It seems that confusion over avoiding green tea for people taking CML TKI drugs (Gleevec, Sprycel, Tasigna) has come from a couple sources. One is apparently anecdotal information from a few doctors who have CML patients who drink green tea, which is a very unreliable source of data without some sort of scientific research backing it up. The other source of confusion is research showing that green tea can inhibit the proper function of a very specific class of cancer drugs called proteasome inhibitors (not TKI drugs). The one specific drug that is in this category with a known green tea interaction is Bortezomib, which is used to treat myeloma and lymphoma, and is not a leukemia drug: http://bloodjournal.hematologylibrary.org/cgi/content/short/blood-2008-07-171389v1
I have researched this issue and cannot find any support for the theory that says green tea can block or inhibit our CML drugs in any way, so I cannot agree with the theory that we should avoid green tea. A few doctors asking patients about drinking green tea, even large quantities of tea or taking extract pills, is insufficient evidence. In fact, most research shows support for green tea and its primary component EGCG. I personally do not drink it since I don't like the taste, and I do not take an EGCG tablet, so I do not have a personal bias about green tea either way. Ricardo posted an article that seems to support green tea for use in CML. That is one input, but speaking of biases about green tea, that report is from Japan, where support for green tea is a national obsession. But I have no reason to dispute the article. But people in Japan get CML at roughly the same rate as the rest of the world. >From what I can find, green tea is likely beneficial, whether actual or merely psychological. There is no sound research that provides evidence to the contrary. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ [CMLHope] A support group of http://cmlhope.com ------------------------------------------------- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "CMLHope" group. To post to this group, send email to CMLHope@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to cmlhope-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/CMLHope -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
