May 12, 2004 – Drinking green tea before receiving radiation therapy may reduce radiation doses while maintaining the effectiveness of this cancer treatment. This is what emerges from a laboratory study carried out by the team of Dr Richard Béliveau and whose results1 were presented in Montreal on the occasion of the 72e Acfas Congress2.
Radiation therapy has many side effects, especially at high doses. Thus, paradoxically, it causes angiogenesis, a physiological process by which new blood vessels develop around a tumor, allowing it to supply and grow. During testing in vitro, the team of Dr Béliveau succeeded in canceling the angiogenic effect of irradiation by “exposing” cells beforehand to a solution containing catechins, one of the active agents in green tea.
In order to best simulate the human environment, the tests in vitro involved endothelial cells, those that line blood vessels. In addition, the concentration of catechins corresponded to that found in the blood after drinking a few cups of tea.
The preventive effect of green tea on cancer has been the subject of numerous studies. There is growing evidence that people who drink green tea regularly are less likely to develop certain cancers than those who do not. The work of Dr Béliveau aim to use the anticancer properties of green tea not only in prevention, but also in treatment.
Thanks to a special diet including green tea and perhaps other foods with anticancer properties (including onion, garlic, broccoli and blueberries), Dr Béliveau hopes to reduce the doses of radiation and significantly reduce their undesirable effects. Interestingly, such an anti-cancer regimen could help overcome tumors that are usually resistant to radiation therapy.
In a next step, the Dr Béliveau intends to do a study on patients to assess the real synergistic effect of green tea and radiotherapy.
Marie-Michèle Mantha – PasseportSanté.net
1. Summary of the presentation at the Acfas Congress: http://hercules.is.mcgill.ca.
The results of this study were published in: Annabi B, Lee YT, Martel C, Pilorget A, Bahary JP, Beliveau R. Radiation induced-tubulogenesis in endothelial cells is antagonized by the antiangiogenic properties of green tea polyphenol (-) epigallocatechin-3-gallate. Cancer Biol Ther. 2003 Nov-Dec; 2 (6): 642-9.
2. Acfas: French-speaking association for knowledge.
