A big breakthrough in the fight against cancer could have been unearthed in the rainforests of far north Queensland.
The potential breakthrough, known as EBC-46, is a molecule found in the berries of the rainforest tree blushwood, which grows on the Atherton Tablelands, Network Nine reports.
Australian scientists are said to be trialling the cancer-fighting properties in fruit from the tree.
"It's a small molecule that actually works with the body to destroy cancer, rather than being a chemo-therapy approach which is acting, in many cases, against the body," Q-Biotics CEO Victoria Gordon told Nine this week.
She said the treatment was uncomplicated, consisting of injecting the substance into a tumour.
"It's very simple to use ... We get full tumour destruction in five to seven days, great healing of the site and no significant side effects," she said.
The effects EBC-46 has been trialled with animals and stages of human trials are underway, with 14 patients treated so far, according to Nine.
The Cairns Post reports that EBC-46 can treat tumours that included melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and breast adenocarcinoma.
Gordon is reported to have told the publication that none of the patients treated at hospitals in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, showed any negative side effects from the drug.