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Clinically proven natural products against breast cancer, with mechanistic insights

Summary

This comprehensive review examines ten natural products that have been proven in clinical studies to help fight breast cancer. These products—including omega-3 fatty acids from fish, compounds in broccoli sprouts, garlic, soy, curcumin from turmeric, and green tea—work by triggering cancer cells to self-destruct, stopping their growth, and preventing blood vessel formation that feeds tumors. What makes these findings especially promising is that these natural products appear to work well alongside conventional treatments while causing minimal side effects, offering patients additional options for managing this serious disease.

Background

Breast cancer remains the leading contributor to cancer-related deaths in women globally, accounting for approximately 14% of female cancer-related mortality. Despite conventional treatments like chemotherapy and radiation, patients often experience significant adverse effects and may develop resistance. Natural products have shown promise as complementary therapeutic agents with potentially fewer side effects.

Objective

This review aims to identify and describe clinically proven natural products effective against breast cancer and elucidate their mechanistic pathways of action. The authors focus specifically on natural products with established clinical evidence rather than preclinical findings.

Results

Ten clinically proven natural products were identified as effective against breast cancer: Omega-3 fatty acids, dietary isothiocyanates, garlic, onion, isoflavones, Viscum album L., Salvia miltiorrhiza, curcumin, green tea, and limonene. These products demonstrated efficacy through multiple mechanisms including apoptosis induction, cell cycle arrest, angiogenesis suppression, and modulation of signaling pathways such as PI3K/Akt, MAPK, and Wnt/β-catenin with minimal to no significant toxicity.

Conclusion

Clinically proven natural products represent viable complementary approaches to breast cancer treatment with established mechanistic insights supporting their therapeutic potential. Integration of these natural products with conventional therapies may enhance treatment efficacy while reducing adverse effects. Future research should focus on determining optimal dosages and exploring synergistic interactions.
  • Published in:Oncology Research (Oncol Res),
  • Study Type:Review,
  • Source: PMID: 40612872, DOI: 10.32604/or.2025.062778
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