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Green Tea: The Next Cancer Therapy?
Reported June 22, 2009
(Ivanhoe Newswire) – According to a
recent study, men with prostate cancer who consumed the active compounds in
green tea demonstrated a significant reduction in serum markers predictive
of prostate cancer progression.
"The investigational agent used in the trial, Polyphenon E, may have the
potential to lower the incidence and slow the progression of prostate
cancer," James A. Cardelli, Ph.D., professor and director of basic and
translational research in the Feist-Weiller Cancer Center, LSU Health
Sciences Center-Shreveport, LA, was quoted as saying.
Few studies to date have evaluated the change in biomarkers, which might
predict disease progression. Cardelli and colleagues conducted this
open-label, single-arm, phase II clinical trial to determine the effects of
short-term supplementation with green tea's active compounds on serum
biomarkers in patients with prostate cancer. The biomarkers include
hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)
and prostate specific antigen (PSA). HGF and VEGF are good prognostic
indicators of metastatic disease.
The study included 26 men, aged 41 to 72
years, diagnosed with prostate cancer and scheduled for radical
prostatectomy. Patients consumed four capsules containing Polyphenon E until
the day before surgery — four capsules are equivalent to about 12 cups of
normally brewed concentrated green tea. The time of study for 25 of the 26
patients ranged from 12 days to 73 days.
Findings showed a significant reduction in serum levels of HGF, VEGF and PSA
after treatment, with some patients demonstrating reductions in levels of
greater than 30 percent, according to the researchers. There were only a few
reported side effects associated with this study, and liver function
remained normal.
Results of a recent year-long clinical trial conduced by researchers in
Italy demonstrated that consumption of green tea polyphenols reduced the
risk of developing prostate cancer in men with high-grade prostate
intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN).
"These studies are just the beginning and a lot of work remains to be done;
however, we think that the use of tea polyphenols alone or in combination
with other compounds currently used for cancer therapy should be explored as
an approach to prevent cancer progression and recurrence," Cardelli said.
In collaboration with Columbia University in New York City, researchers are
currently conducting a comparable trial among patients with breast cancer.
SOURCE: Cancer Prevention Research, American Association for Cancer
Research, June 19, 2009 |
