Impact of a complementary/integrative medicine program on the need for supportive cancer care-related medications.

OBJECTIVE: Despite the growing evidence supporting the use of complementary/integrative medicine (CIM) in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced toxicities, little is known on CIM impact of these therapies regarding the use of medications for supportive cancer care. In this study, we examined the impact of CIM on the need for supportive cancer care-related medications. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with breast or gynecological cancer referred to and attending an integrative physician (IP) consultation for gastrointestinal (GI) concerns were designated as the treatment group; those not attending as controls. Adherence to the integrative care program (AIC) was defined as attending ≥4 CIM interventions. The need for conventional supportive care-related medications and doses was determined from patients' medical files, as well as the implications on the potential for cost reduction. RESULTS: Of the 205 patients diagnosed with GI concerns, 116 attended the IP consultation and weekly CIM treatments (56.6%; treatment group), of which 85 (73.3%) were adherent to the program (AIC subgroup); 89 did not undergo an IP consultation (43.4%; controls). Within-group analysis found a greater decrease in the use of non-opioid analgesics (NOAs) at 6 weeks in the treatment group (P = 0.01), more so in the AIC subgroup (P = 0.02). A cost analysis suggests that reduced NOA use in the treatment group reduced the cost of supportive care, covering 27.1% of the overall expense of CIM treatments. Controls were less likely to require anti-emetics (P = 0.007). Between-group analysis showed a trend for reduced use of anxiolytics (P = 0.06) and NOAs (P = 0.08) among treated patients, with lower dose equivalents for NOAs than controls (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: CIM treatments may reduce the need for NOAs among patients with breast or gynecological cancer.

Quality of life-related outcomes from a patient-tailored integrative medicine program: experience of Russian-speaking patients with cancer in Israel.

OBJECTIVE: Complementary/integrative medicine (CIM) is increasingly being integrated with standard supportive cancer care. The effects of CIM on quality of life (QOL) during chemotherapy need to be examined in varied socio-cultural settings. We purpose to explore the impact of CIM on QOL-related outcomes among Russian-speaking (RS) patients with cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: RS patients undergoing chemotherapy receiving standard supportive care were eligible. Patients in the treatment arm were seen by an integrative physician (IP) and treated within a patient-tailored CIM program. Symptoms and QOL were assessed at baseline, at 6, and at 12 weeks with the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS), the Measure Yourself Concerns and Wellbeing (MYCAW) questionnaire, and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30). RESULTS: Of 70 patients referred to the treatment arm, 50 (71.4 %) underwent IP assessment and CIM treatments. Of 51 referred to the control arm, 38 (76 %) agreed to participate. At 6 weeks, CIM-treated patients reported improved ESAS scores for fatigue (P = 0.01), depression (P = 0.048), appetite (P = 0.008), sleep (P < 0.0001), and general wellbeing (P = 0.004). No improvement was observed among controls. Between-group analysis found CIM-treated patients had improved sleep scores on ESAS (P = 0.019) and EORTC (P = 0.007) at 6 weeks. Social functioning improved between 6 and 12 weeks (EORTC, P = 0.02), and global health status/QOL scale from baseline to 12 weeks (EORTC, P = 0.007). CONCLUSION: A patient-tailored CIM treatment program may improve QOL-related outcomes among RS patients undergoing chemotherapy. Integrating CIM in conventional supportive care needs to address cross-cultural aspects of care. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study protocol was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov ( https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01860365 ).

[Modeling integrative oncology care program for Arab patients in north Israel: towards quality of life improvement during chemotherapy].

