This was a patent review—not a clinical trial—examining milk thistle's active compound silymarin and its potential anticancer effects. Research suggests silymarin may help trigger cancer cell death and could reduce side effects from chemotherapy, with most evidence in skin, prostate, and colorectal cancers. However, there's a significant gap: most applications remain in early research or complementary use, not proven standalone treatments for skin.

Researchers searched patent databases and scientific literature (Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, etc.) to compile and analyze existing patents about milk thistle and silymarin's medical uses. This is a review of existing research and patents, not new experimental data.

Funding not disclosed in abstract