Study: Shark Extract Ineffective
A study published in a leading medical journal concludes that shark cartilage is ineffective as a cancer treatment and has no "salutary effect on quality of life" for patients.
The study, reported in the November issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, tested shark cartilage in 60 patients with advanced stages of cancer, over a three-month period.
The study was conducted by the Cancer Treatment Research Foundation based in Arlington Hills, Ill. Shark cartilage has been touted for years as an alternative cure for cancer. The supplement has become increasingly popular as a treatment, both alone and with conventional drugs.
Dr. Dennis Miller, the lead researcher, said he team had hoped to see some benefit from the agent.
"It is known that isolates from shark cartilage are anti-angiogenic," Miller wrote. "Angiogenesis inhibitors block the formation of tiny blood vessels that tumors feed on and literally starve out a tumor. They have received much media attention of late."
However, researchers said that there is "no published data that unequivocally show the anti-cancer activity of shark cartilage in humans."
Miller's team gave powdered shark cartilage capsules to patients with advanced lung, breast, prostate, brain and lymphoma cancers. Just as many patients died or got sicker as would have given no extra treatment.
"Based on the results of this study, shark cartilage therapy with this dose schedule and route of administration in breast, colon and lung cancer showed no anti-cancer activity," the researchers wrote.
Earlier this year, CBS News interviewed Dr. Dilip Patel, a cancer specialist with New York's Long Island Jewish Medical Center. Dr. Patel is leading another study using a liquid extract of shark cartilage on patients with lung cancer.
Dr. Patel feels the Illinois study was flawed because the researchers used an inferior version of shark cartilage. In addition to Dr. Patel's effort, other studies using a more concentrated form of shark cartilage are underway. Dr. Patel says the initial data from his study has been promising.