A new research has said that tea tree oil may be used in future as a quick, secure, economical and effectual cure for non-melanoma skin cancers.

A three-year research conducted at The University of Western Australia's Tea Tree Oil Research Group discovered that solid tumours grown under the skin in mice and treated with a tea tree oil formulation slows down tumour development and tumour regresses within a day of treatment.

The tumours cannot be noticed within three days.

Sara Greay, of the University of Western Australia who carried out the research with Demelza Ireland, stated that further experiments showed the anti-cancer effect of the tea tree oil formulation appeared to involve activation of the immune system.

Sara Greay said, "We are very excited about these results and are hoping to find funding for a small clinical trial of about 50 people with pre-cancerous lesions, with the aim of preventing the development of skin cancers."

Unlike other clinically approved skin cancer chemotherapies, which have long treatment times of three to 16 weeks and can cause nausea and flu-like symptoms, the tea tree oil formulation only produces mild skin irritation which disappears within days of the treatment finishing.

Increased demand for the oil would support the industry and, besides the medical advantages, would also benefit the rural communities based on the production of the oil.

These outcomes were published online in the Cancer Chemotherapy Pharmacology. (With Inputs from Agencies)