A study was planned to include 240 patients with metastatic solid tumor who were randomized to receive chemotherapy with or without Aloe. According to tumor histotype and clinical status, lung cancer patients were treated with cisplatin and etoposide or weekly vinorelbine, colorectal cancer patients received oxaliplatin plus 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), gastric cancer patients were treated with weekly 5-FU and pancreatic cancer patients received weekly gemcitabine. Aloe was given orally at 10 ml thrice/daily.
Aloe arborescens was given orally at a dose of 10 ml thrice daily of a mixture consisting of 300 g of Aloe fresh leaves in 500 g of honey plus 40 ml of 40% alcohol, every day without interruption, either during or after chemotherapy, until the progression of disease, starting 6 days prior to the onset of chemotherapy.
Results:
By considering the overall tumor histotypes, the percentages of complete responses (CR) and partial responses (PR) achieved in patients concomitantly treated with aloe were significantly higher than in those who received chemotherapy alone (40/119 (34% ) vs. 23/121 (19% ), p<0.01).
A CR occurred in 12/119 (10% ) patients concomitantly treated with aloe and in only 4/121 (3%) patients treated with chemotherapy alone. This difference was statistically significant (p<0.01).
Stable disease (SD) was achieved in 37/121 (31% ) patients treated with chemotherapy alone and in
40/119 (34% ) patients who received a concomitant aloe administration.
The disease control (DC=CR+PR+SD) obtained in patients concomitantly treated with aloe showed a significantly higher percentage than that found in patients who received chemotherapy alone
(80/119 (67% ) vs. 60/121 (50% ), p<0.0l).
P.S. Aloe arborescens is different from Aloe vera. Seems formulation used in study belongs to Father Romano Zago. Details per histology type are available from article.
