[Effects of proteolytic enzyme therapy with Wobe Mugos against chemotherapy-induced toxicity in breast cancer patients - results of a pilot study].

BACKGROUND

Wobe Mugos(®) is an enzyme preparation containing the proteases trypsin and papain from the pancreatic calf and commonly used in complementary medicine. From non-randomized studies, its multiple favorable effects including the reduction of adverse events from radiotherapy and chemotherapy in oncology patients have been reported.

METHODS

Patients with invasive breast cancer receiving adjuvant or palliative chemotherapy between 2005 and 2006 and who were scheduled for at least two further cycles of this specific chemotherapy were included in this pilot study. A specific toxicity of at least grade 2 using the NCI common toxicity criteria which occurred during the preceeding cycle and was relevant to the patient was recorded. This specific toxicity, e.g. grade 2 emesis, was again evaluated after two analogously administered further chemotherapy cycles in which Wobe Mugos(®) had been coadministered. The hypothesis was that specific toxicites of individual patients will be reduced by this enzyme therapy. The majority of the 57 consecutive patients received palliative chemotherapy. Peroral enzyme therapy was coadministered with two uncracked coated tablets three times daily on all days of a chemotherapy cycle except on the day of chemotherapy administration.

RESULTS

Tolerability was good. Positive and neutral effects on toxicity parameters were observed in 11 and 42 patients, respectively, and a negative influence in 4 women.

CONCLUSIONS

We observed only a marginal influence of Wobe Mugos(®) in patients with breast cancer who had experienced at least a grade 2 toxicity in the preceding cycle and who received two further identical cycles of this chemotherapy in conjunction with the enzyme preparation. Randomized studies on homogenous patient populations are necessary.