PROMISES AND PERILS OF LYCOPENE/TOMATO SUPPLEMENTATION AND CANCER PREVENTION Division of Cancer Prevention Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics Center for Cancer Research National Cancer Institute Office of Dietary Supplements United States Department of Agriculture Bethesda Marriott Hotel Bethesda, Maryland February 17-18, 2005 Greetings and Opening Remarks Cindy Davis, Division of Cancer Prevention (DCP), National Cancer Institute (NCI); John Milner ,DCP,NCI ; Paul Coates, Office of Dietary Supplements; Joseph Spence, Agriculture Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Dr. Cindy Davis welcomed the participants and expressed appreciation for their willingness to share their time and views. She stated that the goals of the workshop were to critically evaluate the epidemiological, preclinical, and clinical evidence related to lycopene/tomato consumption and cancer prevention; to identify typical exposures and metabolomic responses; and to identify possible adverse consequences of lycopene consumption. She indicated the discussions at the end of each session will assist in critically evaluating the current findings and help to identify research gaps, and the workshop’s final discussion will focus on setting research priorities. Dr. Davis thanked the sponsors: the Division of Cancer Prevention, the Center for Cancer Research, and the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics at the NCI; the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH); and the Agricultural Research Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the program committee members for making this workshop possible. Dr. John Milner welcomed participants on behalf of himself and Dr. Peter Greenwald, the Director of the Division of Cancer Prevention. Dr. Milner stated that a major goal of this workshop is to evaluate the quality of the science that is currently available about lycopene/tomatoes and health. He questioned whether the evidence is adequate to justify consumer beliefs. He indicated this workshop is truly a team effort; an NIH “enterprise activity” that involves many different groups with a common focus. He indicated that at a minimum this workshop will yield an Executive Summary which will highlight research gaps and possible directions for use in fostering research in this area. It is possible that a Request for Applications (RFA) or Program Announcement (PA) may arise from presentations and discussion occurring during this workshop. He noted, however, that much of the funded research at NIH is investigator initiated independent of RFAs and PAs. Dr. Milner summarized the “three Ds” of research: discovery (identifying sites of action and their physiological significance); development (incorporating basic science into a clinical situation); and delivery (relaying information to the public). In nutrition the delivery phase often precedes discovery and development, sending mixed messages about the state and relevance of information. He mentioned that the term “nutritional preemption” might be useful as a strategy to identify target populations who respond to certain foods/food components including vulnerable populations that might be put at risk by exaggerated intake. Dr. Paul Coates expressed his pleasure to co-sponsor this workshop with the USDA and NCI. Although the ODS does not have direct granting authority, it can collaborate with partners in many areas and has been doing so in a variety of ways. Dr. Coates stated that the gaps in knowledge might be wider in supplements than foods; a response to a food does not necessarily correlate with efficacy or health effects in a supplement. Research on the delivery system of supplements for promising bioactive factors should be supported and encouraged. The ODS plans to continue collaborating with the NCI and others to support research and develop new initiatives to help bridge the gap between promising food sources of bioactive factors and bioactive factors delivered in supplement form. Dr. Jospeh Spence stated that the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service was also pleased to cosponsor this workshop, which is aptly named (i.e., the promises and perils of lycopene). The USDA has had a longstanding interest in phytonutrients. For more than a decade, USDA investigators have measured compounds in foods and have tried to develop evidence that the compound is bioactive and beneficial. Plant breeders have requested information on how to modify fruits and vegetables to improve nutritional quality and provide additional health benefits to consumers. However, today the research is not adequate to support a claim that a tomato with increased lycopene will prevent cancer. Despite such concerns, several plant breeders have developed high-lycopene tomatoes; but this may be modifying the amounts of other dietary components. Breeders could be enhancing the amount of one beneficial component and either reducing the amount of another beneficial component or increasing the amount of a detrimental component. The outcome of this workshop, filling the gaps in knowledge regarding the health effects of lycopene, will be critical to deciding the direction of future research. |
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