Project manager
Camilla Stryhn
Department of Surgery
| Project management | ||
| Project status | Open | |
| Data collection dates | ||
| Start | 01.08.2023 | |
| End | 24.06.2026 | |
Polyp Prophylactic Properties of Polyacetylenes in Patients with Previous Polypectomy
Short summary
High intake of carrots has been shown to reduce bowel cancer in humans in prospective cohort studies. We aim to include and randomize 400 patients at the four institutions into two groups of equal size. One group receiving daily 100 ml active carrot juice and one group receiving 100 ml placebo. After 1 year the patients will undergo rutine follow-up colonocscopy, and we will then compare the number of polyps along with the sixe of the polyps from one group to the other.
Rationale
The polyacetylenes falcarinol and falcarindiol can be found in vegetables, and particularly in certain varieties of carrots. The level of polyacetylenes varies greatly in different carrot cultivars and varieties. The polyacetylenes from carrots and their interaction with human cancer cells and enzyme systems have been systematically investigated and published during the last 15 years from our study group and others. We have conducted 3 studies in rats where we confirmed a statistical significant reduction of neoplastic developments in the forms of both aberrant crypt foci and adenomas; and a reduced growth velocity of these neoplasms. The rats were given both falcarinol and falcarindiol, and the prophylactic effect found in earlier studies on falcarinol only was confirmed and synergistically enhanced to the same level as freeze dried carrots. The reduction of early neoplasms was in the order of 35 % increasing to 80 % for later stages of neoplasms (large adenomas). One of our later studies confirmed a dose-response in the azoxymethane induced rats and gave the basis to determine the lowest therapeutic level necessary to achieve a maximal prophylactic effect. Overall, the available evidence suggests that regular consumption of FaOH/FaDOH rich carrots should have a protective effect on colorectal cancer in humans. The research field is still relatively new and despite the fact that the necessary FaOH/FaDOH concentrations are easily achieved in humans, no randomized clinical human trials has been conducted.
Description of the cohort
Patients with polyps ≥ 20mm which has been removed at one of the collaborating hospitals.
Data and biological material
Data from the patient journals, questionnaire data, selvrepported data on intake of juice.
Collaborating researchers and departments
Thomas de Lange, Ass. Prof. at the Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital. Peter Thelin Schmidt, Professor Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden. Anna Martling M.D., PhD, Professor of Surgery, Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery.