Healthy Living
Brain Tumor - Melatonin
By David Perlmutter, MD, FACN
Melatonin, having long demonstrated its usefulness in the treatment of various sleep disorders as well as jet lag, may have some significant anti cancer activity as well. In the well respected journal Cancer, researchers from Italy described the usefulness of melatonin in the treatment of patients with brain tumors. These patients had tumors in the brain which had originated in other parts of the body. The study included 50 patients who were randomized, which is to say some received steroid medications and others received melatonin 20 mg per day at 8:00 pm. At one year, 37% of the group receiving melatonin was still alive compared to only 12% of the group not receiving melatonin.
The authors state, "The mechanisms responsible for the efficacy of melatonin in patients with brain metastasis must be better defined." Nevertheless they speculate that melatonin may inhibit the production of certain chemicals made in the brain which would otherwise allow certain tumors to grow. The authors also describe the "anti tumor" effect of melatonin as has been noted in studies of inhibition of breast cancer cells in the laboratory when treated with this hormone.
We wait with anticipation the results of various ongoing studies evaluating the usefulness of melatonin for other malignancies and serious medical problems.