AsianScientist (Apr. 7, 2011) – Eating strawberries may protect people at risk of esophageal cancer from the disease, according to a new study by researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center (OSUCCC–James) and researchers in China.
Dr. Tong Chen presented these findings yesterday at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 102nd meeting in Orlando, Florida.
The study is the first-ever collaborative Ohio State cancer clinical trial to be conducted in China.
“We concluded from this study that six months of strawberry treatment is safe and easy to consume. In addition, our preliminary data suggests that strawberries decreased histological grade of precancerous lesions and reduced cancer-related molecular events,” said Chen, lead author, and assistant professor in the division of medical oncology.
Previously published research by Chen and colleagues found that freeze-dried strawberries significantly inhibited tumor development in the esophagus of rats.
Based on these results, the researchers embarked on a Phase Ib clinical trial in China to investigate the effects of freeze-dried strawberries on patients with esophageal precancerous lesions.
Chen found that daily consumption of strawberries suppressed various biomarkers involved in esophageal carcinogenesis, including cell proliferation, inflammation and gene transcription.
Each of the 36 study participants ate 60 grams (about two ounces) of freeze-dried strawberries daily for six months. The researchers obtained biopsy specimens before and after the strawberry consumption. The results showed that 29 out of 36 participants experienced a decrease in histological grade of the precancerous lesions during the study.
Esophageal cancer is the third most common gastrointestinal cancer and the sixth most frequent cause of cancer death in the world.
Chen and her team are studying esophageal squamous cell carcinoma which makes up 95 percent of cases of esophageal cancer worldwide. The survival rate of this type of esophageal cancer is very low, with only 10 percent of patients living 5 years after diagnosis. Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is common in China, Japan, the Transkei region of South Africa, Iran, France and Puerto Rico.
In the United States, Canada and Europe, the risk factors for developing esophageal cancer include tobacco and alcohol use, along with poor diet lacking fruits and vegetables.
In Asia, additional risk factors include dietary intake of salty food and of food contaminated with various mycotoxins, deficiencies in dietary vitamins and minerals and thermal injuries due to the consumption of hot beverages.
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Source: Ohio State University-James.
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