Pomegranate Juice may Slow Growth of Prostate Cancer
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Pomegranate juice may slow prostate cancer
UCLA study involved 50 men
Drinking an 8-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 appeared 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. We don't know yet the specific factors behind this response-that's our next step in this research," Pantuck said. "We want to find out what cell-signaling pathways might be affected, what is happening to keep PSA levels stable.
"There are many substances in pomegranate juice that may be prompting this response. 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 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 10 centers across the country. UCLA is the only Southern California center involved in the study. For more information on the Phase III trial, call (310) 825-5538.
www.TheAcorn.com
Pomegranate juice may slow prostate cancer
UCLA study involved 50 men
Drinking an 8-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 appeared 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. We don't know yet the specific factors behind this response-that's our next step in this research," Pantuck said. "We want to find out what cell-signaling pathways might be affected, what is happening to keep PSA levels stable.
"There are many substances in pomegranate juice that may be prompting this response. 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 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 10 centers across the country. UCLA is the only Southern California center involved in the study. For more information on the Phase III trial, call (310) 825-5538.