WFA Evidence by Cancer Type
A cancer-type map for withaferin A, including stronger settings such as breast and ovarian cancer and thinner exploratory areas.
This section maps where WFA evidence is most clinically meaningful.
The strongest settings are those with multiple mechanistic papers, in vivo support, or early human relevance. Thinner signals remain worth noting, but they do not carry the same translational weight.
Stronger settings
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is the best-developed disease area for WFA. It anchors the autophagy blockade work, the ER-α suppression work, the vimentin and anti-metastatic work, and a large part of the apoptosis literature.
Ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer is the most clinically advanced translational setting. The cisplatin combination work is strong, CSC biology is directly relevant, and an ongoing human trial exists.
Emerging settings
Non-small cell lung cancer
NSCLC stands out for EMT suppression, paclitaxel synergy, and checkpoint inhibitor sensitisation.
Glioblastoma
The biology is plausible because WFA targets HSP90, Akt/mTOR, and stem-like survival pathways. Clinical relevance remains limited by uncertainty around CNS delivery and relatively thin in vivo data.
Broader but thinner evidence base
WFA also has preclinical signals in colorectal, osteosarcoma, prostate, pancreatic, cervical, B-cell lymphoma, hepatocellular, and thyroid cancer.
These signals matter, but most do not yet justify the same level of confidence as breast or ovarian cancer.
Cancer-type overview
Cancer type | Key signal | Evidence level |
|---|---|---|
Breast | Autophagy blockade, ER-α suppression, vimentin disruption, CSC relevance | Cell line and animal strong |
Ovarian | Cisplatin synergy, CSC depletion, active trial landscape | Cell line, animal, and early human relevance |
Non-small cell lung | EMT suppression, paclitaxel synergy, checkpoint sensitisation | Cell line and animal |
Glioblastoma |
| Thin but coherent |
Colorectal |
| Cell line and animal |
Osteosarcoma | Published Phase I oncology trial | Phase I human plus preclinical |
Pancreatic | Oxaliplatin synergy and CSC relevance | Cell line only |
Cervical | HPV oncoprotein relevance and xenograft activity | Cell line and animal |
B-cell lymphoma |
| Cell line and animal |
Hepatocellular | Ferroptosis and resistance relevance | Cell line and animal |
Thyroid | Sorafenib synergy | Cell line and animal |
Explore by cancer type
Detailed pages in this section cover:
Related pages
IMPORTANT: Please do not assume that any “ashwagandha” supplement will provide oncology‑relevant WFA exposure. This page was created to highlight Withaferin A‑focused targets, and specialised WFA‑standardised leaf extracts are required, not general ashwagandha root products. For support in sourcing see the Sourcing Quality page within this WFA in Oncology Hub.
Key references
Muniraj N. et al. — breast cancer autophagy and energetic impairment.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10893887/
Sehdev V. et al. — ER-α suppression in ER-positive breast cancer.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3129407/
Thaiparambil J. T. et al. — vimentin disruption and anti-metastatic activity in breast cancer.
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0039065
Kakar S. et al. — ovarian cancer CSC targeting and cisplatin synergy.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4218168/
Mukherjee A. et al. — ovarian cancer cachexia and muscle effects.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12487364/
University of Louisville — ovarian cancer trial using Ashwagandha plus liposomal doxorubicin.
https://ctv.veeva.com/study/combination-therapy-for-recurrent-ovarian-cancer
Kim S. H. et al. — NSCLC EMT reversal and invasion.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mc.22110
Banerjee S. et al. — NSCLC checkpoint sensitisation.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10295988/
Akbarshahi H. et al. — glioblastoma and brain-tumour models.
https://www.oncotarget.com/article/25175/text/
Bolleddula J. et al. — Osteosarcoma Phase I withaferin A trial.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0975947618307897
Sun S. et al. — colorectal cancer growth and metastasis.
https://www.archivesofmedicalscience.com/Withaferin-A-inhibits-colorectal-cancer-growth-and-metastasis-by-targeting,196381,0,2.html
Sarin N. et al. — pancreatic cancer and oxaliplatin synergy.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0753332218330701
Gopalakrishnan R. et al. — B-cell lymphoma.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/microbio_facpub/159/
Guo J. et al. — hepatocellular carcinoma and ferroptosis review context.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ptr.8090
Access and availability:
Source: MCS Formulas, “Withaferin A Pro Liposomal.”
50 mg WFA per capsule. Available via healthcare professional request.
https://www.mcsformulas.com/vitamins-supplements/withaferin-a-pro-liposomal/ref/14