Cranberries May Help with Ovarian Cancer Treatment

< Aug. 22, 2007 > -- Improving the effect of chemotherapy against ovarian cancer may soon be as simple as drinking a glass of cranberry juice, suggests new research.

In laboratory experiments, pre-treating ovarian tumor cells with the juice gave a six-fold boost to the cancer-killing power of medications, researchers say.

The study results were presented this week at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society being held in Boston.

Ovarian cancer is the seventh most common cancer in the United States and the fifth leading cause of cancer death among American women, according to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The American Cancer Society estimates that 22,430 new cases of ovarian cancer will be diagnosed in the US in 2007.

Initial Lab Studies Promising

Chemotherapy using platinum drugs, including cisplatin and paraplatin, is a mainstay treatment for ovarian cancer. However, cancer cells tend to develop resistance to platinum therapy and higher doses of the drugs can cause unwanted side-effects, including nerve damage and kidney failure.

Although preliminary, the cranberry boost related findings have the potential to save lives and reduce the harmful side effects associated with using high doses of platinum medications for the treatment of ovarian cancer. The researchers add that human studies are still needed. The new study adds to a growing number of potential health benefits linked to cranberries.

The study authors stress that the finding is still experimental and preliminary, but it could offer a new option for patients whose ovarian cancer has become resistant to treatment.

Focusing on Cranberries' Health Benefits

The new study focused on cranberry juice because of past research suggesting that the juice has a wide range of potential health benefits, including the ability to fight urinary tract infections, stomach ulcers, and cancer.

Ajay P. Singh, Ph.D., from Rutgers University, and his associates used ovarian cancer cells that were relatively resistant to platinum.

They treated the cells with various doses of a purified extract of commercially available cranberry drink (containing 27 percent pure juice), exposed the cells to the platinum drug paraplatin, and compared them to cells that were not exposed to the extract.

Paraplatin killed six times more cancer cells that were pre-treated with juice extract compared to cells that were exposed to the cancer drug alone, the researchers say.

The extract also slowed the growth and spread of some cancer cells. The maximum amount of juice extract given to the cells was the human equivalent of about a cup of cranberry juice, according to the researchers.

"Encouraging" Results

"This was surprising and encouraging," notes Dr. Singh, lead author on the study and a research associate and natural products chemist in the department of plant biology and plant pathology at Rutgers.

"We don't consider them to be a drug, but cranberries are already very well known to have antioxidants that boost the immune system and body strength, prevent urinary tract infection and help fight cardiovascular disease. So, we knew that cranberries would certainly not harm cancer patients. And now, we found that they actually increase sensitivity to chemo several-fold," he says.

The research team believes that the active compounds in the cranberry extract are powerful antioxidants called ‘A-type’ proanthocyanidins that are unique to cranberries and not found in other fruits.

The researchers add that they do not understand exactly how the cranberry compounds work. However, based on research by other groups, these compounds appear to bind to and block certain tumor promoter proteins found in the ovarian cancer cells. The result is that the cancer cells become more vulnerable to attack from the platinum drugs, the scientists say, noting that the cranberry compounds are not a cure for cancer.

Animal studies will begin soon and a new therapy could one day be available to consumers if further testing proves successful, Dr. Singh says.

For now, the researchers recommend that those with ovarian and other types of cancer seek their physician’s advice for the most effective treatment options.

Always consult your physician for more information.

More About Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the use of anticancer drugs to treat cancerous cells. Chemotherapy has been used for many years and is one of the most common treatments for cancer.

In most cases, chemotherapy works by interfering with the cancer cell's ability to grow or reproduce. Different groups of drugs work in different ways to fight cancer cells.

Chemotherapy may be used alone for some types of cancer or in combination with other treatments such as radiation or surgery. Often, a combination of chemotherapy drugs is used to fight a specific cancer.

Certain chemotherapy drugs may be given in a specific order depending on the type of cancer they are being used to treat.

While chemotherapy can be quite effective in treating certain cancers, chemotherapy drugs reach all parts of the body, not just the cancer cells. Because of this, there may be many side effects during treatment.

Being able to anticipate these side effects can help you and your caregivers prepare and, in some cases, prevent these symptoms from occurring.

Chemotherapy can be given:

• as a pill to swallow.

• as an injection into the muscle or fat tissue.

• intravenously (directly to the bloodstream; also called IV).

• topically (applied to the skin)

• directly into a body cavity

There are over 50 chemotherapy drugs that are commonly used. Side effects may occur just after treatment (days or weeks) or they may occur later (months or years) after the chemotherapy has been given.

As each person's individual medical profile and diagnosis is different, so is his/her reaction to treatment. Side effects may be severe, mild, or absent.

Be sure to discuss any/all possible side effects of treatment with your cancer care team before the treatment begins.

Always consult your physician for more information.