BACKGROUND: In the last decade, a number of integrative oncology programs have been established within leading oncology departments in Israel aiming to provide consultations that address patients' concerns and improve their quality of life (QOL). OBJECTIVE: To identify Arab cancer patients' attitudes, needs and expectations concerning integration of complementary and traditional medicine (CTM) in their supportive oncology care. METHODS: This article presents studies based on both qualitative (including interviews with patients, oncologists and CTM practitioners) and quantitative studies which were designed to evaluate patients' attitudes, needs and expectations regarding CTM integration in supportive oncology care. RESULTS: Of the 313 Arab respondents, 109 reported on the use of herbal medicine for cancer-associated outcomes. Over 78% of respondents considered QOL improvement as their main expectation of integrated CM consultation. Similar expectations were expressed in studies exploring 155 cancer care practitioners in Israel and Arab countries, 27 CTM-trained Arab practitioners, and a sample of 15 Arab patients referred to integrative medicine consultation. CONCLUSIONS: Arab cancer patients support QOL-oriented integrated medicine programs provided in oncology settings. Integrative medicine consultation should provide patients with an evidence-based recommendation on efficacy and safety of herbs commonly used concomitant with chemotherapy. We recommend designing integrative oncology training courses for physicians who will provide evidence-based consultation attuned with Arab patients' needs, concerns and cultural-sensitive orientation.

Bridging cross-cultural gaps: monitoring herbal use during chemotherapy in patients referred to integrative medicine consultation in Israel.

INTRODUCTION: The high prevalence of the use of traditional herbs among patients with cancer is a cause for concern with regard to potentially adverse interactions with conventional oncology treatments. In this study, we explore herbal use among patients with cancer in northern Israel who are referred by their health care providers to complementary and traditional medicine (CTM) consultations provided to them within the conventional oncology department. The study's objectives were to identify which herbs patients use and to examine the scope of current research on the efficacy and safety regarding the identified herbs. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Herbal use by patients receiving oncology care was assessed prospectively from July 2009 to July 2012 by integrative physicians (IPs) trained in herbal medicine. Historical, ethnobotanical, basic research, and clinical data regarding the identified herbs were explored by using a keyword search in PubMed and Middle Eastern ethnohistorical literature. RESULTS: Disclosure of herbal use was reported by 154 of the 305 patients (50.5 %) interviewed by IPs. The use of 85 single herbs and 30 different herbal formulas was documented during the initial or follow-up IP assessments. Patients reported 14 quality of life-associated indications for herbal use. The ten most prevalent herbs displaying in vitro/in vivo anticancer activity and nine other herbs were preliminarily assessed concerning potential risks, safety, and interaction with chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Herbal use by patients with cancer in northern Israel is widespread and calls for further study in order to address issues of safety and effectiveness. We recommend constructing a multinational and multidisciplinary team of researchers with ethnopharmacological and clinical expertise that will explore the use of herbs among patients with cancer in a cross-cultural perspective attuned with patients' affinity to traditional herbal medicine.

Pharmaceutical Terminology in Ancient and Medieval Time - andrachne, chrysocolla and Others.

Ancient and medieval pharmacological and medical texts contain a substantial amount of plant and mineral names. In some cases, the identification is straightforward. But for the majority of the data, we are unable to identify these ingredients with high certainty. In this paper, we discuss a selection of plant and mineral names both from a humanities and sciences point of view. In one case, the scientists were even able to examine a plant in situ. The conclusion of our paper is that a close collaboration between sciences and humanities is essential to avoid mistakes in the identification of materia medica.

Medieval emergence of sweet melons, Cucumis melo (Cucurbitaceae).

