Can cancer patients take artemisinin?
Oct 30, 2024
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Qi Zhirong
Introduction
Artemisinin is an antimalarial drug primarily used to treat malaria. Cancer patients can take artemisinin, but only under medical supervision. Cancer patients also need to pay attention to many aspects of their diet, such as avoiding spicy and irritating foods, aphrodisiacs, high-iodine foods, excessively hot foods, and tonic or nourishing foods. They should also maintain healthy lifestyle habits and a positive mindset when facing the disease.
Generally, artemisinin is an antimalarial drug, with common formulations including dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine tablets, compound naphthoquine phosphate tablets, and dihydroartemisinin tablets. Cancer patients can usually take artemisinin, but must do so under medical supervision. The specific analysis is as follows:
Artemisinin is primarily used to treat malaria and possesses various pharmacological effects such as antifungal, immunomodulatory, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antipulmonary fibrosis, and antibacterial activities. For some cancer patients—particularly those who develop malaria infection during chemotherapy or radiotherapy, or those using it as an adjunctive therapy—taking artemisinin in appropriate doses under a doctor's guidance may be safe and beneficial. Moreover, artemisinin and its derivatives may exhibit certain anticancer effects against specific tumor types, such as malignant gliomas.
During artemisinin treatment, patients should avoid consuming foods that might interfere with drug metabolism and should undergo regular blood tests to monitor for potential side effects. Cancer patients also need to pay attention to many aspects of their diet, such as avoiding spicy and irritating foods, aphrodisiacs, high-iodine foods, excessively hot foods, and tonic supplements. Additionally, they should maintain healthy lifestyle habits and a positive mindset when coping with their illness.
