Blood Cancers

EGCG is the most studied green tea catechin in haematologic malignancies, especially chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

Overview

This is one of the few areas where EGCG has meaningful human trial data beyond prevention-only settings.

Key human data

• Mayo Clinic Phase II work in early-stage CLL showed sustained reductions in lymphocyte counts and lymph node size in subsets of patients

• Follow-up work supported the reproducibility of the biologic signal in CLL

Key preclinical data

• EGCG induces apoptosis in CLL cells through Mcl-1 downregulation and caspase activation

• In leukaemia models, EGCG has shown immune-supportive and tumour-burden effects

• STAT3 suppression is relevant in several blood-cancer models

Major caution

Avoid combining EGCG with bortezomib (Velcade). This is one of the most important practical cautions in the whole EGCG topic because the interaction may reduce bortezomib efficacy.

Clinical positioning

CLL is the strongest clinical niche for EGCG in blood cancers, especially in watch-and-wait or early supportive contexts.

References

Phase II Trial of Daily, Oral Polyphenon E in Patients With Asymptomatic Rai Stage 0 to II Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4876335/

Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate Therapeutic Potential in Cancer: Mechanism of Action and Clinical Implications
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10343677/