BACKGROUND: Sweet melons, Cucumis melo, are a widely grown and highly prized crop. While melons were familiar in antiquity, they were grown mostly for use of the young fruits, which are similar in appearance and taste to cucumbers, C. sativus. The time and place of emergence of sweet melons is obscure, but they are generally thought to have reached Europe from the east near the end of the 15th century. The objective of the present work was to determine where and when truly sweet melons were first developed. METHODS: Given their large size and sweetness, melons are often confounded with watermelons, Citrullus lanatus, so a list was prepared of the characteristics distinguishing between them. An extensive search of literature from the Roman and medieval periods was conducted and the findings were considered in their context against this list and particularly in regard to the use of the word 'melon' and of adjectives for sweetness and colour. FINDINGS: Medieval lexicographies and an illustrated Arabic translation of Dioscorides' herbal suggest that sweet melons were present in Central Asia in the mid-9th century. A travelogue description indicates the presence of sweet melons in Khorasan and Persia by the mid-10th century. Agricultural literature from Andalusia documents the growing of sweet melons, evidently casabas (Inodorous Group), there by the second half of the 11th century, which probably arrived from Central Asia as a consequence of Islamic conquest, trade and agricultural development. Climate and geopolitical boundaries were the likely causes of the delay in the spread of sweet melons into the rest of Europe.

Integrative oncology research in the Middle East: weaving traditional and complementary medicine in supportive care.

INTRODUCTION: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has an important role in supportive cancer care in the Middle East and is often used in association with traditional medicine. This article provides a comprehensive review of published data on CAM research in supportive cancer care in the Middle East. METHODS AND RESULTS: A multi-disciplinary Middle-Eastern Research Group in Integrative Oncology (MERGIO) was established in six countries. Authors independently searched Medline database for articles in Arabic, Hebrew, French, and Turkish using oncology and CAM-related keywords. Articles were recorded according to the first author's affiliation with an academic or clinical institution in the Middle East. RESULTS: We identified 143 articles on CAM and cancer care that had been published in 12 Middle-Eastern countries. Eighty-five articles were directly related to cancer supportive care. The latter included studies on the prevalence of CAM use by patients with cancer, aspects related to of doctor-patient communication, ethics and regulation, psychosocial aspects of CAM, CAM safety and quality assurance, studies of CAM education for health care providers, and ethno-botanical studies and reviews. Twenty-eight articles referred to clinical research on supportive care, and the use of specific CAM modalities that included acupuncture, anthroposophic medicine, dietary and nutritional therapies herbal medicine, homeopathy, mind-body medicine, shiatsu, therapeutic touch, and yoga. CONCLUSIONS: CAM-related supportive care research is prevalent in the Middle East, a fact that may serve as a basis for future multinational-multidisciplinary research work in supportive care in oncology.

Distribution of primary and specialized metabolites in Nigella sativa seeds, a spice with vast traditional and historical uses.

Black cumin (Nigella sativa L., Ranunculaceae) is an annual herb commonly used in the Middle East, India and nowadays gaining worldwide acceptance. Historical and traditional uses are extensively documented in ancient texts and historical documents. Black cumin seeds and oil are commonly used as a traditional tonic and remedy for many ailments as well as in confectionery and bakery. Little is known however about the mechanisms that allow the accumulation and localization of its active components in the seed. Chemical and anatomical evidence indicates the presence of active compounds in seed coats. Seed volatiles consist largely of olefinic and oxygenated monoterpenes, mainly p-cymene, thymohydroquinone, thymoquinone, γ-terpinene and α-thujene, with lower levels of sesquiterpenes, mainly longifolene. Monoterpene composition changes during seed maturation. γ-Terpinene and α-thujene are the major monoterpenes accumulated in immature seeds, and the former is gradually replaced by p-cymene, carvacrol, thymo-hydroquinone and thymoquinone upon seed development. These compounds, as well as the indazole alkaloids nigellidine and nigellicine, are almost exclusively accumulated in the seed coat. In contrast, organic and amino acids are primarily accumulated in the inner seed tissues. Sugars and sugar alcohols, as well as the amino alkaloid dopamine and the saponin α-hederin accumulate both in the seed coats and the inner seed tissues at different ratios. Chemical analyses shed light to the ample traditional and historical uses of this plant.

Integration of herbal medicine in primary care in Israel: a jewish-arab cross-cultural perspective.

