title: The effects of curcumin (diferuloylmethane) on body composition of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Curcumin is a natural product that is often explored by patients with cancer. Weight loss due to fat and muscle depletion is a hallmark of pancreatic cancer and is associated with worse outcomes. Studies of curcumin's effects on muscularity show conflicting results in animal models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Retrospective matched 1:2 case-control study to evaluate the effects of curcumin on body composition (determined by computerized tomography) of 66 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer (22 treated,44 controls). Average age (SEM) was 63(1.8) years, 30/66(45%) women, median number of prior therapies was 2, median (IQR) time from advanced pancreatic cancer diagnosis to baseline image was 7(2-13.5) months (p>0.2, all variables). All patients lost weight (3.3% and 1.3%, treated vs. control, p=0.13). Treated patients lost more muscle (median [IQR] percent change -4.8[-9.1,-0.1] vs. -0.05%[-4.2, 2.6] in controls,p<0.001) and fat (median [IQR] percent change -6.8%[-15,-0.6] vs. -4.0%[-7.6, 1.3] in controls,p=0.04). Subcutaneous fat was more affected in the treated patients. Sarcopenic patients treated with curcumin(n=15) had survival of 169(115-223) days vs. 299(229-369) sarcopenic controls(p=0.024). No survival difference was found amongst non-sarcopenic patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with advanced pancreatic cancer treated with curcumin showed significantly greater loss of subcutaneous fat and muscle than matched untreated controls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine/Division of Palliative Care, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Henrique A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Parsons
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology/Division of Palliative Care Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Vickie E
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Baracos
authors.affiliation: Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics (A Phase I Clinical Trials Program), The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine/Division of Oncology Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Abbruzzese
authors.affiliation: Department of Palliative Care and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bruera
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology & Oncology and Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy, Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA.
authors.forename: Razelle
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kurzrock
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001823:Body Composition / Q000187:drug effects*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003474:Curcumin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D050151:Subcutaneous Fat / Q000187:drug effects; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D003474:Curcumin
keywords: body composition; curcumin; inflammation; pancreatic neoplasms