MRC PhD student
 Level of study: PhD
Title: The Effect of Complementary and Alternative Medicines including African Traditional Medicines in the Biological Response Modulation of Cancer Related Chemotherapy and its Associated Side Effects.
Study Institution: University of KwaZulu-Natal
Project summary:
Cancer places a huge burden on the quality of life of patients diagnosed with this disease. Furthermore, the adverse effects associated with anticancer agents may be severe, reducing a patient's quality of life, compromising their ability to undertake their full, prescribed treatment, and sometimes limiting the patient’s chance for an optimal outcome from treatment. The dire need for an enhanced quality of life and improved outcomes has resulted in patients seeking complementary and alternate forms of therapy including the intake of herbal products and African traditional medicines (ATM) supplemental to conventional oncology care. However, such interventions in South Africa lack evidence of safety and efficacy hence the benefits of such therapies remain largely anecdotal. Sound clinical and biomedical research is therefore required to validate the use of such therapies among cancer patients.
The objectives of this project are:
- To describe the epidemiology and prevalence of CAM and ATM use in cancer patients;
- To identify CAM/ATM therapies where improved outcomes or adverse effects are reported in patients;
- To elucidate biologically plausible mechanisms to understand the modulation of chemotherapy using such products through a series of laboratory-based assays.
Expected Impact:
The determination of the biological modulating properties of these agents will have significant clinical implications as the knowledge generated form this project will better enable physicians to advise cancer patients on which CAM/ATM modalities to use when undergoing chemotherapy and which to avoid. The results of the study will therefore facilitate the development of innovative strategies for health maintenance and cancer management.
Supervisor: Prof Vikash Sewram; Prof A. Jordaan
MRC Unit: Oncology Research Unit |
