Green light for cancer treatment

Vegetarian Times, Sept, 2004

Mayo Clinic scientists have found that a component in green tea called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) helps kill cells of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the most common form of leukemia in the United States. The EGCG prompted leukemia cells to die in eight out of ten samples. "We're continuing to look for therapeutic agents that are nontoxic to the patient but kill cancer cells, and this finding with EGCG is an excellent start," says hopeful lead researcher Neil E.

Kay, MD, whose study appears in the February 15, 2004 issue of the journal Blood.