Vitamin A Curbs Spread of Prostate Cancer

A study published in the journal Oncogenesis states that vitamin A is the best remedy to treat and prevent the spread of prostate cancer.

Scientists at the University of York have found that retinoic acid that is made from vitamin A turns particular genes within prostate cancer stem cells back on, thereby lowering the chances of the cancer to invade the tissues surrounding it. This retinoic acid is supplied in our diet by green vegetables, liver and carrots. The researchers emphasize on the fact that vitamin A-related compounds can be used to improve the clinical treatments for prostate cancer.

"We have found that specific 'twin' genes are turned off in malignant prostate cancer stem cells. When we turn them back on using retinoic acid, the cancer becomes less aggressive.  All-trans retinoic acid is already used treat another type of cancer called acute promyelomcytic leukaemia (APL) and has been hugely successful in improving survival rates," professor Norman Maitland, Director of the YCR Cancer Research Unit in the Department of Biology at York said in a press statement.

He continues to state that for prostate cancer, the researchers suggest that it is not needed that the retinoic acid kill the cancer stem cells, instead they just switch them to a more treatable form.

Till date, low vitamin A has been linked with prostate cancer but the mechanism behind this was unknown. More than 10,000 men die annually due to prostate cancer.