A molecule found in a curry ingredient can kill oesophageal cancer cells in the laboratory, suggesting it might be developed as an anti-cancer treatment.
Reasearchers at the Cork Cancer Research Center treated cancerous oesophageal cells with curcumin, a chemical found in the spice turmeric. They found it started to kill the cancer cells within 24 hours.
Previous scientific studies had suggested that curcumin can suppress tumours and that people who eat lots of curry may be less prone to the disease, even though curcumin loses its anti-cancer attributes quickly when ingested. However, the Irish study published in the British Journal of Cancer suggested a potential for scientists to develop curcumin as an anti-cancer drug to treat esophageal cancer.
Cancers of the oesophagus kill more than 500,000 people worldwide each year. The tumors are especially deadly, with five-year survival rates of just 12 to 31%.
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