A Systematic Review on Herbal Interventions in Prostate Cancer Treatment: Efficacy, Safety, and Implications for African Healthcare
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64229/vk9d3g96Keywords:
Prostate cancer, Herbal medicine, Safety and efficacy, Low-income population, Phytotherapy, Complementary and alternative medicine, African healthcareAbstract
Prostate cancer remains one of the most prevalent malignancies and a major cause of mortality among men globally, with disproportionate impact in low-resource settings such as Africa. Conventional therapies, though effective, are costly and often associated with adverse effects and limited accessibility. This systematic review aimed to identify, synthesise, and critically analyse evidence on the efficacy and safety of herbal interventions for prostate cancer management. Searches were conducted across PubMed Central, ScienceDirect, Cochrane, AJOL, and Google Scholar (2005-2025), yielding 27 eligible studies after screening 23,907 records. Data extraction and quality appraisal were performed using Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines and validated bias-assessment tools. Results indicated that several herbal preparations, including Curcuma longa, Camellia sinensis, Glycine max, Brassica oleracea, and Punica granatum, produced statistically significant reductions in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels (pooled mean difference: (-1.678±0.0774 ng/mL; p<0.0001), suggesting potential efficacy in slowing disease progression. Adverse effects were generally mild (Grade 1-2), primarily gastrointestinal. However, only 11% of included studies originated from Africa, highlighting a critical regional research gap. Findings suggest that herbal therapies offer promising, low-cost adjuncts or alternatives to conventional treatments but require further validation through high-quality clinical trials within African contexts. Strengthening local research capacity is essential to integrate evidence-based phytotherapies into prostate cancer management and improve health outcomes across underserved populations.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Chijioke Noris Ezinwa, Onyemelukwe Anulika Obianuju, Mmesoma Somtochukwu Chime, Daniel Orok Ekpo, Mbutor Uche Emmanuel (Author)
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