Systematic Reviews in Pharmacy, Vol 10, Issue 1, Jan-Dec, 2019 90 Review article Sys Rev Pharm. 2019;10(1):90-92. A multifaceted Review journal in the feld of Pharmacy Traditional medicine-based therapies for cancer management Pathirage Kamal Perera* Institute of Indigenous Medicine, University of Colombo, SRI LANKA. INTRODUCTION Cancer is one of the most dreaded diseases of the 20 th century and spreading further with continuance and increasing incidence in 21 st century. Cancer in Sri Lanka is steadily on the rise. Te country’s cancer incidence rate has doubled since the eighties, according to the latest data (2006) compiled by the Sri Lankan National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP).Statistics indicate that the number of cases and mortality rates from cancer have gone up since 1985.Te increase in incidence was higher for females at 79 percent in 2006. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Sri Lanka ranks the highest in non-communicable diseases in Southeast Asia 1 . Ayurveda and traditional Sri Lankan medicine has served in the curative and preventive aspects of cancer since the ancient time. Among the specializations in traditional medicine, “Gedi-Vana-Pilika” (Oncology) has been a specialization practiced for many generations. Earliest written evidence of treating Cancer by Sri Lankan physicians can be found as early as 1680 BC in records of JoãoRibeiro 2 . Since 1879, some books written in Sri Lanka on traditional medicine are abundant in herb-mineral drugs for cancer. Even today, some indigenous practitioners treat various types of cancer efectively in those who seek traditional treatments at earlier stages of the disease. Medicinal herbs and their derivative phyto-compounds are being increasingly recognized as useful complementary treatments for cancer. A large volume of clinical studies has reported the benefcial efects of herbal medicines on the survival, immune modulation, and quality of life of cancer patients, when these herbal medicines are used in combination with conventional therapeutics 3 . Recently, a greater emphasis has been given towards the research on traditional medicine that deals with cancer management. AYURVEDA CONCEPT OF CANCER Well known Ayurveda classics Charakaand Sushruta Samhita describe cancer as infammatory ornon-infammatory swelling and mention them as either Granthi (minor neoplasm) or Arbuda (major neoplasm). In benign neoplasm raised from one of body humors (functional systems) Vataja, Pittaja or Kaphaja or combination of two of the body humors which are out of control and is not too harmful because the body is still trying to coordinate among these systems. Malignant tumors (raised from Tridosaja) are harmful because all the three body humors lose coordination and damage the tissues resulting endpoint of death 4, 5 . AYURVEDA CLASSIFICATION OF CANCER Group I: Diseases that can be named as clear malignancy, which includes Arbudaand Granthi, e.g. Mamsarbuda (melanoma) and Raktarbuda (leukaemia), Mukharbuda (oral cancer). Group II: Diseases that can be considered as cancer, such as incurable ulcers with e.g. tridosajgulmas (abdominal tumors like carcinomas of the stomach and liver or lymphomas). Group III: Diseases with the possibility of malignancy, e.g. Visarpa (erysipelas), asadhya kamala (incurable jaundice) and nadivrana (sinusitis) 6, 7 CLASSIFICATION OF CANCER ACCORDING TO SRI LANKAN TRADITIONAL MEDICINE In Sri Lankan traditional medicine (TSM), “Pilika” is the main term used to denote cancer. But the terms “Gadu”, “Arbuda”, “Mas vana”, etc. are also used in texts. Some of the terms used in Sri Lankan texts on cancer are given in the following table (Table 1) 8, 9 . What causes cancer? According to traditional systems of medicine texts consider incorrect lifestyle, unhealthy foods, poor hygiene and bad habits results in the derangement of main humors in body (Doshas), which leads to the manifestation of tumors (references). Cancer in each person difers according to the person’s exposure to pathogens and Prakruthi (genetic constitutions) which make each of them to react diferently. According to ancient texts, the following are the main factors responsible for the vitiation of Doshas which may be the causative factor/s in developing a cancer stage 10 . a. Vatavitiates causes - excessive intake of bitter, pungent, astringent, dry foods and stressful conditions. In traditional Sri Lankan medicine, “Pilika” is the main term used to denote cancer. But the terms “Gadu”, “Arbuda”, “Mas vana” are also other names for cancer used in the literature. In Indian Ayurveda concepts, cancer is resemblance with entities of Arbuda and Granthi. Systems of Traditional Medicine approaches are needed to further explore in cancer management to minimize the gap between modern understanding and traditional concepts. Hence a brief review on some of the important features used in Ayurveda and traditional Sri Lankan medicine was given to understand the principles behind cancer management. Further attempt was made in this review to discuss about the etiopathogenesis of cancer described in Ayurveda and traditional systems of medicine in Sri Lanka. Key words: Cancer, Ayurveda, Traditional Sri Lankan Medicine Correspondence: Pathirage Kamal Perera Institute of Indigenous Medicine, University of Colombo, SRI LANKA Phone no: +94716419072 E-mail id: drkamalperera@yahoo.com DOI : 10.5530/srp.2019.1.15 ABSTRACT Term used in traditional medicine Modern equivalent SanniPilika / Isa Pilika Brain tumors UdaraPilika Gastrointestinal cancers Pith Pilika Hepatobiliary cancer Katha vandavanakusapilika Uterine cancer UgureGadu Esophageal cancer Etapalagadu Osteosarcoma / Chondrosarcoma AsthiPilika Bone cancer of spine Kandamalagadu Tyroid cancer PramehaPilika Prostate cancer / Bladder Cancer HakuPilika Cancers of oral cavity Jihvaarbuda Cancer of tongue Lochanaarbuda Leukemia Dumas vana Ulcerative cancers Kustarbuda Melanoma and other skin cancers Table 1: Classifcation of cancer in traditional Sri Lankan medicine with modern equivalent.