The researcher said: Spirulina is a dietary supplement obtained from blue-green algae and can help treat common ovarian cancer.
Dr. Azita Faramarzi, a Kermanshahi researcher and associate professor of the Department of Anatomical Sciences at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, conducted a new study to investigate the effects of Spirulina on ovarian cancer cells.
The study showed that spirulina can act as an effective dietary supplement in increasing the sensitivity of cancer cells to chemotherapy.
Azita Faramarzi said in this regard: Ovarian cancer is one of the most common and deadly types of cancer among women. In 2019, the number of deaths from this disease in Iran reached 1,269, which has increased compared to newly diagnosed cases. Unfortunately, most patients are diagnosed in advanced stages of the disease, and their five-year survival rate is less than 25 percent.
He said: Ovarian cancer usually manifests itself in postmenopausal women with pain and abdominal distension for several months. The important point is that early diagnosis helps in effective treatment. The effectiveness of treatment methods for different types of cancer depends on the pathological stages of that cancer.
The Kermanshah researcher said: The treatment methods used today are a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and phototherapy, the complications of which after treatment may cause the patient to have several problems.
Faramarzi stated that this study examined the effects of spirulina, a blue-green algae that is widely used as a dietary supplement, and said: Spirulina contains compounds such as protein, lipids, vitamins, minerals and pigments, some of which may have anti-cancer activity.
He added: The results of this study showed that spirulina has cytotoxic and cell death-inducing effects on ovarian cancer cells. In addition, this algae increases the sensitivity of cancer cells to chemotherapy. These findings could provide new ways to improve the treatment of ovarian cancer.
The Kermanshah researcher emphasized: "Given the side effects of chemical drugs, the use of herbal medicines such as spirulina, which are natural, cheap and available, could be a promising option for improving treatment outcomes."
Faramarzi said: "This study is an important step towards finding alternative and effective treatments for ovarian cancer, and it is hoped that more research will be conducted in this field."