Evidence from Clinical Research for the Use of Phytochemicals in Cancer Treatment

In both industrialized and developing nations, cancer continues to be one of the leading causes of death. Many patients now have dismal prognoses despite receiving comprehensive therapy. The search for novel anticancer drugs with improved effectiveness and fewer side effects has so continued. Numerous medicinal herbs have been found to have an anticancer effect, according to traditional advice and experimental investigations. Several phytochemicals have also been demonstrated to have antiproliferative, pro-apoptotic, anti-metastatic, and anti-angiogenic properties in in vitro and animal investigations. There is, however, no evidence of their therapeutic efficacy and very few have been evaluated on cancer patients. Additionally, there are certain phytochemicals that have only been shown to improve quality of life or symptoms associated with cancer; there are no conclusive data to support any anticancer benefits. The favorable benefits of phytochemicals overall on different forms of cancer have been substantiated by clinical studies, which was the review's main focus. The clinical evidence for curcumin, green tea, resveratrol, and Viscum album's anticancer benefits was adequate, according to the literature evaluation. Additionally, a summary and discussion of these phytochemicals' key results was provided.