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CancerQuest > Introduction to Patient Information > An Introduction to Cancer Treatments > Introduction to Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) > CAM: EGCG (Green Tea)

CAM: EGCG (Green Tea)

Classified as:
Phytochemical,  Polyphenol

Also Called:
epigallocatechin-3-gallate

Structure of EGCG.

Intro and Background
Tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages on the planet, second only to water. ⁽¹⁾ Green tea comes from the plant Canellia sinesis, an evergreen shrub of the Theaceae family. Green, black, and oolong teas all come from this same plant but differ in the way they are prepared. ⁽²⁾ Green tea is not allowed to ferment and so retains many of the beneficial properties of the tea plant. In general, many plants produce chemicals called polyphenols that protect them from environmental damage. The polyphenol EGCG (epigallocatchin-3-gallate) is present in large amounts in green tea. ⁽¹⁾ EGCG has antioxidant properties and has shown to have some preventative effects against skin, lung, esophagus, stomach, liver, small intestine, pancreas, colon, bladder and breast cancers. ^{(3) (4)} Worldwide, tea is believed to have a number of beneficial effects varying from improving blood flow, eliminating toxins, increasing resistance to diseases, increasing cardiovascular health, lowering cholesterol and preventing/combating cancer. Green tea has been found to have antioxidants and health promoting benefits due mostly to its higher content of epigallocatevhin-3-gallate (EGCG). ⁽¹⁾

Scientific Research
Studies involving large populations of people suggest that drinking green tea may be associated with a lower risk of some cancer types. ⁽⁵⁾

Please read our notice on CAM and chemoprevention methods

These findings have been a basis for research into the cancer fighting abilities of greent tea. EGCG has been found to prevent cancer cells from getting nutrients (angiogenesis) ⁽⁶⁾ and inhibit proliferation of gastric cancer cells in mice. ⁽⁷⁾ A slightly modified form of EGCG (Pro-EGCG) has recently shown to induce apoptosis on cancer cells in vitro and inhibit the growth of breast cancer in mice. ⁽⁸⁾ There have been numerous clinical trials to determine the ability of EGCG to prevent cancer with mixed results. Several clinical trials have shown the compound to prevent prostate cancer. ^{(9) (10)} Some abdominal discomfort and fatigue was observed in these studies- most likely due to the caffeine present in green tea. ⁽¹¹⁾

Learn MORE about angiogenesis, apoptosis and proliferation

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

US Food and Drug Administration Approval
There is not enough evidence to support that EGCG is effective in the fight against cancer and it has not been approved by the FDA for cancer treatment. ⁽¹²⁾

*It is important to keep in mind that many cancer treatments, including chemotherapy and radiation, work by generating free radicals in order to destroy cancer cells. If a cancer patient takes antioxidants while undergoing radiation or chemotherapy treatment, it is possible that these compounds may protect tumor cells from the desired free radicals. Doctors may recommend that patients undergoing these treatments avoid antioxidants so that the treatment is as effective as possible. ⁽¹³⁾

References for this page:

1. Cabrera C, Artacho R, Gimenez R. Beneficial effects of green tea--a review. J Am Coll Nutr. (2006) 2: 79-99 [PUBMED]
2. Crespy V, Williamson G. A review of the health effects of green tea catechins in in vivo animal models. Journal of Nutrition (2004). 134: 3431-3440. [PUBMED]
3. Moyers SB, Kumar NB. Green tea polyphenols and cancer chemoprevention: multiple mechanisms and endpoints for phase II trials. Nutrition Reveiws (2004). 62: 204-211 [PUBMED]
4. Yang Cs, Landau JM, Huang MT, Newmark HL. Inhibition of carcinogenesis by dietary polyphenolic compounds. Annual Review of Nutrition (2001). 21: 381-406. [PUBMED]
5. Paul B, Hayes CS, Kim A, Athar M, Gilmour SK. Elevated polyamines lead to selective induction of apoptosis and inhibition of tumorigensis by (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) in ODC/Ras transgenic mice. Carcinogenesis (2005). 26: 119-124. [PUBMED]
6. Jung YD, Kim MS, Shin BA, Chay KO, Ahn BW, Liu W, Bucana CD, Gallick GE, Ellis LM. EGCG, a major component of green tea, inhibits tumour growth by inhibiting VEGF induction in human colon carcinoma cells. British Journal of Cancer. (2001) 84(6):844-50 [PUBMED]
7. Zhu BH, Zhan WH, Li ZR, Wang Z, He YL, Peng JS, Cai SR, Ma JP, Zhang CH. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate inhibits growth of gastric cancer by reducing VEGF production and angiogenesis. World Journal of Gastroenterology. (2007) 13(8): 1162-9. [PUBMED]
8. Landis-Piwowar KR, Huo C, Chen D, Milacic V, Shi G, Chan TH, Dou QP. A novel prodrug of the green tea polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate as a potential anticancer agent. Cancer Research. (2007) 67(9): 4303-10 [PUBMED]
9. S. Bettuzzi, M. Brausi, F. Rizzi, G. Castagnetti, G. Peracchia and A. Corti. Chemoprevention of human prostate cancer by oral administration of green tea catechins in volunteers with high-grade prostate intraepithelial neoplasia: a preclinical report from a one-year proof-of-principle study. Cancer Research. (2006) 66: 12341240 [PUBMED]
10. E. Choan, R. Segal, D. Jonker, S. Malone, N. Reaume, L. Eapen and V. Gallant. A prospective trial of green tea for hormone refractory prostate cancer: an evaluation of the complementary/alternative therapy approach. Urologic Oncology. (2005) 23: 108113. [PUBMED]
11. A. Jatoi, N. Ellison, P.A. Burch, J.A. Sloan, S.R. Dakhil, P. Sovotny, W. Tan, T.R. Fitch, K.M. Rowland, C.Y.F. Young and P.J. Flynn. A Phase II clinical trial of green tea in the treatment of patients with androgen independent metastatic prostate carcinoma. Cancer. 97 (2003), pp. 14421446 [PUBMED]
12. US Food and Drug Adminstration website. Accessed 9/10/2010 [http://www.fda.gov/]
13. Borek C. Dietary antioxidants and human cancer. Integr Cancer Ther (2004). 3: 333-341. [PUBMED]