Valoración de la evidencia científica para recomendar Annona muricata L. (guanábana) como tratamiento o prevención del cáncer

INTRODUCCION: la divulgacion en Internet de remedios maravillosos, para curar enfermedades que son temidas por su posible desenlace fatal, o aquellos curalotodo capaces de solucionar un centenar o mas problemas de salud son lamentablemente frecuentes y crean expectativas falsas en pacientes, familiares y hasta en profesionales de la salud. En la Web circula la informacion de que Annona muricata L puede curar el cancer. OBJETIVOS: determinar si existe informacion cientifica publicada que permita validar el uso de A. muricata para tratar el cancer en pacientes. METODOS: se realizo una revision en las principales bases de datos de bibliografia cientifica biomedica disponibles (BVS-BIREME /11/, COCHRANE /0/, PubMed /5/, LILACS /2/, SciELO /0/, SeCiMed /0/, EBSCO /2/) con las palabras claves Anonna AND muricata AND cancer, asi como en Google con la estrategia: graviola AND cancer. La informacion fue analizada para determinar si podia sustentar la recomendacion antes senalada. RESULTADOS: encontramos que los estudios cientificos publicados que pudieran sustentar la recomendacion de esta planta o alguno de sus extractos son en modelos experimentales in vitro y la mayoria con principios activos puros extraidos. CONCLUSIONES: no existe suficiente evidencia para recomendar el uso de ningun extracto o principio activo de A muricata y la divulgacion infundada de sus extraordinarias propiedades anticancerigenas es eticamente inaceptable(AU) INTRODUCTION: the dissemination of information about fantastic remedies to cure diseases feared by everybody because of their possible fatal outcome, or those cure all substances that may solve more than one hundred health problems is unfortunately frequent on Internet and creates false expectations in patients, relatives and even health professionals. There are some pieces of information on the Web that Annona muricata L. is able to cure cancer. OBJECTIVES: to determine if there is published scientific information that allows validating the use of this plant in the treatment of cancer. METHODS: the main scientific biomedical literature databases available (BVS-BIREME /11/, COCHRANE /0/, PubMed /5/, LILACS /2/, SciELO /0/, SeCiMed /0/, EBSCO /2) were reviewed, using key words as Annona AND muricata AND cancer. Likewise, review was made in Google using graviola and cancer. The obtained information was then analyzed to ascertain whether it can substantiate the above-mentioned recommendation. RESULTS: it was found that the published scientific studies that might substantiate the use of this plant or some of its extracts are based on in vitro experimental models and most of them used pure extracted active principles. CONCLUSIONS: there is not enough evidence to recommend the use of any extract or active principle from A muricata , so the groundless publication of its extraordinary anti-cancer properties is unacceptable from the ethical viewpoint(AU)