Beneficial effect of additional treatment with widely available anticancer agents in advanced small lung cell carcinoma: A case report

Abstract

Small-cell lung carcinoma is a type of lung cancer characterized by very poor prognosis, as the majority of the patients have already developed metastases at initial diagnosis. Small-cell lung cancer accounts for ~15% of all lung cancer cases. The present study reports the case of a female patient with advanced-stage small-cell lung cancer. The patient received the standard treatments (6 cycles of platinum and etoposide chemotherapy followed by Gamma Knife treatment of suspicious mediastinal lymphnodes); in addition, naturally derived agents (curcumin, parthenolide, betuline, sulforaphane, withanolides, lactoferrin, pomegranate fruit extract, flaxseed and dioscorea) were alternately administered at increased doses, while previously prescribed medications for other comorbidities (metformin and atorvastatin) were continued. Complete regression of the tumour was observed, and the patient remains in full remission and cancer-free for >7 years. Moreover, no treatment-related side effects and no drug interactions were observed.

Keywords: herbal substances; lung cancer.

Figure 1.

Computed tomography imaging showing the lung tumour at the time of diagnosis.

Figure 2.

Computed tomography metastasis to the liver at the time of diagnosis.

Figure 3.

Computed tomography imaging showing a suspicious lymphnode in the anterior mediastinum after chemotherapy treatment.

Figure 4.

Computed tomography imaging showing regression of metastatic lesions in the liver after chemotherapy treatment.