A colon polyp is an abnormal growth in the lining of the bowel. Colon polyps are a risk factor for developing colon cancer. Colorectal cancers are the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Despite advances in screening and treatment methods, only modest improvements have been achieved in patients with advanced or recurrent colorectal cancers. The association of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables with a reduced risk of colon cancer has generated interest in developing preventative strategies focused on plant-derived compounds, such as curcumin, with anti-cancer potential. Talk to your doctor about use.
Colon Cancer Prevention
While some risk factors for colon cancer, such as age, cannot be changed, others, such as diet and lifestyle, can be altered to reduce colon cancer risk. The National Cancer Institute concludes that although observational studies have reported a reduced risk of developing colon cancer with the use of some drugs and supplements, like estrogen and folic acid, the data are not yet convincing enough for their routine inclusion in cancer prevention. The National Institutes of Health clinical trials registry lists over 20 trials evaluating the potential of drugs and supplements, including curcumin, in preventing colon polyps and cancer.
Polyps
Polyps are mushroom-shaped abnormal growths in the lining of the bowel. Not all polyps become cancerous. However, virtually all colon cancers are thought to develop from polyps. Adenomatous polyps, or adenomas, are polyps that can change into cancer. Hyperplastic polyps are typically non-cancerous. Large hyperplastic polyps in the ascending colon, however, carry a higher risk for colon cancer. The Centers for disease control and prevention suggests that up to 60 percent of colorectal cancer deaths may be preventable by regular screening in people over 50. Screening tests, like colonoscopy, can detect both polyps and colon cancer. Polyps of concern can also be removed surgically to reduce colon cancer risk.
Curcumin
Although natural compounds have been used in traditional medicine across the world for thousands of years, the chemical nature and cancer-specific effects of individual phytochemicals -- plant-derived compounds -- has only been explored recently. Curcumin is a phytochemical found in turmeric, a yellow spice popular in south Asian and Indian curries. Turmeric is made from the ground rhizomes of the plat Curcuma longa, a plant in the ginger family. Curcumin is the most abundant of the curcuminoids, a group of related compounds that constitute between 2 and 9 percent of turmeric. Curcumin has many biological properties, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.
Cancer-specific Effects
The effects of curcumin on cancer have been characterized in studies on lab-grown cells and rodent models of cancer, recently reviewed in April 2010 in "World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology." In these studies curcumin demonstrated many anti-cancer activities, such as the arrest of cancer cell growth, reduction of metastases -- or spreading of cancer cells -- and attenuation of angiogenesis -- the growth of new blood vessels in tumors.
Curcumin and Polyps
The effect of curcumin on colon polyps has been studied in humans and animal models for Familial adenomatous polyposis -- or FAP. FAP patients develop hundreds of polyps and have an increased risk of colorectal cancer. A study published in "Cancer Epidemiology, Markers and Prevention" in 2002 showed that curcumin reduced the multiplicity of adenomatous polyps in a mouse model for FAP. A study in human FAP patients, published in 2006 in "Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology," showed that curcumin, along with quercetin, reduced both the number and size of colon polyps. The small size, with five patients, and the curcumin dose, higher than that achieved from typical diets, are weak points of this study.
References
- American Cancer Society; Colorectal Cancer Detailed Guide
- National Cancer Institute; Genetics of Colorectal Cancer
- "World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology"; Jung Park and Chris N. Conteas; April 2010
- "Cancer Epidemiology, Markers and Prevention"; Sarah Perkins, et al.; June 2002
- "Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology'; Marcia Cruz-Correa, et al.; August 2006
- National Institutes of Health Clinical Trials Registry; Colon Polyp Chemoprevention
