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CancerQuest > Introduction to Patient Information > Introduction to Cancer Prevention > Cancer Prevention: Plant Products (Phytochemicals) > Cancer Prevention: Lycopene

Cancer Prevention: Lycopene

Classified as:
Phytochemical, Carotenoid

Structure of Lycopene

Intro and Background
Lycopene is the compound that gives the fruit of the tomato plant (Solanum lycopersicum) it's red color. ⁽¹⁾ Watermelon, grapefruit, guava, and papaya also contain lycopene but in lesser amounts. The consumption of this antioxidant has been associated with a decreased risk in prostate cancer. ⁽²⁾ Most of the research related to lycopene and cancer involves prostate cancer prevention. Studies have also shown that lycopene may be more effective when it is ingested from tomatoes (as opposed to a supplement). ⁽³⁾ This has lead researchers to believe there may be more beneficial compounds in tomatoes. ⁽⁴⁾

Scientific Research
Lycopene has been shown to inhibit the NF-kappa B pathway, a key pathway in the reguation of cell division. ⁽⁵⁾ When prostate cancer cells were treated with lycopene in vitro, apoptosis was induced in a significant number of the cells. ^{(6) (7)} In a rat study, tomato powder inhibited cancer cell formation in animals treated with a mutagen. The treatment prolonged the animals' survival, and reduced animal death rates. ⁽⁸⁾ Clinical studies regarding lycopene have not provided enough evidence to show that it can prevent cancer. Tomatoes, on the other hand, have not yet been completely disproven as a way to prevent cancer. ⁽³⁾

Learn MORE about apoptosis

For information about ongoing clinical trials involving lycopene, please visit our section on Finding Clinical Trials.

US Food and Drug Administration Approval
The FDA has concluded that there is "no credible evidence to support an association between lycopene intake and a reduced risk of prostate, lung, colorectal, gastric, breast, ovarian, endometrial, or pancreatic cancer". There is also "very limited evidence to support an association between tomato consumption and reduced risks of prostate, ovarian, gastric and pancreatic cancers". ⁽⁹⁾

References for this page:

1. Mueller LA, et al, (2005) The tomato sequencing project, the first cornerstone of the international solanaceae project (SOL). In: ENCYCLOPEDIA OF LIFE SCIENCES. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd: Chichester [ http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/110473756/PDFSTART ]
2. Stacewicz-Sapuntzakis M, Bowen PE. Role of lycopene and tomato products in prostate health. Biochim Biophys Acta. (2005) 1740(2): 202-5. Review [PUBMED]
3. Ellinger S, Ellinger J, Stehle P. Tomatoes, tomato products and lycopene in the prevention and reatment of prostate cancer: do we have the evidence from intervention studies? Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. (2006) 9(6): 722-7. [PUBMED]
4. Klein EA, Thompson IM. Update on chemoprevention of prostate cancer. Curr Opin Urol. (2004) 14(3):143-9. [PUBMED]
5. Kim GY, Kim JH, Ahn SC, Lee HJ, Moon DO, Lee CM, et al. Lycopene suppresses the lipopolysaccharide-induced phenotypic and functional maturation of murine dendritic cells through inhibition of mitogen-activated protein kinases and nuclear factor-kappaB. Immunology (2004)113(2):20311. [PUBMED]
6. E. Kotake-Nara, M. Kushiro, H. Zhang, T. Sugawara, K. Miyashita, A. Nagao, Carotenoids affect proliferation of human prostate cancer cells. J. Nutr. 131 (2001) 3303 3306 [PUBMED]
7. Obermuller-Jevic UC, Olano-Martin E, et al. Lycopene inhibits the growth of normal human prostate epithelial cells in vitro. J Nutr. (2003) 133: 33563360 [PUBMED]
8. T.W.-M. Boileau, Z. Liao, S. Kim, S. Lemeshow, J.W. Erdman Jr., S.K. Clinton. Prostate carcinogenesis in N-methyl-N-nitrosourea(NMU)-testosterone-treated rats fed tomato powder, lycopene or energy-restricted diets. Journal Natl. Cancer Inst. 95 (2003) 1578 1586 [PUBMED]
9. Kavanaugh CJ, Trumbo PR, Ellwood KC. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's evidence-based review for qualified health claims: tomatoes, lycopene, and cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2007 Jul 18;99(14):1074-85. Epub 2007 Jul 10. [PUBMED]