1. ¹Department of Urology, Frimley Park Hospital, Surrey, UK
2. ²The Rayne Institute, King's College London, London, UK
3. ³Department of Urology, King's College Hospital, London, UK
4. ⁴Department of Medical Statistics, University College Hospital, London, UK
5. ⁵Department of Biological Sciences, IENS, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK

Correspondence: Dr NJ Barber, Department of Urology, Frimley Park Hospital, Portsmouth Road, Camberley, Surrey GU16 5UJ, UK. E-mail. Neil.barber@fph-tr.nhs.uk

Received 11 January 2006; Revised 25 April 2006; Accepted 5 May 2006; Published online 19 September 2006.

Abstract

Interest in lycopene has focused primarily on its use in the chemoprevention of prostate cancer (CaP); there are few clinical trials involving men with established disease. In addition, most data examining its mechanism of action have been obtained from experiments using immortal cell lines. We report the inhibitory effect(s) of lycopene in primary prostate epithelial cell (PEC) cultures, and the results of a pilot phase II clinical study investigating whole-tomato lycopene supplementation on the behavior of established CaP, demonstrating a significant and maintained effect on prostate-specific antigen velocity over 1 year. These data reinforce the justification for a large, randomized, placebo-controlled study.