I appreciate your article “Integrative Medicine and Prostate Cancer: A Look at the Currently Available Evidence” in the November issue of PCRI Insights as a guide to complementary medicine. My question concerns the research of biochemist Bharat B. Aggarwal, Ph.D., of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center on curcumin. The publications I discovered about it online are http://www2.mdanderson.org/depts/oncolog/articles/07/9-sep/9-07-2.html and http://www.naturalmedicinejournal.com/pdf/NMJ_DEC09_RI.pdf What Dr. Aggarwal says about curcumin is, “There has been a substantial amount of research on turmeric’s anti-cancer potential. Evidence from laboratory and animal studies suggests that curcumin has potential in the treatment of various forms of cancer, including prostate, breast, skin, and colon. Human studies will be necessary before it is known to what extent these results may apply to people.” This seems reliable and well documented. My question is whether you agree and, if so, why you did not cite it. Is there something wrong here that I do not understand. Barbara

Good insightful question Barbara. There are other agents that include curcumin that I think are valuable ( eg DIM, Indole 3 carbinol, reveratrol, cruciferous sprouts extratc, etc.) that I did not include in the article. There were limitations on the length of the article and I chose to write about a contraversial topic (SELECT trial) and others where there is a little more evidence in humans - vitamin D and MCP. I do, however use curcumin in my practice with prostate cancer patients.

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Geo Espinosa, N.D., L.Ac, CNS, RH (AHG) is the Director of the Integrative Urological Center at New York University Langone Medical Center. Before joining NYU, Dr. Espinosa was a clinician, researcher and director of clinical trials at the Center for Holistic Urology at Columbia University Medical Center. He is a licensed naturopathic doctor, licensed acupuncturist, a Certified Nutrition Specialist and a Registered Herbalist. Dr. Espinosa is an author of the naturopathic entry in 1000 Cures for 200 ailments, by Harper Collins; March 2007 and “Prostate cancer – Nutrients that may slow its progression,” Food and Nutrients in Disease Management - Maryland: Cadmus Publishing, 2009.

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