demethoxycurcumin and Adenocarcinoma

Curcumin has a potent antiproliferative activity and can also potentiate the antitumor effect of gemcitabine. This study was undertaken to evaluate the activity and feasibility of gemcitabine in combination with curcumin in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Seventeen patients were enrolled in the study and received 8,000 mg of curcumin by mouth daily, concurrently with gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m(2) IV weekly × 3 of 4 wk; 5 patients (29%) discontinued curcumin after a few days to 2 wk due to intractable abdominal fullness or pain, and the dose of curcumin was reduced to 4,000 mg/day because of abdominal complaints in 2 other patients. One of 11 evaluable patients (9%) had partial response, 4 (36%) had stable disease, and 6 (55%) had tumor progression. Time to tumor progression was 1-12 mo (median 2½), and overall survival was 1-24 mo (median 5). Low compliance for curcumin at a dose of 8,000 mg/day, when taken together with systemic gemcitabine, may prevent the use of high doses of oral curcumin needed to achieve systemic effect. Further studies should be conducted to evaluate the ability of other formulations of curcumin to enhance the effect of chemotherapy in cancer patients.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Aged; Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Curcumin; Deoxycytidine; Disease Progression; Feasibility Studies; Female; Gemcitabine; Humans; Male; Medication Adherence; Middle Aged; Pancreatic Neoplasms; Severity of Illness Index; Survival Analysis

Curcuminoids (including curcumin) are natural antioxidants demonstrating potent chemopreventive properties against several forms of cancer. This study investigated the antiproliferative and induced apoptotic effects of curcuminoids on three cell lines isolated from human breast adenocarcinoma and ductal carcinoma (MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-435S, and MCF-7).. This study developed a highly sensitive, reproducible assay method using high-pressure liquid chromatography to quantify the cellular uptake of curcuminoids by breast cancer cells and quantitate its effect on inhibition of proliferation and activation of apoptosis in breast cancer cells.. Results indicate that curcuminoids inhibited cell proliferation and activation of apoptosis in the cell lines in this study. Both effects were observed to increase in proportion to the cellular uptake of curcuminoids; cellular uptake increased following an increase in the dosage of curcuminoids.. The inhibition of proliferation and increased apoptosis of breast cancer cells appears to be associated with the uptake of curcuminoids by cancer cells.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Antineoplastic Agents; Apoptosis; Biological Availability; Breast Neoplasms; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Curcumin; Diarylheptanoids; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Female; Humans