| As regular readers of this column already know, | | | | progression of prostate cancer in these men. |
| recent research data has been quite unkind to many | | | | While this was a very small pilot study, with limited |
| vitamins and other dietary supplements that were | | | | statistical power, its results are nonetheless |
| previously thought to have a potential role in disease | | | | disappointing. Previous studies of lycopene and |
| prevention. While the vitamin and supplements | | | | prostate cancer have largely relied upon so-called "in |
| industry remains a multi-billion dollar business, large | | | | vitro" research on prostate cancer cells growing in a |
| prospective clinical research trials in recent years | | | | laboratory dish, or on dietary surveys in epidemiology |
| have, repeatedly, shown no health benefits from | | | | studies. These are popular methodologies of cancer |
| taking vitamin supplements, and in some cases, | | | | prevention and treatment research because they are |
| certain vitamin supplements appear to actually | | | | quick and inexpensive to perform. But the vast |
| worsen health. | | | | majority of the findings of these types of lower-level |
| As in so many other cases, laboratory research | | | | research studies are, unfortunately, never confirmed |
| studies using cancer cells growing in Petrie dishes | | | | by high-level prospective, randomized clinical research |
| have previously suggested that lycopene, a member | | | | trials. |
| of the Vitamin A family, might be toxic to prostate | | | | Given the very small number of patients enrolled in |
| cancer cells. This, predictably, has spurred tens of | | | | this pilot trial, and the relatively short duration of |
| thousands of men to take lycopene supplements in | | | | follow-up, a larger, placebo-controlled, prospective, |
| hopes of preventing prostate cancer. However, a | | | | randomized clinical trial with lycopene should be |
| small new prospective clinical and laboratory research | | | | undertaken. The men in this small pilot study also had |
| trial, just published in the Journal of Urology, suggests | | | | advanced prostate cancer that had become resistant |
| that lycopene may not offer any clinical benefit as a | | | | to current treatments, and so it might be helpful to |
| treatment adjunct in men with advanced prostate | | | | perform a larger clinical trial with men who have |
| cancer. | | | | intermediate-stage prostate cancer, in the hope that |
| In this small pilot study, 17 adult patients with | | | | a more modest benefit from lycopene, if it exists, |
| prostate cancer refractory to other treatments were | | | | might be identified. For now, however, the clinical |
| given 15 milligrams of lycopene per day for 6 months. | | | | evidence remains extremely weak that lycopene has |
| During the course of this study, both the clinical | | | | any useful role to play in either the prevention or |
| progression of these patients' prostate cancers and | | | | treatment of prostate cancer (indeed, I stopped |
| the level of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in their | | | | taking lycopene, myself, several years ago, when I |
| blood were monitored. Unfortunately, there was no | | | | concluded that the available clinical data did not |
| clinically detectable benefit of lycopene on the | | | | support its use as a cancer prevention agent). |