Clinical Antitumor effects of Curcumin in Prostate Cancer Environment: A Meta-Analysis
Novelty in Biomedicine,
Vol. 13 No. 4 (2025),
28 October 2025
,
Page 233-239
https://doi.org/10.22037/nbm.v13i4.46943
Abstract
Background: Curcuma longa L. is increasingly acknowledged as a chemopreventive agent for cancer and is currently being administered to humans. Nonetheless, the limited number of clinical trials conducted for prostate cancer treatment is significant. Our objective was to conduct a meta-analysis study to evaluate curcumin's tumor-inhibitory effects in humans.
Materials and Methods: PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched until October 2024 to retrieve relevant articles. The RAYYAN intelligence tool for systematic reviews was incorporated for screening studies. STATA v18 software was used to conduct the meta-analysis. Egger’s test for publication bias assessment was implemented. The JBI critical appraisal tool was used to evaluate the qualities of the included studies. A plot digitizer was used to extract digital data.
Results: This meta-analysis evaluated the effects of curcumin on prostate cancer. Eight studies involving 638 participants were included out of 1,523 articles. The analysis showed that curcumin significantly reduces prostate cancer incidence, with a pooled effect size of -0.91 (95% CI: [-1.68, -0.14], P = 0.02). The results indicated significant heterogeneity among studies, though a slight publication bias was noted.
Conclusion: Curcumin demonstrated a favorable effect on prostate cancer treatment and exhibited inhibitory properties toward prostate tumor growth, thereby providing substantiation for additional clinical investigations. Including a limited number of studies resulted in a significant degree of heterogeneity among the included studies, which is a critical point to recognize. As a result, additional randomized controlled trials are necessary to thoroughly evaluate curcumin's efficacy in humans.
- Prostate cancer
- Anti-tumor
- Curcumin
- Turmeric
How to Cite
References
1. Wang S, Zhang F, Chen J. Application and potential value of curcumin in prostate cancer: a meta-analysis based on animal models. Front Pharmacol. 2024;15:1379389.
2. Bai Y, Zhang X, Li W, Chen J, Zhao L, et al. Polyphyllins in cancer therapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of animal studies. Phytomedicine. 2023;121:155096
3. Singh D, Kumar S, Verma R, Sharma N, Gupta A, et al. Apigenin in cancer prevention and therapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of animal models. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2022;176:103751
4. Hewlings SJ, Kalman DS. Curcumin: a review of its effects on human health. Foods. 2017;6(10):92.
5. de Oliveira TV, de Carvalho TG, Amaral-Machado L, Alencar ÉN, Lima EM, et al. Preclinical studies of the antitumor effect of curcumin-loaded polymeric nanocapsules: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Phytother Res. 2022;36(8):3202–14.
6. Termini D, Xu H, Gromovsky AD, Zhang J, Zhao S, et al. Curcumin against prostate cancer: current evidence. Biomolecules. 2020;10(11):1536.
7. Page MJ, McKenzie JE, Bossuyt PM, Boutron I, Hoffmann TC, et al. The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ. 2021;372:n71.
8. Stang A. Critical evaluation of the Newcastle-Ottawa scale for assessing the quality of nonrandomized studies in meta-analyses. Eur J Epidemiol. 2010;25:603–5.
9. Choi YH, Han DH, Kim SW, Lee JY, Rha KH, et al. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the role of curcumin in prostate cancer patients with intermittent androgen deprivation. Prostate. 2019;79(6):614–21.
10. Karami AA, Movahedi M, Fattahi M, Lotfi M, Moradi A, et al. The nano-micellar curcumin improves International Prostate Symptoms Score (IPSS) in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia: a randomized clinical trial. World J Urol. 2023;41(9):2465–71.
11. Ide H, Tokiwa S, Sakamaki K, Nishio K, Isotani S, et al. Combined inhibitory effects of soy isoflavones and curcumin on the production of prostate-specific antigen. Prostate. 2010;70(10):1127–33.
12. Hejazi J, Rastmanesh R, Taleban FA, Molana SH, Eftekhari MH, et al. Effect of curcumin supplementation during radiotherapy on oxidative status of patients with prostate cancer: a double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Nutr Cancer. 2016;68(1):77–85.
13. Passildas-Jahanmohan J, Barret M, Tarpin C, Pouget N, Fontana A, et al. Multicenter randomized phase II study comparing docetaxel plus curcumin versus docetaxel plus placebo in first-line treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Cancer Med. 2021;10(7):2332–2340.
14. van Die MD, Bone KM, Emery J, Williams SG, Pirotta M, et al. A placebo-controlled double-blinded randomized pilot study of combination phytotherapy in biochemically recurrent prostate cancer. Prostate. 2017;77(7):765–75.
15. Qiao J, Jiang F, Wang Y, Li X, Zhang C, et al. Combination therapy with curcumin plus tamsulosin and finasteride in the treatment of men with benign prostatic hyperplasia: a single-center, randomized control study. Transl Androl Urol. 2021;10(8):3432–9.
16. Thomas R, Williams M, Sharma H, Chaudry A, Bellamy P. A double-blind, placebo-controlled randomised trial evaluating the effect of a polyphenol-rich whole food supplement on PSA progression in men with prostate cancer—the UK NCRN Pomi-T study. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis. 2014;17(2):180–6.
- Abstract Viewed: 213 times
- pdf Downloaded: 116 times