The participants of the research were 4 victims of CLL, the most common type of blood cancer, who were being given medicine containing green tea extract epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Once a sure amount of time, a decrease in cancerous cells in their bodies was observed. 3 of the 4 patients expressed improved response to treatment and one had improved white blood cell count. One patient whose lymph nodes had swollen up decreased in size once she started taking green tea pills.

Earlier in 2004, the identical team of scientists, led by Dr Tait Shanafelt, had conducted a laboratory analysis of the influence of EGCG on leukemia cells. The findings were published during a 2004 edition of the journal Blood. It had been discovered {that the} green tea extract killed the leukemia cells. “The experience of those individuals provides some suggestion that our previously published laboratory findings could actually translate into clinical effects for patients with the disease,” Dr Shanafelt said.

“green tea has long been thought to have cancer-prevention capabilities. It’s exciting that analysis is now demonstrating this agent may provide new hope for CLL patients,” Dr Shanafelt added. So far, no cure has been found for CLL, a progressing malignancy that sometimes targets people over fifty five years of age. Per Dr Shanafelt, further studies are necessary for establishing the exact method and impact and the quantity of the extract that’s optimum.

“We tend to don’t understand how several patients were taking similar merchandise and failed to possess any benefit. We tend to additionally do not nonetheless apprehend the optimal dose that ought to be used, the frequency with that patients ought to take the medication, and what aspect effects will be observed with long-term administration,” he said. The hematologist is now developing an EGCG pill for the US National Cancer Institute to find out whether or not the extract could be used to treat patients with CLL.

The medical fraternity expressed optimism at the results of the study, but felt that it might be too early to celebrate. “The findings are attention-grabbing, however we have a tendency to cannot say however this is a new treatment for cancer. We would like to hold out a massive scale, controlled trial to see if the findings hold true,” said Ken Campbell of United Kingdom’s Leukemia Research Fund. Around 7300 Americans are diagnosed with CLL every year, with men being a lot of subject to the disease than women.