Clinical A medical nutriment has supportive value in the treatment of colorectal cancer F Jakab1, Y Shoenfeld2, Balogh3, M Nichelatti4, A Hoffmann5, Zs Kahán6, K Lapis7, Mayer8, P Sápy9, F Szentpétery1, A Telekes5, L Thurzó6, A Vágvölgyi9 and M Hidvégi10 1Department of Surgery and Vascular Surgery, Uzsoki Teaching Hospital of Budapest, Hungary 2Department of Medicine 'B', Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer 52621, Israel 3Clinic of Surgery, University of Szeged, Hungary 4Biostatistics Unit, Associazione Malattie del Sangue, Hospital Niguarda Cŕ Granda, Milan, Italy 5Biromedicina First Hungarian Corporation for Cancer Research and Oncology, Budapest, Hungary 6Clinic of Oncotherapy, University of Szeged, Hungary 71st Institute of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary 8Budapest Center of Onco-Radiology, Uzsoki Teaching Hospital of Budapest, Hungary 92nd Clinic of Surgery, University of Debrecen, Hungary 10Jewish University, Budapest, Hungary Correspondence to: Dr Y Shoenfeld, E-mail: shoenfel@post.tau.ac.il Abstract MSC (Avemar) is a medical nutriment of which preclinical and observational clinical studies suggested an antimetastatic activity with no toxicity. This open-label cohort trial has compared anticancer treatments plus MSC (9 g once daily) vs anticancer treatments alone in colorectal patients, enrolled from three oncosurgical centres; cohort allocation was on the basis of patients' choice. Sixty-six colorectal cancer patients received MSC supplement for more than 6 months and 104 patients served as controls (anticancer therapies alone): no statistical difference was noted in the time from diagnosis to the last visit between the two groups. End-point analysis revealed that progression-related events were significantly less frequent in the MSC group (new recurrences: 3.0 vs 17.3%, P<0.01; new metastases: 7.6 vs 23.1%, P<0.01; deaths: 12.1 vs 31.7%, P<0.01). Survival analysis showed significant improvements in the MSC group regarding progression-free (P=0.0184) and overall survivals (P=0.0278) probabilities. Survival predictors in Cox's proportional hazards were UICC stage and MSC treatment. Continuous supplementation of anticancer therapies with MSC for more than 6 months is beneficial to patients with colorectal cancer in terms of overall and progression-free survival. British Journal of Cancer (2003) 89, 465-469. #C118 Reducing environmental toxicity Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.