Cancer Therapy in Ayurveda - A Systemic Review

Thousands of herbal and traditional compounds are being screened worldwide to validate their use as anti-cancerous drugs. An integrated approach is needed to manage cancer using the growing body of knowledge gained through scientific developments. Hence, an attempt is made in this review to discuss about the pathology and therapeutic management of various cancers described in Ayurveda. Review of literature on anticancer drugs of plant origin revealed identification of newer ayurvedic drugs that are not mentioned in the ancient texts. These new findings add up to ayurvedic science that has been developed through ages. In addition, details of experimental and clinical studies conducted on single and compound ayurvedic preparations for their anticancer efficacy strongly emphasize ayurvedic therapy as a scientifically motivated one and not simply unconventional.