Can ayurveda treat cancer? AIIMS to study

G K Rath, who heads the cancer division at AIIMS, told TOI that the large-scale project follows pilot studies conducted at the institute that showed better recovery on the administration of coded ayurvedic drugs, in addition to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, in cancer patients. However, it did not have any role in curing the disease. “One of our pilot studies involving breast cancer patients confirms that the ayurvedic drug helped in reducing sideeffects like hair fall, nausea and fall in vital blood parameters," Dr Rath said. AIIMS doctors say many people in India believe and take to alternative therapies, and, in some cases, positive outcomes have been observed. However, evidence generation has remained elusive as most practitioners do not share the ingredients used. “Our aim is to validate the medicines prescribed as alternative therapy .This will help standardise and exploit the potential of this therapy. Allopathic treatment has its limitations and it is often associated with side-effects while alternative therapies are considered safer," Abhishek Shankar, nodal officer for the collaborative project, said. The AIIMS project will also look into claims that cannabis helps in maintaining quality of life in cancer patients post-treatment and mitigates acute and chronic radiation and chemotherapy toxicities. “Many practitioners of the alternative therapy give herbo-minerals (bhashm, for example) to treating cancer. There are some studies suggesting it benefits the patient but no one knows in what quantity. Different practitioners give away the herbomineral in different quantities, sometimes leading to deterioration in kidney function also,“ Dr Shankar said.