Research achievements on anticancer effects and the reduction of side-effects related to anticancer drugs
Research achievements on prevention of lifestyle-related diseases and reduction of disease risks
Research achievements to live a comfortable life
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Our articles on physiological activities of fucoidan, researched jointly with Tottori University, were published in the international academic journal of cancer research "Oncology Letters", Vol. 2, March/April1).
It says that the effects of fucoidan to reduce side-effects caused by anticancer drugs were verified by the clinical tests on colon cancer patients.
Implemented the world’s first human clinical tests on the effect of fucoidan on reducing side-effects
Nowadays to provide medical treatment to fight advanced and recurrent cancer, it is typical to use multiple anticancer drugs, such as: FOLFOX [1], or FOLFIRI [2].
This treatment provides high therapeutic efficacy, however, at the same time induces various intense side-effects, including fatigue.
On the other hand, in basic research using human cultivated cells [3], it was confirmed that fucoidan has "the efficacy to prevent normal cells from being killed by anticancer drugs".2)
This fact shows the possibility of fucoidan suppressing side-effects during therapy by anticancer drugs.
Then we examined whether or not fucoidan has the effect to suppress side-effects caused by anticancer drugs against actual cancer patients in clinical tests [4].
Confirmed increase in prescribed therapy of anticancer drugs and efficacy to reduce side-effects
We treated 20 colon cancer patients with anticancer drugs for 6 months.
The patients were divided into two groups, 10 patients who were administered fucoidan, and 10 patients who were not administered fucoidan.
The patients who administered fucoidan ingested fucoidan every day from the beginning of anticancer therapy.
In the result, the administered group’s average cycle of prescription of inhibiting-cancer drugs [5] was 19.9, while the non-administered group’s was 10.8.
It was clear that the administered group’s cycle was larger.
As for the side-effects shown during the therapy period, 6 patients showed a sense of fatigue of Grade 2 [6] among the 10 non-administration subjects, while only one patient showed a sense of fatigue among the 10 subjects administered with fucoidan.
Statistically it was confirmed that the sense of fatigue for fucoidan administered patients was reduced.
Also increasing the survival rate-extensive possibilities
Even after that, therapy continued for 15 months, and 2 subjects administered fucoidan and 4 non-administered patients died. (Fig)
That is, the patients administered fucoidan showed a higher survival rate than the patients not administered fucoidan.
We have to proceed with further research in order to confirm the statistical significant difference.
From the above examination, it was confirmed that fucoidan has "suppression effects on the sense of fatigue for colon cancer patients under anticancer therapy" and that it "enables to increase the cycle of prescription of anticancer drugs".
The fucoidan which was used in the clinical tests were high-polymer fucoidan made by Marine Products Kimuraya, which was extracted from Okinawa mozuku.
[Sources]1)Ikeguchi M et al. Fucoidan reduces the toxicities of chemotherapy for patients with unresectable advanced or recurrent colorectal cancer(Reducing effects of fucoidan against side-effects by anticancer drugs)Oncology Letters 2(2), 319-322 (2011).
2)Kawamoto H et al. Effects of Fucoidan from Mozuku on Human Stomach Cell Lines(Influence of fucoidan on human stomach cell) Food Sci Technol Res 12(3),218-222(2006).
- Glossary
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[1]FOLFOX/One of the ways to prescribe anticancer drugs.
2 kinds of anticancer drugs, oxaliplatin and 5-fluorouracil, and leucovorin which activates response of 5-fluorouracil are administered at the same time.[2]FOLFIRI /One of the ways to prescribe anticancer drugs.
2 kinds of anticancer drugs, irinotecan and 5-fluorouracil, and leucovorin which activates response of 5-fluorouracil are administered at the same time.[3]Cultivated cell/Artificially cultivated cell in vitro.
Being used frequently in area of basic research, especially molecular biology, biochemistry, cell biology.[4]Clinical test/Tests in order to ensure safety and efficacy, administrating drugs and medicines, using medical equipment for patients and healthy persons.
This test is done after enough basic researches and animal clinical tests.
Previously both patients and healthy persons who will receive the tests should receive enough explanation, and their privacy issues are well respected.[5]Cycle of prescription of anticancer drugs/According to the prescription of FOLFOX or FORFILI, anticancer drugs and medicines are administered by intravenous drip injection, the subjects are followed up in the two weeks course.
This is called one cycle.
In case severe or continuous toxicity appeared, density of medicine is decreased or start of the next cycle is broken off.[6]Grade 2/Showing degree of adverse event.
"The adverse event" means of undesired event occurred in the user of the medicines.
Degrees of the Symptoms are unified by National Cancer Institute in USA as "Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events".
There are 6 levels according to severity from Grade 0 (Normal) to Grade 5 (Death due to adverse event).
Grade 2 is defined as "moderate adverse event" and minimum level of treatment, or local treatment, or non-invasive therapy (treatment which doesn’t disrupt normal situation of the body).
