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The anticancer effects of lycopene involve modulation of pathways that slow tumor growth and inhibit tumor progression. This article aims to evaluate the benefits of lycopene supplementation in the prevention and treatment of cancer based on the results of scientific studies.

In cancer treatment, accurate follow-up is critical to improve treatment outcomes and patient survival. In this sense, tumor markers are a valuable tool in cancer diagnosis and monitoring. They allow us to quantify tumor activity and response to treatment long before performing control imaging tests (CT, PET, CT, MRI).

The potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action of apigenin are an important reason for its probable preventive effects and treatment against cancer. apigenin can inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis or programmed cell death in cancer cells. n doing so, apigenin can effectively inhibit tumor growth and progression.

In recent years, clinical trials and observational studies on the benefits of metformin on different types of cancer have proliferated. In 2023, 71 scientific articles have been published on the use of metformin in the treatment of cancer. Glucose is the main source of energy for tumor cells, moreover, they need large amounts of glucose to cover their rapid growth. 

Numerous studies on resveratrol have shown great potential in the treatment of different types of cancer, due to its ability to affect several molecular pathways. Resveratrol has proven the ability to eliminate tumor stem cells, which are the main inducers of tumor growth.

The ketogenic diet consists of drastically decreasing carbohydrates in the diet, as these are the source of glucose. Instead they are replaced with large amounts of healthy fats.

With not enough glucose available to use as an energy source in the body, the body begins to form ketone bodies from fats. Ketone bodies can be used by healthy cells for energy, but not by tumor cells.

On the other hand, the decrease in circulating glucose lowers blood insulin levels. Insulin acts as a stimulant of tumor growth, so by decreasing insulin levels in the blood, it hinders tumor growth.

Quercetin is a type of flavonoid compound that comes from nature and is widely found in our diet.

Numerous studies have shown that quercetin has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-cancer effects.

Both in vivo and in vitro studies show that quercetin can exert antitumor effects by altering cell cycle progression, inhibiting cell proliferation, stimulating apoptosis or cell death, inhibiting the progression of angiogenesis or formation of new blood vessels that feed the tumor and metastases.

Curcumin has shown antitumor effects in breast cancer. HER2 positive. It can induce cell death in breast cancer cells by inducing changes in the cell membrane potential.

Cancer stem cells are one of the main causes of cancer recurrence after treatment. Cancer stem cells are responsible for resistance to chemotherapy after a period of treatment, therefore, research to develop approaches that allow the destruction of cancer stem cells is of much importance. Curcumin has shown its ability to kill cancer stem cells, in addition to increasing the effectiveness of chemotherapy in the treatment of breast cancer.

A study conducted at the world's leading cancer treatment hospital, Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in the United States, has shown that acupuncture treatment enabled chemotherapy-treated patients with symptoms of peripheral neuropathy to complete their chemotherapy cycles without progression of the neuropathy. Another study conducted at the oncology department of Hammersmith Hospital in London has shown that Chinese herbal formulas used in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy improve the speed of sensory nerve conductivity.

The green tea contains large amounts of the catechin: epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG.

There are several mechanisms involved in the therapeutic action of EGCG in cancer.

Green tea EGCG has pro-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, cell cycle modulating, angiogenesis inhibitory properties and induces apoptosis or cell death.

Mary thistle has properties for the treatment of cancer, due to its high content of silibinin, with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and liver-protective action.

Studies published in recent years show that silibinin from milk thistle is effective in preventing and treating different types of cancer, with the main antitumor mechanisms being:

The ketogenic diet consists of high fat and low carbohydrate intake, with the aim of stimulating the formation of ketone bodies. Studies have shown its effectiveness in treating children with epilepsy and could help in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

Research on tumor metabolism in recent years has shown that brain tumors use glucose as their sole source of energy and that high blood glucose levels correlate with poorer survival.

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