14 DAY TRIAL // Researchers at the University of Texas M D Anderson Cancer Centre in Houston have made an important discovery in the field of lung cancer.
Following a study involving laboratory mice, Dr Ho-Young Lee and his team found out that treatment with deguelin, a chemical found in various plants, may prevent lung cancer caused by cigarette smoking.
The researchers used three groups of mice which were given cancer-causing agents found in cigarette smoke for three weeks.
According to Reuters, the first group was treated with deguelin at the same time, another was treated with deguelin afterward, and the third group received no deguelin.
After 20 weeks, the animals were killed and examined.
The results were more than encouraging. While mice in all three groups developed lung tumors, those treated with deguelin showed a significantly smaller number.
Administering deguelin after the cancer-causing also showed improvements, but the difference was less significant.
Although there are some concerns regarding the toxicity caused by high doses of deguelin, the researchers didn't notice any side effects.