Cancer is a rapidly spreading disease worldwide. Based on current analysis, cherry fruits, specifically Prunus avium (sweet cherries) and, notably, Prunus cerasus (tart cherries), including wild pure cherry fruits, contain beneficial properties for various types of cancer. At the conclu­sion of my PhD research in public health, the second phase in oncol­ogy revealed that treating cancer with a commercial cherry dose formulation could be a reality in the coming years.

Cherries boast remarkable fea­tures and ingredients that aid in healing abnormal cancer cell for­mation. The nature of cells tran­sitions from normal to abnormal during oncogenesis. I assert that treating all types of cancer with cherry fruit is entirely feasible. While some international experts suggest potential cures in other fruits and seeds, my experimen­tal approach conducted in mice with induced tumours has con­vinced me that cherry fruit alone is sufficient for cancer treatment. Nevertheless, further experi­ments are needed to develop a commercial drug for cancer pa­tients, particularly to create more affordable medicines for under­privileged patients and establish additional health units for those in the advanced stages of cancer, where conventional treatments may be refused.

Nothing is deemed impossible in this world. Additionally, the an­thocyanin pigments in red cher­ries possess anti-inflammato­ry and anti-toxin properties. Two pigments found in cherries, as re­ported by Li et al. in 1956, are cy­anidin3-rhamno-glucoside and cyanide 3-diglucoside.

During the second part of the research work conducted through the HEC (Higher Edu­cation Commission Islamabad) and GCWUS (Government Col­lege Women University Sialkot) project (number 21-722/SRGP/R&D/HEC/2014 - 5.5 years), it was proven that brighter red tart cherries are more effective in treating cancer cells due to the abundance of anthocyanin and melatonin in these fruits. 

Furthermore, during the de­fence presentation, it was high­lighted that cherry juice can be beneficial during the zero stage of cancer or during the phase where normal cells undergo a change toward cancerous immor­tal cells. The juice aids in shrink­ing the abnormal size of cancer cells towards normal positioning. However, substantial funding is essential to create a commercial drug for further experiments, en­suring the efficacy of raw cherry drug formulations for the treat­ment of cancer patients.

MARYAM AFGHANI,

Lahore.