A HERBAL remedy sold in health food stores can help fight prostate cancer, researchers revealed.

The capsule - made from eight Chinese herbs - significantly lowers levels of PSA protein in the blood, which is linked to the cancer.

Research leader Dr Eric Hall said: "It clearly offers a clinical benefit. It also provides us with another treatment before chemotherapy."

Seventy men with advanced prostate cancer were studied by a team at the University of California.

Some had hormone dependent disease in which the cancer is fuelled by the hormone testosterone. It improves when testosterone is withdrawn.

Others had hormone independent disease. which continues to progress despite low levels of testosterone. PSA levels in the hormone dependent men fell by more than 80 per cent after taking the supplement, known as PC-SPES.

Nearly all showed steep falls in testosterone. About half of those with the hormone independent disease also had lower PSA after taking the remedy.
　　
　　(From The Mirror)