Medicinal plants used in the management of cancers by residents in the Elgon Sub-Region, Uganda

This ethnobotanical study documented 50 plant species from 36 families used for cancer treatment in the Elgon sub-region of Uganda. Data were collected through observations, questionnaires, interviews, and field trips. The study found that herbal knowledge was mainly inherited, with Fabaceae and Asteraceae families comprising most plants used. Forest reserves were the primary collection sites (63%), leaves were primarily decocted (43%), and the ten most commonly used plants showed high preference ranking (60-86%) and reliability levels (74.1-93.9%). The research concludes that these plants require further investigation for phytochemistry, toxicity, and effectiveness to potentially develop new anticancer medications.