Effectiveness of capsaicin containing dried habanero pepper extract in the treatment of primary hepatic cancer in geriatric dogs

Abstract

The study was aimed at the preliminary clinical assessment of the anti-cancer efficacy of a dietary supplement based on the extract of habanero peppers containing capsaicin in dogs with primary hepatic cancer. 24 dogs with primary hepatic cancer, divided into two groups, were followed up during the study. Group I included 16 dogs receiving a dietary supplement based on capsaicin-containing habanero peppers, while group II consisted of 8 dogs that did not receive any veterinary treatment. The dogs were subjected to clinical examination, ultrasound imaging as well as biochemical and haematological analyses. Patient survival was determined in both groups. An autopsy was performed in all animals that died or were euthanised, and tumour samples were collected for histopathological examination, on the basis of which the type of neoplasm was finally determined. Survival of dogs in group I ranged from 54 to 285 days (178.6 days on average). Survival of dogs in group II was 32-128 days (76.5 days on average). In none of the dogs classified to group I that had single tumours did the size of the lesion increase during supplement administration, and in the case of two dogs that were receiving the preparation for a long time (188 and 285 days), their liver tumours actually shrank. In all dogs from group II that had single tumours, the size of the lesions increased in the course of the observation. The preliminary clinical observations by the authors indicate that the capsaicin-containing habanero pepper extract exhibits favourable effects on liver tumours in dogs and is well tolerated by the animals, thus the obtained results are a good sign for future studies on alternative medications used in dog oncology..