Turmeric stops spread of breast cancer into lungs, improves effectiveness of current therapy

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Main Category: Breast Cancer
Article Date: 15 Oct 2005 - 13:00 PDT

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Tumeric contains an ingredient called curcumin which helps stop the spread of breast cancer into the lungs. It also helps current breast cancer medications and procedures work better, according to researchers in Texas.

Turmeric is a popular ingredient of curry powder.

These findings are the results of tests carried out on mice. Further research is needed, said the scientists. However, they said the results so far are 'exciting'.

Kylie Minogue, who is undergoing breast cancer treatment, has been taking turmeric.

You can read about this study in the journal Clinical Cancer Research.

It seems that curcumin shuts down a protein which encourages the spread of breast cancer. It stops the cancer from spreading into the lungs. It also seems to reverse some of the undesirable side effects of prolonged chemotherapy. Researchers also found that when they add curcumin, the chemotherapy dose can be much lower, but just as effective.

In this study there were 60 mice with breast cancer and taking curcumin, another group of 60 mice with breast cancer were not treated with curcumin. They found that there were fewer cases of progression to lung cancer among the curcumin-treated mice.

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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