Prostate Cancer News:

Study to Determine Whether Lycopene Can Reverse or Delay Precursor to Prostate Cancer

Researchers at Northwestern University will seek to determine whether natural tomato oil with a high concentration of lycopene can reverse or delay the progression of a precursor condition to prostate cancer in which abnormal cells form within the prostate.

The condition, known as high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN), is the strongest risk factor yet identified for the development of prostate cancer. Lycopene, an antioxidant found in tomatoes and tomato products, is commonly perceived to reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer.

Lycopene has been found to have anti-tumor activity in a number of laboratory studies. Also, previous studies have demonstrated a lower lung, stomach and prostate cancer rate in people with a high dietary intake of lycopene.

Research has shown an over 20 percent reduced risk for developing prostate cancer in men who ate more cooked tomato products, such as tomato sauce. Additional studies showed that cooking tomatoes and eating them with oil substantially increases the bioavailability of lycopene.

The National Cancer Institute-sponsored study at Northwestern will use tomato oil from non-genetically modified tomatoes raised in Israel and specially grown to be high in lycopene content.

Results of the study will be useful for clarifying the mechanisms of action of lycopene in the prostate, designing further clinical studies and determining the cancer preventive potential of this relatively non-toxic dietary compound.

“Prostate cancer is a rational target for chemoprevention because of its high public health burden and relatively slow growth rate,” said lead researcher Peter Gann, professor of preventive medicine at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

“Although early surgical treatment of prostate cancer might be effective, it involves substantial discomfort. This, plus the wide variability in the biological behavior of prostate cancer, makes overtreatment a persistent and serious concern,” Gann said.

Source: Medical Week staff, week of November 13, 2004