ScienceDaily (Apr. 18, 2007) — A daily dose of adult-strength aspirin may modestly reduce cancer risk in populations with high rates of colorectal, prostate, and breast cancer if taken for at least five years.

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The Women’s Health Study trial recently reported that long-term use of low-dose aspirin (about 100mg every other day) does not reduce a woman’s cancer risk, but it did not examine whether high doses of aspirin have an effect on cancer risk.

Eric Jacobs, Ph.D., of the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, and colleagues looked for associations between long-term daily aspirin use (at least 325mg/day) and cancer incidence in a group of nearly 70,000 men and 76,000 women. Aspirin use was determined by a questionnaire.

During the 12 year follow-up, nearly 18,000 men and women in the study were diagnosed with cancer. The researchers found that daily use of adult-strength aspirin for at least five years was associated with an approximately 15 percent relative reduction in overall cancer risk, though the decrease was not statistically significant in women.

Additionally, aspirin use was associated with a 20 percent reduced risk of prostate cancer and a 30 percent reduced risk of colorectal cancer in men and women, compared to people who didn’t take aspirin. There was no effect on risk in other cancers examined–lung cancer, bladder cancer, melanoma, leukemia, non-Hodgkins lymphoma, pancreatic cancer, and kidney cancer. Aspirin use for less than five years was not associated with decreased cancer risk.

“Our results do not have immediate clinical implications. Confirmation from randomized trials is necessary before a reduction in cancer risk could be considered a benefit of using adult-strength aspirin. Our results indicate that a randomized trial examining the effect of aspirin on cancer incidence would need to be both large and long term, probably lasting a minimum of 10 years. More evidence is needed before any such trial can be justified,” the authors write.

Article: Jacobs EJ, Thun MJ, Bain EB, Rodriguez C, Henley SJ, Calle EE. A Large Cohort Study of Long-Term Daily Use of Adult-Strength Aspirin and Cancer Incidence. J Natl Cancer Inst 2007; 99: 608-615

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Adapted from materials provided by Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

ScienceDaily (Aug. 15, 2005) — Monash University scientists have rejuvenated the immune systems of mice and humans using a common hormone.

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The scientists, led by Associate Professor Richard Boyd and Dr Jayne Sutherland from the Monash Immunology and Stem Cell Laboratories, have revitalised the thymus which produces the T cells required to fight infection but which shuts down from early adulthood.Their achievement, published in the August issue of the Journal of Immunology, has offered new hope for patients with cancer, AIDS and other immunodeficiencies and for transplant patients.

The Monash study showed inhibiting sex steroids through the Leuteinizing Hormone-Releasing Hormone could help regrow the thymus, increase output of new T cells, enhance T cell responses and improve recovery following bone marrow transplants. It also showed, for the first time, that prostate cancer patients who had their sex steroids temporarily blocked had increased levels of new T cells in their blood.

The researchers found inhibiting sex steroids improved the production of haemopoietic stem cells in bone marrow. These cells provide ‘fuel’ for the bone marrow and thymus to produce blood cells.

Associate Professor Boyd said the immune system deteriorated severely with age, and was further destroyed by severe viral infection and common cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

“The resulting immunodeficiency can allow cancer relapse and leave patients at greater risk of infections which are often fatal,” he said. “The ability to overcome these immune system deficiencies provides a completely new approach to treating cancer and may work in many other severe clinical conditions such as HIV/AIDS. It may also boost the effectiveness of vaccines to cancer and infections.”

Because the scientists have been able to manipulate the way the thymus grows back, they believe they should be able to rebuild the immune system of patients who are receiving transplants so donor material is not rejected.

The group has initiated pre-clinical trials using this technology to induce immune tolerance to organ transplants. The trials, led by clinical immunologist Dr David Sachs, are being undertaken at the Massachusetts General Hospital, the largest teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School.

The technology, licensed to Norwood Immunology, is also about to be used in clinical trials in leading US cancer centres on patients receiving chemotherapy and haemopoietic stem cell transplants.

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Adapted from materials provided by Research Australia, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

PProstate Cancer: Pomegranate Juice Keeps PSA Levels Stable in Men Treated for Prostate Cancerrostate Cancer: Pomegranate Juice Keeps PSA Levels Stable in Men Treated for Prostate Cancer