Herbal medicine is a prominent complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) modality in Israel based on the country's natural diversity and impressive cultural mosaic. In this study, we compared cross-cultural perspectives of patients attending primary care clinics in northern Israel on herbal medicine specifically and CAM generally, and the possibility of integrating them within primary care. Research assistants administered a questionnaire to consecutive patients attending seven primary care clinics. About 2184 of 3713 respondents (59%) defined themselves as Muslims, Christians or Druze (henceforth Arabs) and 1529 (41%) as Jews. Arab respondents reported more use of herbs during the previous year (35 versus 27.8% P = .004) and of more consultations with herbal practitioners (P < .0001). Druze reported the highest rate of herbal consultations (67.9%) and Ashkenazi Jews the lowest rate (45.2%). About 27.5% of respondents supported adding a herbal practitioner to their clinic's medical team if CAM were to be integrated within primary care. Both Arabs and Jews report considerable usage of herbal medicine, with Arabs using it significantly more. Cross-cultural perspectives are warranted in the study of herbal medicine use in the Arab and Jewish societies.

Exploring association of spiritual perspectives with complementary medicine use among patients with Type 2 diabetes in Israel.

BACKGROUND: Spirituality, as distinct from religiosity, has become a most common term in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) discourse. The association between religiosity and spirituality in the context of CAM use is a complex one and is worthy of being researched in specific local cultural contexts. OBJECTIVE: Exploring the association between CAM use and religiosity, in patients with and without diabetes Type 2 attending primary care clinics in Northern Israel. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Research assistants administered a questionnaire developed to assess CAM use in primary care to a convenience sample of patients attending seven primary care clinics. RESULTS: Of the 3742 respondents, 485 (12.9%) reported having Type 2 diabetes. Respondents with diabetes reported more overall CAM use during the previous year (46.9% vs. 42%, P=0.049). A logistic regression model of patients with diabetes Type 2 indicated that CAM use was associated with higher self-assessed religiosity [Exp(B)=1.898, 95% CI for Exp(B) 1.02-3.529, P=0.043]. CAM use among patients with diabetes was also associated more with female gender, higher education, and age under 60. The positive association between CAM use and degree of self-assessed religiosity was further studied in sub-populations of Jewish and Arab patients with diabetes Type 2. A logistic regression model of the Jewish population indicated significant association between CAM use and higher religiosity [Exp(B)=3.668, 95% CI for Exp(B) 1.232-10.922, P=0.02]. CONCLUSION: Primary care physicians need to be aware of a possible association between religiosity and CAM use in patients with diabetes. Physicians may consider adding questions on CAM and religiosity to routine clinical interviews in order to enrich their dialog with diabetes patients.

"Fossils" of practical medical knowledge from medieval Cairo.

AIM OF THE STUDY: To asses the scientific value of the practical medical fragments found in the Cairo Genizah (10th century), as a useful source for ethnopharmacological purposes (in exposing rare and usually inaccessible original medieval practical knowledge of medicinal substances to present-day researchers), and to reconstruct the practical drugs and their uses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A methodology distinguishing between theoretical (about 1500 fragments) and practical medical knowledge (about 230 fragments) was created and used. The information regarding the practical medicinal substances was extracted from prescriptions (140), lists of drugs (70) and few letters of physicians. RESULTS: The reconstructed lists of practical (278) and theoretical (414) drugs allow us to recognize and quantify the gap between them in medieval times (136). CONCLUSIONS: We propose that the data obtained from ancient prescriptions is comparable to ethnopharmacological surveys. The finding of plants such as myrobalan, saffron, licorice, spikenard and lentisk, all of which have scientifically proven anti-microbial/bacterial and anti-fungal activity, sheds a helpful light on the medical decision-making of the medieval practitioners in respect of the plants they applied as drugs. With the wealth of information meticulously assembled from these time capsules we expect to make a significant contribution to contemporary efforts at locating modern drugs in ancient roots and gauging their feasibility.

