Lycopene/Tomato Consumption and the Risk of Prostate Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prospective Studies

Abstract

Lycopene/tomato has been discussed as a potential effecter in the prevention and therapy of prostate cancer; however, no systematic review has been reported to illustrate its effect recently. In the present study, a meta-analysis was carried out to determine whether intake of lycopene and tomato/tomato products could reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Eleven cohort studies and six nested case-control studies were identified through searching of international journal databases and reference lists of relevant publications. Two reviewers independently assessed the study quality and extracted data from each identified study; only studies with sufficient quality were included in the review. The main outcome of interest was incidence of prostate cancer. Compared with consumers of lower raw tomato intake, the odds ratio (OR) of incidence of prostate cancer among consumers of higher raw tomato intake was 0.81 [95% confidential interval (CI) 0.59-1.10]; for consumers of higher level of cooked tomato intake versus lower cooked tomato intake, this OR was 0.85 (95% CI 0.69-1.06); the OR of higher lycopene intake versus lower lycopene intake for prostate cancer was 0.93 (95% CI 0.86-1.01) and the OR for higher level of serum lycopene versus lower serum lycopene level was 0.97 (95% CI 0.88-1.08). It's suggested that tomato may play a modest role in the prevention of prostate cancer. Further research would be needed to determine the type and quantity of tomato products regarding their potential in preventing prostate cancer.

GC-MS and NMR analysis of the bioactive compounds from the crude extracts of Waltheria indica and the histopathological changes induced in albino rats challenged with Naja nigricollis venom

“…Lycopene is a derivative of carotenoids and has been shown to prevent the risk of cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers [29,30]. Also, lycopene has been reported to have potent antioxidant properties and preventive role in oxidative stressmediated chronic diseases and hence, having a pharmacological effect on pathogenesis of the skeletal system including prostrate cancer [31].…”

El tomate, ¿alimento saludable y/o funcional?

“…Respecto a la relación licopeno y cáncer, uno de los tumores más estudiados ha sido el cáncer de próstata, donde parece disminuir el riesgo de aparición de la enfermedad en un 2% con una ingesta dietética de 0,2mg/día, otros autores estiman la dosis entre 9-21mg por día 34 ; pero una vez detectada la enfermedad no se ha encontrado ninguna asociación entre su ingesta y el retroceso de la misma 34,35 . Realmente no se conoce la ingesta diaria recomendada de licopeno, pero se cree que 6mg/día podría ser suficiente para obtener sus efectos saludables.…”

Dietary supplements and prostate cancer prevention

“…12 A more recent metaanalysis, including prospective studies from 1989 to 2011, did not show any significant protection and could not recommend the use of lycopene supplements in the prevention of prostate cancer. 13 While being widely investigated in observational research, only a few small RCTs have looked at lycopene supplements versus placebo, and these did not show significant results. 14,15 Polyphenols are natural, water-soluble compounds and are the main constituents of tea.…”