Another good food for you?  Read the latests research on a food which can kill cancer cells from the BBC.

“A compound extracted from tangerine peel can kill certain human cancer cells, research shows.

A team from Leicester School of Pharmacy found Salvestrol Q40 was turned into a toxic compound in cancer cells, destroying them.

Salvestrol Q40 is found at higher concentrations in tangerine peel, than in the flesh of the fruit.

The researchers suggest the modern trend to throw away peel may have contributed to a rise in some cancers.

Lead researcher Dr Hoon Tan said his work was still at an early stage, but together with his colleagues he has formed a company to investigate further the potential to develop natural anti-cancer therapies.

He said: “It is very exciting to find a compound in food that can target cancers specifically.”

Plant immune system

Salvestrol 40 is a type of phytoalexin – a chemical produced by plants to repel attackers, such as insects or fungi.

It is converted into a toxic compound by the P450 CYP1B1 enzyme, found in much higher levels in cancer cells.

As a result, the researchers found, it proved to be 20 times more toxic to cancer cells than their healthy equivalents.

Dr Tan said Salvestrol was found in other fruit and vegetables, such as the brassica family, which includes broccoli and brussels sprouts.

However, the compound tends to be produced at higher levels when infection levels among crops are high.

Therefore, the use of modern pesticides and fungicides, which have cut the risk of infections, have also led to a drop in Salvestrol levels in food.

Dr Julie Sharp, Cancer Research UK’s science information manager, said: “Many naturally occurring substances have anticancer properties, but while this research shows that salvestrols have an effect on cells in the laboratory, there is no evidence that they have a similar effect in patients.

“Clinical trials would be needed to tell us if these substances could be developed into a cancer treatment.”"

Story from BBC NEWS

The ingredient which makes jalapeno peppers hot also makes prostate cancer cells commit suicide, a study suggests.
Tests showed that capsaicin triggered 80% of the cells to start the process leading to cell death.
The US research in the journal Cancer Research also found tumours treated with capsaicin were smaller.
UK prostate experts say capsaicin could be the basis of a future drug but warned eating too many hot peppers has been linked to stomach cancer.

We caution men with prostate cancer in the UK against upping their weekly intake of the hottest known chillies
Chris Hiley, The Prostate Cancer Charity

In the study, researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center studied mice who had been genetically modified to have human prostate cancer cells.

They were given a dose of pepper extract equivalent to a man of 200 pounds (90.7kg) taking 400 milligrams of capsaicin three times a week.

That would be the same as having between three and eight fresh habanero peppers – the highest rated peppers for capsaicin content.

Normal cells go through a constant process where millions die every second – a process called apoptosis – while millions more are made, to keep the numbers the same.

But cancer cells avoid that process and “dodge” apoptosis by mutating or deregulating the genes that participate in programmed cell suicide.

Capsaicin was seen to increase the amount of certain proteins involved in the apoptosis process.

Capsaicin also reduced the amount of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a protein whch is often produced in high quantities by prostate tumours.

Fish intake

Dr Soren Lehmann, who led the study, said: “Capsaicin had a profound anti-proliferative effect on human prostate cancer cells in culture.

“It also dramatically slowed the development of prostate tumours.”

Chris Hiley, head of policy and research at The Prostate Cancer Charity, said: “This is interesting laboratory-based work on cells but we don’t yet know how, if at all, it might help men with prostate cancer.

“Eventually, it may be possible to extract the capsaicin and make it available as a drug treatment.

“In the meantime we caution men with prostate cancer in the UK against upping their weekly intake of the hottest known chillies – high intake of hot chillies has been linked with stomach cancers in the populations of India and Mexico.

“For now, if men with prostate cancer want to improve their diet they should avoid fatty foods, eat less red and processed meat, increase their fish intake and enjoy a wide and plentiful range of fruit and vegetables every day.”

News Source:  BBC NEWS

Most British women are unaware that breast cancer risk increases with age, a poll suggests. A survey of 1,000 people by charity Breast Cancer Care found nearly six out of 10 women did not know getting older was a strong risk factor.

More than 44,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the UK and 80% of all cases occur in over-50s.

Experts said many young women can worry unnecessarily while older women do not realise they are at risk.

The poll found that 58% did not know that the older they get, the higher their risk of breast cancer.

It’s extremely alarming that most women over 70 do not take up breast screening, as this increases the likelihood that any breast cancer they may develop is found at a later stage. Women aged 18-24 were better informed.

But 65% of women aged 45-54 knew there was a strong link between getting older and risk of the disease.

The charity said lack of knowledge was particularly concerning in those over the age of 70 years as a third did not believe it was necessary to check their breasts at that age.

And although most knew they had the right to request breast screening, only a quarter took up the opportunity.

Early detection

Christine Fogg, joint chief executive of Breast Cancer Care said: “The link between increasing age and breast cancer risk is well established yet these astonishing results reveal that the message is failing to reach the majority.

“It’s extremely alarming that most women over 70 do not take up breast screening, as this increases the likelihood that any breast cancer they may develop is found at a later stage, which could limit options and reduce the success of any treatment.

She called on the government and screening services to look at why the link to age is not well known.

Sara Hiom, director of health information at Cancer Research UK, said: “Confusion arises when celebrities like Kylie Minogue and Caron Keating, who have developed breast cancer, attract publicity in magazines read by young women.

“While it is helpful to raise awareness of the disease it can cause young women to worry unnecessarily. It may also mislead older women to think that ageing is not a factor in breast cancer.

“It is important to remember than four out of five cases are in women over 50. So it is extremely important for women in this age group to attend breast screening when invited.”

Carole Rawson, 67, was diagnosed with breast cancer in April following a routine screening appointment.

“I didn’t have a lump so would not have known I had anything wrong, and that could be the case for others.

“It’s not a case that if you haven’t got a lump then you don’t need to be screened.”

News Source:  BBC NEWS