Dr Edward Macgowan (1795-1860), a long-term pioneer physician in mid-nineteenth century Jerusalem: founder and director of the first modern hospital in the Holy Land.

At the age of 46, Dr Edward Macgowan, by now a well-established physician, joined the ranks of the London Society for Promoting Christianity among the Jews with the aim of establishing the first modern hospital in Palestine. For the first six months of 1842, Macgowan established his work among the Jerusalem population on a regular basis and managed to establish a close relationship with the Jewish community and some of its leaders in Jerusalem. On 12 December 1844, the Jews' Hospital was opened in Jerusalem and became a source of great pride for the missionaries. Edward Macgowan died in Jerusalem after 18 years of service and was buried in the Protestant cemetery in his beloved city.

Dr Percy Charles Edward d'Erf Wheeler (1859-1944): a notable medical missionary of the Holy Land.

Dr Percy Charles Edward d'Erf Wheeler, a medical missionary of the London Society for Promoting Christianity Amongst the Jews, spent 24 years (1885-1909) as head of the English medical institution in Jerusalem. Wheeler dedicated the years he served in Palestine to promote the medical condition of the Jews as a means of missionary work. The most significant of his achievements was his leading role in the founding of the new British Hospital for the Jews in Jerusalem, the flagship of the British presence in Palestine, to be inaugurated in 1897.

Drugs held and sold by pharmacists of the Jewish community of medieval (11-14th centuries) Cairo according to lists of materia medica found at the Taylor-Schechter Genizah collection, Cambridge.

The importance of the Genizah for the research of the medieval Mediterranean communities, supplying information on almost every aspect of life, is well known among historian. Less known is that pharmacy was the most popular of all branches of the healing art in the medieval Jewish community of Cairo, according to the Genizah manuscripts. Sources for study of medieval practical drugs are extremely rare since most records naturally vanish over the years, and only some medical books, which contained theoretical pharmacology, have survived to the present day. Drugs lists enable us to understand medieval practical pharmacy and to reconstruct their inventories. This study reports on 71 original drugs lists that were found in the Genizah; they are different from merchants' letters dealing with commerce in drugs and give no instructions for the use or preparation of formulas as usually found in prescriptions. Twenty-six lists are written in Judeo-Arabic and 45 in Arabic, none of the lists is written in Hebrew. The longest list contains 63 identified substances. These lists were apparently used by pharmacists for professional and business purposes as inventories of drugs, records, orders, or even receipts. Two hundred and six different drugs are mentioned in the drugs lists of which 167 are of plant origin, 16 are of animal origin, and the remaining 23 are inorganic. The lists point directly to the place they occupied on the shelves of the pharmacies that could be found in the lanes and alleys of the Jewish quarter of Cairo. The most frequently mentioned substance were myrobalan (27), pepper and saffron (21), lentisk (15), almond, basil, rose, rosemary (14), cattle products, camphor and spikenard (13).

Effect of a 12-week integrative oncology intervention on gastro-intestinal concerns in patients with gynecological and breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy.

Research on the long-term effects of complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) is limited. In this study, we explore the impact of a CIM intervention on gastro-intestinal (GI)-related concerns in patients with breast/gynecological cancer undergoing chemotherapy. Patients reporting chemotherapy-related GI concerns were referred by their cancer care providers to a CIM consultation and treatments and assessed at baseline and at 12 weeks. The following tools were used: Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS), Measure Yourself Concerns and Wellbeing (MYCAW) and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30). The intervention group was subdivided according to adherence to the integrative care program (AIC), defined as attending ≥4 CIM treatments with ≤30 days between each session. Controls chose not to undergo the CIM consultation or treatments. Of 289 patients reporting GI-related concerns, 42 were treated with CIM and optimally assessed (intervention arm; AIC = 33), as were 32 of controls. ESAS scores for appetite and nausea improved more significantly in the intervention group, more so in the AIC subgroup (appetite, p = 0.025; nausea, p = 0.033). MYCAW scores for GI-related concerns also improved in the intervention group, again more so in the adherent subgroup. EORTC scores improved more significantly with respect to global health (p = 0.021) and cognitive functioning (p = 0.031) in the intervention group, when compared to controls. The integration of a 12-week CIM intervention in conventional supportive cancer care may reduce nausea and improve appetite in patients with breast/gynecological cancer undergoing chemotherapy.

