Green Tea Shows Protective Effect Against Gastrointestinal Cancer SAN FRANCISCO Apr 08, 2002 (Reuters Health) Green tea may help protect against gastric and esophageal cancers, according to findings presented here on Monday at the 93rd annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research. Dr. Can-Lan Sun, a researcher at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, described a study of 190 Chinese men with gastric cancer, 42 with esophageal cancer and 772 cancer-free controls. Participants had urine analyzed at baseline, prior to cancer diagnosis, for the presence of the green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin (EGC). The presence of EGC in the urine was used as a "marker" for green tea consumption. The subjects were followed for 4 to 12 years, Dr. Sun noted. "Our findings showed that subjects whose urine demonstrated the presence of EGC had a 50% lower risk of gastric and esophageal cancers," she said. The benefit was most pronounced in people with below-average blood levels of carotene. Dr. Sun said it is too soon for doctors to recommend that patients drink green tea to help prevent cancer. "We definitely need further studies to make any conclusions," she said. Meanwhile, another study found no protective effect for patients with advanced prostate cancer who consumed six servings a day of highly concentrated green tea. "Of the 42 patients there was only one patient who manifested a very transient drop in his PSA levels," said study author Dr. Aminah Jatoi, an assistant professor of oncology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. "Our conclusion is that green tea did not work in these patients," she said. "But the fact that it didn't work here doesn't mean it won't work in other settings." "Although these findings are not encouraging for green tea for this type of prostate cancer, I think we send a very important message to people with cancer, Dr. Jatoi said in a conference statement. "Oncologists, researchers and others are examining unconventional approaches and are receptive to the possibility that such therapies may help." Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.