Herbs With Estrogen Action May Raise Cancer Risk

Rat study sees potential problem for women predisposed to disease

By Colette Bouchez
HealthScoutNews Reporter

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WEDNESDAY, April 10 (HealthScoutNews) -- Some commonly used herbal treatments may further increase the risk of breast and uterine cancer for women already predisposed to those diseases.

That's the suggestion of a new animal study presented today at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in San Francisco. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute offer new evidence that herbs such as red clover and motherwort -- traditionally used for gynecological complaints -- as well as saw palmetto and rhodiola rosea root can have such a strong estrogenic effect they could increase the risk of estrogen-related cancers.

"Despite the fact that these are plants, we demonstrated considerable estrogenic activity -- including the ability to bind to estrogen receptors" in much the same way as natural estrogen or estrogen replacement does, says study author Patricia Eagon, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh.

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In addition, Eagon found that extracts of maca root, cramp bark and turmeric root also exhibited modest estrogenic activity.

While all the plants can successfully be used to ease a wide variety of symptoms, particularly those associated with menopause and the corresponding drop in natural estrogen levels, Eagon says women who want to limit estrogen exposure should think twice before using these herbs.

"The activity is there, so if you are avoiding estrogen for any reason, you should probably not use these herbs," Eagon says. This is especially true for women at risk for estrogen-sensitive cancers, particularly in the breast and the uterus.

For alternative medicine expert Dr. James Dillard, the findings are an important caution. He adds, though, that they should be viewed in the proper perspective.

"First, what holds true for rats doesn't always true for humans, so you can't make that automatic leap from an animal study to human application," says Dillard, clinical medical advisor at the Rosenthal Center of Alternative and Complementary Medicine at Columbia University.

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