Can complementary medicine increase adherence to chemotherapy dosing protocol? A controlled study in an integrative oncology setting.

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVES: The impact of complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) on adherence to chemotherapy regimens is unclear. We explored the effect of patient-tailored CIM treatments on the relative dose intensity (RDI) of chemotherapy among patients with breast and gynecological cancer. METHODS: Chemotherapy-treated patients with breast or gynecological cancer were referred by their oncology healthcare professional to a CIM treatment program. Adherence to integrative care (AIC) was defined as ≥4 CIM treatments, with ≤30 days between each treatment. Relative dose intensity (RDI) of chemotherapy was compared between CIM-treated patients and controls, and among adherence sub-groups. RESULTS: RDI was calculated for 106-treated patients (62 AIC) and 75 controls. Baseline-to-6-week RDI values were similar in both study arms, with a lower % RDI <1.0 among controls at 12 weeks (47 vs. 57.5%; P = 0.036). Adherence sub-groups had similar RDI values, though at 6 weeks, the AIC group had lower % RDI <1.0 (33.9 vs. 54.5%, P = 0.046). Total administered medication dose/planned dose was higher in the AIC group at 6 weeks for paclitaxel (82%/50%, P = 0.025) and carboplatin (87%/67%, P = 0.028), with no difference in cytoxan/adriamycin dosages. CONCLUSION: A patient-tailored CIM program for patients with breast or gynecological cancer may be associated with a lower percentage of reduced RDI at 6 weeks, this in a sub-group of patients with higher adherence to CIM, and for specific chemotherapy agents, though this benefit did not persist after 12 weeks. Further research is needed to better understand the impact of CIM in cancer care.

Effect of a patient-tailored integrative medicine program on gastro-intestinal concerns and quality of life in patients with breast and gynecologic cancer.

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to assess the impact of a patient-tailored complementary/integrative medicine (CIM) program on gastro-intestinal (GI) symptoms and other concerns in female patients with breast/gynecological cancer undergoing chemotherapy. METHODS: Patients with breast/gynecological cancer reporting GI-related concerns were referred to an integrative physician (IP) consultation. The treatment group included patients agreeing to attend the consultation; controls those who did not. The Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) were administered at baseline and at 6 weeks. Adherence to integrative care (AIC) was defined as attending ≥4 CIM treatments, with ≤30 days between each session. RESULTS: Of 496 patients approached, 289 reported GI-related concerns. Optimal assessment at baseline and 6 weeks was achieved in 117 patients in the treatment arm, with 86 adhering to the CIM program (AIC subgroup); and in 89 of controls. EORTC scores improved more significantly in the treatment arm for appetite (P = 0.018), fatigue (P = 0.026), cognitive functioning (P < 0.001) and emotional functioning (P = 0.002); and ESAS scores for pain (P = 0.038), anxiety (P = 0.016), and sleep (P = 0.001). EORTC scores improved more significantly in the AIC group for global health status/QOL (P = 0.041), physical functioning (P = 0.004), role functioning (P = 0.011), appetite (P = 0.019), and fatigue (P = 0.001); and ESAS scores for pain (P = 0.048), fatigue (P = 0.011), drowsiness (P = 0.035), and appetite (P = 0.002). CONCLUSION: The integration of CIM may improve chemotherapy-related GI and other QOL-related concerns in patients with breast and gynecological cancer, with greater benefit observed in adherent patients.

