Curcimin 'kills cancer'

Researchers at the University of California, led by Marilene Wang, have carried out the study and found that curcumin suppresses a cell signaling pathway that drives the growth of head and neck cancer.

The inhibition of the cell signalling pathway also correlated with reduced expression of a number of pro- inflammatory cytokines, or signalling molecules, in the saliva that promote cancer growth, said Dr Wang.

"This study shows that curcumin can work in the mouths of patients with head and neck malignancies and reduce activities that promote cancer growth.

"And it not only affected the cancer by inhibiting a critical cell signalling pathway, it also affected the saliva itself by reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines within the saliva," she said.

In the study, 21 patients with head and neck cancers gave samples of their saliva before and after chewing two curcumin tablets totalling 1,000 mg. Eating the curcumin reduced the level of cancer enhancing cytokines.An independent lab in Maryland was sent blind samples and confirmed the results -- the pro-inflammatory cytokines in the saliva that help feed the cancer were reduced in the patients that had chewed the curcumin and the cell signalling pathway driving cancer growth was inhibited, Dr Wang said.

"The curcumin had a significant inhibitory effect, blocking two different drivers of head and neck cancer growth. We believe curcumin could be combined with other treatments like chemotherapy and radiation to treat head and neck cancer.

"It also could perhaps be given to patients at high risk for developing head and neck cancers -- smokers, those who chew tobacco and people with the HPV virus -- as well as to patients with previous cancers to fight recurrence," she said.

The findings are to appear in an upcoming edition of the 'Clinical Cancer Research' journal