Testing carrots against colorectal cancer recurrence
Thomas de Lange, associate professor at the University of Gothenburg, has received 6 million SEK from the Sjöberg Foundation to investigate whether carrots can reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. The project focuses on two compounds in carrots – falcarinol (FaOH) and falcarindiol (FaDOH) – believed to prevent the recurrence of intestinal polyps, known as adenomas.
Can carrots prevent colon cancer? It sounds almost too simple to be true, but that is exactly what a Nordic research collaboration aims to explore. The study examines whether juice from specially selected carrots can prevent the formation of new polyps or tumors in patients who have recently undergone surgery to remove high-risk polyps.
Thomas de Lange, adjunct senior lecturer at the Institute of Medicine at the University of Gothenburg and senior consultant at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, leads the Swedish part of the study:
“Carrots contain compounds that can reduce inflammation and protect the body from damage. Our research aims to show whether these compounds can also reduce the risk of recurrent intestinal tumors without any negative effects”, says Thomas de Lange.
A deciliter of juice a day
The study is led by the University of Odense and involves 400 patients from Sweden and Denmark who have recently had large polyps or early-stage tumors in the colon removed through endoscopy. The patients are divided into two groups: one group drinks carrot juice with high levels of FaOH and FaDOH, while the other group receives a placebo juice without these compounds.
Participants are instructed to drink one deciliter of juice daily for a year. During this time, they will undergo regular health check-ups, and researchers will compare the results between the groups to determine if the carrot juice has had any effect.
Natural aid against cancer
The researchers hope this project will demonstrate how natural foods like carrots can become an effective and simple way to complement cancer treatments. If successful, the study could help reduce the risk of recurrent precursors to colorectal cancer and improve the quality of life for many patients.
“Our vision is to offer something as simple and accessible as carrot juice as a complement to existing treatments. It could become a groundbreaking solution that helps people lead healthier lives”, says Thomas de Lange.
In addition to Sahlgrenska University Hospital, patients will also be included in the study at St Göran Hospital, Ersta Hospital, and Uppsala University Hospital.
Patient diaries
Researchers at Umeå University are also involved in the project. They will develop simple and user-friendly diaries to help participants maintain their routines during the study. Patients will test different versions of the diaries to identify the most effective one.
As additional support, chefs from Umeå University’s Institute of Food and Nutrition Science will participate in the collaboration. They will create recipes and sample dishes to help participants incorporate the carrot juice into various meals, making it easier and more motivating to adhere to the study.
The development of artificial intelligence to assist in interpreting endoscopy images risks slowing down due to a lack of images for AI training. In addition to the carrot study, Thomas de Lange is also part of an EU-funded research consortium working to create synthetic endoscopy images for decision-support training. His role in the project is to collect endoscopy images that will serve as the basis for algorithms to generate more images, which in turn will provide training material for the upcoming AI-based decision support.