Green tea could delay prostate cancer

– US study
NEW YORK, (Reuters) – Active compounds in green tea  may slow down the progression of prostate cancer, researchers  reported yesterday.

Capsules made using green tea extracts called polyphenols  lowered levels of proteins that tumors use to grow, the  researchers found.

Made by Polyphenon Pharma, the capsules called Polyphenon E  contain epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG, a green tea extract  that has antioxidant properties.

Jim Cardelli of Louisiana State University Health Sciences  Center in Shreveport and colleagues tested 26 prostate cancer  patients, aged from 41 to 68.

Each took four Polyphenon E capsules a day — equivalent to  drinking 12 cups of green tea — for about a month before they  had their prostates removed.

Blood tests showed levels of three proteins associated with  the growth and spread of prostate cancer fell. Hepatocyte  growth factor or HGF fell 18.9 percent on average, vascular  endothelial growth factor or VEGF fell by 9.9 percent and  prostate specific antigen PSA fell by 10.4 percent, they  reported in the journal Cancer Prevention Research.
HGF and VEGF are produced when tumors spread and some  patients showed “significant” reduction levels of more than 30  percent, Cardelli said.

Few side effects were reported and liver function of the  patients remained normal.
“It’s still in an early stage. Green tea can keep cancer  from growing very fast, but it may not be able to shrink  tumors,” Cardelli said in a telephone interview.

“But it can be a good addition to traditional therapies,  like chemo (chemotherapy) or radiation.”
Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death  among American men. The American Cancer Society projects  prostate cancer will be diagnosed in 192,280 men and will kill  27,360 in 2009.

The test in 26 prostate cancer patients was a small trial  and bigger studies would be needed to confirm the results.