Is it safe to use curcumin during cancer treatment?

There is preclinical data that suggests curcumin is a normal tissue radioprotector and a tumor sensitizer. That is a difficult combination to achieve and I am skeptical.

There is also preclinical data that it works on a number of patho-physiologic pathways, some common and other specific to particular cancers. For example, there is potent activity on the NF-kB pathway, as well as suggestion that it inhibits the androgen receptor pathway in prostate cancer cells.

Regarding your question, there is no strong data that guide us. I err on the site of caution and ask patients not to take supplements that may be antioxidant and may inhibit the indirect effects of photon irradiation. They are free to continue after EBRT.

I'll present a bit of a counter argument. I've had patients mention curcumin, and they've all been prostate patients. There was a study a few years ago that curcumin helped reduce urinary side effects during XRT. It made its way 'round the 'net, and prostate CA patients do a lot of internet research as we all know. So I thought "Hey, I better research curcumin. I know nothing about it."

Briefly, best as I can tell, curcumin, which comes from turmeric, is a bit inert. "Factors that limit the bioactivity of curcumin or its analogs include chemical instability, water insolubility, absence of potent and selective target activity, low bioavailability, limited tissue distribution, extensive metabolism. Very little curcumin escapes the GI tract and...