During the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona and Minnesota will present the results of a study of Polyphenon E in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients.

The primary active ingredient in Polyphenon E is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which is extracted from a green tea. This drug is approved by the FDA to treat genital warts and being studied in several cancers.

First, the details.

• 42 previously untreated patients with asymptomatic early stage CLL were given Polyphenon E 2,000 mg twice daily for 6 months.

And, the results.

• At the time of the presentation, 31 patients completed study therapy while 11 patients had not.
• Side effects were generally mild to moderate and included:
  • Elevated liver enzymes (43%)
  • Abdominal pain (29%)
  • Nausea (57%)
• 1 patient experienced a partial remission (decrease in tumor size or extent of cancer in the body).
• Other signs of clinical activity included a sustained (at least 20%) reduction in absolute lymphocyte count (characteristically elevated in CLL) and reduction lymph nodal areas.
• Overall, 28 (67%) patients fulfilled the criteria for a biologic response based on attaining either a sustained at least 20% decline in absolute lymphocyte count and/or at least 50% reduction in nodal areas.

The bottom line?

The authors concluded, “EGCG containing green tea extracts may have potential as disease stabilizing agents in patients with early-stage CLL.”

These results support the findings in an earlier study by researchers at the Mayo Clinic.

6/5/10 17:38 JR