<p>They are triggered by sun damage and, although not usually fatal, can be disfiguring without treatment, the British Journal of Dermatology reports.<br /><br />The plant has been used for centuries as a traditional folk medicine to treat conditions such as warts, asthma and several types of cancer.But for the first time a team of scientists in Australia has carried out a clinical study of sap from Euphorbia peplus, which is related to Euphorbia plants grown in gardens in Britain, according to the Daily Mail.<br /><br />The study of 36 patients with a total of 48 non-melanoma lesions included basal cell carcinomas (BCC), squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) and intraepidermal carcinomas (IEC), a growth of cancerous cells confined to the outer layer of the skin.<br /><br />Patients had failed to respond to conventional treatment including surgery, or they refused or were unsuitable for surgery because of their age.<br /><br />The patients were treated once a day for three consecutive days by an oncologist using a cotton bud to apply enough of the E.peplus sap to cover the surface of each lesion.<br />The initial results were impressive. After only one month, 41 of the 48 cancers had completely gone. Patients who had some of the lesions remaining were offered a second course of treatment.<br /><br />After an average of 15 months following treatment, two thirds of the 48 skin cancer lesions were still showing a complete response.</p>
<p>They are triggered by sun damage and, although not usually fatal, can be disfiguring without treatment, the British Journal of Dermatology reports.<br /><br />The plant has been used for centuries as a traditional folk medicine to treat conditions such as warts, asthma and several types of cancer.But for the first time a team of scientists in Australia has carried out a clinical study of sap from Euphorbia peplus, which is related to Euphorbia plants grown in gardens in Britain, according to the Daily Mail.<br /><br />The study of 36 patients with a total of 48 non-melanoma lesions included basal cell carcinomas (BCC), squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) and intraepidermal carcinomas (IEC), a growth of cancerous cells confined to the outer layer of the skin.<br /><br />Patients had failed to respond to conventional treatment including surgery, or they refused or were unsuitable for surgery because of their age.<br /><br />The patients were treated once a day for three consecutive days by an oncologist using a cotton bud to apply enough of the E.peplus sap to cover the surface of each lesion.<br />The initial results were impressive. After only one month, 41 of the 48 cancers had completely gone. Patients who had some of the lesions remaining were offered a second course of treatment.<br /><br />After an average of 15 months following treatment, two thirds of the 48 skin cancer lesions were still showing a complete response.</p>