Curcumin Supplementation in Cervical Cancer

BACKGROUND Cervical cancer (CC) continues to be a major public health problem in Mexico. Today more than 4,000 women die each year from this disease, which requires implementing strategies that can improve current treatments, particularly for locally advanced disease. Today it is clear that persistent high-risk Human Papillomavirus infections are the main risk factor for developing CC. At the National Cancer Institute of Mexico (INCan), 80% of patients are diagnosed at locally advanced stages (IB3-IVA). The standard treatment for these stages is concomitant chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) followed by brachytherapy (BT).

p53 restricts tumor growth, promoting cell death and decreasing cell viability. Activation of p53 is vital for CCRT-induced cytotoxicity, while inactivation of p53 has been associated with resistance or insensitivity to treatment. Different nutraceuticals such as berberine and curcumin can reactivate endogenous p53 and exhibit its effects in CC. The E6 oncoprotein inactivates the p53 pathway in CC; therefore, the restoration of p53 may be a promising therapeutic strategy.

The health benefits associated with consuming fruits, vegetables, teas, and spices are due to the presence of phytochemicals. Diets characterized by regular consumption of fruits and vegetables have been associated with a decrease in the risk of CC. A particular group of phytochemicals of interest is polyphenols. The polyphenol curcumin is considered safe and non-toxic by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), and its administration causes minimal low-grade adverse effects (mainly grade 1 diarrhea). Based on clinical trials' safety and toxicity profile, a dose of up to 8000 mg/day of curcumin can be considered safe.

The current information on the bioavailability of phytochemicals continues to be limited, which places great importance on the exploration of polyphenols as possible new therapeutics. However, the low bioavailability and complex metabolism linked to polyphenols make it difficult to recommend a dose for daily consumption. The addition of piperine to curcumin supplementation has been demonstrated to increase absorption in the intestine.

Different biological effects have been associated with curcumin supplementation in cancer patients. Patients with pancreatic cancer received oral administration of curcumin at a dose of 8 g/day for eight months in combination with gemcitabine, which was well tolerated and showed an improvement in overall survival. Curcumin activity was evaluated in patients with metastatic colon cancer, finding that it was safe and tolerable in combination with FOLFOX.