Recently the authors had the chance to examine the effect of cepharanthin on leucopenia and thrombocytopenia in the therapy of head and neck cancer. Many treatments and many drugs have been tried for the cure of patients with cancer by many physicians.
Lately, combined treatment using surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immurotherapy has actively been carried out for treatment of malignant cancer. This is an intensive and coorporative treatment incorporating many clinical sciences. However, on the other hand, dysemia such as leucopenia and thrombocytopenia is coming into question as side effects resulting from chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and are hindering the therapy. Accordingly, employment of a drug with an action preventing both leucopenia and blood platelets is required, but at present there are few drugs showing suitable effects. In the present investigation, cepharanthin, which is one of the alkaloids, was administered to patients receiving chemotherapy and radiotherapy for head and neck cancer to examine the clinical effects on the leucopenia and thrombocytopenia in comparison with an adenine preparation as a reference drug.
As a result, the authors obtained some findings on the effect of cepharanthin. In this paper, the authors report the results showing a number of color slides. Cepharanthin had instant effect on leucopenia. We had no side effect in all cases.
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