Abstract B100: Chemopreventive efficacy of Spirulina in precancerous lesions of cervix.

Gynaecological malignancies represent approximately 13 % of cancers in women and accounts for 9.8% of all cancers deaths. India accounts for one-fifth of the world burden of cervical cancer, which is a good example of disease with a preclinical phase that can be detected in a pre-invasive stage, using Papanicolaou Smear. In the present study attempt has been made to prevent or delay the development of cancer in ostensibly healthy females with specified risk factors or precancerous conditions through chemoprevention. Extensive work has been done on the chemopreventive efficacy of the Spirulina in oral cancer patients, which is a tiny bluish algae and is the highest source of vitamin b₁₂ in addition with iron, vit-A, C, E, zinc and selenium.

78 females above the age of 35, with eroded cervix were identified with precancerous lesions in Zanana Hospital (in between 2002-2005) who were questioned about their habits, habitat, dietary habits, economic status, reproductive history and other related conditions. The female were divided into two groups, the first group with eroded cervix was treated with Monalina (a product of Spirulina)and the other group served as control and both the groups were screened at 4 to 6 month intervals for two years annually thereafter.

The results in the first group demonstrated significantly reduction in the progression of dysplasia incidence, while in some cases the moderate condition was arrested as such without transformation into hyperplasia as compared to the control group.

There is a lot of research potential in analyzing the cervical cancer patients with Spirulina, by screening them with Pap smear, before the onset of invasive cervical carcinoma.

Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2008;1(7 Suppl):B100.