Ovarian cancer is the fifth most lethal form of cancer in women of the United States, according to the 2009 Cancer Statistics published in "CA: A Cancer Journal For Clinicians." In 2009, there were nearly 22,000 newly diagnosed cases of ovarian cancer. Finding novel treatments for any cancer can be difficult, however, according to several published scientific articles on Pubmed.gov, ovarian cancer may be controlled in some degree by diet. Below are a few examples, although more research is necessary.
Curcumin
Curcumin is the active antioxidant compound found in the spice turmeric. Tumeric has been used for centuries in India as a treatment for numerous maladies including cancer. Although curcumin is not presently undergoing clinical trials with ovarian cancer, preclinical cell and animal studies indicate that curcumin can increase the sensitivity of ovarian cancer to chemotherapy and radiation treatments, potentially leading to improvements in ovarian cancer treatment in the future, according to Dr. Yallapu in the 2010 issue of the "Journal of Ovarian Research."
Pear Cactus
Pear cactus can be purchased at many supermarkets and is a dietary component of some Mexican dishes. Dr. Da- Ming Zhou, as mentioned in the 2005 issue of "Nutrition Journal," created pear cactus extract by blending the cactus and separating the juice from the pulp. Diluted pear juice extract significantly inhibited ovarian cancer cell growth and induced cell death. Pear cactus also significantly decreased ovarian tumor growth in mice that were experimentally injected with human cancer cells.
Ginger
Ginger root has natural antioxidant and anticancer properties. Ginger extract developed from dried ginger root powder, according to Dr. Jennifer Rhode in the 2007 issue of "BMC: Complementary and Alternative Medicine," was used to treat cultured cancerous human ovarian cells in the laboratory. Cells that received the ginger extract exhibited a large decrease in growth. Ginger also inhibited activity of vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF, in these cells. VEGF is a very important protein in numerous cancers and plays important roles in cancer development and progression.
Tip of the Iceberg
A quick search of the many scientific articles posted on Pubmed.gov about herbal supplementation for ovarian cancer reveals that there are far more potential supplements presently being tested than can be covered in this article. Some other herbs with an apparent effect against ovarian cancer include soy, dong quai, selenium, garlic and tomatoes, just to name a few. Much of this research is still in its infancy stages and should not be taken without consulting a doctor first.
References
- "CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians"; Cancer Statistics, 2009; Ahmedin Jemal, Rebecca Siegel, Elizabeth Ward, Yongping Hao, Jiaquan Xu, and Michael J. Thun; May 2009
- "Journal of Ovarian Research"; Curcumin Induces Chemo/Radio-Sensitization in Ovarian Cancer Cells and Curcumin Nanoparticles Inhibit Ovarian Cancer Cell Growth; Murali M Yallapu, Diane M Maher, Vasudha Sundram, Maria C Bell, Meena Jaggi and Subhash C Chauhan; 2010
- "International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition"; Screening of Antiproliferative Effect of Aqueous Extracts of Plant Foods Consumed in México on the Breast Cancer Cell Line MCF-7; Pablo García-Solís, Elhadi M. Yahia, Verónica Morales-Tlalpan, and Mauricio Díaz-Muñoz; 2009
- "Nutrition Journal"; Cactus Pear: a Natural Product in Cancer Chemoprevention; Da-ming Zou, Molly Brewer, Francisco Garcia, Jean M Feugang, Jian Wang, etal; September 2005
- "BMC: Complementary and Alternative Medicine"; Ginger Inhibits Cell Growth and Modulates Angiogenic Factors in Ovarian Cancer Cells; Jennifer Rhode, Sarah Fogoros, Suzanna Zick, Heather Wahl, Kent A Griffith, etal; December 2007
