Black cohosh and cancer

Remifemin is a common brand of black cohosh. Some early clinical trials showed that Remifemin helped to relieve menopausal symptoms. Others showed that it didn't.

A review of the literature and ​meta analysis​ in 2023, suggests that black cohosh may help some women experiencing hot flushes. It did not seem to help with anxiety due to the menopause.  

More research is needed with larger numbers of women. Future research should be more precise about the type and quality of black cohosh they use. This is so that other researchers can use the same type.

Several studies looked into black cohosh to see if it is a safe and helpful treatment for women with breast cancer or who had breast cancer.

Some researchers thought that black cohosh might affect the body in a similar way to the hormone oestrogen. If so, it might trigger breast cancer cells to grow. This is especially so in women where oestrogen affects their type of breast cancer. Doctors call this type of cancer oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer.

But, other research suggested that black cohosh did not cause oestrogen-like activity. It behaved more like nerve signal transmitters. A nerve signal transmitter is a chemical that helps to carry an impulse between one nerve and the next.

A systemic review in 2014 looked at women who'd had treatment for breast cancer and were taking black cohosh. The review showed mixed results with helping hot flushes. This means some studies showed a benefit but others didn't. 

Getting accurate results in these studies was difficult. The researchers used different amounts of black cohosh from various sources. The studies also had different aims. It may be that the benefits of black cohosh on menopausal symptoms may be due to a ​placebo effect.​

The 2014 systematic review found no significant link between black cohosh and the risk of breast cancer. But more studies are needed. 

Researchers did a laboratory study in 2018. They found that black cohosh might protect against getting breast cancer. It also suggested that it might stop breast cancer cells from growing.

The researchers thought that black cohosh might influence the hormone receptors on cells. But we need more research. Only then can these findings become a potential treatment against getting breast cancer.

The National Institute for Medical Herbalists gives information about western herbal medicine and also has a register of UK herbal medicine practitioners.

Clover House James Court South Street Exeter EX1 1EE

Tel: 01392 426022

Email: info@nimh.org.uk

The National Institute for Medical Herbalists

Phytotherapists (phyto means plant in Greek) are herbal practitioners with specialist university training. They combine medical knowledge and skills with a scientific understanding of plant medicines. The organisation provides information and has a list of practitioners in the UK.

Oak Glade 9 Hythe Close Polegate East Sussex BN26 6LQ

Tel: 01323 484353 Email: pamela.bull@thecpp.uk

The College of Practitioners of Phytotherapy

CNHC is the UK regulator for complementary healthcare practitioners. It protects the public by giving them access to a list of practitioners who have met national standards of competence and practice. Registered practitioners can use the CNHC quality mark on certificates and publicity materials. Most NHS services only use CNHC registered practitioners.

CNHC PO Box 428 Bristol BS9 0FB

Phone: 020 3327 2720  Email: info@cnhc.org.uk

Visit the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council website

The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre is a leading cancer hospital and research centre in New York. Its Integrative Medicine service was founded in 1999. It carries out research into the effectiveness of complementary therapies for cancer.

The website has a searchable database of herbs, vitamins and plants. It lists side effects, drug interactions, clinical information and clinical trials.

Visit the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre website

CAM-CANCER

CAM-Cancer is a non-profit web resource that gives health professionals reliable information about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for cancer. It is managed by the Norwegian National Research Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NAFKAM).

Visit CAM-CANCER