Chemical in Cruciferous Vegetables Causes Breast Cancer Cells to Self-Destruct

A chemical in cruciferous vegetables, phenethyl isothiocyanate or PEITC, shows promise as a preventative against certain types of breast cancer cells. PEITC contains compounds that cause apoptosis in breast cancers. Apoptosis is when a cell receives a signal to die or self-destruct.
Cruciferous Vegetables
Broccoli, kale, and Brussels sprouts are cruciferous vegetables. They get their name from the cross-like flowers the plants produce. Compounds in these vegetables have been long thought to help prevent cancer, and now we have a better understanding of why. Since my breast cancer diagnosis, I turned to improving my diet in order to stay strong during surgery and chemo. Eating better will help prevent the cancer from spreading.
The Study
A study published in the online version of Journal of the National Cancer Institute, clearly shows the potential of PEITC in the reduction of breast cancer tumors in mice. In the study, mice with mammary tumors similar to human breast cancer were given PEITC over 29 weeks. The results were clear. Mice that received PEITC had 53.13 percent decrease in tumor size and growth when compared to the control group.
Shivendra V. Singh, Ph.D. of the University of Pittsburg Cancer Institute conducted the study. Two groups of mice were used. One group was fed PEITC for 29 week and the other group was fed a control diet.
Conclusions and Results
Although the study shows that PEITC reduces tumors in mice through apoptosis, reduced cellular proliferation and alter expression of several proteins, it did not suppress the HER2 proteins in the cells. About 20 percent of all breast cancers are HER2 positive. An overabundance of HER2 receptors in a cancer cell makes it more aggressive and harder to treat.
By reducing the rate at which cancer cells spread and by increasing death rates in cancer cells, PEITC shows a lot of promise in the treatment of breast cancer. For people with breast cancer, learning more about which foods can help reduce the risk of recurrence is important.
This study has huge implication for women like me who have early stage breast cancer. Although the study's results cannot be conclusively projected onto humans--it shows enough promise for me to start eating more vegetables that contain PEITC. The possibility of a recurrence of breast cancer is always there. I would be glad to ingest more cruciferous vegetables in order to prevent a recurrence. Eating vegetables is far more pleasant than chemotherapy, radiation and additional surgery.

Published by Lynda Altman

Lynda Altman is a freelance writer, blogger and researcher. Her experience includes published print articles in Family Chronicle Magazine, writing and researching for private clients, and writing online cont...  View profile

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