Pharmacotherapy of cancer from the perspective of traditional persian medicine

Abstract

Cancer has always been considered as a life-threatening disease with an etiology which is not yet completely understood. Currently, there are a wide variety of chemotherapeutic and biological agents in the market which are used for the treatment of different types of cancer under specific guidelines. A numerous number of these chemotherapeutic agents like taxanes, vinca alkaloids, and camptothecin derivatives have been isolated from natural sources; thus, nature provides an endless source of new phytochemicals as lead compounds for the generation of future anticancer agents. To find better candidates as anticancer agents, folklore and traditional medicine of countries all over the world can be a reliable guide. In addition to purification of anticancer compounds, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) can be considered as an adjuvant therapy in line with the standard chemotherapy protocols (Farzaei et al. in Curr Pharm Des 22:4201-4218, 2016a). To achieve this goal, enough evidence must be provided regarding the safety and efficacy of these natural agents. Traditional Persian medicine (TPM) is one of the most ancient categories of CAM which is globally well-known due to the unique medical texts like Canon of medicine by Avicenna written in 1025 A.D and Razi's "continens" (Alhavi) written around 960 A.D and its specific doctrine based on temperaments and humors. This chapter aims to introduce the most important anticancer agents used in TPM and summarizing current evidence on the anticancer properties of these natural medicines.