Study finds Green Tea Blocks Benefits of Cancer Drug

The widely used supplement renders a specific drug used to treat multiple myeloma and mantle cell lymphoma ineffective in animal model



Contrary to popular assumptions about the health benefits of green tea, researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) have found that the widely used supplement renders a cancer drug used to treat multiple myeloma and mantle cell lymphoma completely ineffective in treating cancer.


Herbal remedies, including green tea, have become a popular remedy for cancer patients dealing with side effects of chemotherapy. However, these supplements are unregulated and, for most, their beneficial and/or detrimental effects have not been qualified through research.


"The most immediate conclusion from our study is the strong advice that patients undergoing cancer therapy with Velcade must avoid green tea, and in particular all of its concentrated products that are freely available from health food stores," says Schönthal. "It is important to spread this message to health care providers who administer Velcade to patients."