LITERATURE REVIEW ON THE USE OF MEDICINAL PLANTS IN CANCER TREATMENT IN BRAZIL AND THE IMPORTANCE OF PHARMACEUTICAL CARE IN PATIENT MANAGEMENT

Abstract

This article aims to survey medicinal plants used by oncology patients, focusing on the potential interactions between these plants and chemotherapeutic agents, as well as investigating associated adverse reactions and the pharmacist's role in this context. The research was based on an integrative systematic review using the databases PubMed, SciELO, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect to identify relevant publications between 2015 and 2025 with the keywords: herbal and plants, oncological patients, medicinal plants, cancer patients. A total of 21 plants used by patients were identified, 19 of which showed some antitumor activity, although some also exhibited toxicity levels. It was noted that women with breast cancer were the most likely to use medicinal plants, and some of these plants demonstrated actual anticancer effects. The study concludes that the presence of a pharmacist in the multidisciplinary team is essential to prevent adverse reactions, identify drug interactions, and appropriately manage the use of these plants during oncology treatment.