Anticancer properties of melatonin and its role as an adjuvant in cancer treatment.

Melatonin is an important hormone secreted from the pineal gland that mediates several biological functions in humans through circadian rhythm. The multimodal properties of melatonin when administered systemically have generated a lot of interest among researchers. The anticancer properties of melatonin per se and its importance in cancer patients when used as an adjunct to ongoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy have led to tremendous research in animals and humans with encouraging results. The present write-up discusses the current evidence of using melatonin as an adjunct in hormone-dependent and hormone-independent cancers.