Hey everyone,

Here is an article I recently published on the use of curcumin in
the treatment and prevention of cancer.

Could Getting Spicy Aid Your Treatment of Cancer
July, 2005


Wow, as a two time survivor of cancer I found it amazing that I
might be able to eat my self free of cancer. Well, that is an over
statement but new research is showing that Curcumin to have strong
cancer fighting properties. Curcumin also called turmeric is the
compound that gives curry its yellow tint. Curcumin has long been
known for its antioxidant properties and is being studied now for it
benefits in treating several different diseases. Cancer researchers
have taken an interest in Curcumin because many countries with curry-
rich cuisines have lower cancer rates than Western countries have.


Researchers from the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer
Center found Curcumin, blocks a key biological pathway needed for
development of melanoma and other cancers. The study was published
in the August 15, 2005 issue of the American Cancer Society
journal "Cancer". The study tested varying doses of Curcumin on
three melanoma cell lines. It showed that Curcumin stops laboratory
strains of melanoma from proliferating and induced apoptosis
(programmed cell suicide). The results were the same for high
concentrations of Curcumin over short periods of time and smaller
doses over longer periods of time.

In a study published in 2002 in "Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers &
Prevention", researcher gave three groups of mice different amounts
of Curcumin extract for 15 weeks. The results showed that the group
of mice given the largest amount of Curcumin found a reduction of 40
percent in benign tumors that were caused the same gene that causes
mot types of colon cancer. A similar study was published in "The
Prostate" in 2001. Again three groups of mice were used. All three
were injected with human prostate cancer cells. One group was a
placebo group that received no treatment. One group was given
Curcumin when injected with the cancer cells. The other group was
given Curcumin two weeks after the cancer injection. After 6 weeks
the tumors in the two groups give Curcumin were to percent smaller
than in the placebo groups.

A study on Curcumin and breast cancer was published in Cancer
Research, Vol. 62, July 1, 2002, pp. 3868-75. This study found that
the use of Curcumin was as effective in preventing the spread of
breast cancer as Taxol in laboratory mice. In the study mice were
induced with breast cancer then the tumors were removed such as with
a mastectomy in humans. Then the mice were divided into 4 groups.
One was a placebo group, one received Curcumin, one received Taxol,
and the other Curcumin and Taxol. After 5 weeks the study showed
that half the mice in the Curcumin group had the cancer spread to
the lungs. Only 22 percent of those in the Curcumin plus Taxol group
had seen the cancer spread. 75 percent of the Taxol only group saw
the cancer spread. The placebo group saw 95 percent of the mice had
the cancer spread to the lungs. These were amazing results.

Human studies are just beginning. But the early signs are that the
simple safe spice may offer a safe way of preventing cancer and may
also be a great way of aiding in the treatment of Cancer.

It should be noted that a culture study showed that Curcumin reduced
the effects of several chemo drugs used for treating cancer.

Rusty Ford
Health Editor http://my-local-news.com
Health news pages for over 50 health conitions.