Cartilage (Bovine and Shark) - National Cancer Institute

Cartilage Use in Cancer Treatment: Clinical Studies With Therapeutic Endpoints^a,b

Reference Citation(s) Type of Study Type(s) of Cancer Cartilage Product (Source) No. of Patients: Treated; Control Strongest Benefit Reported^c Concurrent Therapy^d Level of Evidence Score^e

[1] Nonconsecutive case series Various advanced or recurrent Catrix (bovine) 31; None Complete response, 19 patients Yes 3iiiDiii

[2] Phase II trial Various metastatic Catrix (bovine) 9; None Complete response, 1 patient, metastatic renal cell carcinoma No 3iiiDiii

[3] Phase II trial Metastatic renal cell Catrix (bovine) 35; None Partial response, 3 of 22 evaluable patients Unknown None^f

[10,17] Two phase I/II trials^g Various advanced, refractory solid tumors AE-941/ Neovastat (shark) 331; None Improved survival, higher versus lower doses, patients with stage III/IV non-small cell lung cancer (unplanned retrospective analysis), and patients with refractory renal cell carcinoma (prospective analysis) Unknown None^f

[9] Phase I/II trial Advanced non-small cell lung cancer AT-941/Neovastat (shark) 80; None No dose-limiting toxicity found. Improved survival time in patients receiving the highest doses when survival analysis was conducted, and stable disease for greater number of patients receiving higher doses. No tumor response observed. Yes or refused standard therapy None

[4] Phase I/II trial Various advanced solid tumors Cartilade (shark) 60; None Stable disease for 12 weeks or more, 10 of 50 evaluable patients No 3iiiDiii

[5] Phase II trial Metastatic, refractory breast Unknown (shark) 20; None Stable disease for 8 weeks or more, 2 of 10 evaluable patients No None^f

[5] Phase II trial Metastatic, hormone- refractory prostate Unknown (shark) 12; None Stable disease for 20 weeks or more, 3 of 10 evaluable patients No None^f

[6] Phase II trial Various advanced brain BeneFin (shark) 12; None Stable disease for 20 weeks or more, 2 of 10 evaluable patients No None^f

[8] Phase III randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial (2 arms) Breast and colorectal BeneFin (shark) 42; 41 No statistically significant difference No 1i

No. = number.

^aSee text and glossary for additional information and definitions of most terms.

^bOther clinical studies have been conducted, but no results have been reported.

^cStrongest evidence reported that the treatment under study has anticancer activity or otherwise improves the well-being of cancer patients.

^dChemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormonal therapy, or cytokine therapy given/allowed at the same time as cartilage therapy.

^eFor information about Levels of Evidence analysis and an explanation of the level of evidence scores, see Levels of Evidence for Human Studies of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

^fStudy results reported in review article or abstract form only; insufficient information presented for Level of Evidence analysis.

^gInsufficient information available to describe these studies separately.

References

Prudden JF: The treatment of human cancer with agents prepared from bovine cartilage. J Biol Response Mod 4 (6): 551-84, 1985. [PUBMED Abstract]
Romano CF, Lipton A, Harvey HA, et al.: A phase II study of Catrix-S in solid tumors. J Biol Response Mod 4 (6): 585-9, 1985. [PUBMED Abstract]
Puccio C, Mittelman A, Chun P, et al.: Treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma with Catrix. [Abstract] Proceedings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology 13: A-769, 246, 1994.
Miller DR, Anderson GT, Stark JJ, et al.: Phase I/II trial of the safety and efficacy of shark cartilage in the treatment of advanced cancer. J Clin Oncol 16 (11): 3649-55, 1998. [PUBMED Abstract]
Leitner SP, Rothkopf MM, Haverstick L, et al.: Two phase II studies of oral dry shark cartilage powder (SCP) with either metastatic breast or prostate cancer refractory to standard treatment. [Abstract] Proceedings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology 17: A-240, 1998.
Rosenbluth RJ, Jennis AA, Cantwell S, et al.: Oral shark cartilage in the treatment of patients with advanced primary brain tumors. [Abstract] Proceedings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology 18: A-554, 1999.
Loprinzi CL, Levitt R, Barton DL, et al.: Evaluation of shark cartilage in patients with advanced cancer: a North Central Cancer Treatment Group trial. Cancer 104 (1): 176-82, 2005. [PUBMED Abstract]
Latreille J, Batist G, Laberge F, et al.: Phase I/II trial of the safety and efficacy of AE-941 (Neovastat) in the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer. Clin Lung Cancer 4 (4): 231-6, 2003. [PUBMED Abstract]
Falardeau P, Champagne P, Poyet P, et al.: Neovastat, a naturally occurring multifunctional antiangiogenic drug, in phase III clinical trials. Semin Oncol 28 (6): 620-5, 2001. [PUBMED Abstract]
Batist G, Patenaude F, Champagne P, et al.: Neovastat (AE-941) in refractory renal cell carcinoma patients: report of a phase II trial with two dose levels. Ann Oncol 13 (8): 1259-63, 2002. [PUBMED Abstract]