Abstract:
Cervical cancer is the most common gynecologic malignancy worldwide. It is the leading cause of death among females, accounts for 8.5% deaths per year. Human papilloma virus is the major risk factor. In classical Unani text, cervical cancer (
sartan al- rahim) is caused by
warame har or
warame sulb of
rahim and also due to dominance of
khilte sawda (black bile), which is formed due to
ehtiraq (detonation) of
khilte safra (yellow bile). Clinical features are excessive tiredness, loss of appetite, foul smelling discharge per vaginum, pelvic pain, urinary symptoms, etc. Treatment options in conventional medicine include radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymph nodes dissection and concurrent chemo or radio therapy which have their own side effects like nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and hair, early bruising and bleeding, anemia, renal problems, etc. Nowadays in spite of a number of interventions available, large number of patients suffers from poor prognosis. Therefore, the effort for finding new anticancer agents as an alternative with better efficacy and minimum side effects has been continued. Hence, there is a need for newer treatment which is to be safe, cost effective, easily available and free from side effects. The aim of this review paper is to provide evidence based analysis to Unani drugs having anti cancerous, activities in the treatment of cervical cancer. Moreover, this review article is focused to discuss how unani drugs and various food items act as anticancerous from scientific and medical point of view and how they are considered to be safe, effective and less expensive with virtually no side effects in the management of cervical cancer.