CHICAGO, August 29 A new study involving African-American men who as a group have the highest incidence of prostate cancer in the world provides further evidence that lycopene, a chemical found in abundance in tomato sauce, may help prevent or slow the development of the disease. The clinical study was reported today at the 222nd national meeting of the American Chemical Society, the worlds largest scientific society.

The study focuses primarily on black men, who are often underrepresented as clinical subjects. It is also the first to link the effect of tomato sauce consumption to a reduction of human DNA damage, considered a marker for increased cancer risk, according to the researchers.

Researchers at the University of Illinois in Chicago fed 32 volunteers with newly diagnosed prostate cancer three-fourths cup of tomato sauce daily for three weeks. The majority of the subjects (24) were black. In addition to causing significant reductions in DNA damage to prostate cancer cells and leukocytes (white blood cells), the treatment resulted in reduced blood levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA), a protein whose increased levels are strongly linked to a higher prostate cancer risk, according to the researchers.

"This study does not say that tomato sauce reduces cancer," cautions Phyllis E. Bowen, Ph.D., a nutritionist at the university and lead investigator in the study. "It says that it reduces DNA damage that we think is associated with cancer."

Although further studies are needed to determine whether reduced DNA damage is actually protective in healthy individuals who eat tomato sauce, the current study suggests that eating extra tomato sauce perhaps by consuming more pizza, pasta or spaghetti may be beneficial to some, especially to those at high risk for prostate cancer, says Bowen.

As a group, African-American men have approximately a 34 percent higher rate of prostate cancer, and are twice as likely to die fro
'"/>


29-Aug-2001

Page: 1 2 3
Related medicine news :

1. Study of energy and health in Africa focuses spotlight on charcoal and forest management
2. Study shows promise in identifying kidney failure
3. Study shows patch therapy may be as effective as oral medications
4. Study shows soy is well accepted in school lunches
5. Study finds that coordinating care of chronically ill patients does not increase liability
6. Study provides new estimates of the causes of child mortality worldwide
7. Study finds factors linked to substance use disorder relapse among health care professionals
8. Study finds majority of women willing to accept cervical cancer vaccine for self and children
9. Study shows use of budesonide reduced the risk of asthma related events by 40% in children
10. Study shows risk of cardiac death after radiation for breast cancer has dramatically decreased
11. Study shows acrylamide in baked and fried food does not increase risk of breast cancer in women