Study of Drug Interactions and Adverse Drug Profile of Polyherbal Formulations with Different Chemotherapy Schedules in Patients with Breast Carcinoma

This study is proposed assess the effect of the oral polyherbal formulation PRA-5 (VICRAD) on various chemotherapy schedules used in breast carcinoma.Effects were observed on the tolerability IntroductIonEstimated global cancer incidence in 2022 for female breast cancer is the second leading malignancy, with 2.3 million new cases comprising 11.6% of all cancer cases.Currently, approximately 75,000 cases of breast cancer are estimated to occur in Indian women every year.1,2 Treatment of breast carcinoma is by a multimodality approach.The usual treatment sequence is surgery followed by adjuvant therapy.3 Postoperatively, patients are given adjuvant chemotherapy as per disease stage and receptor status.Chemotherapy treatments are often given in cycles: a treatment period, followed by a recovery period, then another treatment.4,5 A commonly used adjuvant chemotherapy drug schedule is AC-T, in which four cycles of AC (adriamycin + cyclophosphamide) followed by four cycles of T (paclitaxel/docetaxel) are given at three-weekly intervals.Chemotherapy does not only affect cancer cells; it also affects, to a greater or lesser degree, all other cells in the body.The possibility of avoiding or minimizing chemotherapyassociated toxicity is a highly relevant aspect in cancer patient care, mainly because of the impact it poses on the patient's quality of life, as well as the vital risk it can cause under some circumstances.6,7 In phase III trial, the polyherbal drug PRA-5 (VICRAD) conducted in 2021 had no reported adverse events and showed positive effects on blood parameters.PRA-5 showed an increase in hemoglobin, platelets, and WBC levels, indicating protection of natural immunity against radiation-induced damage.