Source: UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center (7/06) Drinking an eight ounce glass of pomegranate juice daily increased by nearly four times the period during which PSA levels in men treated for prostate cancer remained stable, a three-year UCLA study has found. The study involved 50 men who had undergone surgery or radiation but quickly experienced increases in prostate-specific antigen or PSA, a biomarker that indicates the presence of cancer. UCLA researchers measured “doubling time,” how long it takes for PSA levels to double, a signal that the cancer is progressing, said Dr. Allan Pantuck, an associate professor of urology, a Jonsson Cancer Center researcher and lead author of the study. Doubling time is crucial in prostate cancer, Pantuck said, because patients who have short doubling times are more likely to die from their cancer. The average doubling time is about 15 months. In the UCLA study, Pantuck and his team observed increases in doubling times from 15 months to 54 months, an almost four-fold increase. “That’s a big increase. I was surprised when I saw such an improvement in PSA numbers,” Pantuck said. “In older men 65 to 70 who have been treated for prostate cancer, we can give them pomegranate juice and it may be possible for them to outlive their risk of dying from their cancer. We’re hoping we may be able to prevent or delay the need for other therapies usually used in this population such as hormone treatment or chemotherapy, both of which bring with them harmful side effects.” The study appears in the July 1 issue of Clinical Cancer Research, the peer-reviewed journal of the American Association of Cancer Research. “This is not a cure, but we may be able to change the way prostate cancer grows,” Pantuck said. “We don’t know yet the specific factors behind this response - that’s our next step in this research. We want to find out what cell signaling pathways might be affected, what is happening to keep PSA levels stable.” Pomegranate juice is known to have anti-inflammatory effects and high levels of anti-oxidants, which are believed to protect the body from free-radical damage. It also contains poly-phenols, natural antioxidant compounds found in green tea, as well as isoflavones commonly found in soy, and ellagic acid, which is believed to play a role in cancer cell death. “There are many substances in pomegranate juice that may be prompting this response,” Pantuck said. “We don’t know if it’s one magic bullet or the combination of everything we know is in this juice. My guess is that it’s probably a combination of elements, rather than a single component.” The levels of PSA in men immediately following treatement should be undetectable, Pantuck said. If PSA can be detected, it’s an indication of an aggressive cancer that is likely to progress. The men in Pantuck’s study all had detectable PSA following treatment. Of the 50 men enrolled, more than 80 percent experienced improvement in doubling times. Conventional treatment for men with recurrent prostate cancer includes hormonal therapy, a chemical castration which removes testosterone from the system. Men treated with hormonal therapy can experience hot flashes, osteoporosis, fatigue, depression, muscle wasting, loss of libido and erectile dysfunction. If drinking pomegranate juice can delay or prevent the need for hormonal therapy, patients would experience a better quality of life for a longer time, Pantuck said. The patients in Pantuck’s study experienced no side effects and none of the participants had cancers that metastasized during the study. Pantuck, along with UCLA colleagues including Dr. Arie Belldegrun, professor and chief of urologic oncology, and Dr. David Heber, professor and director of the Center for Human Nutrition, first began research on pomegranate juice in prostate cancer about six years ago, conducting preclinical research in cell cultures and in animals. Those studies showed pomegranate juice slowed the growth of prostate cancer, Pantuck said. The data was impressive enough to test pomegranate juice in clinical trials, Pantuck said. To confirm their findings, a larger Phase III study, headed up by UCLA, will be conducted at ten centers across the county. UCLA is the only Southern California center involved in the study. For more information on the Phase III trial, call (310) 825-5538. Pantuck said he has men on the study more than three years out who are not being treated for prostate cancer other than drinking pomegranate juice and their PSA levels continue to be suppressed. “The juice seems to be working,” he said. The study, performed at the Clark Urology Center, was funded by the Stewart and Lynda Resnick Trust. The Resnicks own POM Wonderful, which provided the juice from the Wonderful variety of pomegranate for the study. UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center comprises more than 240 researchers and clinicians engaged in research, prevention, detection, control, treatment and education. One of the nation’s largest comprehensive cancer centers, the Jonsson center is dedicated to promoting research and translating the results into leading-edge clinical studies. In July 2005, the Jonsson Cancer Center was named the best cancer center in the western United States by U.S. News & World Report, a ranking it has held for six consecutive years.

ScienceDaily (May 18, 2007) — It turns out Mom was right – you should eat your broccoli. But what Mom may not have known is why broccoli is so healthy, and how its lesser known, younger offshoot may be a powerful anti-cancer agent.

Researchers at the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University have found that sulforaphane – a compound found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, bok choy and brussels sprouts – has strong anti-cancer properties.

Even more promising results have been found in broccoli sprouts. The tiny, thread-like broccoli sprouts sold at stores next to alfalfa sprouts have more than 50 times the amount of sulforaphane than found in mature broccoli.

Emily Ho, a researcher with the Linus Pauling Institute and an assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Sciences at OSU, will describe these dietary inhibitors for cancer prevention at the conference on “Diet and Optimum Health,” organized by the Linus Pauling Institute. The conference will be held May 16-19 at the Hilton Hotel in Portland. Ho will speak at 10:30 a.m. Friday, May 18.