Reconstruction of the inventory of materia medica used by members of the Jewish community of medieval Cairo according to prescriptions found in the Taylor-Schechter Genizah collection, Cambridge.

The Taylor-Schechter (T-S) collection at Cambridge University Library is the biggest of all Cairo Genizah collections in the world. The importance and the potential of research into the medical aspects of the Genizah documents were clear to researcher since the early 1960s. A few works have been published since, usually focusing on one subject, or even important single manuscripts. The current research concerned mainly with one aspect of the history of medicine of the Jewish community of Cairo (as a reflection of Eastern medieval societies), namely the practical uses of natural substances for medicine. The most interesting and original information is undoubtedly to be found in the 141 prescriptions, as they reflect the medical reality that actually existed. And indeed, 242 substances were recorded in the prescriptions identified: 195 substances of plants origin (80.6%), 27 inorganic materials (11.2%) and 20 substances of animal origin (8.2%) were recorded as being in practical used for medicinal purposes. The most frequently mentioned substances were the rose, myrobalan, sugar, almonds, and endive. The most prevalent ailments: eye diseases, headache, constipations (purgative), cough, skin diseases, stomach, fever, gynaecological problems, haemorrhoids, liver ailments, lice, swellings, dental trouble, ulcers, and problems of the urinary tract.

Exploring an herbal "wonder cure" for cancer: a multidisciplinary approach.

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVES: The unmonitored use of herbal medicinal remedies by patients with cancer presents a significant challenge to oncology healthcare professionals. We describe an increasingly popular herbal "wonder drug," Ephedra foeminea (Alanda in Arabic), whose use has spread from the Palestinian patient population throughout the Middle East. We conducted a multicentered and multidisciplinary collaborative research effort in order to understand the potential benefits and harms of this popular herbal remedy. METHODS: We conducted an in-depth search of the medical literature, both traditional and modern, for any mention of the clinical use of Alanda for the treatment of cancer. We then tested the remedy, first for toxic ephedra alkaloid components and then for anticancer effects, as well as effects on the cytotoxic activity of chemotherapy agents (cisplatin and carboplatin) on breast cancer cell cultures. RESULTS: We found no mention in the literature, both conventional and traditional, on the use of Alanda for the treatment of cancer. Laboratory testing did not find any toxic components (i.e., ephedra alkaloids) in the preparation. However, in vitro exposure to Alanda led to a reduced cytotoxic effect of chemotherapy on breast cancer cell cultures. CONCLUSIONS: The use of an integrative ethnobotanical, laboratory and clinical research-based approach can be extremely helpful when providing nonjudgmental and evidence-based guidance to patients with cancer, especially on the use of traditional herbal medicine. The effectiveness and safety of these products need to be examined by integrative physicians who are dually trained in both complementary medicine and supportive cancer care.

Reconstructed materia medica of the Medieval and Ottoman al-Sham.

This article presents the results of a study of the medicinal uses of natural substances in medieval and Ottoman al-Sham (the Levant). It involved a meticulous survey of a wide range of historical sources spanning approximately 1100 years and including medical and pharmacological literature, travelogues, geographical and agricultural literature, dictionaries, archives, the Genizah and other medieval sources. Our main goal was to arrive at a reconstruction of the unwritten materia medica of the medieval and Ottoman Levant. Of the many and varied medicinal substances on which we were able to extract information, we were able to identify 286. These are presented according to the following classification: 234 species of plants (81.8%); 27 species of animals (9.5%); 15 kinds of minerals (5.2%) and 10 substances of other or mixed origin (3.5%). Analysis of the data showed that the region under study served as the geographic origin of the majority of the substances, only a minority of the materials was imported. The main reason for this is the geographic location of the Levant as a junction between three continents, as a cultural meeting point and as trade center. Finally, our data revealed that the al-Sham region was an independent source of production and marketing of medicinal substances during the medieval and Ottoman periods.