The effects of curcumin (diferuloylmethane) on body composition of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer

Henrique A. Parsons, Vickie E. Baracos, David S. Hong, James Abbruzzese, Eduardo Bruera, Razelle Kurzrock

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

20 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Curcumin is a natural product that is often explored by patients with cancer. Weight loss due to fat and muscle depletion is a hallmark of pancreatic cancer and is associated with worse outcomes. Studies of curcumin's effects on muscularity show conflicting results in animal models. Methods and results: Retrospective matched 1:2 case-control study to evaluate the effects of curcumin on body composition (determined by computerized tomography) of 66 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer (22 treated,44 controls). Average age (SEM) was 63(1.8) years, 30/66(45%) women, median number of prior therapies was 2, median (IQR) time from advanced pancreatic cancer diagnosis to baseline image was 7(2-13.5) months (p>0.2, all variables). All patients lost weight (3.3% and 1.3%, treated vs. control, p=0.13). Treated patients lost more muscle (median [IQR] percent change -4.8[-9.1,-0.1] vs. -0.05%[-4.2, 2.6] in controls, p<0.001) and fat (median [IQR] percent change -6.8%[-15,-0.6] vs. -4.0%[-7.6, 1.3] in controls,p=0.04). Subcutaneous fat was more affected in the treated patients. Sarcopenic patients treated with curcumin(n=15) had survival of 169(115-223) days vs. 299(229-369) sarcopenic controls(p=0.024). No survival difference was found amongst non-sarcopenic patients. Conclusions: Patients with advanced pancreatic cancer treated with curcumin showed significantly greater loss of subcutaneous fat and muscle than matched untreated controls.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)20293-20304
Number of pages12
JournalOncotarget
Volume7
Issue number15
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 12 2016

Keywords

  • Body composition
  • Curcumin
  • Inflammation
  • Pancreatic neoplasms

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Oncology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The effects of curcumin (diferuloylmethane) on body composition of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this