Complementary and alternative therapies in skin cancer a literature review of biologically active compounds
Leonel Hidalgo
Department of Dermatology, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
Search for more papers by this authorCristóbal Saldías-Fuentes
Dermatology Service, Hospital Dr. Carlos Cisternas de Calama, Calama, Chile
Search for more papers by this authorKarina Carrasco
Department of Dermatology, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
Hospital Nutrition Unit, Fundación Arturo López Pérez, Santiago, Chile
Search for more papers by this authorAllan C. Halpern
Dermatology Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
Search for more papers by this authorJun J. Mao
Integrative Medicine Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Cristian Navarrete-Dechent
Department of Dermatology, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
Melanoma and Skin Cancer Unit, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
Correspondence
Cristian Navarrete-Dechent, Department of Dermatology, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Diagonal Paraguay 362, 6th floor, Santiago 8330077, Chile.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorLeonel Hidalgo
Department of Dermatology, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
Search for more papers by this authorCristóbal Saldías-Fuentes
Dermatology Service, Hospital Dr. Carlos Cisternas de Calama, Calama, Chile
Search for more papers by this authorKarina Carrasco
Department of Dermatology, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
Hospital Nutrition Unit, Fundación Arturo López Pérez, Santiago, Chile
Search for more papers by this authorAllan C. Halpern
Dermatology Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
Search for more papers by this authorJun J. Mao
Integrative Medicine Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Cristian Navarrete-Dechent
Department of Dermatology, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
Melanoma and Skin Cancer Unit, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
Correspondence
Cristian Navarrete-Dechent, Department of Dermatology, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Diagonal Paraguay 362, 6th floor, Santiago 8330077, Chile.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorFunding information: National Cancer Institute / National Institutes of Health, Grant/Award Number: P30-CA008748
Abstract
Complementary and alternative medicine or therapies (CAM) are frequently used by skin cancers patients. Patient's self-administration of CAM in melanoma can reach up to 40%–50%. CAMs such as botanical agents, phytochemicals, herbal formulas (“black salve”) and cannabinoids, among others, have been described in skin cancer patients. The objective of this review article was to acknowledge the different CAM for skin cancers through the current evidence, focusing on biologically active CAM rather than mind–body approaches. We searched MEDLINE database for articles published through July 2022, regardless of study design. Of all CAMs, phytochemicals have the best in vitro evidence-supporting efficacy against skin cancer including melanoma; however, to date, none have proved efficacy on human patients. Of the phytochemicals, Curcumin is the most widely studied. Several findings support Curcumin efficacy in vitro through various molecular pathways, although most studies are in the preliminary phase. In addition, the use of alternative therapies is not exempt of risks physicians should be aware of their adverse effects, interactions with standard treatments, and possible complications arising from CAM usage. There is emerging evidence for CAM use in skin cancer, but no human clinical trials support the effectiveness of any CAM in the treatment of skin cancer to date. Nevertheless, patients worldwide frequently use CAM, and physicians should educate themselves on currently available CAMs.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Open Research
DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT
Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analyzed in this study.
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