Ho’s main area of research is on the dietary prevention of prostate cancer. The Asian diet could be a key in this prevention. White males born in the United States have dramatically higher rates of prostate cancer than Asian men. But when Asian men live in the U.S. for five years or more, their rates of prostate cancer rise significantly, Ho says.

Past studies in Ho’s lab have focused on dietary elements in cancer prevention such as green tea and soy.

In her new study, which was published in the Journal of the Society of Experimental Biology and Medicine, Ho and her colleagues at Linus Pauling Institute looked at cruciferous vegetables. While many cruciferous vegetables have sulforaphane, broccoli and broccoli sprouts have the highest amount and thus could be a major player in the prevention of prostate and colon cancer.

Ho said drugs classified as histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors are being looked at as potentially preventing cancer. She said their research shows that these same effects of inhibiting HDAC might be obtained by consumption of cruciferous vegetables.

“I would say if you’re at all worried about cancer or at high risk of cancer, especially of prostate or colon cancer, then increasing your dietary intake of broccoli and other vegetables could be a good idea,” Ho said.

“It certainly can’t hurt. And drugs can have negative side effects and be difficult to administer.”

While Ho said the research is not at the point where she can make a specific recommendation on how much broccoli or bok choy to eat, she personally tries to have two servings of cruciferous vegetables a day.

In human subjects, just eating some broccoli sprouts on top of a bagel with cream cheese resulted in HDAC inhibition.

“The compound in broccoli may be one of the strongest anti-cancer fighters we have,” Ho said.

Adapted from materials provided by Oregon State University

“Chili’s Heat Kills Prostate Cancer Cells”, Forbes, March 16, 2006,
Link: http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/health/feeds/hscout/2006/03/16/hscout531595.html

Capsaicin, the component that gives jalapeno peppers their heat, may also kill prostate cancer cells, a new study suggests.

Initial experiments in cancer cells and mice show that capsaicin causes prostate cancer cells to undergo a kind of suicide. Researchers speculate that, in the future, pills containing capsaicin might be used as therapy to prevent prostate cancer’s return.

According to their report, capsaicin caused almost 80 percent of prostate cancer cells in the mice to die. In addition, prostate cancer tumors treated with capsaicin were about one-fifth the size of tumors in untreated mice.

“Capsaicin inhibits the growth of human prostate cancer cell in Petri dishes and mice,” said lead researcher Dr. H. Phillip Koeffler, director of hematology and oncology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and a professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles. Based on the findings, Koeffler believe the next step is a trial to see if it works in patients with prostate cancer.

The report appears in the March 15 issue of Cancer Research.

Capsaicin probably has several effects, Koeffler said. Most noticeable is its effect in blocking NF-kappa Beta, a molecular mechanism that promotes cancer cell growth, he noted.

In addition, capsaicin also was effective against leukemia, and might be effective in slowing or preventing the growth of other cancers as well, he added.

But it’s still too early to reach for the chili sauce, Koeffler said.

“I am not recommending that people increase their consumption of peppers,” he said. “Our calculation is that you would have to eat 10 habanera peppers three times a week, which would be equivalent to the amount of capsaicin we gave to the mice.”

The researcher believes capsaicin could someday gain a place in adjuvant prostate cancer therapy. For example, it might be used after prostate surgery to kill cancer cells in patients whose blood PSA levels start to rise, indicating the presence of tumors too small to be seen, he said.

The study does highlight the crossover that can occur between conventional and alternative therapies. “We should take note of herbal medicines and then use modern-day techniques to find what the active compounds are and bring them into clinical trials,” Koeffler said.

One expert thinks it’s too early to know if capsaicin will ever be an effective prostate cancer treatment, however.

“Since large amounts of capsaicin have never been given to people, we don’t know what the side effects might be,” cautioned Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer at the American Cancer Society. “We don’t know about the right dose or anything.”

Lichtenfeld believes that any trial should be done in patients who are not responsive to other standard therapies. “We are ways away from a clinical trial,” he said. “We need more basic research before we start treating patients.”

Another expert concurred.

“This study does not prove that capsaicin will prove effective in the treatment of prostate cancer in humans,” said Dr. David L. Katz, an associate professor of public health and director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine. “Nor does it tell us that eating peppers rich in the substance will help prevent such cancer, or forestall its growth. But it provides a compelling argument for clinical study of capsaicin in human prostate cancer to put these questions to the test.”

“This paper should serve to remind us that herbal remedies and pharmacotherapy are often of common origins, differing only in our capacity to identify, purify and package the active ingredients,” Katz said. “This work suggests that the conventional medical community should turn a discriminating eye, rather than a jaded eye, toward time-honored herbal treatments. Many will doubtless prove ineffective when put to the test of high-quality research. But some will pass that test, and we must meticulously distinguish between them.”