Plant Extracts Hold Potential as Treatment for Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cancer among women, and it causes more deaths than any other type of female reproductive cancer. Tropical plants may contain the basis of new and effective treatments for ovarian cancer, according to Alan Harvey, from the University of Strathclyde (United Kingdom), and colleagues. The scientists are developing a program to test tropical plant extracts for their ability to stop the growth of ovarian tumors.   In initial tests, several plant extracts killed the tumor samples, taken from cancer patients.  The extracts are complex mixtures of many different chemicals but ingredients in the plants could be used as starting points for new medicines to tackle the disease. The scientists are now planning further investigation of the most promising compounds.