.
In a statement issued in response to the report, BotanicLab, the Brea, California-based maker of PC-SPES, said that no previous cases of hemorrhage had been reported in patients taking the supplement. The company noted that the product's label advises consumers to consult a healthcare practitioner if they have a health condition or are taking prescription drugs.
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