Prostate cancer ranks second among all cancers in the male population. About 220,000 cases existed in the USA last year which is alarming.
Inspired by the old saying “prevention is better than cure”, and due to the high cost of cancer treatment, more importance is being given on chemoprevention of prostate cancer.
Numerous chemical compounds are being tested in research labs to see if any of those can prevent prostate cancer. A team of researchers headed by Nagi B Kumar conducted a clinical trial at Moffitt Cancer Center on men who have precancerous state of the prostate to see the effectiveness of chemical agents in green tea in the prevention cancer development.
Inside green tea
Green tea consumption is heavy in Asian countries (about 20%) where the incidence of prostate cancer is quite low. Interestingly, if Asian people migrate to western countries and thus change the dietary pattern, the incidence of prostate cancer significantly increases among them.
Scientists have extracted special chemical agents from the green tea known as catechins that can inhibit growth and spread of cancer cells, and stimulate apoptosis (programmed cell death) of cancer cells. The animal trial also revealed a favorable effect of catechins in green tea on tumor cell growth. Best known catechin present in green tea is Epigalactocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) which effectively prevent cancer development and progression.
The green tea experiment
A trial was conducted whose objective was to see the outcome of patients presenting with a precancerous state of prostates like high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia(HGPIN) and Atypical small acinar proliferation(ASAP) if they are treated with green tea catechins for one year. Caffeine was removed from green tea and then capsules containing Polyphenol E were administered twice daily. The catechins mixture in those capsules contained 200 micrograms of EGCG.
The test group of the research comprised 49 men taking Polyphenon E while comparison group comprised 48 men taking a placebo (inert drug) over a period of one year. There was a negligible statistical difference between the two groups during the test period. However, the conclusion of the trial was individuals presenting with HGPIN and treated with Polyphenon E develop ASAP and prostate cancer less frequently than those taking a placebo. ASAP is a spectrum of atypical changes in the prostate epithelium that lack the attributes of actual cancer cells such as local invasion and metastasis.
The results
The conclusion of the study was made based on a finding that subjects taking Polyphenon E showed a significant fall in PSA (prostate-specific antigen) which is considered as a biomarker for prostate cancer. PSA value above 10 ng/dL is suggestive of prostate cancer.
Polyphenon E containing capsules cause raised blood levels of EGCG which was confirmed by the researchers at Moffitt. This significant research finding was presented at the conference of American Society of Clinical Oncology held in Chicago in 2015.
The study established the role of catechins; the potent chemical agents found in green tea in the prevention of prostate cancer in the risk group of the male population.
References
- Component in green tea may help reduce prostate cancer in men at high risk
- Green Tea and Cancer Prevention: New Clues
- Ingredient In Green Tea Might Prevent Prostate Cancer And Kill Tumor Cellsa When They Appear
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