Broccoli could play a significant role to stop breast cancer from spreading. Researchers have invented that a constituent of broccoli known as sulforaphane could target and kill stem cells of cancer and also prevent growing of new tumor. Earlier sulforaphane has been investigated for its effects on cancer but now this study shows the benefits of sulforaphane in reducing breast cancer stem cells explained study author Professor Duxin Sun from the University of Michigan.
Chemotherapies done to cure breast cancer do not work against stem cells of cancer due to that cancer returns and spreads. Researchers believe that by eliminating stem cells, is only the way to control cancer from spreading. The extract of broccoli can prevent and treat cancer by targeting the cancer stem cells.
In study over mice with breast cancer, researchers injected it with sulforaphane from extract of broccoli. Then they studied number of cancer stem cells were in tumour. They noticed a marked decrease in the number of cancer stem cells after treating with sulforaphane and cancer cells were unable to generate new tumours.
They also found similar decreases in cancer stem cells when they tested sulforaphane on lab grown breast cancer cells. This research suggests probably a new treatment that could be shared with other compounds to aim breast cancer stem cells explained Dr Max Wicha, co-author of the study.
Previous studies suggested that to impact cancer stem cells extract of broccoli concentrations were required to be absorbed by the body. While extract of broccoli is available in form of capsule, concentrations are not regulated and could vary. Now researchers are developing a method to extract and preserve sulforaphane. They are also developing clinical trials to test sulforaphane as a treatment and prevention for breast cancer.