Lycopene Benefits & Breast Cancer

The UK Office for National Statistics shows that breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, representing nearly one third of all female cancers.

Breast Cancer Research

Evidence for a benefit for lycopene in the fight against this disease is quite limited and there is a considerable range of views (from lycopene being beneficial in the fight against breast cancer to lycopene having no effect what-so-ever). Many more scientific/medical research trials are needed before we can be even reasonably certain the claims for such benefits are valid.

Notable Trials

Two medical publications, both from most reputable sources, illustrate the dilemma we face in evaluating the possible benefits of lycopene in this context:

• In 2005, Professor Sesso and co-workers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston report a study of nearly 40,000 women and conclude ‘neither higher dietary or plasma lycopene levels were associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer in middle-aged and older women’...

• ... And then in 2010, Professor Tamimi and co-workers from the same hospital and from Harvard Medical School reported ‘Overall, circulating total carotenoids [including lycopene] were inversely associated with breast cancer risk’. Indeed, for some of the groups of women studied they reported ‘Total carotenoids [including lycopene] were associated with a 50% reduction in breast cancer risk’.

Possible Mechanisms

There has also been debate on how lycopene might work. The antioxidant theory referenced elsewhere is suggested by some, while others report circulating levels of a growth hormone called IGF1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor 1) are reduced by lycopene and this reduces the progression of the disease.

In conclusion, high tomato lycopene diets have no detrimental effects so, apart from the cost, there seems no disadvantage in women including a high tomato lycopene in their diet while we await definite evidence one way or the other on the benefits in the reduction of breast cancer risks.

References

• Sesso H.D. and co-workers (2005) Dietary and plasma lycopene and the risk of breast cancer Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 14(5):1074-81.
• Tamimi R.M. and co-workers (2009) Circulating carotenoids, mammographic density, and subsequent risk of breast cancer Cancer Res. 69(24):9323-9.

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