Integrative Oncology Corner
This Week’s Topic—Lycopene
Lycopene has long been touted as a food that helps reduce the risk of cancer, specifically prostate cancer. It is a strong antioxidant found in tomatoes, grapefruit, watermelon and papaya. It must be ingested, ie it is not synthesized by the human body. It is in the carotenoid family, unlike other vitamin A precursors, cannot be converted to vitamin A.
While lycopene has been linked to reduction in non-cancer health problems like exercise-induced asthma and macular degeneration, its cancer association is based on epidemiological studies. It has been found to decrease the risk of prostate, lung, stomach and hormone-negative (ER/PR) negative breast cancers. Unfortunately there is not conclusive evidence based on the handful of randomized studies up to this point.
When taken in normal doses, lycopene has no adverse effects. However, since it does have strong antioxidant capabilities you should discuss whether or not to ingest large quantities during radiation therapy as it has been suggested that antioxidants might interfere with radiation’s mechanism of cell kill. |
