Ionizing radiation is a toxic agent and widely accepted form of treatment for various types of cancer. Despite advances in medical technology, radiation therapy still causes severe early and late skin effects. Radiation-induced dermatitis occurs in approximately 80% of patients. Important consequences of radiation-induced dermatitis include impairment of the quality of a patient's life due to pain and premature interruption of radiation treatment, which in turn, may be impair good local control of disease. The biological pathways responsible for acute radiation-induced dermatitis remain unclear. Currently, there is no standard treatment for the prevention of radiation-induced dermatitis with demonstrated effectiveness. The aim of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study is to assess the effectiveness of curcumin for the prevention of acute radiation-induced dermatitis during postoperative radiotherapy for breast cancer. We hypothesize that curcumin, a natural phenolic compound found in both turmeric and curry powders, can prevent or alleviate radiation-induced skin reactions in breast cancer patients receiving radiotherapy.
Specifically, this clinical pilot study will develop data necessary to calculate a sample size for a larger study to be conducted through the NCI CCOP mechanism. Specifically, this pilot project will investigate: 1) if curcumin can prevent or alleviate radiation-induced skin reactions in cancer patients receiving radiotherapy and 2) if skin pigmentation, as well as pain and psychophysiological factors, can predict the severity of radiation-induced dermatitis. Potential future research studies may be conducted to identify the biological mechanisms involved in radiation-induced dermatitis and the radioprotective function of curcumin.
Allocation: Randomized, Control: Placebo Control, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Double Blind (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor), Primary Purpose: Treatment
Breast Cancer
Curcumin C3 Complex, Placebo
University of Rochester Medical Center & Wilmot Cancer Center
Rochester
New York
United States
14642
Recruiting
University of Rochester
Published on BioPortfolio: 2014-08-27T03:16:53-0400
Curcumin Biomarker Trial in Head and Neck Cancer
There is considerable evidence that turmeric consumption may have a protective effect against cancer progression. The purpose of this study is to examine the short-term effects of suppleme...
Bio-availability of a New Liquid Tumeric Extract
Curcumin is a commonly-used spice and food coloring. Evidence suggests that curcumin can suppress tumor initiation, promotion and metastasis in a variety of tumor cell lines. The current a...
Curcumin in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Curcuma longa or turmeric is a tropical plant native to south and southeast tropical Asia. Perhaps the most active component in turmeric is curcumin which may make up 2-5% of the total spi...
Gemcitabine With Curcumin for Pancreatic Cancer
The study hypotheasis is that curcumin, a natural compound with a potent antiproliferative effect, can improve the efficacy of the standard chemotherapy gemcitabine in patients with advanc...
Curcumin With Pre-operative Capecitabine and Radiation Therapy Followed by Surgery for Rectal Cancer
The goal of this clinical research study is to learn if combining a curcumin preparation with standard radiation therapy and chemotherapy (capecitabine) can help to shrink or slow the grow...
Sonic hedgehog and Wnt/β-catenin pathways mediate curcumin inhibition of breast cancer stem cells.
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play an essential role in the progression of many tumors. Sonic hedgehog (Shh) and Wnt/β-catenin pathways are crucial in maintaining the stemness of CSCs. Curcumin has been s...
Curcumin is known to possess various biological functions including anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and anti-cancer activity. Natural killer (NK) cells are large lymphocytes that directly kill cance...
Curcumin suppressed the prostate cancer by inhibiting JNK pathways via epigenetic regulation.
Curcumin is a component of turmeric and is isolated from the rhizomes of the plant Curcuma longa. Curcumin was reported to have therapeutic effects on prostate cancer. Yet the molecular mechanism of c...
Despite positive results obtained from anticancer activities of curcumin, there are some obstacles that limit its use as an anticancer agent.
Obesity is considered as one of the risk factors for breast cancer. Leptin has been found to be involved in breast cancer progression. Therefore, novel approaches to antagonize biological effects of l...
Breast Cancer Lymphedema
Abnormal accumulation of lymph in the arm, shoulder and breast area associated with surgical or radiation breast cancer treatments (e.g., MASTECTOMY).
Inflammatory Breast Neoplasms
Metastatic breast cancer characterized by EDEMA and ERYTHEMA of the affected breast due to LYMPHATIC METASTASIS and eventual obstruction of LYMPHATIC VESSELS by the cancer cells.
Carcinoma, Lobular
A infiltrating (invasive) breast cancer, relatively uncommon, accounting for only 5%-10% of breast tumors in most series. It is often an area of ill-defined thickening in the breast, in contrast to the dominant lump characteristic of ductal carcinoma. It is typically composed of small cells in a linear arrangement with a tendency to grow around ducts and lobules. There is likelihood of axillary nodal involvement with metastasis to meningeal and serosal surfaces. (DeVita Jr et al., Cancer: Principles & Practice of Oncology, 3d ed, p1205)
Capecitabine
A deoxycytidine derivative and fluorouracil PRODRUG that is used as an ANTINEOPLASTIC ANTIMETABOLITE in the treatment of COLON CANCER; BREAST CANCER and GASTRIC CANCER.
Mucin-1
Carbohydrate antigen elevated in patients with tumors of the breast, ovary, lung, and prostate as well as other disorders. The mucin is expressed normally by most glandular epithelia but shows particularly increased expression in the breast at lactation and in malignancy. It is thus an established serum marker for breast cancer.