The results of clinical monitoring of phytotherapeutic correction in the presence of benign breast diseases

Abstract

Benign breast diseases (BBDs) are the most common group of diseases among women that negatively affect their quality of life. In fact, these pathological conditions are diagnosed at least 10 times more often than breast cancer. Up to 30% of women with BBDs will need treatment at some point in their lives. A triple assessment which is performed using imaging methods of clinical examination (ultrasound examination, mammography) and histopathological examination after a puncture biopsy during the initial consultation allows to exclude breast cancer in the majority of patients. `The main clinical manifestation of BBDs is mastalgia. In recent years, a variety of natural herbal remedies have played a significant role in the symptom-modifying therapy of mastalgia.The objective: to study the possibility of using an innovative phytocomplex as a symptom-modifying agent in the presence of BBDs, which is manifested by mastalgia.Materials and methods. Clinical monitoring of 60 patients between the ages of 22 and 46 years old with BBDs of various genesis was carried out. The study group included 30 women who used a phytocomplex containing 3,3`-diindolylmethane (200 mg), vitex extract (100 mg), epigallocatechin (45 mg), broccoli extract (0.4 mg), 1 tablet twice daily for 90 days. The reference group included 30 women who used a dietary supplement with indole-3-carbinol (200 mg) according to a similar scheme.Assessment of clinical symptoms of BBDs, measurement of interleukin-6 level in blood serum, fine-needle aspiration biopsy of pathological foci and immunocytochemical analysis of biopsies, assessment of patients’ quality of life were performed before and after treatment.Results. The innovative phytocomplex (diindolylmethane – DIM, Agni casti fructus) compared to the indole-3-carbinol monopreparation demonstrated a higher efficiency in creating conditions for the elimination of clinical manifestations of BBDs: discomfort, swelling, pain at rest and during palpation.A pronounced regression of clinical symptoms was observed in the study group: a decreased frequency of patients with chest discomfort from 100 to 36.7%, a decrease in pain at rest and during pressure – from 53.3 to 13.3% and from 33.3 to 13.3%, respectively, swelling – from 46.7 to 16.7%. The index of the quality of life of patients, which was determined by the sum of the scores of the questionnaire filled out by the patients themselves, showed a more pronounced tendency to increase in the study group.Conclusions. The innovative phytocomplex can be recommended as a preparation for phytotherapeutic correction in order to help reduce the intensity and eliminate mastalgia and other symptoms of BBDs.