Hyun-sik Jung

Rhus verniciflua stokes extract as a potential option for treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma: report of two cases.

A 50-year-old man presented with hematuria in July 2006. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan revealed a 12-cm right renal mass, and a right radical nephrectomy was carried out. Pathologic study revealed the clear cell type of renal cell carcinoma (RCC; Fuhrman grade II). Four months after nephrectomy, a chest CT revealed multiple pulmonary nodules (Figure 1A). With a clinical diagnosis of unresectable metastatic RCC, immunotherapy was recommended, but he refused. Instead, treatment with aRVS extract 450-mg capsules orally three times a day was initiated in December 2006 after his informed consent. After 4 months of treatment, CT scan showed a complete response in all pulmonary metastases including resolution of right pulmonary artery thrombosis (Figure 1B). Follow-up CT scans continued to demonstrate a complete response, which has lasted over 31 months since the initiation of aRVS therapy.

Rhus verniciflua Stokes against Advanced Cancer: A Perspective from the Korean Integrative Cancer Center

Active anticancer molecules have been searched from natural products; many drugs were developed from either natural products or their derivatives following the conventional pharmaceutical paradigm of drug discovery. However, the advances in the knowledge of cancer biology have led to personalized medicine using molecular-targeted agents which create new paradigm. Clinical benefit is dependent on individual biomarker and overall survival is prolonged through cytostatic rather than cytotoxic effects to cancer cell. Therefore, a different approach is needed from the single lead compound screening model based on cytotoxicity. In our experience, the Rhus verniciflua stoke (RVS) extract traditionally used for cancer treatment is beneficial to some advanced cancer patients though it is herbal extract not single compound, and low cytotoxic in vitro. The standardized RVS extracts action mechanisms as well as clinical outcomes are reviewed here. We hope that these preliminary results would stimulate different investigation in natural products from conventional chemicals.

Efficacy and Safety of Standardized Allergen-Removed Rhus verniciflua Stokes Extract in Patients with Advanced or Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer: A Korean Single-Center Experience

Background: Pancreatic cancer has the worst prognosis because of poor response to conventional therapy. We investigated the clinical feasibility of the standardized allergen-removed Rhus verniciflua Stokes (aRVS) extract as a potential therapeutic agent for advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer. Patients and Methods: From July 2006 to June 2010, patients with advanced or metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma were checked in our institution. After applying inclusion/exclusion criteria, 42 patients were eligible for the final analysis. Overall survival, clinical benefit and adverse events of these patients treated with aRVS in the aftercare period were determined. Results: In May 2011, 39 patients had died and the remaining 3 patients were alive with evidence of disease. The mean RVS administration period was 3.86 months (95% confidence interval 2.52–5.20). The median overall survival for the entire population was 7.87 months (95% confidence interval 5.14–10.59), and the 1-year survival rate was 26.2%, which is compatible with external controls. Using univariate and multivariate analyses, aRVS treatment including performance status and prognostic index significantly affected overall survival. A clinical benefit response was also shown by aRVS treatment which was not dependent on concurrent chemotherapy. Adverse reactions to aRVS treatment were mostly mild and self-limiting. Conclusions: The standardized aRVS extract might be beneficial for patients with advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer since it positively affected overall survival and clinical symptoms without significant adverse effects.