Locals scramble for miracle ‘cancer cure’
The sudden increase in demand for the plant ang kap nu (Barleria prionitis), a species of porcupine flower, as a reputed new treatment for cancer, comes as no surprise to a pharmacist at Chaophraya Abhaibhubejhr Hospital in Prachin Buri.
Suphaphon Pitiphon, chief of the hospital’s pharmaceutical division, said the plant is good for fighting inflammation, but its reputed effectiveness against cancer has yet to be properly studied.
Demand for the plant has spread rapidly, with reports of interested buyers stretching from Sukhothai to Prachin Buri. Last weekend, people scrambled for leaves and branches of the plant at Wat Bot in Sukhothai’s Sawankhalok district, leaving the temple with only the stumps.
The plant is also grown on the grounds of Chaophraya Abhaibhubejhr Hospital, which specialises in traditional Thai medicine.
Ms Suphaphon said experts were familiar with the multi-purpose treatments of ang kap nu, which range from cures for mouth and foot ulcers and gum disease to use of its flowers as an alternative treatment for migraines and diabetes.
Yet, she said, “studies on its ability to cope with cancer have rarely been done” even though the herb was previously used by cancer patients. Her hospital, a centre of herbal medicine in Prachin Buri, uses ang kap nu, together with other herbs, to relieve pain and inflammation. Its various curing qualities call for further research and development, Ms Suphaphon said.
Native to India, Sri Lanka and parts of Africa, the plant has distinctive yellow flowers. Although the current craze started in Sukhothai, the plants can be found in many areas of Thailand. People have announced on Facebook pages that they found the plants in Ratchaburi’s Pak Tho district.
Wat Ratcharoen Satthatham in Prachin Buri’s Sri Maha Phot district is also on the list. Many people, some from Sa Kaeo, braved the rain on Tuesday and flocked to the temple, where ang kap nu saplings were handed out for planting and cultivation at home.
It is not known if the herb can really cure cancer, but relatives of patients, especially those in the last stages of the disease and desperate for new treatments, said they wanted to give it a try.
Both relatives and patients “know well” that
ang kap nu might be able to help, but also “know nothing” about its effect on cancer, according to one relative. However, “it’s not right to just sit there and watch my loved one die”, he said.
He urged experts to look into a report that at least 13 cancer patients had recovered after taking ang kap nu.
Phiphop Khaichaeng, a 60-year-old at Ban Wat Bot School in Sawankhalok district who has lung cancer, said he boiled ang kap nu leaves and stems in water, and drank it regularly as a tea. To his surprise, his chest pains and breathing difficulties were greatly relieved in one month. When he had a lung X-ray three months later, the black spots had started to disappear, he said.
Similar stories were reported by lymphoma and breast cancer patients, and others who have hepatitis B.
But despite the supposed benefits, the Institute of Thai Traditional Medicine warns that consuming
ang kap nu for lengthy periods can have harmful side effects, especially on the kidneys.