Comparison of the Complications of Platinum-Based Adjuvant Chemotherapy With and Without Ginger in a Pilot Study on Ovarian Cancer Patients

Objectives: The principal treatment of ovarian cancer is surgery with or without chemotherapy. The chemotherapy, however, might be ineffective and long with serious side-effects. To obviate these shortcomings, more efficient and safer medications are required, among which ginger has recently gained popularity because of its anti-cancer properties. This study aims to compare outcomes and side-effects of adjuvant chemotherapy with and without ginger in ovarian cancer patients. Materials and Methods: A total of 49 patients (20 patients in case group and 29 patients in control group) with stage I to III, histopathologically proved ovarian cancer underwent cytoreductive surgery followed by platinum-based adjuvant chemotherapy with and without investigator-prepared oral ginger capsules (2 g per day for 6 cycles). Potential side-effects, poor 12-month outcome (serum CA125 levels >35U, radiologic evidence of metastasis and recurrence, or death), and 12-month disease-free survival were documented and compared between the 2 groups. Results: Poor outcome including serum CA125>35, metastasis, recurrence or death was documented more common in control group (69% versus 40%). metastasis frequency confirmed by computerized tomography (CT) scan 6 month after treatment was significantly lower in case group (P = 0.04). There was no significant difference regarding mortality and disease free survival during one year follow-up after treatment between 2 groups (P = 0.55). Chemotherapy complications such as nausea, vomiting, weight loss, and peripheral neuropathy were detected in case group less than control group but the difference was not significant. Conclusion: Oral administration of ginger is along with a significantly better 12-month outcome in patients on chemotherapy because of ovarian cancer, and accordingly, considering its safety, its administration is recommended.