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Itraconazole is an antifungal medication that has been studied as a medication for prostate cancer and lung cancer in a small number of patients.

Itraconazole at a glance

Itraconazole is a medication commonly prescribed for fungal infections. However, it has several other effects, including inhibiting a signaling pathway that is crucial for cells to multiply and differentiate, the Hedgehog pathway.1Kim J, Tang JY et al. Itraconazole, a commonly used antifungal that inhibits Hedgehog pathway activity and cancer growth. Cancer Cell. 2010 Apr 13;17(4):388-99. For this reason, scientists have studied itraconazole as a possible treatment for cancer. Some studies have explored itraconazole as an alternative to hormone treatment, though with limited success.2Lee M, Hong H et al. Itraconazole as a noncastrating treatment for biochemically recurrent prostate cancer: a phase 2 study. Clinical Genitourinary Cancer. 2019 Feb;17(1):e92-e96. Itraconazole also inhibits an enzyme that helps to metabolize drugs, cytochrome P450 CYP3A4. This means that many medications can stay in the body longer, and in higher concentrations, if someone is also taking itraconazole, so it can change the outcomes of other prescriptions (and caution should be taken with physician consultation).

Where other treatment options will not work (for example, for people with prostate cancer who do not respond to hormone therapy or chemotherapy), itraconazole may help to slow the growth of prostate cancer. However, the data on this use for itraconazole is very limited. Itraconazole has also been studied for its effects in lung cancer treatment, but in even fewer patients. Itraconazole can also have serious interactions with other medications.

CancerChoices ratings for itraconazole

We rate itraconazole on seven attributes, with 0 the lowest rating and 5 the highest. We rate the strength of the evidence supporting the use of itraconazole for a medical benefit, such as improving treatment outcomes or managing side effects.

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2

Improving treatment outcomes

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0

Optimizing your body terrain

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0

Managing side effects and promoting wellness

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0

Reducing cancer risk

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0

Use by integrative oncology experts

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2

Safety

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4

Affordability and access

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Author

Sophie Kakarala

Research Assistant
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Sophie received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Cambridge, where she studied Middle Eastern languages and the philosophy of science. She then completed a premedical post-baccalaureate at the City University of New York. Before joining CancerChoices, she worked for several years at the Cornell Center for Research on End-of-Life Care, where she helped to conduct research on terminal illness and grief. Working in end-of-life research filled her with the conviction that all patients deserve free, accessible, and scientifically accurate information about the therapies available to them. While taking classes in anthropology, she also became curious about traditional medical knowledge and philosophies. These interests led her to CancerChoices. She is delighted to be part of CancerChoices’s work creating rigorous, evidence-based treatment guides for patients and physicians.

Sophie Kakarala Research Assistant

Reviewers

Laura Pole, MSN, RN, OCNS

Senior Clinical Consultant
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Laura Pole is senior clinical consultant for CancerChoices. Laura is an oncology clinical nurse specialist who has been providing integrative oncology clinical care, navigation, consultation, and education services for over 40 years. She is the co-creator and co-coordinator of the Integrative Oncology Navigation Training at Smith Center for Healing and the Arts in Washington, DC. Laura also manages the “Media Watch Cancer News That You Can Use” listserv for Smith Center/Commonweal. In her role as a palliative care educator and consultant, Laura has served as statewide Respecting Choices Faculty for the Virginia POST (Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment) Collaborative as well as provided statewide professional education on palliative and end-of-life care for the Virginia Association for Hospices and Palliative Care.

For CancerChoices, Laura curates content and research, networks with clinical and organizational partners, brings awareness and education of integrative oncology at professional and patient conferences and programs, and translates research into information relevant to the patient experience as well as clinical practice.

Laura sees her work with CancerChoices as a perfect alignment of all her passions, knowledge and skills in integrative oncology care. She is honored to serve you.

Laura Pole, MSN, RN, OCNS Senior Clinical Consultant

Alissa Huston, MD

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Alissa Huston received her medical degree at the University of Buffalo, and went on to complete an Internal Medicine residency at Strong Memorial Hospital. She then attended the University of Pittsburgh for her Hematology/Oncology fellowship, during which time she was involved in research involving bone metastasis in cancer.

Currently, she is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the Wilmot Cancer Institute at the University of Rochester, where her clinical efforts are focused on breast cancer. She is also the Co-Medical Director of the Pluta Integrative Oncology & Wellness Center. Her research efforts focus on understanding the effects of treatment for breast cancer upon bone health and how integrative modalities can help mitigate symptoms for cancer patients as they undergo treatment.

She is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the Society for Integrative Oncology. Her philosophy is that there is no singular approach to patient care. Even though many patients may carry the same diagnosis, each individual is affected by that illness in a different way. Patients are not perceived as just a number, but instead approached and treated as the unique individuals they represent.

Alissa Huston, MD

Last update: May 7, 2025

Last full literature review: February 2025

CancerChoices provides information about integrative in cancer care, a patient-centered approach combining the best of conventional care, self care and evidence-informed complementary care in an integrated plan cancer care. We review complementaryin cancer care, complementary care involves the use of therapies intended to enhance or add to standard conventional treatments; examples include supplements, mind-body approaches such as yoga or psychosocial therapy, and acupuncture therapies and self-care lifestyle actions and behaviors that may impact cancer outcomes; examples include eating health-promoting foods, limiting alcohol, increasing physical activity, and managing stress practices to help patients and professionals explore and integrate the best combination of conventionalthe cancer care offered by conventionally trained physicians and most hospitals; examples are chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy and complementary therapies and practices for each person.

Our staff have no financial conflicts of interest to declare. We receive no funds from any manufacturers or retailers gaining financial profit by promoting or discouraging therapies mentioned on this site.

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