Chemoprevention of Prostate Cancer by Natural Agents: Evidence from Molecular and Epidemiological Studies

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men which remains a global public health issue. Treatment of prostate cancer is becoming increasingly intensive and aggressive, with a corresponding increase in resistance, toxicity and side effects. This has revived an interest in nontoxic and cost-effective preventive strategies including dietary compounds due to the multiple effects they have been shown to have in various oncogenic signalling pathways, with relatively few significant adverse effects.

To identify such dietary components and micronutrients and define their prostate cancer-specific actions, we systematically reviewed the current literature for the pertinent mechanisms of action and effects on the modulation of prostate carcinogenesis, along with relevant updates from epidemiological and clinical studies.

Evidence from various recent experimental, clinical and epidemiological studies indicates that select dietary micronutrients (i.e., lycopene, epigallocatechin gallate, sulforaphane, indole-3-carbinol, resveratrol, quercetin, curcumin & piperine) and zinc play a key role in prostate cancer prevention and progression and therefore hold great promise for the future overall management of prostate cancer.

A formulation that comprises these micronutrients using the optimal, safest form and dosing should be investigated in future prostate cancer chemoprevention studies and as part of standard prostate cancer therapy.