Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA.
J Oncol. 2012;2012:271063. doi: 10.1155/2012/271063. Epub 2012 May 28.
Lycopene has been proposed to protect against prostate cancer through various properties including decreased lipid oxidation, inhibition of cancer cell proliferation, and most notably potent antioxidant properties. Epidemiologic studies on the association between lycopene and prostate cancer incidence have yielded mixed results. Detection of an association has been complicated by unique epidemiologic considerations including the measurement of lycopene and its major source in the diet, tomato products, and assessment of prostate cancer incidence and progression. Understanding this association has been further challenging in the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening era. PSA screening has increased the detection of prostate cancer, including a variety of relatively indolent cancers. This paper examines the lycopene and prostate cancer association in light of epidemiologic methodologic issues with particular emphasis on the effect of PSA screening on this association.
番茄红素具有降低脂质氧化、抑制癌细胞增殖等特性，因而被认为可以预防前列腺癌。然而，有关番茄红素与前列腺癌发病率之间关系的流行病学研究结果并不一致。这是由于在对番茄红素及其主要膳食来源——番茄制品进行检测以及评估前列腺癌发病率和进展情况时，需要考虑到一些独特的流行病学因素，从而使得对这种相关性的检测变得复杂。在前列腺特异性抗原（PSA）筛查时代，理解这种相关性变得更加具有挑战性。PSA 筛查提高了前列腺癌的检出率，包括各种相对惰性的癌症。本文从流行病学方法学的角度探讨了番茄红素与前列腺癌之间的关联，特别强调了 PSA 筛查对这种关联的影响。
